Rumors And Innuendos: Swifter WetJet Toxic To Dogs
I received an email this morning warning the Swifter WetJet is potentially toxic to dogs. The email tells about a dog that died due to their owner using this product. It claims anti-freeze, known to be toxic to dogs, is one of the ingredients.
Before I post anything I always try and verify the information, sometimes it turns out to be unfounded. I don’t know where the original letter started, or if it was done as a joke, but there seems to be no factual evidence backing it up.
Unfortunately, the rumor spreads quickly around the internet. These types of jokes prey on the feelings of honest people, knowing they can be used to help get the word out.
This is the original letter that is going around the internet.
Recently my neighbor had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure.The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago,so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was.
The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside,and when he’s outside, someones with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe.
My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated “may be harmful to small children and animals”.
He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients (actually, he was told it’s a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze).
Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking its paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy his liver.
Soon after his dog’s death, his housekeepers’ two cats also died of liver failure. She also used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on her floors. Necropsies weren’t done on the cats, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don’t lose their animals.
This is an anonymous message, it’s unverifiable and filled with untruths. Go take a look at the snopes.com site, where they did a great job of going through each accusation and breaking it down. As you’ll see, there does not seem to be any truth to this letter.
Despite what Snopes sasy….If this is something that you are even still remotely worried about - they say to clean your floors with white vinegar. It’s stinky but completely safe and natural, if you wanna go the “green” route….
I have been using a Swiffer WetJet for about 3 years now, about every other week, and none of my dogs have ever had a problem. I lost two dogs to the pet-food crisis, but that’s it. I have two dogs here that are over 20 years old, and three more that are over 15, so I would think that if this was a problem, they would have succumed to it long ago.
However, it is still something to consider. The white vinegar solution is probably the best and safest idea…
Thank is the exact same RUMOR that went around years ago about Febreeze. It is a shame that people want to cause such a panic for us pet owners. We don’t have enough to worry about with the pet food recalls???. I use my swifter wetjet all the time to clean up dirty/muddy paw prints and have never had a problem.
I believe what pet owners should really be careful of is phenol based cleaners, such as Pine-Sol, which can be toxic over the long haul, especially to cats. For cleaning the litter box, a solution of water and good old chlorine bleach is the best thing to use.
My friend used Swifter solution for several years. Her two dogs had bloody mucus in stools. When she passed I inherited her two dogs. I did not clean with Swifter nor gave pig ears as a once a day treat - they both got rid of the blood in their stools. Do not know which helped most.
I emptied the swifter solution bottle and put white vineger and water in it. Does a great job on my hardwood floors. And - it’s less expensive.
We have 3 cats and 3 dogs. I use the swiffer all the time and we have no problems.
I have hard wood floors and the people who redid them recommend either Murphy’s oil soap in water or vinegar and water. I normally use vinegar and water. Vinegar and water does an Excellent Job. It stinks while you use it, but surprisingly it takes away household odors in the air once the odor evaporates. I would not worry about using the Swiffer; I think that these products are well-tested for safety; just throwing in my bit that good old vinegar is an easy, simple floor cleaner that makes the floors clean and shiny.