Dangerous Dog Toy Alert

Dangerous Dog Toy from Four Paws
beware there are other companies that make a very similar toy.. read below

This email has been going around for a while and I think its important for people to know a bit about the toys that they offer their dogs. This toy in particular is very dangerous, because of a simple design flaw. There is a hole on one side and either no hole on the other side, or a hole on the other side that is obstructed by a barrier in the middle of the ball. A simple test you can do is, blow into the hole on one side, if no air comes out the other side, ITS BAD. The reason it is so bad is because it creates a vacuum. The dog licks and sucks on the hole, eventually their tongue goes into the hole and the more they sucks, the stronger the suction becomes in this hole. The vacuum causes the tongue to swell and thereby the tongue gets stuck. This dog was saved, but had to have his tongue amputated. It is a very sad story and one others should learn from.

Please, test your dogs toys before you throw them down. Dogs are placed in constant danger with toys that they swallow, choke on, get poisoned by and more. There are simple tests you can do. The test I suggest above is a good one. Here are some others.
If the toy has a hole in it, be sure that the hole goes to both sides, in other words, that it is open on both sides.
If the toy contains a small bell, remove the bell.
If the toy is chewable and comes apart easy, do not let your dog play with it, as pieces of plastic can cause blockage in dogs.
Avoid small toys, as dogs will swallow them.
Avoid tennis balls, as the glue that holds the felt on can dissolve the enamel on your dogs teeth. If you're at the lake or beach where the ball is constantly in the water, it is OK... But I do not let my dog play with tennis balls any more.
Avoid cooked bones, they splinter and can be fatal to your dog, I feed my dog raw marrow bones.
ALWAYS supervise your dog with toys, especially new ones. If your dog is an intense chewer, I suggest strong durable toys or toys that may have treats inside, such as frozen meat to occupy his time.

The best thing of all is to teach your dog that toys are a privileged and belong to you. You can leave your dogs some specific toys with treats inside when you are out, but leaving a basket of toys around is a recipe for disaster.