Jeffrey & Blackie playing fetch Photo By Karen ThomasonDo you have a Gordon Setter that is a tennis ball FREAK? One of those Gordons that will bug you all day, every day, to throw the tennis ball for him. He carries it around. Drops it at your feet. You try to hide it, and he won't let you out of his site? Well if you do, your Gordon is in danger of ruining his teeth. If he's the type that carries the ball in his mouth all day and chews on it constantly, he could develop Tennis Ball Mouth. According to Daniel Lauridia, DMV at Dogged Health.Com, tennis balls are made of a material that can actually harm your dogs teeth. A dogs tooth has several layers, sort of like our human teeth, and constant chewing on tennis balls can wear down the enamel and continue damaging the tooth through the dentin layer until it reaches the pulp cavity. If the dentin layer is showing, there will be tiny brown holes visible on his teeth. The tiny brown holes can become infected and cause your Gordon pain and be a risk for other health problems. If your dog already has these little brown holes, stop the tennis ball play and seek advice from your veterinarian. Dr. Lauridia recommends non-abrasive rubber toys such as Kongs. Limit the dogs access to tennis balls but they're okay once in a while as a special treat. Your dogs good health depends a lot on healthy teeth and gums.
My old gordon was "King Kong". That was the only toy she would play with and she would worry you with the Kong until you were ready to scream. We referred to her as Ginger, worlds most annoying dog! She would stick that thing under your seat, in your lap or especially into anything that she believed you were concerned about until you would throw it for her one more time. We would get here one or two more every christmas and they were always the perfect gift. There must be a genetic problem with kongs and gordons.
ReplyDeleteI think all Gordons have the "defective tennis ball gene"! We have a couple and I think I'm going to try some of those Kongs. Maybe I can get some on the site from Amazon. Good to know they are good toys!
ReplyDeleteGive it a try. Flash loved the tennis ball; Ginger loved the kong. She was nuts about it and loved the feel of it in her mouth. She was mesmerized by the feel of it in her mouth. Erin, our new old dog doesn't care for either. She took a shine to one of Flashes old stuffed bunnies and she keeps it behind a chair and takes it out and plays with it by herself. They are all individuals.
ReplyDeleteThat is for sure Art! Each has their own little preferences and their own little quirks. Funny about Erin and the bunny. JJ, our female, had several soft stuffed animals. She chewed on them, but never chewed them up. That is, until after she had puppies. Then she started tearing them to pieces! Frustrations of a mother, I guess! ha ha
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