Is a water dish with lead ceramic glaze dangerous to BPs? (Dollar Store dishes, etc.)

[Belle]

I used to love cheap dollar store pet dishes for my mammals. They were so cute and inexpensive! However, I became very leery of using them after many reported cases of cheap ceramics from Asia using lead glaze which can leach into foods/water and harm the animals. If I wouldn't eat off it, my cats and dogs sure aren't.

I know there are several ways to test for lead in ceramics, and that even expensive people dishes can contain it.

However, does anyone have any information on if it is even a concern with BPs?

Here is a quick link to a reliable source about lead glaze and checking for it http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/do...20Ceramic2.pdf

[The Serpent Merchant]

I doubt if there have been any studies on this subject. I would say better safe than sorry, I work in the electronics manufacturing industry, and the steps we have to take to handle lead safely are ridiculous. Lead isn't something to mess around with.

[MootWorm]

What if you just use the heavy glass dishes sold at the dollar store? Those work pretty darn well for me, and shouldn't have any issues with lead.


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[Neal]

What if you just use the heavy glass dishes sold at the dollar store? Those work pretty darn well for me, and shouldn't have any issues with lead.


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Believe it or not, if you go to petsmart and go to the waterbowl section by the dog food, they sell these little ceramic water bowls very cheap, $2.99 for the small ones and I think they go up a dollar per size. I've been using them now with no problems.

[Belle]

The danger that actually happens in real life in the US is from imported ceramic items because the lead is in the glaze used to color/seal them. Uncoated glass wouldn't have that danger. I'm not sure if there even is any rule about poison glaze used in something not meant to be eaten from (like a decorative candle dish or something we might use for a reptile water container.)

Lead glaze can be found in pet or people ceramic dishes from even reliable sources (there are recalls when discovered but not for very old dishes made before the danger was known). You can easily test any dish (or look for warning signs mentioned in the link I posted above) you are concerned enough to bother with. Ceramics can even be radioactive. Before 1973, uranium was used in the glaze of orange-red Fiesta dinnerware (a well known expensive human brand). Google that one up if it sounds preposterous.

The problems today are much more likely in cheap imports made in countries with poor regulation. Chinese pet food and baby formula have been found to contain very dangerous and lethal ingredients. They certainly don't carefully police and inspect the glaze used in dollar store dishes. I wonder what amount of money the Asian factory even gets for each dish?

I don't like to think I'm paranoid, but before kitty or small dog gets a water dish they will eat out of for 10-25 years or more, I want to be at least a bit careful especially for the very small animals. I'm a lot more cautious with my 10 pound dog getting a bit of something than I am with the 100 pounder.

If I had a small bp that was a habitual soaker, I'd worry IF any lead danger to BPs even exists.

[Neal]

The danger that actually happens in real life in the US is from imported ceramic items because the lead is in the glaze used to color/seal them. Uncoated glass wouldn't have that danger. I'm not sure if there even is any rule about poison glaze used in something not meant to be eaten from (like a decorative candle dish or something we might use for a reptile water container.)

Lead glaze can be found in pet or people ceramic dishes from even reliable sources (there are recalls when discovered but not for very old dishes made before the danger was known). You can easily test any dish (or look for warning signs mentioned in the link I posted above) you are concerned enough to bother with. Ceramics can even be radioactive. Before 1973, uranium was used in the glaze of orange-red Fiesta dinnerware (a well known expensive human brand). Google that one up if it sounds preposterous.

The problems today are much more likely in cheap imports made in countries with poor regulation. Chinese pet food and baby formula have been found to contain very dangerous and lethal ingredients. They certainly don't carefully police and inspect the glaze used in dollar store dishes. I wonder what amount of money the Asian factory even gets for each dish?

I don't like to think I'm paranoid, but before kitty or small dog gets a water dish they will eat out of for 10-25 years or more, I want to be at least a bit careful especially for the very small animals. I'm a lot more cautious with my 10 pound dog getting a bit of something than I am with the 100 pounder.

If I had a small bp that was a habitual soaker, I'd worry IF any lead danger to BPs even exists.

Great info, these are the dishes I use:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo