It’s one of the hottest kids toys this Christmas but it seems the fun has been short lived for some families. The Rainbow Loom bands are causing a problem for pets when ingested. Symptoms range from mild gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea) to full gastrointestinal obstruction and/or impaction requiring emergency surgery.
My own kids have a gazillion of these rubber bands and make cute bracelets for their friends. We are not trying to stifle anyone’s creativity but merely wish to offer a word of caution. Some animals have become sick (especially cats) from eating single bands, others (typically dogs) are becoming sick from eating the finished product.
YouTube offers instructions on making dog and cat collars from these bands. We especially caution against making things for your pets to wear – this obviously significantly increases the chances of ingestion and is simply not a good idea!
Fox 8 – Cleveland Ohio, ran a story recently regarding the safety concerns of Rainbow Loom. The story can be seen by clicking the link below:
Veterinarian’s Warn About The Dangers of Rainbow Loom Bands
Play, have fun, but play it safe!
– Jo Fleming RVT
