Tennis balls and dogs

[Ruby Red]

Courtesy Funtimes.com/Dogs. This extract taken and edited from http://blogs.inlandsocal.com/pets/20..._campaign=Dogs

Most people are not aware of the fact that tennis balls can actually be dangerous to dogs.

The danger is that when playing fetch with your dog, the ball could get stuck in your dog's throat when he catches it.

Once the ball gets stuck in your dog's throat, it blocks off his breathing. If not taken care of quickly, your dog may not survive.

This dog tennis ball danger tends to be most common in larger breeds like German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. The reason: those breeds are more likely to enjoy catching and playing intently with balls. Plus, their mouths are large enough to entirely wrap around a tennis ball.

That said, this dog tennis ball danger applies to any dog of any breed. If a tennis ball could get stuck in your dog's throat, then he is at risk of choking on a tennis ball. On this list of the top 10 foreign objects pets ingest by accident, balls are #5.

What To Do If Your Dog Chokes On A Tennis Ball

If you find your dog choking on a tennis ball, you need to act quickly.
The first thing you need to do is get your dog, and if he's a big dog, then straddle him. Open your dog's mouth. If you are able to reach the tennis ball, grab it with your fingers to remove it from your dog's mouth.

If the tennis ball is further down in your dog's throat, then you will need to roll the ball out of your dog's throat. Here's how:

■On the outside of your dog's throat, roll the ball up his throat and into his mouth.
■Then, open your dog's mouth and once the ball is within reach grab the tennis ball.
■Just remember the faster you get the item unstuck and out of your dog's mouth, the better your dog's odds of surviving.
If your dog has something stuck in his throat and cannot breathe at all, then chances are you don't have time to get to the vet. It will be up to you to save your dog's life. If someone else is in the house, yell for him or her to assist you in getting the item out of your dog's throat. The lesson here is this: If your dog isn't breathing, don't go looking for help -- because once you find help, it may be too late.

More Reasons Tennis Balls Are Dangerous To Dogs

Tennis balls are a terrible idea to use with dogs. There have been studies that show the glue on tennis balls eats tooth enamel. The larger breeds (like German Shepherds) have a tendency to chew up tennis balls when they get to be adults. If a dog eats a tennis ball it will often kill him because it gets stuck in his bowels. Source
There are alternatives to standard tennis balls. Some have dog-friendly coatings and are safer for dogs that like to chew on tennis balls.

Still, you should think of tennis balls and other dog toys just as we do when buying toys for children. If the item would entirely fit within their mouth, then it's not an appropriate toy. Typically, that means that larger breed dogs should not be playing with tennis balls.

Any one have any comments on this?
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[bruinsBoxers]

I think anything can pose a hazard under the right conditions .
You have to know your own dog , if they are agressive chewers , shredders or very excitable with a certain item and supervise or take away that item if necessary.As long as you supervise and check on the dog often I do not see a problem .

[Ruby Red]

Are boxers considered a large breed of dog?

[bruinsBoxers]

If going by the standard ( allof them ) a boxer is a meduim breed .

But many manufacturers of dog food ,dog clothes , etc.. go by weight and they will consider a boxer a large breed.

[Ron]

i "think" they are a medium breed

[AussieGirl]

We don't leave tennis balls laying around but we do play with them with Ruby - we used to have one of those long tennis ball launcer things that look a bit like a giant shoe horn until my son snapped it in half.

[Doreen]

I think they are only medium size dogs too.

I don't use tennis balls, I bought super sized like tennis balls at the pet store.

[Ruby Red]

Originally Posted by AussieGirl

We don't leave tennis balls laying around but we do play with them with Ruby - we used to have one of those long tennis ball launcer things that look a bit like a giant shoe horn until my son snapped it in half.

Yes, we have one of those too. It's about the fourth one now. I left one on top of the car and just drove off - I realised about 5 minutes later and went back for it but someone had already pinched it. One I shut in the car door and it snapped in half and one I snapped bending it to pick up the ball. I do like them though, saves picking up a slobbery ball all the time.

[purplelori]

We've had tennis balls (purchased at PetCo) for Wally--both the 'regular' and 'large' size. My question is--where do they go? One day they're everywhere, and the next there aren't any. I look under furniture, and in the backyard, but nothing! Must go into the same black hole socks lost in the laundry go!

[Doreen]

Originally Posted by purplelori

we've had tennis balls (purchased at petco) for wally--both the 'regular' and 'large' size. My question is--where do they go? One day they're everywhere, and the next there aren't any. I look under furniture, and in the backyard, but nothing! Must go into the same black hole socks lost in the laundry go!

lol lol lol