My wife got this email in her inbox the other day. It’s a rumor about dogs being poisoned by the Swiffer Wet Jet.
“I recently had a neighbor who had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd 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, someone’s 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 that 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 the antifreeze was one of the agents (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 it’s own paws, he ingested enough of the solution to destroy his liver.
Soon after the dog’s death, his housekeepers’ two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer WetJet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren’t done on the cats, so they couldn’t file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don’t lose their animals. This is equally harmful to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths.
PLEASE, EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE BABIES, SMALL CHILDREN, OR OWN A PET, PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON!”
The email is a hoax. A quick search on the ASPCA’s website brings up an article regarding this rumor:
“The Swiffer Wet Jet system contains water (90-100%), propylene glycol n-propyl ether or propylene glycol n-butyl ether and isopropyl alcohol (1-4%). These ingredients are safe to use around pets when used according to label directions and would not cause liver damage at product concentrations. Propylene glycol n-butyl/propyl ether differs significantly from ethylene glycol, the potentially toxic ingredient present in most antifreeze products.”
I think it’s important to get the word out!
Propylene glycol is a well-established killer in dogs and cats in the US.
What kind of sick sob does this kind of thing?
The use of these unnatural cleaners is out of control whether this email is considered a hoax or not. From floor cleaners to air fresheners people have become far too reliant on harmful chemicals. These aren’t just horrible for our health, but also our pets. Don’t forget they are hard on our earth on top of all of that. There is a human and earth friendly alternative for 95% of these cleaning products, so why risk it?
As stated in the content, this is a hoax.