Choosing Toys That Are Safe for Your Pet

PETS · GLOBAL

Choosing Toys That Are Safe for Your Pet

Size and materials, supervision, what to avoid and rotating toys

Pet toys are the least regulated part of the pet aisle, and the risks are mechanical rather than chemical. Size and supervision cover most of them.

Size it to the animal

A toy small enough to fit entirely in the mouth can be swallowed or lodge in the throat. Choose something larger than the animal can get fully behind the back teeth.

That matters more than the size marking on the packet, since dogs of the same weight have very different jaws.

What comes off is the hazard

Squeakers, plastic eyes, ribbons, bells and stuffing all cause obstructions if swallowed. Check toys before every use and remove anything that has started to come apart.

Intestinal obstruction is a surgical emergency and is expensive as well as dangerous.

String and elastic with cats

Wand toys with string are excellent for play and must be put away afterwards. Swallowed string, tinsel and hair ties cause linear foreign bodies, which are among the most serious presentations vets see in cats.

Never leave a cat alone with a string toy.

Hard chews

Anything that does not flex slightly under a thumbnail is hard enough to fracture a tooth. Antlers, hooves, bones and very hard nylon are the usual culprits, and slab fractures of the carnassial teeth are common.

Never give cooked bones of any kind, which splinter.

Supervision

Divide toys into supervised and unsupervised. Plush toys and anything destructible belong in the first group; solid rubber toys with no removable parts in the second.

Rotation

Keeping most toys away and swapping a few each week renews interest without buying anything. Food-dispensing toys provide mental work, which matters more than physical play for many animals.

Play as exercise and training

Fifteen minutes of genuinely active play twice a day does more for a cat's weight and behaviour than any number of toys sitting in a basket. End a session by letting them catch the toy, which completes the hunting sequence and settles them afterwards.

For dogs, scent work and puzzle feeders tire them out considerably more than an equivalent amount of running does.

Cleaning toys

Wash fabric toys regularly on a hot cycle and check rubber toys for splits and cracks. Discard anything cracked, since sharp edges cut mouths and gums.

Signs of a problem

Vomiting, straining, lethargy, refusing food or an unusually quiet animal after a play session can all indicate something swallowed. Obstruction worsens quickly, so call a vet the same day rather than waiting to see whether it settles.

If something is swallowed

Call a vet rather than waiting for symptoms, and never try to induce vomiting without advice.

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