Snuggle Safe Warning!!

[CarolC]

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

see the link in red letters on the bottom left

[Mom2many4leggedkids]

I think there are plenty of Yahoo Groups that deal with animals. You might try there or Meetup Groups.

[sdrakkan]

I will send the product back if it ends up at my store. I am not finding it online for Petco but can do a master search at work and see if it is available nearby. If it is, my services manager will be visiting the store soon and I can voice my concern.

[cb2b]

1. I hope that this thread does not scare folks away from Snuggle Safes. I have been using them for my dogs and cats and myself for almost a decade. They really add to the quality of my life and that of my pets. As a write, one is keeping my toes warm, and my cats are perched on top of three others. I discovered Snuggle Safes while searching for a way to keep my pets warm. I didn't feel comfortable with any product based on electric resistance due to concerns about chewing and subsequent electrocution and/or fires. Snuggle Safes met my requirements perfectly.

2. When used according to instructions, Snuggle Safes perform wonderfully. They have no generic maximum heating time. Instead, the maximum time a Snuggle Safe should be heated depends on the power output of the microwave used for heating. I would heat a cold (40°F) Snuggle Safe a maximum of 4 minutes in my 1100-watt microwave, or 5 minutes in my 900-watt microwave, or 6 minutes in my 600-watt microwave (all wattages are output wattages). I wouldn't even know where to buy a consumer microwave with an output wattage low enough for me to consider heating a Snuggle Safe in it for 8 minutes.

3. I'm annoyed at the tenor of this thread. One person apparently misuses a product, and suddenly we have a consumer products safety crusade on our hands. Carol C, for instance, would seem to be pleased if I could no longer buy this product which adds so much to my life. I am glad Christine has provided this information about her experience, but I don't appreciate the notion that anyone would insist that, based on this anecdote, I shouldn't be free to make my own decisions about whether I want to buy this product.

4. Owners of handicapped pets should be careful with any source of heat or cold. Products like the Snuggle Safe shouldn't be used by pets (or people) who can't get up and move of their own volition.

[Christine]

I apologize if this thread annoyed you. I did not misuse the product, as you can see if you read my original quote. I felt it my responsibility to share my experience. I am glad they work for you - they worked for me for two years. I, personally, would be happy if they were removed, but have no doubt that they will remain in the marketplace for some time to come as the manufacturer did not even send me a courtesy "bedbug" letter of acknowledgement.

Handicapped Pets is a forum of caring individuals who share their experiences, good and bad. As this is the first time you have joined us, I welcome you and assure you that noone here insists on making choices for you or anyone else.

[FYI]

Beware!, January 11, 2011
By nursescrapper
This review is from: Pet Supply Imports SnuggleSafe Pet Heating Pad (Misc.)
This product started a fire on our patio in the cat bed placed in a wooden chair..........and burned all of the teak patio furniture (including the umbrella) to the ground.......even melted the one nearby plastic lawn chair to a puddle. Yes, I know that it isn't supposed to be hot enough to start a fire, and yes, it seemed perfect for keeping an outdoor cat warm in the winter, but this product clearly DID START the fire, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone at any time under any circumstances. I'll be reporting the incident (complete with pictures) to the company, the consumer reports organization and the consumer protection agency in my state. BEWARE!

click to enlarge

https://web.archive.org/web/20230116174 ... rm?ie=UTF8

The Investigator's Exchange

Return to Investigator's Exchange Main Page

Snugglesafe Pet Warmer
Posted by J. Greg Taylor on 12/05/2008 at 20:47:33:

I am investigating a fire that may involve a Snugglesafe microwavable pet warmer. The 12 inch disc is filled with Thermapol gel and is warmed in a microwave, placed under the pet's bedding and supposedly maintains approximately 125 degrees F. Made in the UK. Does anyone have any experience with this product?

