any danger?

[debbiej]

I feel kind of dumb asking this question, but can small pieces of the rubber that dog toys are made of cause problems if the dogs swallow them? Hilda has toys that she is loves, but she can chew them enough to crumble off pieces and swallow them. I wondered since they are dog toys, maybe it's expected the dogs would swallow some pieces, and it would just pass on through. But boy I'd hate to let her have them if there is a danger there.

[Squeaky2004]

I don't know how big the chunks are that she is biting off. But just a heads up i dont want to scare you either. My dog that we had when i was younger chewed a piece of rubber off of a ball. We had to take her in to get it removed. Other then that with it causing actual health problems i am no expert,and will leave it to someone who may no but thought i'd share what happened :)

[flyballmom]

Debbie, pieces of rubber, even if small, can cause obstructions. Unfortunately dog toys aren't made to be indestructable, and for power chewers like Rotts some just don't last long. Personally if she's chewing off pieces I'd take them away from her. One of my favorite chew toys is the Galileo made by Nylabone. I have a couple I've had for over a year and they still are pretty much intact. I had to marinate them in my dirty laundry before the dogs would touch them tho.

[debbiej]

ok, thanks. she has some that she can't chew pieces off, we'll stick to those and get more indestructable kinds. I got her a ball that is very cool, but the rubber around it is too soft I guess.

[danyp1]

Originally Posted by flyballmom

I had to marinate them in my dirty laundry before the dogs would touch them tho.

Thats too funny. Sam won`t touch them I guess I could try that out.

[moondog]

You don't have to limit your dog to indestructible toys only, but you do have to separate the toys into "Only Under Supervision" and "Yes, You May Have Your Way With It" toys....:D

If left with a stuffed toy and no direction, Luna with nibble a hole in it and suck the stuffing out, hopefully to be swallowed. But she really enjoys playing with stuffed toys.... tossing and pouncing, shaking and chomping.... so rather than deny her (and me) the fun, :D , she only gets them when we play together and they are put away when we're done, but she does get to play with them! :)

[Squeaky2004]

Originally Posted by moondog

You don't have to limit your dog to indestructible toys only, but you do have to separate the toys into "Only Under Supervision" and "Yes, You May Have Your Way With It" toys....:D

If left with a stuffed toy and no direction, Luna with nibble a hole in it and suck the stuffing out, hopefully to be swallowed. But she really enjoys playing with stuffed toys.... tossing and pouncing, shaking and chomping.... so rather than deny her (and me) the fun, :D , she only gets them when we play together and they are put away when we're done, but she does get to play with them! :)

I got told by my vet never to give her stuffed toys especially because we have a cat, supposedly this would make the dog think it is ok to play that rough with the cat. Squeak loooooves my one big teddy bear but i did not want her to play with it because i was told this. Should i let her play with it under supervision???? Sorry am new to this kinda stuff lol so have to ask...:)

[Judi W]

Your vet must be accustomed to dealing with really dumb dogs. I've not known any who could not tell the difference between the family cat and a stuffed toy. That is a silly recommendation

[Skuly]

I buy toys that are destructible and some that are not. The minute I see a hole in a stuffed animal, it goes in the trash or take all of the stuffing out myself. Any plastic toy that she has cracked or broken off pieces also go in the trash.
That being said, I have found bits of plastic in her poop. I think she may pick up those tiny lego pieces every now and then.

Marinating the nylabone in dirty laundry has peaked my interest ;)

[Judi W]

Most dogs have just as much fun with the pelts as they do with the stuffed animals. Trash the guts, keep the pelts. If you don't want the dogs to play with them, hang them on the fence as a warning to any stuffed that are thinking of trespassing on to your property.

[moondog]

LOL, Judi! :D What a visual!

Originally Posted by Squeaky2004

I got told by my vet never to give her stuffed toys especially because we have a cat, supposedly this would make the dog think it is ok to play that rough with the cat. Squeak loooooves my one big teddy bear but i did not want her to play with it because i was told this. Should i let her play with it under supervision???? Sorry am new to this kinda stuff lol so have to ask...:)

Squeaky, next time you see your vet, tell him/her that Luna's stuffed teddy bear was my biggest asset (aka the Deputy Sheriff :D) in teaching her what to pounce on and what not to. Whenever her kitty play started to get too rough for the kitties, I would send her off after her teddy bear and she now does a self-redirect as soon as she thinks about playing too rough. She doesn't need my help at all anymore to make that choice. She's satisfied and the kitties are safe. A stuffed toy is a perfect choice to teach kitty redirection precisely because it does have similarities to fuzzy critters, so the dog's interest (and attention) is easy to obtain. Not once has she played too rough with the teddy bear and pounced on the kitty! :D

[Miabella]

moondog, I also redirect Ilsa to a stuffed animal when she is getting overly aroused by the cat. I think when they get really loaded that drive has to be released somewhere.

[Brooke&Ryan]

Originally Posted by Judi W

Most dogs have just as much fun with the pelts as they do with the stuffed animals. Trash the guts, keep the pelts. If you don't want the dogs to play with them, hang them on the fence as a warning to any stuffed that are thinking of trespassing on to your property.

Haha, Judi!

I loved that thread where you talked about pelts. Julius doesn't get anymore stuffed animals (well, MAYYYBE on a special occasion) but we have kept all of the pelts & he loves to play tug with them after a training session. We haven't nailed them on the walls for display though... :D

:)
Brooke

[BostonRott]

My dogs are always chewing up plastic/rubber toys and swallowing small bits. Never been a problem yet. Provides for some colorful piles out in the yard too.