Fighting the plastic monster: how to protect your canine companion from biohazardous plastic and dangerous indigestible synthetic products.
By Terry Lynch
Dog owners need to be made extremely aware of the fact that plastic can be very dangerous to their canine companions. This is especially true with regard to items made from plastic that can be chewed and swallowed. All plastic, including such synthetic materials such as foam rubber, polymer fabrics and fibers used as a filler to stuff cushions, toys and other soft sculptured merchandise is indigestible and therefore dangerous if eaten by dogs. This includes polymer ropes, bungee cords, all types of nylon, given nylon is a synthetic thermoplastic polyamide that is made into everything from yarn and fabric to bristle brushes.
Dogs have a natural tendency to chew objects which exercises their gums, cleans their teeth and certainly serves to break up their food as a first stage in the digestive process. Dogs in nature may chew on wood or plant materials and unless these are poisons, when swallowed they may pass right through a dog's digestive system. However, plastic and other synthetic products can not be digested and may cause blockage of the digestive track, tissue abrasion, laceration, hemorrhage and damage. In extreme cases this may be fatal.
Some types of plastic actually may smell good to dogs and appear to have an almost addictive attraction. These types of plastic, which may be found in toys, balls or other items should be avoided. In fact, I recommend that if a plastic ball or toy seems to have a peculiar smell noticeable to humans and fascinating to dogs, that this be disposed of, especially when the ball in question is small and could be swallowed by your dog. This is also true of any other plastic object that is small enough for your dog to swallow.
Golf balls should certainly be kept away from your dog, even away from small dogs. The best balls for dogs are hard, solid rubber balls, large enough that they can not be swallowed. Cheap, soft rubber balls which fragment when chewed are not suitable for dogs. There are some brands of plastic balls made for dogs that vary in size from about the diameter of a baseball to 10" and are advertised as being "almost indestructible." I have one of the 10" varieties which my German Shepherd has learned to fetch by rolling and pushing it with its nose. For smaller balls or fetch toys, it is pretty difficult to beat a hard red or black rubber Kong toy for safety and durability. When you place food in a hollow Kong toy it can provide exercise and entertainment for your dog, helping to relieve boredom and a tendency to chew upon other unacceptable items. Kong toys also make good chew toys when filled with treats. This can be peanut butter, cheese, kibbles, or other dog treats.
Figure 0. Polyester fiber. Many cushions, pillows, quilts, sleeping bags and other similar products are filled with polyester or acrylic fibers. These fibers which are small and flexible may go through the digestive track of dogs but too much polyester or acrylic fiber in a canine's digestive track could lead to blockage. Check labels and avoid buying cushions filled with polyester, especially if they have lightweight fabric covers and you have a dog that chews on such items. If you do decide to purchase polyester cushions, be sure they have thick linen fabrics, keep them clean and treat with bitter apple to discourage any interest chewing upon these type of products if you have an indoor dog. Of course by keeping your dog in a crate while not at home or when unsupervised you can reduce the chance of any accidental ingestion of products which contain indigestible fibers or other unsafe material.
Some types of plastic are particularly dangerous. This is true of plastic, foam or other synthetic materials used for stuffing everything from quilts and blankets to pillows, cushions and furniture. What happens is that food may be spilled upon these absorbent items and even when dries it leaves a smell that dogs can detect. Thus dogs may learn to chew upon objects which have the smell of food, but which only contain synthetic filling or stuffing. This can result in your dog getting foam rubber or synthetic fibers in its mouth and swallowing these. Although this material may pass right through your dogs digestive track, large amounts or large pieces could cause a dangerous blockage. Therefore it is strongly advised that if your dog chews excessively it be trained not to chew upon any furniture or objects which contain synthetic stuffing.
Of course factors which may increase chewing like fleas, mites, skin irritations due to fungi or allergies, should all be taken into account if a dog seems to be nervous or excessively chewing. Certainly these conditions should be treated if they exist to reduce chewing behavior.
Because dogs can not easily tell the difference between a stuffed play toy or ball and a pillow or cushion that is similarly stuffed, I suggest that you never give your dog toys that have any type of synthetic material as stuffing. Instead make a play toy by tying a knot in the leg of an old pair of jeans. This simple, soft chew toy cost nothing and is very durable. The fact it does not contain any synthetic stuffing makes it much safer than cute stuffed toys often marketed to pet owners.
Generally the only type of stuffing I recommend in dog cushions is natural material. By this I mean something like saw dust, wood chips, cedar chips or pine needles. Also old cloth or clean rags may provide suitable stuffing for dog cushions. But I would not recommend any type of foam or synthetic fiber in dog cushions. Again, the reason for avoiding synthetic fibers is that they can not be digested and can cause blockage of the digestive track. Materials like cedar chips or pine needles dogs will not eat. I've had dogs that would chew on pine cones as puppies, but as adults they seemed to ignore these and certainly would never delight in chewing upon a pile of dried pine needles. Hence I recommend natural material for dog cushions.