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Here are the follow up messages:

RE: Snugglesafe Pet Warmer posted by LstzrkHv on 01/05/2011 at 18:14:58
RE: Snugglesafe Pet Warmer posted by Howard Myers on 12/10/2008 at 08:51:44

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[Christine]

I just posted the incident to The Investigator's Exchange. Never heard of them before. Glad someone is looking into it.

[FYI]

click to enlarge

[Bendy Kitty]

do the instructions say anywhere "will melt and become fire/chemical burn hazard if overheated or soft'??

[FYI]

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/ar ... 77711.html

View Full Version : Dangerous Pet Product

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longhairedfairyJanuary 11th, 2008, 04:19 PM
Snuggle Safe Heat Disc - This is a disc you can put in the microwave for a few minutes and it holds heat for a long time. You put it inside a fabric bag (or under a blanket, I believe) and set it in your pet's bed. I think they’re made for dogs and cats, but are also used for small animals.
I just got word from another hedgehog mom that, in a nutshell, the chemical inside it can burn. I don't mean just while it's hot. She said it leaked, even though it wasn't an old one, and when she put it in the garbage it burned through the trash, through the bag, and left a 4" hole in the carpet. Just think what could happen if a claw punctures it or if it just has a weak spot. Even a small possibility of that happening, especially if it's actually in the pet's bed, is horrifying.

*snip*

longhairedfairyJanuary 11th, 2008, 08:04 PM
Yep, that's it.
She'd heated it for about 6 minutes.

click to enlarge

[Christine]

SnuggleSafe Dangerous For Animals, December 17, 2009
By
Ed Adkisson "SnuggleSafe"
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Pet Supply Imports SnuggleSafe Pet Heating Pad (Misc.)
We were flying our cats from Anchorage Alaska to Las Vegas Nevada. Being that it was so cold in Alaska we thought SnuggleSafe would help keep our cats warm. SnuggleSafe gave them severe thermal burns on there stomachs. Our cats were admitted to Camino Al Norte Animal Hospital for the burns. Our Vets number is (702)304-8387 should you want to verify how dangerous this product is. It cost us $377.86 for there inital treatement and we have follow-up which will cost us. We did follow the directions, we have a 700 watt microwave and we heated the disk for 7 minutes. Evont (one of our cats) received the worst burns and we may lose him from the burns he received from SnuggleSafe. SnuggleSafe will injure or maybe even kill your pet. I wish someone would have warned us of the danger of SnuggleSafe. I like Amazon and I don't think they know they're selling a product that injures our pets.

We're not worried about the money. We just don't want to see another pet and family go through what we've going through. If anyone knows how I could report this danger to athorities that protect animals please e-mail me at ed.adkisson@yahoo.com I want to thank Amazon for allowing me to comment on SnuggleSafe.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Beware this product, January 7, 2010
Raymond Rich (Palmdale, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Pet Supply Imports SnuggleSafe Pet Heating Pad (Misc.)

I believed this product to be pet safe and bought 2 of them. The first time of use, and I suppose when almost cold, my dog moved the blankets away from over one of them and with ease chewed away the filler cap. This was not noticed until I put it back in the microwave to reheat and the gel inside came flooding out. The product may be all right for a cat but not for any kind of dog that still has its teeth and curiosity.

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https://web.archive.org/web/20230117021 ... B00008AJH9

[FYI]

do the instructions say anywhere "will melt and become fire/chemical burn hazard if overheated or soft'??

http://www.snugglesafe.co.uk/snuggle_safe_uk.jpg.pdf

SAFETY WARNING
Do not exceed the heating times.
Overheating can damage the heating pad and may cause injury
Do not allow animals to bite or chew SnuggleSafe
ANY GUARANTEE IS INVALID IF THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN
OVERHEATED OR DAMAGED.
IF THE PRODUCT HAS MISSHAPENED, IT HAS BEEN
OVERHEATED AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AGAIN.

