Worth knowing · Toy material

Synthetic toy materials

Also appears on labels as: durable nylon, 100% usa-sourced nylon, usa-sourced nylon, layered nylon lining, zogoflex tpe (proprietary), orbee-tuff tpe (proprietary)

Nylon, thermoplastic elastomer, polypropylene, polyester, polyethylene foam, and silicone, molded or woven into toys.

Watched ingredients get highlighted on every product panel you open.

Where it comes from: Polymer plants. Most start from petrochemicals; silicone is built on silicon refined from quartz.
Why it's in the product: Durability, squeakers, and plush texture at low cost.
Safety and toxicity: Two separate issues. Mechanically, hard nylon is stiff enough to be implicated in tooth fractures, and swallowed shards of nylon or plastic show poorly on x-ray, which complicates diagnosis. Chemically, every synthetic polymer sheds: plush releases microfibers as it is mouthed, and hard nylon and TPE grind off particle-scale fragments that the dog swallows.
Interactions and who should be careful: The long-term significance of microplastic ingestion in dogs is still an open question, which is why this is a caution rather than an avoid. Rubber, cotton, and other plant or animal materials sidestep it entirely.

We make the longer argument about this one on the microplastics evidence page.

General reference, not veterinary advice. Dose, breed, and existing conditions change the answer, so talk to your vet before changing what your pet eats. Think we got this wrong? Tell us and we log it publicly.