Figure 1. Polypropylene rope. Note long monofilaments "A" in frayed end of rope. This section of rope came with an aluminum ladder and was replaced with a better quality 100% nylon rope. Inset "B" is a photomicrograph showing the thick, hard monofilaments which can cause blockage and tissue abrasion when ingested.
When it comes to rope, a good rule is to keep all rope, bungee cords, twine, string, yarn and other cord out of reach of dogs. There have been cases when dogs have chewed upon synthetic rope, ingested pieces of the rope and died due to blockage of the digestive track. Certainly there are dog toys upon the market which have nylon rope or rope made from recycled fabrics. Generally these are safe, provided the fibers making up the rope are 100% soft nylon and tightly woven together, factors which prevent ingesting any large quantity of material in a short period of time. However, I recommend that you only use rope toys with your dog while it is supervised; that rope toys not be left with a dog alone at home or in a crate or Veri Kennel. If fact, I recommend that if you crate your dogs, never place any objects inside the crate. That means no blankets, no cushions, just the crate itself. All that crated dogs need is water in a stainless steel bucket as they should never be crated for periods so long that would require them to be fed.
One type of rope to be avoided is the synthetic, polypropylene rope (See Figure 1) made and sold for usage in swimming pools or marine environments. This rope is usually brightly colored to make it more attractive to the public. It can be pink, red, blue, yellow, green or braided with bright white. This rope also floats as it is less dense than water and has both a very shiny appearance and a very slick feel. The fact it is lightweight for its bulk should make you immediately suspicious of this type of rope which may be particularly deadly if ingested. Such ropes contains polypropylene fibers which should be avoided by canine owners.
On a microscopic level (See Figure 1B) the nature of these polypropylene ropes is that the fibers are long, hard and stiff. The individual monofilament fibers are very thick and occur as very long strands, running the entire length of the rope, as in the manufacturing process they are drawn out like silk, hardening after being spun and extruded from a molten mass. These long, firm fibers do not bend or twist easily. Their large thickness and hardness relative to nylon fibers makes them have an abrasive nature when small fragments are broken off or cut. When chewed and ingested I suspect these artificial polypropylene rope fibers produce a very abrasive material which can not only block the digestive track, but cause abrasion and distress to internal tissue. There have been reports of dogs dying only within a few hours of ingesting polypropylene type rope. Personally I think companies making and/or distributing this plastic "fake" poly rope should be sued out of existence or at least be required to label the rope that it is dangerous to canines if chewed and ingested.
I personally do not buy polypropylene type of rope as it lacks the feel and texture of good quality, tightly braided 100% nylon or hemp rope. Often low quality rope is advertises as 100% mixed fibers, this being a mixed braid of nylon and polypropylene. These ropes are NOT the same as a 100% nylon rope as polypropylene is generally a harder fiber than pure nylon, which when used in rope is made up of many small fibers woven and braided together. Such small fibers, when chewed and swallowed by dogs may more easily pass through the digestive track without causing damage than can larger strands of polypropylene rope fiber. Also polypropylene ropes when left outdoors and exposed to sunlight over long periods of time begin to deterroriate (See Figure 1A) such that the fibers crack and decentigrate producing abrasive, fiber glass like particles which certainly would not be good to get into the digestive track of any dog.
So be weary of buying low quality "mixed" fiber ropes, especially those made in Mexico or other third world countries where labor is cheap and the quality of products produced may suffer due to the fact they are not regulated by laws that may apply in the United States. Also, you may want to keep this fact in mind, that a small piece of polypropylene rope which cost only a few cents per foot can kill your most valuable dog. Hence buying cheap rope is not worth the few pennies saved. My advice would be to dispose of all polypropylene type rope that may be in your garage, storage room, boat or around the home and replace it with the best quality 100% nylon, tight braided rope that you can find, then to store this rope inside your automobile, inside a canvas bag, away and out of reach of children and dogs. Remember, a piece of good rope can be a life saver while a piece of bad rope can kill!
Figure 2. High quality rope leash by K9 Sports. Note the special clamp upon this leash has a screw which can be closed to prevent accidental release from the colar which could be dangerous when traveling with you pet, as if you are in an area heavy with traffic. This type of leash comes in very handy when with your dog in parks or on camping trips. I often loop one of these around my waist and attach another leash so that if my large breed dog happens to see a squirrel or other wild aminal while I am hiking, it can not suddenly pull the leash out of my hands and go chase after it.
