Having recently read “Why Vinyl Stinks” (Whole Dog Journal April 2008), I wonder whether polyethylene rubber toys (i.e., Jolly Balls) are safe products for dogs. The manufacturers say they are completely safe, but I would expect that to be their position regardless. I hope you can clarify this for me. My puppy Rufous thanks you in advance.
Jeanette Robertson,
Via e-mail
Author Susan Weinstein responds:
Environmentally concerned scientists believe that both polyethylene (recycling codes HDPE #2 or LDPE #4) and polypropylene (PP #5) are among the least toxic plastics available at this time. (Both are plastics, not rubber.) They offer toughness, durability, and flexibility, and don’t need additives the way vinyl does to attain these qualities. My Bouviers, who are great chewers with powerful jaws, love to play with their Jolly Ball and I feel it’s one of their best and safest plastic toys.
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Thank you for the excellent article “Why Vinyl Stinks,” which alerts consumers to the hazards of vinyl toys and products for dogs. As a professor of interior design, I am very aware of the problems associated with PVC and many of the products that are made from this plastic. PVC is a prevalent material in our world and it is used for a multitude of things that we use every day, many of these things we may have direct contact with. As the author points out, most PVC is fairly stable and may or may not present a hazard to the user. Primary hazards for end-users are the softening agents that are added to it or if it is burned.
A main concern that I have is for the factory users who work with PVC directly. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (atsdr.cdc.gov) states “The US Department of Health and Human Services has determined that vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen. Studies in workers who have breathed vinyl chloride over many years showed an increased risk of liver cancer, brain cancer, and lung cancer. Some cancers of the blood have also been observed in workers.” There have been well-documented cases of bone reabsorption in workers who continually touch this chemical and cases of chemically induced scleroderma.
I highly recommend two documentaries that cover this topic and associated problems. “Blue Vinyl” covers the PVC industry in this county and Italy, and the PBS Bill Moyer’s documentary “Trade Secrets” focuses on a chemical industry cover up of the hazards of PVC.
Your article also mentions “outgassing” (or offgassing) of PVC. This can occur with many types of products and different chemicals when those chemicals evaporate from the product. Indoor air quality has become a major concern for both people and pets today. For anyone interested I would recommend aerias.org as an excellent resource about indoor air quality and the hazards of chemicals in our world.
Nancy Chwiecko,
Associate Professor, Interior Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY
The article on vestibular disease (“Tales of the Lost Balance,” Whole Dog Journal May 2008) could not have been more timely. My 14-year-old very healthy Miniature Schnauzer recently woke me at 1 am vomiting and staggering. Both eyes were rapidly moving back and forth! It was a horrible, frightening first-time experience for me.
Of course, I immediately took her to the emergency vet who at first glance said “She has old dog disease” – vestibular disease! She has had one more, but fortunately milder, attack since the first attack a month ago. My vet prescribed antibiotics for inner ear infection the second time, which seemed to help tremendously. She is also on an herb prescribed by my holistic vet.
Thanks for the excellent article, which helped clear up all my confusion about this mysterious, very frightening disease. I shall not panic should my little gal have another attack.
Betty Whiteaker,
Fredericksburg, VA
I am a licensed physical therapist who is also certified in canine rehabilitation.
It was with interest that I read the article in this most recent issue on vestibular disease. I know that in the veterinary training there is the belief that peripheral vestibular disease is idiopathic. In human medicine there is an identical condition that is termed benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. The signs and symptoms are the same as what we see in the canine patient.
It is recognized that this condition is precipitated by the movement of the crystals in the semicircular canals in the ears. There is a treatment protocol that is used very successfully in humans. Several physical therapists and veterinarians that are certified in canine rehab are now using a similar technique to alleviate the symptoms in our canine patients. In addition to the positioning techniques to address the movement of the crystals, we also employ specific manual therapy techniques to address the residual head tilt. I wrote an article about this topic, with several references, that was recently published in a Canadian physiotherapy journal.
Margaret Kraeling PT, CCRT
Physical Therapist, Certified in Canine Rehabilitation Therapy
Alberta, Canada
