Rosie could have choked to death this morning over a dog toy I recently purchased. Luckily my husband was here to literally fish the knotted ball of rope from deep within her throat. The toy was marketed for aggressive chewers, and the reviews made it sound like it would survive my crew.

Our four goldens differ in their degree of chewing. Orvie, the pup, never destroys any toys. Neither does Jazz. Kimmie wants that squeaker out in the worst way, so she can rip and destroy but never swallows the pieces.

And then there is Rosie who seemed to undergo a personality change after being spayed. She reverted to chewing and destroying textiles, which I guess in her mind includes stuffed toys. Unfortunately if she destroys she swallows the evidence. She has had some multicolored poops, but luckily usually vomits. Not lovely for me but far safer than having big hunks of material try to maneuver through her intestines.

The toy that almost killed her was this rope puppy. She bit off a leg and swallowed. Not the smartest choice our intelligent dog ever made. The gumby she chomped and swallowed one full arm in two minutes. I put the toy up, sewed it, and poof! The other arm was gone. Both appeared in vomit in the wee hours of the morning.

The dinosaur met its demise from Kimmie. It was also supposed to be for aggressive chewers. She made the first hole within 10 minutes, and the toy was destroyed soon thereafter.

I also included a picture of collagen chews. I really like this company and have purchased their bully sticks for years. During COVID they were impossible to get, so I tried the collagen chews which were marketed as nutritionally healthy in a longlasting chew.

What I didn’t realize is they are like a sheet of material that is rolled. The chews unrolled as they became moistened with saliva. I ended up fishing sheets of collagen out of their throats. Never again!

I understand the global pet market amassed over 8 billion dollars in 2022, and everyone wants a piece of that! But dear Heavens! There should be more safety regulations in place to keep our fur babies safe!

There are MANY toys and chews out there which are dangerous. And some dogs just can’t have a lot of the cute things we want them to have.

Know your dog. If you have a dog like Orvie or Jazz, you can relax a little with your purchases. If you have a dog like Kimmie or Rosie, either do not buy toys which can be destroyed or monitor them closely, and I mean closely. It can take Rosie a few seconds to chew and swallow.

Our dog toy basket is primarily nylabones, balls, and antlers. A type of stuffed animal that survives longer than most are call “Invincibles.” They have strongly reinforced seams without stuffing.Sometimes less is more. Wishing everyone a safe Holiday Season. This is the most dangerous time of year for pets, so please keep an eye on your amazing fur children.