Do you Play Fetch with Your Pup?

Have you ever played fetch or catch with a ball with your pup? Did you know toy balls could get lodged in your dog’s throat, leading to suffocation within minutes?

Two years ago, Mary de Ranitz’s husband was playing fetch with a hard rubber ball (the size of a tennis ball) with Hayden, her 10 year old Pitbull Mix. Hayden loved to chase after the ball and return it. Unfortunately, this time the ball’s velocity caused it to get stuck in Hayden’s throat. Mary writes, “The ball bounced back with such force that it landed in his trachea. He was still standing, breathing, and frothing at the mouth. We tried to pry it out, but just couldn’t. So I rushed us out the door to the ER vet. Hayden hopped right into the backseat, and I thought, “Awesome, at least he’s not lethargic.” By the time I started backing up, I realized Hayden was down. I stopped the car and opened the passenger door. Hayden was slumped against the front seat. I tried again to get the ball out, but I couldn’t. And by this time his tongue was hanging out and purple. I then sped to the ER vet, but they couldn’t revive him. It took three staff members to pry the ball out of his trachea. They tried CPR for ten minutes with no results. The only remaining option was to break his ribs to hand-massage his heart, but the vet said even if that were successful, Hayden would be left with significant neurological damage. I told them to let him go peacefully.”

Devastated, Mary reached out to the Center for Pet Safety (CPS), a non-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to companion animal and consumer safety. After CPS started receiving more reports on this, they conducted testing and concluded these heavy balls with a smooth surface were particularly culpable in getting lodged in a dog’s throat, especially the balls thrown with a launcher. (See Tufts University Article.) CPS recommends pet owners be very careful about throwing smooth and heavy balls to their dogs. If you use a ball launcher, launch away from the dog.

Playing with our pups is one of the best parts of owning a dog. It’s important to always put your pet’s safety first! 🐶🐱🐶