Dog Toys We Should Avoid
Modern pet stores offer a wide variety of dog toys. However, you should choose a toy carefully because not all of them are good for your dog.
5-Minute Crafts would like to tell you about dog toys you should avoid and why they can be harmful.
Rawhide toys
Owners often buy rawhide bones for their pets as a natural alternative for certain toys. However, this product can do more harm than good to your dog.
Rawhide is very hard and can seriously damage your pet’s teeth, and if a dog swallows even a small piece of rawhide it can lead to gastrointestinal problems.
Ropes
Rope toys look fun and seem like a great choice for your dog but you should think twice before buying them.
It can be very dangerous if your dog swallows a rope, as it can seriously harm their small intestine.
Tug ropes are also not a good toy for your pet. When playing tug, your dog may become aggressive and try to bite you. And if you often surrender control of the rope to the dog, it might begin challenging your authority.
Also, vigorous play with a tug rope can damage the dog’s front and side teeth. When choosing a tug rope, be sure to pay attention to what material it is made of because sometimes a dog can bite off part of it and swallow it, which can cause internal injuries.
Stuffed toys
Never buy soft stuffed toys for your dog. Your pet will probably chew the toy, and sooner or later it will get to the filling. If it swallows this filling, this can lead to negative consequences for the pet’s health.
In the best-case scenario, the soft filling will get stuck in the dog’s teeth and the pet won’t be able to swallow it. In the worst-case scenario, it will get stuck in their throat or enter the stomach and cause an intestinal or any other type of internal blockage. This will stop the digestion process and lead to the need for urgent, expensive surgery.
Squeaky toys
Squeaky toys are not safe either.
A dog may chew the toy trying to find the mechanism that makes it squeak. If so, there is a risk that the dog will swallow pieces of the toy, or particles of the mechanism that produces the squeak. Thus, both adult dogs and especially puppies can choke on them.
A dog should play with a squeaky toy only under the owner’s supervision. So if you are not sure that you will be able to constantly control your pet while they are playing, it’s worth considering alternative toys.
Latex toys
Latex is one of the most popular materials used for making dog toys. However, latex can cause allergic reactions in dogs just as much as it does in humans.
The dog may develop a rash and, in some cases, hair loss. Of course, your dog may not be allergic to latex, but you still need to be prepared for this scenario. Be sure to check what the toy you are giving to your pet is made of. After all, it’s wiser to take precautions than to have a sick dog on your hands.