The SnuggleSafe heatpad contains Thermapol™ which is non-toxic. When the product is heated correctly and in accordance with these instructions, Thermapol remains predominantly in a solid state (approx 65°C / 149°F). If the product is overheated, Thermapol will start to liquefy and if the product is seriously overheated its plastic casing will eventually melt-down, allowing the Thermapol to leak out. "Serious overheating" is 300-400% beyond the correct heating time (for example, in a 900-1000W microwave where the correct heating time is 5 minutes, melt-down and leakage could occur after 20 minutes heating). Overheating will not cause the product to "explode", so Thermapol will leak from its casing without impact.
If the product appears in any way deformed or leakage is apparent, overheating has occurred. Do not open the microwave door until at least one minute after you have turned off the power, then open the door with caution and DO NOT TOUCH OR DISTURB THE CASING OR THE THERMAPOL AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE PRODUCT FROM THE MICROWAVE UNTIL IT HAS COMPLETELY COOLED DOWN. If leakage has occurred, Thermapol will be dangerously hot. When cool, Thermapol will have returned to its solid state and can be removed from hard surfaces with hot water or can be scraped off by using a suitable implement. Persons who are not familiar with the operation of microwave ovens or who may not be competent with their use, should seek the advice and assistance of a competent person. If there is any doubt in this respect, do not use. Do not take risks. Do not allow children to heat the product unless properly supervised. Do not heat in a conventional oven or by any other method.
Understand this: the product's casing and its ingredients will always react to heat in a pre-determined way. Used correctly, it can never distort or melt-down prematurely. If distortion occurs and/or its contents leak out, it has been overheated.
The makers and their agents/distributors are not liable for any incidental or consequential damage resulting from the use of this product.
It is recommended the you replace the heatpad after 3 years; make a note of the purchase date here:.........................................and be sure to retain these instructions in a safe place.

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[Bendy Kitty]

thank mew.
i never realized they were only good for three years, per their recommendation. i think old age can make them break down as well. ours are probably about six years old. we noticed that one is getting a little soft in the center, even though we always heat them for under the recommended time. Still, while it says it can leak and is hot it does not say anything about chemical burns.


i think our old ones will be pitched for safety's sake.

thanks again, FYI.

bendy

[FYI]

http://hedgehogcentral.com/oldforum/ind ... topic=4633

Hedgiepets Posted: Jul 26 2008, 08:20 AM

Hedgie Master

Group: Admin
Posts: 649
Member No.: 47
Joined: 8-September 05

Be careful with a Snuggle Disk. A friend heated one up to use and it malfunctioned. After heating, it started leaking the stuff from the inside. It burned a hole in the carpet. Luckily, she and hedgie were not burnt.

It was not old and it was not over heated!

click to enlarge

[Christine]

Finally got an acknowledgement:

Thanks for taking the time to contact Consumer Reports®. It is always a
pleasure to hear from our readers.

You've provided us with important feedback on your Snuggle Safe Pet Warming
Disk. I can certainly understand your concerns. As you can imagine, our
readers' correspondence plays a strong role in the work that we do.
Because of this I have taken the liberty of personally sharing your
correspondence with the appropriate staff members for their review and
consideration for our future reports on Pet Care. From correspondence,
like yours, we get wonderful story suggestions, valuable input into the
work we are doing and background material for future reports.

In addition, I would also suggest that you share your experience with the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC can be contacted
at 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814-4408 or toll free
1-800-638-2772. This is the government agency with the responsibility of
protecting consumers from unreasonably dangerous consumer products. If
possible, you may wish to visit their Website at http://www.cpsc.gov, where
you will be able to report a problem with a defective product, search
through an extensive list of recall notices, and link to other government
organizations. In addition to their Website, the CPSC offers a 24 hour
Fax-on-Demand service, which allows you to obtain CPSC news releases,
catalogs, and other information via fax, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year.

Thanks again for taking the time to write. Your interest in our work is
greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Carlos Macias
Customer Relations Representative
1436588