Toys and treats made out of country
I was just wondering if anyone else pays attention to where their corgis toys and treats come from. I live in Canada and it is so hard to find something made locally. Whenever I go to the US, I pick up a pack or two or raw hide at Target that are made in the US. I am really worried about all the stuff from China. Milly will destroy every toy and no matter how vigilant we are, she occasionally swallows some of said toy not to mention the raw hides/chewies that are made for ingesting. Are the standards lower in other countries? What about lead or other chemicals in their treats/toys? I have recently seen countries such as Brazil, Columbia, etc the makers of toys/treats and I don't know what to make of them.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dana C on
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Sorry, I just wanted to add one more thing. If there is no tag with the ingredients and manufacturing country do you just skip it? PJ's Pets has some rawhide balls that my niece buys for her bichon but there is nothing on it, no tag.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I make sure all treats are MADE in the USA (not just distributed by a US company).
With toys I'm a little more lax, simply because it's so hard to find toys not made in China.
For food and water bowls, I could not find any glazed ceramic that were not made in China and I was afraid of lead paint, so I found stainless steel ones and they are made in India.
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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There are many Canadian made dog toys, google it. I'll let a lawyer answer your question. The standards are not lower in other countries, when you order a wedding cake, it is your responsibility to make sure the cake meets your standard. Some bakers are surely better than others, but ordering without tasting and ensuring long term quality control is foolish. It is always easier to put the blame on someone else.
Let me give you a little perspective. My father in law is a world known special effects masks maker in China. When George Lucas needed someone to make "jar jar binks" "Darth Maul" "Queen Amidala"masks for the movie "Star Wars", he wanted no body else but my father in law to do it. When the movie "Sex and the City 2" wanted to use one of my father in law's masks, they call long distance to China and ask for his permission.
13 years ago, a world known European Halloween mask rep came and talked business with my father in law, Silvia and I were not involved because we were on vacation. The rep assumed we were factory workers and did not understand a word of English, he spoke loudly with a demanding and demeaning attitude, all he cared about was money, he showed no special interest in the quality, material, manufacturing process and proper import channels. This is just one of many "reps" who are looking for a quick buck in China and knowingly corrupting the system just to get things done.
I've visited many big corp meat packing plant, soup manufacturing plant, sunscreen, shampoo, cosmetic research labs and plant, chocolate factory... in many states and different countries, the truth is US plants and laws are too relaxed, many ingredients that are banned in Europe (Dibutyl Phthalates) or Canada (BPA) are still being used here in the US. There are many red tapes in all levels, FDA inspecting agents and inspection frequency is a joke, by the time recalls are issued, the products are already in the market for months and years. Don't let the media fool you, open your eyes and take a logical approach in problem solving. Emotional scapegoat response is not the answer.
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Permalink Reply by Judi, Dawn, Soffie & Griffyn on
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A bit off the "animal concept" but I want to post something here that concurs with what Sam says about US standards being "relaxed". I am a 1st generation Swede!! And my cousin, who is an RN schooled and trained in Sweden and now living and working in the US tells me "first hand" about how lax we are in sanitation and contamination control. In hospital in Sweden doctors and nurses, before surgery, enter a "sterile room", scrub up, change into sterile clothing and then enter the operating room. After the operation they enter the "sterile room" again and remove their scrubs, change into fresh clothing and leave. Here in the US we see our doctors and nurses etc.... at McDonalds, and who knows where, in the same "scrubs" they may have just performed a medical proceedure in!! Shocking!!!
So..... I can only imagine that the "control" for what we judge by, for what we buy for our pets, probably isn't what we would hope it would be. I too.... look for things "made in the USA" believing that it is probably better and safer for my two bablies. But after reading Sam's response and knowing what I know from what my cousin tells me....... maybe I need to rethink some of my purchase decisions!
How much "truth" does the media report?? Ummmmmm ..... let's think about exactly where did the oil go in the Gulf of Mexico?????
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I would never say US standards are perfect, and companies tend to get greedy and cut corners. And yes, I blame the buyers/ importers as much as the manufacturers when imported products are tainted. I also blame consumers who only care about price, who complain about losing manufacturing jobs and retail/service jobs with family-supporting wages, and then turn around and make purchasing decisions based solely on who has the cheapest price. People fail to realize they are driving the very trends they complain about.
That being said, there have been so many issues with toys, jewelry, and food that I personally hesitate to buy mass-produced Chinese imported products at this time. As I recall, no one would buy British beef either when they had their issues with mad cow disease, and I can think of quite a few other examples where specific scares spooked people off of certain products from certain countries, or domestically where people steered away from specific manufacturers who made faulty products. As another example, my British-immigrant husband cannot give blood in this country because of mad cow disease.
Is it reactionary? Yes, but lacking the tools to know who is violating safety regulations before the fact, we are stuck dealing with the decision-making after the fact. After tainted dog food, lead paint on toys, and cadmium in jewelry I can't blame people for being a little bit scared.
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Beth, I have to agree with you and that is exactly why I posted this thread. It seems that lately at least many of the mass produced items from China are being recalled for some reason. Lead paint, melamine, etc. I certainly don't mean to insult any particular country but I am worried. As Sam said earlier by the time the recall is in place products have been out on the market for months or longer. I would be really concerned if I had a small child right now as well. Toys, plastic bottles, the list never ends. I don't want Milly's toys or treats to be recalled or her getting sick or worse due to an unwise choice that I made. Do we stick with only Canadian made or conversely US or is that no guarantee? For now, that is what I am doing and perhaps with that helping the economy as well. If these items are produced here than the jobs are staying in this country. However; first and foremost is Milly's welfare.
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I think the only thing we can really do is staying on top of things and be informed. I am an information junkie and uses Google alert to keep things up to date.
Pay attention to ingredients that are banned or in the process of being banned outside of US. The most effective way to help the economy is buy local. Money will stay within your community.
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Agreed, I too lived in England during the heights of mad cow disease, I was never able to give blood in the US :(
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I try to stay away from thing made in China as there are many recalls on many things especially for lead and this is in childrens toys so I can only imagine what might be in dog toys. bella had a collar from China that had a metal clasp and caused her to get a large sore! I believe that many coutries may not have the strict regulations that we have and therefore I don't buy hooves etc. that aren't USDA. I am also worried about the chemicals they may use. I make my own treats or buy organic. it's hard because even here most of the dog toys are from china:(
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