I have used rope dog leashes and in fact own a few rope leashes made out of the same high quality materials as rope that rock climbers use (See Figure 2). I also own a number of nylon leashes along with a good collection of leather leashes and collars, the latter being the type of leash I recommend and use for my German Shepherd (See Figure 3).
With respect to care of leashes and other dog toys, these should never left where my dog can chew on them. In fact, I keep all my dog's toys and leashes in separate nylon or canvas travel bags. In this way my dog only has a few play items out at once and it is easy to keep track of where they are and know that when out of sight my dog is not chewing upon something he is not supposed to have in his mouth. Leashes may also be hung up inside closets or other secure areas via their clamps.
Figure 3. Leather leash with bronze clamp. This type of leash is recommended for large breed dogs. A leather leash will not slip through your grasp like a nylon leash. However, nylon leashes stand up better to rain, water and mildew than does leather if it is not properly maintained. I have used both leather and nylon leashes, depending upon the need or situation. One disadvantage of a leather leash is that leather can be cut, sliced or chewed through more easily than a thick nylon rope or braided leash. If cases where a puppy may be chewing you may attach a length of chain color between the end of the leash and your dog's collar so that the end of the leash near your dogs mouth can not be chewed. This is a good training aid as it prevents a chewing puppy from learning to chew upon leather. Also you can put bitter apple upon leashes or other items to serve as a deterrent to chewing.
I have used long 100% nylon ropes in some training situations, but never use rope to tie my dog outside. In fact, I do not recommend that dogs be tied outside. The only time I ever put my dog on a short chain is when it is being supervise, as at a campground, and I may be briefly busy with other chores. I never leave my dog out of sight while chained to a tree or bench. A good alternative procedure, I have found, is to keep your dog on a short lead tied to your waste or train it to sit and stay in one spot on a short lead while you work or do other tasks when in a strange area. This keeps your dog out of mischief. Of course small breeds can be kept in portable kennels or fences that are easy to setup when traveling, provided you have the extra room to cart them around. This is often a preferred method of dog fanciers who regularly attend dog shows, often traveling with many dogs and large portable kennels.
One must keep in mind the fact that every dog is different. Some dogs chew more than others. All puppies go through a teething and chewing period. Dogs chew when left along and they get bored. Dogs sometimes chew if they detect an odor that stimulated them. Giving your dog a suitable chew toy can be good for its health. There are plenty of hard rubber "dental" chew toys upon the market. I've found my German Shepherd ignores these. However he loves the composite rawhide sticks and pig ears. Also he likes chewing upon large bones which he is able to gnaw and can even break off into smaller pieces. Any time I give my dog a treat that could be dangerous, that could get caught in his throat if not properly chewed up, such as hard raw hide treats or certain type of bones, I am careful to remain present and provide supervision. I do not allow my dog to keep small sections of bone, especially when they have sharp edges or points. These get tossed in the garbage as soon as they are observed. It simply is not worth the risk that a small section of bone could get lodged in the throat.
Tennis balls make good fetch toys. There are now bands in pet stores that have mint flavor. My German Shepherd dogs haves gone through quite a few tennis balls over the years. The only problem I have had with tennis balls is that dogs can gnaw the felt off these balls. Also the balls can actually be bitten so hard that they come apart, in which case they are disposed of immediately. I've never had one of these balls swallowed by a German Shepherd, but then I always supervise my dogs when they play catch or fetch with a tennis ball. I have heard of cases in larger breed dogs where tennis balls have been swallowed. Fortunately my German Shepherds have never tried to eat a tennis ball.
I've also used baseballs for fetch toys. A German Shepherd can unravel a baseball so should one of these be used in playing fetch, I recommend discarding them as soon as the binding becomes damaged. A baseball should not be used for playing catch as they obviously are too hard for this purpose, but they make great fetch balls. You can more easily throw a ball that has mass a long distance than you can a hollow ball. For this same reason hard rubber balls are great for long distance fetching.
When my German Shepherds were puppies I notices they liked chewing upon plastic coke bottles. But when I learned that they could actually get the cap off of a coke bottle and that they could actually chew off tiny pieces of these plastic soda bottles, I stopped giving these to my puppies to play with. My position in this regard now is to avoid giving any type of plastic chew toys to dogs. Do not train your puppies to chew on plastic. Rather give them Kong toys stuffed with treats or natural product chew toys, such as composite raw hide or dog biscuits. If your dog loves harder rawhide these make good chew toys but should only be given under supervision. Also I advise keeping several pairs of long surgical clamps handy for emergencies, that in the event your dog ever swallow anything that could get caught in the throat, these may be used to remove it, should the Heimlich maneuver not work to dislodge the caught item.
