The four legged and furry members of your family deserve to eat off of dishes that are non-toxic, and lead safe. After all, the rest of your family does! At Emerson Creek Pottery, we design and hand make non-toxic pet dishes that will keep your best friends safe and happy.
The most popular and commonly used (and cheapest!) material for pet dishes is plastic. However, plastic pet dishes are the most dangerous ways to feed your pet.
For starters, plastic pet dishes aren’t very durable. If you’re raising a young puppy, for example, that plastic pet dish will quickly become just another chew toy along with your shoes, sofa and prized possessions (it’s okay, we’ve all been there). While it can be a nuisance for your pet bowls to become a chew toy, it’s also incredibly dangerous for a pet to swallow plastic. In fact plastic consumption in animals can cause internal bleeding or intestinal blockages.
Additionally, plastic pet dishes are breeders of bacteria. Because plastic is incredibly porous and easily scratched, there are tons of tiny crevices that bacteria can seep into. Whether your pet is using their dish as a chew toy or simply eating food from it, the bacteria can be ingested into their bodies and cause illnesses such as salmonella or E. Coli poisoning.
Perhaps the biggest issue, however, with plastic pet dishes are the chemicals contained in them. BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a chemical that in the past has been found in baby products, sports bottles and other items used to hold food and beverages. BPA is a synthetic estrogen that, when exposed to it, can cause some pretty horrible damage to our health and that of our pets.
According to the EWG, “In laboratory tests, trace BPA exposure has been shown to disrupt the endocrine system and trigger a wide variety of disorders, including chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy.”
Phthalates are also chemicals often found in plastic pet dishes. They’re the chemicals that make plastic more flexible and resilient and are found in many different products like toys, packaging, hair spray, shampoo, deodorant and food bowls. Tests are still being performed on how exactly phthalates will impact both the human and animal bodies but preliminary studies are anticipating that they are carcinogenic.
If you’re ready to take the next step in ditching your plastic pet dishes for other, more non-toxic options, that’s great! First thing is first, be sure to dispose of your plastic pet dish in an environmentally friendly way. Be sure to recycle your plastic with a reputable source.
Ceramic pet dishes are a durable, environmentally friendly and non-toxic way to feed your pet. When choosing a ceramic pet dish, first check to ensure the glaze used on the bowl doesn’t include any lead.
At Emerson Creek Pottery, our ceramic pet dishes (and all of our pottery, for that matter!) are completely lead safe and cadmium safe.
Our pet dishes are certified for food usage and are incredibly durable. In fact, we don’t think your pup will be using our pet bowls as a chew toy any time soon!
Similar to ceramic pet dishes, stoneware pet bowls are incredibly durable and long-lasting. However, many stoneware products contain moderate to high levels of lead—sometimes more than the standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Healthy Stuff conducted a study a few years ago where they tested 400 stoneware pet products and, out of those tested, 25 percent came back with detectable levels of lead. And 7 percent of that had lead that exceeded 300 ppm!
Silicone is a great option for non-toxic pet dishes, and it’s nonstick and highly heat resistant (great for the dishwasher!). In fact, silicone is one of the most stable compounds in its chemical composition, which means it won’t produce free radicals.
However, silicone pet dishes aren’t great permanent pet dishes cause of their lack of rigidity. They do, however, make a great choice if you take your pet camping or hiking with you.
As always, do your research when finding products that are right for you and your family. At Emerson Creek Pottery, we have been making non-toxic, lead safe dishes for pets and people alike since 1977. All of our products are completely made in the United States and are manufactured in one facility that you can trust.
To find our non-toxic pet dishes, shop our small and large sizes here.
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