Pet Supplies
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Home Medical & Assistance Devices · CPSC Code 1715
Up 23% over 5 years
The verdict
Pet Supplies carry a danger score of 45/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 65,562 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 23% over the last five years.
- 45/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 65,562
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 55-64
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1715 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 45/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for pet supplies - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume65,562 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.6%
- Fatality rate0.01%
- 5-year trend+23%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Pet Supplies (CPSC product code 1715, in the Home Medical & Assistance Devices category) generate an estimated 65,562 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1.3M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 45/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 23% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (116,985 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (27,860 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for pet supplies is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 71,829 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the finger (50,439 cases). The 55-64 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 212,781 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 6.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 165 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how pet supplies fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 36,111 | 25,681 | |
| 5-14 | 48,756 | 47,990 | |
| 15-24 | 37,169 | 67,018 | |
| 25-34 | 46,850 | 88,846 | |
| 35-44 | 49,883 | 107,796 | |
| 45-54 | 51,933 | 145,340 | |
| 55-64 | 54,795 | 157,958 | |
| 65-74 | 49,338 | 132,196 | |
| 75+ | 51,115 | 112,201 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Finger | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Arm | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
68YOM PMH CAP S/P PCI TO OSTIAL LAD,LM 5/2023,HTN,COPD PRESENT TO ED W/ CP.NOTED ONSET SUBSTERNAL PRESSURE X3D,ATTRIBUTED TO REFLUX,NO RESPONSE TO ***.BURNING SENSATION CENTRAL/L CHEST OCCASSIONALLY RADIATES TO R HOULDER.TODAY AFTER EATING LUNCH,WALKING TO CHICKEN COOP TO COLLECT EGGS PX ACUTELY WORSENEDDX:STEMI,CP UNSPECIFIED
91 YOF PULLED LEASH WALKING DOG FELL BACKWARDS ONTO HIP DX CLOSED FX HIP
77 YOF TRIPPED OVER DOG BED STRUCK SHOULDER ON DRESSER DX ACUTE PAIN SHOULDER, HIP PAIN
80YOF PRESNETS TO ED AFTER MECHANICAL FALL W/ HEAD STRIKE. PT REPORTS GOT TANGLED IN W/ DOG'S LONG LEAD WHICH CAUSED HER TO FALL ON RT SIDE STRIKING ABCK OF HEAD. DENIES ANY LOC .UNABLE TO GET UP ON OWN. PT HAS MILD RT HIP PAIN. PT IS ON ***. DX: FALL
70YOF WAS WALKING HER DOG WHEN DOG PULLED HER DOWN BY THE LEASH DX:DISLOCATION RIGHT SHOULDER
21YOM TRIED TO BREAK UP THE FAMILY DOGS THAT WERE FIGHTING AND HAD ONE OF THE DOG CHAINS IN HIS RIGHT HAND, AND IT PULLED AWAY CAUSING A SMALL ABRASION TO THE RIGHT THUMB, HE WAS THEN BIT ON THE LEFT THUMB BY ONE OF THE DOGS CAUSING A SMALL PUNCTURE ON THE LEFT PALM DX: DOG BITE AND SPRAIN OF LEFT WRIST
58YOF WAS WALKING SLIPPED ON PUPPY PAD TWISTING LEFT ANKLE DX:STRAINED ANKLE STRAINED LEFT KNEE
60YOF PRESENTS WITH LEFT KNEE PAIN. THINKS SHE DISLOCATED HER LEFT KNEE CAP, STATES SHE TRIPPED OVER HER DOG'S LEASH AND FELT HER KNEE POP. DX: ACUTE PAIN OF LEFT KNEE, CLOSED NONDISPLACED FRACTURE OF LEFT PATELLA, KNEE EFFUSION, LEFT.
14YOF PRESENTS AFTER ACCIDENTALLY CUTTING THE BACK OF HER RIGHT ACHILLES ON A CAT SCRATCHING POST CAUSING A SUPERFICIAL LACERATION DX: LACERATION OF RIGHT LEG
71YOF,TRIPPED OVER DOG BED LANDED ONTO ARM,WRIST,SWELLING AT HOME,DX:FX SHAFT RADIUS
67 YOF DEVELOPED LEFT SHOULDER AND BICEPS PAIN 3 DAYS AGO WHEN HER DOG PULLED ON THE LEASH WHILE SHE WAS WALKING IT. DX: CHEST PAIN, LEFT SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN
77YOF PATIENT TRIPPED OVER HER DOG'S LEASH AND FELL DIRECTLY ON HER LEFT ELBOW. SHE HAS AN ELBOW FRACTURE WITH POSSIBLE DISLOCATION. DX: ELBOW PAIN, FALL
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
A cat's neck was crushed by an automatic litter box. Other cats have died from suffocation under the litter and exposure to chemicals.
