Posted on 08/30/2023 5:45:02 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A veterinarian in Texas is taking to social media to warn dog owners about the dangers of giving tennis balls to their furry friends.
Hunter Finn is generating buzz after posting a pair of videos on TikTok where he explains what toys and chew items you should not give your dogs.
Why Should You Not Give Your Dog Tennis Balls? "Stop giving your dog tennis balls," Finn says into the camera as the video opens.
He explains when you throw the ball, it starts to collect saliva and dirt turning the fuzzy yellow surface "basically into sandpaper."
"Your dogs teeth will start to look like this," Finn says pointing at a photo of severely damaged canine teeth.
According to Finn, the damage comes from the ball turning in the dog's mouth and the owner trying to grab it back out of there.
Which Balls Are Safe For Your Dog? Finn recommends selecting a rubber ball or a ball with a smooth surface that is less likely to pickup dirt when playing with your dog.
In addition to tennis balls, Finn also suggests in his videos not giving your dog cooked bones pig ears as they can both cause damage to teeth and digestive systems.
Instead, he recommends freezing vegetables with broth to make "chew toys." Here are Finn's suggestions along with a dance.
Finn is the owner of Pet Method Animal Hospital in McKinney, Texas. Besides TikTok, he also shares additional pet advice on his YouTube channel.
Petco and PetSmart sells tennis balls for dogs.
Used them in the past with some of my bigger dogs and never had a problem.
I used to get that with a male black lab/husky mix I had. He would chase a tennis ball out into the water until he was so tired only his nostrils would be above the surface. Great smart dog, soft mouth too. But he would plum wear you out with that ball.
I thought he was going to say something different. It’s pretty obvious that your typical game tennis balls are not good for dogs. Just open the can and smell the toxic fumes!
They mean to win Wimbledon!
I don’t know about anyone else, but the skin on my dogs tennis ball, or even the ball itself doesn’t last very long. He does better with handballs or racketballs. They just break in half and I throw them away.
I’d be more concerned with dogs chewing on them and getting choked on pieces.
Lacrosse balls are very hard and bounce very well on hard surfaces. Really tough to bite chunks out of, as well.
What about Happy Fun Ball?
Cricket balls, too.
See my post 28...
Tennis ball my dachshunds will almost instantly destroy. They’ll destroy a golf ball in a surprising short time. We live “walking dog” distance from a golf & tennis club. They find them all the time. I have to bribe them with treats to get them from “the boys” when they find them.
Hmmmmmm...... Ain’t never seen one of them.
WOW. Must have some REALLY sharp little teeth to kill a golf ball!
Dachshunds are hounds first & foremost. Mine are like short long beagles (1/2 a dog high, 1 & 1/2 a dog long!) in much of their behavior. So, they are prodigious “chewers”. I have a laundry basket of dog toys they crippled! The younger one really really likes to sing “The Song of His People” and any other tune that will get your attention the older one is much quieter. When he wants your attention, he’ll nudge you or sit in front of you and stare at you until you solve his problem. They both love kids. The favorite game with grandkids is ‘chase’. They chase ‘the kids’ then ‘the kids’ chase them. They’ll wear the ‘the kids’ out!
Too cool. Nothing like kids and dogs together.
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