A vet has highlighted five commonly purchased items, often considered treats, that he would never buy for his own pet. Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon, also known as Ben the Vet on Instagram, warns that these items can lead to health issues in pets, ranging from dental damage to stomach and joint problems.
He advised his Instagram followers that there are better alternatives. And he listed the “five items I would not get for my own pet”.
Laser pointers
Ben explained he would never buy one of these to play with a cat, despite the fact the animal enjoys them. He said: “Cats love these things because they have a strong natural instinct to stalk and chase and catch.”
However, he pointed out that the inability to physically catch the laser light can be extremely frustrating for cats, suggesting that a wand toy would be a better option, reports Lancs Live.
Bones
Next, Ben addressed a traditional favourite of dogs – bones. He showed a picture of a dog being treated to an issue in its mouth saying: “Many people assume that bones are a natural and healthy thing to give to their dog but we see so, so many of these which are dental slab fractures due to chewing on bones.
“This dog is anaesthetised and you can see that the dental probe is going into the pulp cavity which is the root canal where the nerve is. So this is painful and this is a tooth root abscess waiting to happen.
“They can also get really constipated from bone fragments accumulating in the colon. It’s very painful for the dog.”
Antlers
The debate on the safety of antlers as a dental health tool for dogs came next when Ben cautioned pet owners of the risk. He warned: “Third on the list is antlers and they’re there for the same reason as bones.”
He advised, “Anything you give your dog to chew on should be soft enough that you can indent it with your fingernail. If you can’t it could easily break a tooth.”
Tennis balls
Ben highlighted the hidden dangers of this item explaining: “So many dogs are obsessed with tennis balls but the issue is that the fluffy bit on the surface is abrasive, like sandpaper and so over time when dogs are chewing on them a lot the enamel on their teeth can wear down and the teeth can become quite sensitive over time. So you are better off finding a ball that doesn’t have that sandpapery surface.”
Ball flingers
Ben thn turned to ball flingers, which, surprisingly, come with caution too. The vet said: “These are OK in moderation.”
Despite not completely dismissing this popular dog toy, he warned, “They are not a hard no for me but I think that just some dogs become very obsessed with them and because they fling the ball so far the dog changes direction and speed so rapidly and repeatedly it can put a lot of strain on their joints. So just use them in moderation.”
