There are all kinds of different dog toys on the market, but not all of them are safe for your furry friend.
A vet has gone viral on TikTok after urging owners to get rid of one common toy, which is doing more harm than you realise.
Vet urges dog owners to bin common toy
The toy in question is ball launchers, those long pieces of plastic with a handle on one end slot for a tennis ball on the other. They’re designed to help you throw a ball really far by extending your arm back and propelling it forwards.
“Throw your ball flingers in the bin,” Cat Henstridge said. “They are fantastically bad for your dog.”
She explained that the common toy allows us to throw balls really fast and really far, and over and over again. This makes the dog run really fast, stop, turn, jump, leap and land abruptly, which puts their joints and muscles under huge strain.
This is particularly bad for dogs that are prone to arthritis, such as Labradors, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Rottweilers, Springer Spaniels and Bernese Mountain Dogs, but it can predispose all dogs to joint problems.
Canine Arthritis Resources and Education explains that chasing a ball combines sharp acceleration, high speeds and rapid and uncontrolled deceleration which all puts huge force on fundamentally unstable joints.
Dogs move forward in straight lines and their back limbs act as the ‘motor’ propelling them forward, while the front limbs are the brakes and shock absorbers. These front limbs have no bony attachment to the skeleton, so are very fragile.
When we ask a dog to chase a ball, they throw their neck back, then bring all their weight forward to reach for the ball. They often twist at the same time, putting huge strain on the shoulders and other muscles.
On top of that, the vet said ball throwing makes dogs “really wired,” so it doesn’t actually exercise them properly or calm them down at all, and you’ll return home from the park with a very hyper and switched-on dog.
The only time ball throwers should be used
She explained that the only time a ball thrower should be used is if you have a disability or are unable to throw a ball. In this case, it should only be used to throw slowly, and shouldn’t be repeated over and over again.
Playing fetch isn’t inherently bad, it just needs to be done safely. Henstridge said if your pooch is “really ball addicted,” you should only throw the ball a couple of times or roll it along the floor. She also recommended hiding the ball in the grass for your dog to go and find.
However, a much better way to exercise your dog is to let them sniff, run and potter around at their own pace. Sniffing provides mental stimulation, tiring out your furry friend while also keeping their brain and body healthy.
Cat Henstridge is an experienced Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon based in the UK, who works in First Opinion Practice. She gained her BVSc in Veterinary Science from the University of Bristol and has been in practice for more than 20 years.
