Pet parents love to surprise their dogs with a variety of toys. There’s nothing more exciting than watching your fur baby become obsessed with its new ball or stuffed toy.
Even though toys are a great way to keep your pets engaged, a dog behaviorist warns against one specific toy being extremely dangerous. And, you might be surprised to know how many toys you should ideally give your dog at once.
Dog behaviorist warns against a common toy for dogs
Dog psychology and behavior expert, Steve Del Savio, says tennis balls are one of the most dangerous toys you can give your dog for several reasons.
It’s a choking hazard
Dogs often choke on tennis balls and the accident can turn out to be life-threatening. Therefore, watch your pooch closely if you let it play with the dangerous toy.
The expert explains tennis balls when filled with saliva, are wet and slick. So, when your dog is playing with it, the chances of them ingesting it are high.
The ball is abrasive
The surface of the tennis ball can become abrasive with usage, causing wear and tear in your pooch’s mouth when playing with it.
You can instead use balls of bigger size in different materials to play fetch with your fur baby.
Toxic materials and dyes
Dogs are notorious for eating anything and everything. Pet parents shouldn’t be surprised if your dog ends up eating a tennis ball too.
But this can be “very problematic” as the dog behaviorist says, because the ball consists of toxic materials and dyes.
Steve says dogs can develop problems in their digestive system and liver when exposed to the chemicals in the common toy.
The ball can be shredded easily
How hard do you think it is for a dog to shred a tennis ball into pieces? As with choking, ingesting the broken pieces of the ball can cause serious damage.
The expert says the sharp edges of the ball shredded apart can cause a lot of problems in the digestive tract and may need surgery to be removed.
Steve Del Savio is a dog psychology and behavior expert with over 15 years of experience. He is the Owner & Founder of Pack Leader Dogs, who has “turned his passion for animals and their behavior into a flourishing career in dog training,” according to the official website.
