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Exotic Nutrition Posting Page
Saturday, August 13, 2011

The zinc issue is one that is not without a lot of controversy within
the pet industry. There is
unfortunately a lot of misinformation on the web regarding this topic
and we can't blame pet owners for feeling concerned, we were too when we
first heard of it several years ago. By making this post we hope to
present our perspective which has been developed through discussions
with other pet professionals.
"A lot has been mentioned recently about zinc toxicity in pets. Many
pet toys are made with zinc coated (galvanized) metal components.
Zinc is also commonly found in cage powder coatings. Some avian health
specialists have stated that in order for zinc related health problems
to result that the pet must actually swallow the metal components
and that touching the parts is insufficient for toxicity to develop
unless the galvanized coating is extremely brittle and flaky. If a
pet spends a lot of time chewing on toy hardware (i.e., washers,
quick links, wire) then it is possible they will ingest enough zinc to
build up toxic levels in their systems over time. Owners who are
worried about the possible health effects can often find stainless
steel replacement components at their local hardware store. This
option is also often much more cost effective to the consumer than
buying toys constructed with stainless steel parts."

All of the Exotic Nutrition pet toy hardware is "zinc free" with the
exception of our wire, hanger bolts and washers which are
electro-galvanized.


Galvanization is the name of the method used to treat steel to prevent
rusting. Not all methods of galvanization are "equal" when it comes to
posing a risk of zinc ingestion. The two main methods of galvanization
are hot dip galvanization and electro-galvanization:

* Hot dip galvanization is where the metal is dipped in essentially a
bath of molten zinc. Metal treated in this fashion has a dull, rough
and flaky surface of zinc which does pose a risk of zinc ingestion to
birds if chewed.

* Electro-galvanizing is process where a thinner, tighter-bonding coat
of zinc is applied to a metal via electroplating. The surface of
materials treated by this method are smooth and shiny in comparison to
those treated by the hot dip method. In other words, there are no
loose and flaky zinc components available for pets to swallow. Metals
treated by this procedure do not pose a risk of zinc ingestion as long
as the metal object can not be swallowed in it's entirety.

For a wealth of pet care information, visit Exotic Nutrition today !

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