It goes without saying that you should never give your dog chicken bones. But I mention this in the event the person reading this is a total novice when it comes to what is good for dogs and what is absolutely not good for dogs. Believe it or not, there are people who have never owned a dog and are first time dog owners. So should you be one of these, take my advice and do NOT give a dog chicken bones, even if you own a bird dog. The fact it is a bird dog does not mean it eats birds. Bird dogs help hunters hunt for birds, they don't eat bird bones. Should you ever give your dog chicken or turkey scraps, always remove the bones, being extra careful that not even tiny bones be allowed to be fed to your dog. Bird bones can be as sharp as a razor blade, easily get lodge in a dog's throat and cause internal tissue damage. So steer clear of bird bones.
I would also like to mention the fact that dogs do not need to chew upon sticks. Sticks can splinter and if you have ever had a splinter in your hand, you can imagine how it must be to have a splinter in your mouth. Also some varieties of wood have bark that is poisonous. This is true of cherry trees which contain cyanide. If you use any type of stick or tree limb as a fetch toy, whittle off the bark. Your dog does not need the added fiber it can get from chewing upon any type of tree bark.
Those who wish to train their dogs to avoid plastic may try this method. First I recommend not letting you dog chew upon any plastic toy as a puppy. Avoid any stuffed dog toys. Do not let your dog chew upon stuffed cushions or shoes which contain synthetic products. If fact, all shoes should be off limits as a dog can not tell the difference between an old shoe and a new shoe. Use bitter apple to train your dog to not chew upon furniture or other items. Set up a situation where your dog will chew upon an item it is not supposed to have. Then scold your dog, saying "No chew!" Then spray the item with bitter apple and say no chew after showing your dog how this smells. Try doing this with various items of plastic, pieces of electric extension cord (which you certainly want your puppy to learn to never chew upon), pieces of plastic pipe or hose, etc. The idea here is to condition your dog to avoid chewing upon all plastic. This means that you also avoid giving your dog any type of plastic chew toy. This means plastic Frisbees are out. It means plastic balls are out. It means plastic chew toys are out. Instead use natural hard rubber chew toys or natural rawhide or other natural bone chewables.
There are exceptions to the rule. Some dogs may be very intelligent and can learn to recognize objects that they can play with and that they are not allowed to chew upon. Certainly dogs can learn to distinguish a ball as a play toy while learning to leave alone such plastic items as LEGOs, soda bottles or any other non-spherical plastic item. Also dogs can learn to not chew upon pillows, cushions or blankets. However, if you are not able to train your dog to distinguish between safe objects and toys it is permitted to play with, then it is best to just remove all plastic items which could possibly be ingested from your dog's reach.
If you are a good trainer, then with some effort you should be able to train your dog to avoid chewing upon plastic. Once learned it may be necessary to reinforce this behavior over time. Certainly your dog can learn not to chew upon cushions, electrical wires, poly ropes or other plastic and synthetic fiber filled items. But as your are your dog's guardian, it is your responsibility to make a safe home by removing any plastic items which could be harmful. This is not an easy task in a society where everything imaginable is being made out of plastic. Our carpets are being made out of synthetics. Our furniture is being made out of synthetics. We are becoming a plastic society. Even Veri Kennels are made out of plastic! So protecting your canine companion from indigestible plastics is not an easy task. But certainly with a little policing, some of the more dangerous plastic and fiber filled items can be removed from your home without much inconvenience.
As for myself, I've become more focused upon purchasing quality wooden furniture rather than plastics. I sleep upon a futon instead of a synthetic fiber filled mattress. I use a high quality Kennel-Aire kennel in my van instead of a plastic kennel. I always ask for paper bags instead of plastic bags (Yes, some dogs will eat plastic bags, especially if they get meat juice, milk or other good smelling material or good tasting food upon them). I put small plastic items and objects in jars or cans storing them up and out of the way. I'm careful to buy quality quilts and blankets, preferring those which are not stuffed with synthetic fibers. I do not allow any ropes, bungee cords, plastic bags or other small plastic objects to be left where my dog can gain unsupervised access to them. So my life is a constant vigil against the plastic monster. It is a monster we all as dog fanciers and lovers need to be aware of and struggle to keep at bay.
Yet even as I write these words I find myself typing upon a plastic keyboard, using a plastic mouse, talking upon a plastic telephone, looking at a plastic computer monitor, drinking tea out of a plastic mug that contains a plastic straw. The only thing that is real is the tea itself. Thus it is important to realize that plastic is all around our homes. Any and every small plastic object could become a canine killer. There have been dogs that have eaten plastic remote controls, plastic calculators, plastic cell phone and plastic PADs. One would think that someone would invent a type of plastic antagonistic to a dog's nose and repugnant to a dog's taste buds. But until that day we must be ever on guard, to keep hurtful and harmful plastic objects away from our canine companions, for as they watch over us, we must be aware of the dangers of plastic, and watch over them.
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