If you have this dog toy in your house, throw it away immediately!
Chai, a gorgeous yellow lab mix, was almost killed because of this toy.
While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.
Luckily he was saved by quick-thinking owners and good vets, but he had to have his tongue amputated and suffered horribly. Worse yet, the company knew back in 2005 about the dangers of the ball but didn’t change the design, despite repeated promises they would do so.
Please boycott Four Paws toys!
If you want the company to know how you feel, here’s the instructions from Chai’s blog:
This should never happen to another animal again!
I’M CALLING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT OF ALL FOUR PAWS PRODUCTS UNTIL THIS PRODUCT IS RECALLED. We need your help, please take the time to make your voice heard.
Please copy/paste the following into the body of your email in support of this boycott and send it to the address below to let Allen Simon the CEO of four paws know your stand;
Mr. Allen Simon,
I am in support of a boycott of your company until you recall the product pimple ball with bell,
as it is designed is such a way that irreparable damage can be caused by its use.hbirk@fourpaws.com
Again, keep in mind that this company has promised in the past to redesign this product and has not done so. With Chai, the company claimed it was a defect in that particular batch but three years and many cases of this happening prove it is not.
That is awful! I can’t believe they didn’t do anything when they knew it was dangerous. Count me in on the boycott.
Barklove,
Rusty
I have this on Tuffy’s blog too. Disgusting!
Dropping in to say hi!
Barklove,
Rusty
Sparky! I saw your picture on Cute With Chris!
Yea!
Anotehr company to boycott is Penn Plax, Inc.. Don’t buy their products. They sell the Latex Face balls, otherwise known as crack balls. These balls are frequently swallowed and choken on and swallowed by dogs. There have been networks news features on the dangers of the product that go as far back as 2005, but Penn Plax continues to promote them as safe and fun exercise. The balls are deflatable, allowing them to slip down the throat and reinflate in the dog’s stomach. Surgery is the only solution.