So who is making the safest bumpers?

[Rich Martin]

Ex rotational bumpers are made here in the USA. I think gundog supply sells them under their name. Look up ez bumpers for the phone number and call them, Pete (I think) as a lot of info.

[Mary Lynn Metras]

This is what I had to say about this the other day when this article was first posted.

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"While I am all for keeping our dogs safe and healthy, there are some glaring problems with the implications of this report.

- There are no studies that indicate trace levels of these chemicals cause harm to dogs.
- The one study they cite that found higher levels of these chemicals in dogs than in humans could not determine the source(s), (i.e., they have not controlled for environment).
- This study acknowledged that chewing caused higher release of the target chemicals; bumpers are rarely used as chew toys and such use is typically against the manufactures recommendations. No levels were ID'd for chewing vs non-chewed. It could be that non-chewed exposure is at a level that is more acceptable.
- This study did not use real dog saliva and therefore any conclusions derived in reference to dogs is complete speculation.
- This is unpublished. That is to say, it is not yet verifiable "science" as it has yet to withstand the rigors of peer review.

The EHN knows all these weaknesses and yet they are irresponsibly propagandizing this since it fits their world view. Expected of an Environmental special interest organization.

IF it is found that there really is an immanent health risk then certainly I would expect bumper manufacturers will alter their manufacturing. But the way this is presently being reported is scientifically and socially irresponsible."
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Sure, there is a "Possibility" that plastic bumpers may have an issue, but until there is actual corroborated replicable scientific proof of such an issue, there is no need to cry wolf.
If we put stock in all the "Possibilities" we would not own dogs because there is the "Possibility" that it could rip your face off, there is the "Possibility" that you could get shot at a hunt test, there is the "Possibility" that the duck your dog is retrieving carries a disease or is high in mercury that could make your dog ill, there is the "Possibility" that you accidently choke on you whistle and die....the "Possibilities" are endless.

Don't put stock in a yet unscientific agenda driven report...if you do, there is a real "possibility" you'd be interested in some beach front property I have just down the road I would like to sell...the human capacity for gullibility is apparently also endless.

I originally put the article out for FYI. How you chose to interpret the article is your issue. To each his own! There are many things in our environment today that COULD cause harm to your health or your dogs. If you have a choice then...IMHO

[Tim Carrion]

So who is making the safest bumper?

Nobody knows.

As Ironman stated there is no real testing being done and therefore there is no standard for comparison.

So who makes an UNSAFE bumper?

Nobody knows. (Maybe everybody, maybe nobody)

[Kelly Greenwood]

I really like the DT Systems Soft Mouth bumpers and they are 100% made in USA and non-toxic, as are N&B's as mentioned above.

1 All things can be toxic, people can die from consuming too much pure water as an example. If a dog ate 10 bumpers a day it might well and probably is toxic, However in normal use and in small quantities bumper materiel is non toxic.

2 There is a huge difference between Toxic and Carcinogenic. BPA is considered a Carcinogen in Humans, you should not store plastic water bottles in sunlight for long periods as it breaks down the plastic (UV reaction) and releases the BPA into the water. Saliva in humans has enzymes to help break down food while we chew (I am not sure if dogs have the same enzymes but I bet they have some enzymes that might break down the bumper material and aid in the release of BPA.

My dogs are still going to get bumpers I am not that worried about it. Yet.

[Meleagris1]

My dogs are still going to get bumpers I am not that worried about it. Yet.

Agreed.

[Bridget Bodine]

Agreed.

x3
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[PhilS]

I see I'm a little late to the discussion, I haven't been on RTF in a while. I am one of the folks involved with the BPA/phthalate/bumper story.

I couldn't agree more with those who urge caution when interpreting studies before they are peer-reviewed. Ours has not been yet, but will be very soon.

The ENO story came about like this... An interested editor saw my student's poster at a recent conference and they wanted to write a story about it. Rest assured, we stressed to the journalist that the data should be considered very preliminary until after the peer-review process is completed.

I'd also like to address the notion that there is some "agenda." I can't speak for the journalist or journal from which the story originated, but I can tell you that the project was funded by me, and was concieved of, and conducted as a result of my own (and my student's) curiosity. I can also tell you that I detected no hint of an agenda from the journalist during our interactions and she represented our data and discussions very fairly.

If anyone has questions, I'll try my best to answer them. Either post them up or shoot me an email (phil.n.smith@gmail.com).

Happy Holidays,

Phil

[Desiree]

Try Real Duck Firehose Bumpers.

[Bridget Bodine]

THank YOU! For posting Phil. Look forward to follow ups on this.

[Ironman]

Thanks for posting Phil, the horse's mouth is the best source.

Please do let us know when/if the research does get published in a Scholarly Journal so that we can all take a look at the full methods, results, and conclusions.
Hoping to learn more...