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| What's in a Toy? |
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Safety is my first concern when looking for a dog toy. I’ve heard of/experienced some things that make me pay attention. Recently a post came on the internet about a dog who ate some of the stuffing out of a toy that was intended for children. The stuffing was toxic and he died from it. Apparently, some children’s toys have a flame retardant and mite repellent sprayed onto the stuffing. Probably a great idea for keeping children safe, but not so good for a dog who likes to eviscerate his toys! I know all the “garage sale” toys my dogs used to have are no longer in my house! One of my clients was in the habit of giving her dogs “dental chews” periodically, as a treat that should help keep their teeth nice and clean. They’re MEANT for dogs, and are one hundred percent digestible, right? Maybe not so much. A couple of weeks (yes, weeks) after she gave her dog a dental chew, he started acting “funny”. So they took the little guy to the vet. He had an intestinal blockage and required a very expensive surgery. The vet ended up taking two chewies out of the dog, one from the intestines and one that was still in the stomach – weeks after they were given to him! Hmmm, that’s not so good. And my old pal, Chip... one day he decided to eat a rope toy. Again, meant for dogs, but not meant to be ingested! That also caused an impaction and an expensive surgery to correct – if it had been left, the dog would have died. Ulp. Pretty scary, huh? So, I’m trying to come up with “safe” guidelines for things my dogs can have around the house. I think, like so many other concepts the answer is “it depends on the dog”. My dogs are allowed to have raw meaty bones in their crates. I don’t want them to compete with one another, that could cause them to be too aggressive in their chewing and break off and swallow large chunks. I’d rather they gnaw on the bone in a relaxed way (you know, where their eyes half close and they look drugged). I also make sure the Aussies don’t get the Cavalier sized bones. Little Alice can’t deal with a big bone like Andi, but Andi can splinter the ones Alice chews. So, yes, size does matter. Some people prefer cooked “smoked bones” for their dogs, I don’t use them because my dogs chew so hard they can break pieces off and swallow them. When the bone is cooked it becomes a lot Other things that I’ll give the dogs are “bully sticks”, again, in their crates so they don’t try to swallow them whole. Rawhide is not appropriate for my “heavy chewers” – they soften them and swallow them whole. But if your dog likes to chew for a while then leave it to harden again, a non-chemically treated rawhide chew might be a great option. Same criterion for pig ears. Keep an eye on any toy you give your dog. I will let my current dogs have rope toys (they love to play tug with each other), but as soon as it starts to fray or look like someone is using it for a chew toy, it gets replaced. I don’t want another vet bill (or sick dog for that matter) if they start taking pieces off to eat! When a stuffed toy (from the pet store – meant for dogs) gets eviscerated, I immediately pick up all the stuffing, put it back in the toy and toy goes for surgery. Okay, sometimes they’re in the hospital for a while until I have a few that need sewn up, but they don’t stay with the dogs if they have holes in them. At the end of the day, yes, our dogs need toys to chew and amuse themselves. Just be aware of the problems and watch what your dog is doing and how they’re using their toys. It can save your dog’s life! Your Dogs Christmas List Beds, crates, dishes
Organic toys & pet items |
Everyone knows puppies and dogs need toys to play with, chew on, keep themselves busy – otherwise YOUR stuff becomes a toy and we know how hard it is to fix that problem! So, super, we’re all making sure our dogs have lots of stuff to play with. Now, the challenge – what’s an appropriate dog toy?
harder and more brittle than a raw bone. My dogs can digest raw bone, but the cooked ones come out the same way they went in – hard on the dog’s innards that way. But if your dog is not as chew crazy as mine, it might be a good option – just check to make sure they’re not breaking pieces off.