Post by chelseamae on Mar 28, 2010 16:36:25 GMT -5
I am a member of forum.ferret.com and came across this post and found it necessary to pass along. So please read...
"Just passing this along...about dogs but applies to ferrets since many of us give stuffed animals to the fur kids.
Last night at agility class, a vet, who is a fellow agility student was telling us about a case she had this week. The dog ate a child's teddy bear and was very sick. When she opened the dog up to remove what she thought was an intestinal obstruction she found a huge gelatin type mess inside and the dogs intestines were black and the tissue dead. The dog will die no surgery can fix him up there was no living intestine left from stomach to colon.
This was not an obstruction. .... so she called the manufacturer of the Teddy Bear on a quest to find out what the gel was and what killed the dog. Turns out the stuffing in children's toys contains ingredients for flame retardants and mite control! It is designed to become a gel. It is highly toxic. Now you would think a child's toy would be safe because it is for children, but they don't expect a child to eat the stuffing of the toys... huummmm that seems a bit scary too. But we all know dogs demolish stuffed toys.
So do not give or buy your dog any children's stuffed animals... some people get them at goodwill etc. The vet will be posting a warning and story and I will send any other facts as needed and as I learn more. Maybe some children's toys do not have this ingredient, but better to be safe than sorry. So meanwhile, make sure all your dog toys are for dogs. Please pass this on... it is a horrible death she described and one that can be avoided.
Permission granted to cross-post"
Also...
" I think there is some truth to it but I started really thinking about it. We know not all or even most stuff animals have this in them since stuffed animals survive washing without breaking down.
I have been trying to track down anything specific about this whole story and am unable to find anything about who makes the teddy bears in question.
Now I did track down who seems to be the vet in this case.
Her research found that it looks like the chemical is to discourage bacterial growth and is also found in some comforters and bedspreads. "
"Just passing this along...about dogs but applies to ferrets since many of us give stuffed animals to the fur kids.
Last night at agility class, a vet, who is a fellow agility student was telling us about a case she had this week. The dog ate a child's teddy bear and was very sick. When she opened the dog up to remove what she thought was an intestinal obstruction she found a huge gelatin type mess inside and the dogs intestines were black and the tissue dead. The dog will die no surgery can fix him up there was no living intestine left from stomach to colon.
This was not an obstruction. .... so she called the manufacturer of the Teddy Bear on a quest to find out what the gel was and what killed the dog. Turns out the stuffing in children's toys contains ingredients for flame retardants and mite control! It is designed to become a gel. It is highly toxic. Now you would think a child's toy would be safe because it is for children, but they don't expect a child to eat the stuffing of the toys... huummmm that seems a bit scary too. But we all know dogs demolish stuffed toys.
So do not give or buy your dog any children's stuffed animals... some people get them at goodwill etc. The vet will be posting a warning and story and I will send any other facts as needed and as I learn more. Maybe some children's toys do not have this ingredient, but better to be safe than sorry. So meanwhile, make sure all your dog toys are for dogs. Please pass this on... it is a horrible death she described and one that can be avoided.
Permission granted to cross-post"
Also...
" I think there is some truth to it but I started really thinking about it. We know not all or even most stuff animals have this in them since stuffed animals survive washing without breaking down.
I have been trying to track down anything specific about this whole story and am unable to find anything about who makes the teddy bears in question.
Now I did track down who seems to be the vet in this case.
Her research found that it looks like the chemical is to discourage bacterial growth and is also found in some comforters and bedspreads. "