WARNING! Four Paws Pimple Ball Poses Dangers to Pets!
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
January 9, 2009 4:52pm CST
I received this warning from a Vet friend of mine this is just terrible what a toy can do to your pet. I think this could happen with any type of rubber ball. Since reading this I have trashed a couple of rubber balls that my dogs had. Will you take a chance or get rid any toy that could cause a vacuum?
This has been verified by snopes.
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/pimpleball.asp
On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I’m referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)
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.
Chai was taken to the Animal Medical Center (an emergency care facility in New York City) and was treated by Dr. Nicole Spurlock to have the ball removed. Because the size of the opening on the ball was so small, all circulation to his tongue was cut off. The doctors had to sedate him in order to remove it. Once the ball was removed, his tongue swelled to the point that he could no longer put it in his mouth. Chai was sent home with care instructions and to be observed overnight for any changes.
By the following morning Chai’s tongue had swollen even more. He was taken to his regular vet, Dr. Timnah Lee, for treatment. He was admitted and kept sedated for a period of three days during which time they were treating his wounds and waiting to determine how much of his tongue could be saved. On June 26, 2008 Chai had his tongue amputated.
He was kept in after-care for an additional three days. On Sunday June 29th I brought Chai home from the vet with a barrage of home care instructions, to last for an additional 7 days. His next visit was to have his mouth re-examined and have the feeding tube in his neck removed.
On the way home from the vet we stopped at Petland Discount where I purchased their product to speak to the manager on duty. Upon meeting Chai and seeing his condition, he removed all of the balls in question from the shelves. He also gave me the customer service number to their corporate headquarters to request that they refuse to continue purchasing all Four Paws products, but I have not called them as of yet.
To date, my veterinary bills total over $5000.00 and I will have regular follow up appointments for some time. Additionally, Chai now requires a much more expensive form of food because of this injury, averaging approximately $200 per month.
Also - I am Chai’s sole caretaker and the regime required to care for him following his surgery has forced me to lose a great deal of business. I am a hair stylist and my salon is in my home. Given that Chai needs constant attention, and given that he has been wailing in pain, I have not been able to see clients.
Additionally, I now have to re-teach my dog to eat, drink and adjust to life without his tongue. Just walking him requires about 30min twice a day and we only make it three blocks. Feeding him takes me about 90 minutes twice a day and for at least this first week he is not to be unattended for more than 20 minutes at time.
The following is a link to some pretty graphis photos of the poor dogs and his swollen tongue.
http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/
3 people like this
9 responses
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Jan 09
What a beautiful dog and what a sad sad story. I watched the video and the tears were falling. I would not have put my dog through the pain and the difficulties of rehabilitation I'm afraid but to each their own.
I feel such anger towards the company...if they had attended to the problem with a minor change of adding an extra hole in the ball, then this problem and their being called on it would not have occurred. It's shameful and crazy.
2 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I agree. You would think that they would have checked this possibility out before selling the toy. I agree also that I do not know if I could let one of my dogs live if his quality of life would be painful or unbearable.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Hi whiteheather...yes unfortunately I was aware of these pet toys and actually did a discussion about it about five months ago warning mylotters about them. I also just submitted an article to Associated Content about another danger, and had done a discussion about toxic pet toys...ones that are made in where else, China, that high levels of lead paint. What amazes me, the dangers of the "toxic" toys have been known for over a year, yet none are being recalled, just as these Four Paws balls haven't been either.
2 people like this
@Galena (9110)
•
10 Jan 09
a friend has recently alerted me to this.
the first thing I do, even when these emails say it checks out with Snopes, is actually check that it does (a lot of chain e-mails say this even when it's not true)
having found it to be true, both on Snopes, and from what I saw on the blog, I am very distressed.
our dogs always have rope toys rather than balls, but balls like that have been on sale for many years, I am sure this is not the only company producing them.
so I'm going to ask that other people do what I will do.
if I see any balls like this in a pet shop, I will draw it to their attention, and follow it up by giving them the links to the blog and to snopes so that they know this is a real threat, and not just an internet rumour, and so they can see the results for themselves.
if they still have such things at a later date, I will continue to point it out, even if it means bringing in my laptop and showing them right there on the shop floor just how bad the consequences can be.
then if they continue to stock them, I may just have to go to local press.
most pet shop owners love animals, so hopefully it won't get that far.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I did post the link to the Snopes verification of this article. My reason is because I never post any type of warning unless I have thoroughly checked it out for "true" or "false".
I was saddened to find that this article was very true and therefore these type of toys a danger to our pets.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jan 09
Sorry I also meant to add that I think you should be commended for your stand and actions on this product.
@snowy22315 (208869)
• United States
10 Jan 09
That is really horrible. I hope that no other dogs are injured in this way. It sounds like something that could have easily been preventable. I will not buy this toy for my pet that's for sure. You have to be careful with some of those pet toys. They arent all good for pets.
1 person likes this
@mysticmaggie (2498)
• United States
10 Jan 09
That poor dog! He's lucky to have an owner who cares enough to do everything possible to help him.
We stopped buying any toys for our Scottish terrier. He usually destroys them within a couple of minutes and swallows pieces. He now has only one toy we trust him with and that's a hard rubber tire. After two years, it doesn't even have a tooth mark on it!
Thank you for passing on the information on a very dangerous pet toy.
1 person likes this
@mysticmaggie (2498)
• United States
10 Jan 09
My Scottish terrier destroys most toys so quickly and swallows pieces too often. I've given up toys of any kind except a small hard rubber tire. He's had it for two years and it doesn't even show a tooth mark. Even the hard rubber triple tier treat holders are no match for his teeth. The bad part is the tire weighs a ton and he drops it on my foot to get my attention.
Thank you for letting everyone know about this particular toy. How awful to have to amputate a dog's tongue. He's havin to relearn how to eat because the tongue moves the food around to the right spot for the teeth to chew. Poor darling, I hope he survives. His owner is truly dedicated to him.
1 person likes this
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
9 Jan 09
This is terrible. I am going to check my toy box for my dogs and just to make me feel better....I will double check. I had not seen this and my chihuahua loves balls. He has all kinds. I want to be sure this cant happen to them. Appreciate the information!
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
10 Jan 09
This is awful! Oh the poor dog!! In all honesty, I think she should've put the poor thing down because that looks to be too much for him to endure and for so long. That's not a quality of life for this poor dog. I can understand she wants to keep him but it's being selfish, really. Like my Gracie, I would never let her suffer and would've put her down the other day but decided to try the medicine, which is working but it's more like a "right now it works" sort of thing whereas this poor dog has already lived majority of it's life and is in a great deal of pain, she should have put him down humanely instead of keeping him alive because it would've been the "right thing to do." I hope she doesn't let him suffer for too much longer because it's not fair on the poor creature.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I absolutely agree with you. I could not let any of my pets suffer.
