Hidden Danger of Pet Toys Revealed in New Safety Report
About 83 percent of toy-related complaints received by the Center for Pet Safety involved emergency vet treatment.
A new report from the Center for Pet Safety (CPS) has shed light on the hidden dangers posed by pet toys, highlighting that they are the leading manufactured product associated with injury and death cases reported to the organization. According to the report, 83 percent of toy-related complaints involved emergency veterinary treatment for gastrointestinal obstructions caused by pets swallowing toy materials or fragments.
Approximately one-quarter of these reported cases resulted in fatalities due to complications such as obstruction, perforation, or sepsis. While Dr. Holly Dutton, a veterinarian, acknowledges the report's findings align with her clinical experience, she cautions against overgeneralizing the data, noting that toys are not the most common cause of injury or death in her emergency veterinary practice.
Despite this, CPS emphasizes the significant safety issue, pointing out that the pet toy industry lacks required testing, recalls, or injury reporting. The report identifies various materials involved in incidents, including rubber, nylon, plastic, latex, silicone, rope, fabric, and wire components, many of which can become lodged in the digestive tract, leading to severe health issues.
Owners may spend thousands of dollars on emergency treatments, with some surgeries costing over $15,000.
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