Dogs and tennis balls seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly. Even my cat plays with one. Yet according to veterinarians, tennis balls can pose real harm to your pet.
“Excessive chewing on the felt [of tennis balls] can lead to wearing of the tooth enamel and eventually lead to dental disease,” explained Dr. Carly Fox, a senior veterinarian at New York City’s Schwarzman Animal Medical Center.
Plus, according to Stockton, California’s Sierra Veterinary Hospital, “When your dog is chewing happily on a tennis ball[,] there is no way of knowing what kinds of chemicals they are ingesting.” Since tennis balls are designed for near-throwaway use in sports, “There are undoubtedly chemicals used from the rubber ball, to the fuzzy coating, to the glue that holds it all together,” the veterinary hospital’s site emphasized.
If your pet is wedded to their tennis ball, there are safer options you can switch to, Fox said. She recommended the Chuckit ultra ball in particular for its “excellent bounce” that’s “easy on your dog’s teeth.”
The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.
