Dogs should not chew tennis balls
Here are a couple of interesting questions I read recently and some good answers. Oprah has been in the news lately because of her show about puppymills, but she also lost her dog Gracie a few months ago to a terrible accident involving a ball. I think it was a tennis ball, but I could be wrong. Gracie, a lovely Golden Retriever, got a ball belonging to one of the smaller Cocker Spaniels stuck in her throat and died on the spot. The people guarding the dogs and the dog walker even tried the Heimlich Maneuver and CPR on the dog but they couldn’t save her.
Please be careful about the balls and toys you let your dog play with. Make sure they’re the appropriate size so they won’t become lodged in your dog’s throat. Bigger is better.
I also thought this vet’s comments about Vitamin C were interesting. My girl Billie just had her hips x-rayed for her OFA exam. The vet said that the way the hips fit together — the ball and socket — looks great. She said she thought they should earn a “Good” or “Excellent” from the OFA. (We hope!) But the x-ray showed some thickening on the outside of one part of the femur (I think that’s where it was). The vet thought this indicated that Billie had hurt herself at some point. Now Billie has never limped or shown any injury that I or her breeder know about, so we think she might have been playing rough, hurt herself, and kept playing. But the vet thinks this old injury could cause Billie to have some arthritis someday. So, we’re already starting her on some glucosamin everyday and some Ester C every other day. The vet suggested these might help prevent the effects of arthritis. Billie is only two years old so we want to make sure she never feels any effects.
I have to say that even with six dogs here I don’t have burn areas in my yard. I have plenty of mud in the places where the dogs run all the time, but no burned areas from urine. I have no idea why that is.
From the Monterey County Herald.
Dogs should not chew tennis balls
Suzy Hochgesang Happy Tails
Article Last Updated: 04/07/2008 01:49:37 AM PDT
Q Are tennis balls safe chew toys for dogs?
A: Although tennis balls are probably one of the most popular dog toys, I always recommend that tennis balls not be given to dogs. The reason is because chewing on tennis balls can cause serious dental problems in dogs. The wooly nylon fuzz on tennis balls is abrasive and can wear down the enamel on dogs’ teeth.
Additionally, when tennis balls bounce along the ground, they pick up grit and hold it in the fuzz, causing the ball to be even more abrasive. In dogs that are aggressive chewers, chewing on tennis balls can wear down the teeth so much that the tooth pulp becomes exposed; these teeth are very painful and will need to be extracted.
However, we all know that some dogs could not live without a game of fetch, so instead choose a bare rubber ball that won’t collect as much grit as a tennis ball … your pooch probably won’t even notice the difference.
Q: This is not the most earth-shattering question but my son asked me this question and I didn’t have an answer. He had seen online a recommendation to give Vitamin C or tomato juice to dogs that burn the grass when they pee in the yard. He said it had to do with reducing the amount of ammonia in urine. Do you have any ideas on this?
A: Dog urine has a very high concentration of nitrogen. When your dog urinates in a puddle in the yard, the concentration of nitrogen in that one spot becomes too high and, as a result, the grass dies, similar to fertilizer burn. Female dogs seem to burn the lawn more often than male dogs due to the fact that female dogs squat and urinate in one spot while male dogs tend to urinate in several places or on a vertical surface. This results in a higher concentration of nitrogen left behind from a female dog, because a male dog’s urine is usually dripping down a tree stump or other vertical surface and therefore is spread out more thinly.
There are many food additives and supplements that are supposed to change to pH of your dog’s urine and help prevent grass burns. These include tomato juice, vitamin C, Grass Saver, Green-um, and methionine. However, changing the pH of your dog’s urine is dangerous because it may predispose him or her to bladder stones or urinary tract infections. Some people think that reducing the amount of protein in your dog’s diet will reduce the amount of nitrogen in his or her urine. However, this would most likely involve restricting dietary protein far beyond what is considered healthy for your pet.
Therefore, it’s a much better idea to treat your grass rather than your dog.
The best way to prevent grass burns is by frequent watering or soaking the grass immediately after your dog has urinated. This dilutes the nitrogen that causes the grass burn in the first place. Another option is have an area of pea gravel, loose dirt or sand in your yard and train your dog to only urinate in this area.
When it’s time for your dog to go, take him or her outside on a leash and lead your dog over to the new bathroom area. When your dog goes in the correct spot, immediately offer lots of praise or a small treat.
If your dog starts to go in an area you are trying to keep green, say “NO” loudly and then lead him or her to the new spot. Training your dog to go in the right spot probably means you’ll have to escort your dog outside until he or she gets the idea. Just make sure the new bathroom area is large enough so your dog can move around a little bit, and keep it clean so your dog is not tempted to wander over to greener pastures.
Dr. Suzy Hochgesang is a veterinarian at Aguajito Veterinary Hospital in Monterey. Send questions to her at 1221 10th St., Monterey 93940 or e-mail suzydvm@gmail.com.