I purchased a Cat Tree Condo Scratcher Bed 40-inch from Overstock.com, the manufacturer of the item is Go Pet Club, model # GPC-F21 Within 24 hours of assembling the product, (5) 9-week-old kittens destroyed the material that made up the bottom "tent" portion of the tree, by simply climbing and playing on it. The material became mere threads of string, where one of the kittens got entagled aroud the neck and could not get out. I had to cut the frayed string of the material with scissors to get him free. Had I not walked in when I did, it is quite possible that kitten would have been strangled to death. Overstock was helpful, they let me return the product for a refund. I wrote a negative review of the product on the Overstock sight. I also tried to contact GoPet Club via their "contact us" tab on their website, twice. I have revceived no response to my written complaint/concern regarding the safety of this product. This prodcut poses a danger to crawling toddlers and small children, in additon to pets, as the furniture is at floor level and easily rips, tears, and becomes a stringy mess in a very short amount of time. I did take photos showing proof of the defective (cheap) material.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, The dog collar I purchased from Ruff Houzin is defective and unsafe for dogs due to the unsecure buckle on the collar. https://ruffhouzin.com/products/the-bubble-bow-tie-dog-collar-leash-set No injuries were sustained. The collar is advertised on Ruff Houzin's website as machine washable. The buckle on the collar did not work after I washed it in my washing machine. If the buckle on the collar would have failed while I was walking my dog, that could have been a serious safety issue if there were cars close by. Ruff Houzin's dog collars need to be investigated so no other dogs who buy this product are injured if there are production issues. I emailed Ruff Houzin the link below that states per Massachusetts law, defective merchandise must be accepted for return, regardless of any policy, and consumers must be given the option of a repair, replacement item, or refund of the price. Ruff Houzin is unwilling to do anything regarding this issue. [REDACTED] I did some research to see if other consumers have had issues with Ruff Houzin's products and found several complaints (link below). [REDACTED] Thank you, [REDACTED]
I saw a puppy for neurologic abnormalities and a seizure after the owner used OUT! Petcare Body Mist on the patient to make it smell better before they had time to get the puppy a bath. I attempted to reach out to the product's emergency line to find out if any additional treatment is recommended and was not able to get a hold of anyone. After holding the puppy for a short period of time, the small left on my clothes also gave me a headache.
I was removing my 22.5 lb box of Fresh Step cat litter from my shopping cart to my car when the carrying handle on the litter box failed. When the handle failed, the momentum from my efforts to lift the 22.5 lb box from the cart caused me to strike myself in the face. I sustained an injury to my lip due to the carrying strap failing on the 22.5 lb Fresh Step box of cat litter.
I was opening an item I received in a pet subscription box. The item is called Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy, and it is basically a couple of pieces of cardboard on a piece of wire. The back of the card that was included with the product said "Be careful when unwrapping the toy, it has a lot of energy wound up in it". I opened it cautiously (it was wound in a loop), but was unprepared for how fast it whipped out when I dislodged the cardboard "handle" from the wire. It dinged me just above my eye and left a welt on my forehead. This was way too close to my eye and I am very worried that the next person won't be so lucky. This product is available on Amazon.
I used Furminator Deshedding shampoo on my dog, the next day she started displaying pain and lesions down her back. The vet diagnosed her with furunculosis (usually caused from contaminated shampoo.) Her culture came back positive for Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, the same bacteria this brand recalled their conditioner for.
the following products emit a powerful and suspicious chemical odor, a fact confirmed by multiple other purchasers. it smelled of kerosine when i first purchased it and continues to smell of licorice months later. I demanded a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or equivalent safety documentation from the seller, who outright refused to provide this essential safety information. Thats unacceptable. I need proof that these items are safe, because theyre being used around my family, and Im reading that Sisal rope is often treated with dangerous chemicals including substances that pose real health risks to both people and animals. 4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) smells like licorice and is highly toxic. there are a few fungicides that are reported to smell like kerosine that are highly toxic as well. The product is Sisal rope, links here "XRzitky Natural Sisal Rope for Cat Scratcher, 1/4 Inch 65FT Sisal Rope for Cat Scratching Post Repair Replacement, Multi Color Cat Scratch Tree Rope Replacement, Original Color" ORDER # [REDACTED] sold on XRzitky Store https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZQ8XQPB?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C72L5JMT?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZQ93VHX?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title this stuff REEKS to the point of not being able to be in the room with it.
Showing 8 of 165 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to pet supplies on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are pet supplies?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, pet supplies have a danger score of 45/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 65,562 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from pet supplies?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 71,829 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from pet supplies increasing or decreasing?
Up 23% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for pet supplies injuries?
The 55-64 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 212,781 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by pet supplies?
Of all ER visits involving pet supplies, approximately 6.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with pet supplies?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Home Medical & Assistance Devices
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 45/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 55-64 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.