[Guide] Dog Rope Toys: How to Select and Buy Safe Rope Toys

A dog rope toy is perhaps the most versatile dog toy ever.

They come in different colors, sizes, knot styles but most importantly, in many different materials.

But do you know where your dog’s current rope toy comes from? or, where it was made?, or even what it’s made of?

In this post I discuss how to select a safe dog rope toy for your pup.

Did you know that “indestructible” dog rope toy laying around your house, odds are contains synthetic fibers (i.e. plastic) that pose a serious health risk to your pup? It is precisely the variety in materials in dog rope toys that may make this seemingly innocuous toy a dangerous one.

What you are about to read, will change the way you think about dog rope toys and most likely the way you think about the pet products industry in general. If you find this content useful, make sure to spread the love by using any of the social media buttons around the post.

Happy reading, and sharing!

Are Plastic Dog Toys Safe

There is plenty of evidence of harm to animals from exposure to chemicals in everyday household objects.

In fact, dogs share the same home environment we do but are at even greater exposure to some chemicals because they tend to explore their environment with their mouths and spend more time in close contact with household textiles and dusty or dirty floors.

You should exercise caution when buying dog toys that contain plastic and textile materials.

Most dog rope toys usually contain toxic chemicals that in one way or another will manage to make it into your pup’s digestive system with long term negative and irreversible health consequences.

According to poisonedpets.com

"more than 80% of all toys are made in China. In the past decade, toys made in China, which produces two-thirds of all the toys in the world, have repeatedly been shown to be toxic. Many are potential killers. One-third of toys tested in China contain heavy metals at levels of concern, with one in 10 containing excessive levels of lead, according to new research.

The top five lead-contaminated products contained truly shocking levels ranging from 12,467-120,960 ppm; products far above the new lead standard allowed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for children’s toys — 100 parts per million (PPM). A wide range of toys and children’s products, including those sold by reputable brands, contained either lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, antimony or chromium.

HealthyStuff.org tested over 400 dog and cat products, including chew toys, stuffed toys, tennis balls, collars, leashes, and beds. More than 90% of the pet products tested were made in China. Since there are no government standards for hazardous chemicals in pet products, it is not surprising that there were alarming levels of toxic chemicals found."

Your children are also at risk when your pet toys contain toxic chemicals.

"The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that there is no safe threshold for lead exposure and that children, if possible, should never be in contact with it. Decades of research has shown that ingestion of lead, even at extremely low levels, can cause severe developmental delays in children, especially those under the age of six, as well as myriad other health problems." (Source: poisonedpets.com)

What Happens if My Dog Eats a Plastic Toy?

According to the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, many of the plastic and rubbery toys and fetching batons that our dogs chew on and play with every day, contain dangerous chemicals that may be harmful to their health.

Some of these toxic materials include PVC, phthalates, chlorine, BPA, lead, chromium (dangerous in high levels), formaldehyde, cadmium, and bromine amongst others. These toys will usually claim to be made of 100% cotton; the question is what else is in them?

PVC has been called the 'poison plastic' because so many of its ingredients are known to leach out throughout its life cycle. The ingredients used to soften PVC can also be harmful to your pet, especially when chewed up, licked, nosed, and inhaled.

However, not all plastic or rubber toys are dangerous for your pup. The challenge for pet parents is to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Read our blog post Are Rubber Dog Toys Safe for Dogs or Toxic? for more on this topic.

Fret No More.

If on the contrary what you are looking for is a 100% safe dog rope toy that will neither last forever nor cause any harm to your pup, then our EarthCare^® 100% Bio Based Bio-Rope may be a good option for your pup.

Pick the rope size and style that's best for your pup.

Always remember that your fur baby trusts and relies on your sound judgment to make purchase decisions on his/her behalf.

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Additionally, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is made right here in the USA, 100% pup safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

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