Toy Ball Causes Severe Damage to Chai the Dog
August 22, 2008 by Heather R.
Filed under Pets
This is heartbreaking: Chai the dog was playing with a ball produced by the company Four Paws. The ball is pimpled and has a hole and a small bell inside.
While Chai was playing with the ball his tongue got stuck in the hole, and since there wasn’t a second hole to prevent it a vacuum was created that ended up causing irreparable damage to Chai’s tongue.
Chai’s family have a weblog (warning: some mildly graphic pictures) chronicling the ordeal and how Chai’s tongue ended up having to be removed. Chai has to relearn how to eat and drink.
They’re calling for an international boycott of all Four Paws products until the ball is recalled.
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Thanks for the tip this is terrible.I have a wheaton terrier and we are always buying him new toys , I will definatley cross this one off my list and share this with all dog owning friends of mine.
Good piece Thanks
I’m sorry your dog went through that ordeal.
But I can’t help chuckling a little at the thought of the ball stuck on his tongue, with a look on his face that says “Oh look at this fine mess I just got into!”
I do hope he’s recovered fully.
No don’t chuckle, the dog did not recover – look at the owner’s blog. The damaged part of his tongue had to be amputated and as dogs lap up water from a bowl – not suck it up like you might – he is having great difficulty even drinking. Just watch the video of him trying to bite the water to get a drink then see if you chuckle.
This is not the first case – just Google – these dog toys need to be banned from sale unless they have the simple modification of an additional hole at the opposing side.
The Truth About Four Paws Toy
My name is Dr. Charles Greco. I’m a veterinarian in New York. I came across your blog about your dog Chai. I wanted to extend my well wishes for a speedy recovery. I own 6 dogs, 2 cats, 4 birds and 3 tortoises, so I know how much a pet can become a part of the family. I was shocked to learn that the toy that hurt poor Chai came from Four Paws Pet Products. I have used many products from Four Paws from Wee Wee Pads to toys and dental products and I have always found them to be of the highest quality. I personally contacted Four Paws today and talked to some lady in the customer service department that told me that the toy that hurt Chai was the result of a manufacturing defect with its pimple ball with bell toy. She explained that the defect, which is very difficult to see with the naked eye, is caused by a blockage in a small hole in the ball that is critical to regulating the suction inside the toy. She also told me that when Four Paws learned of the injury to Chai they immediately stopped shipping the product to distributors and retailers. She also said that Four Paws asked any retailers that had this toy in their possession to remove the toy and send them back to Four Paws. She told me that Four Paws is individually inspecting everyone of the pimple balls in its inventory in order to identify and discard any that are defective. She also said that Four Paws will also be changing the packaging of its pimple balls to make it easier to inspect them for potential defects. I was surprised when she told me that the Executive V.P., Barry Askin, was so deeply moved by the injury to Chai that he is personally visiting the manufacturer next month to inspect the manufacturer’s operation and to make sure the defect has been corrected and that procedures are in place to make sure the defect has been corrected and that procedures are in place to make sure it will not happen again. It was reassuring that this company is not sitting by idly but is taking an active role in making sure this terrible accident never happens again. I would just urge any pet owner who may already own one of these toys to check carefully to see if the second small hole in the ball is blocked. If they have any doubt whether the hole is open they should not let their pet play with the ball. I also went on Four Paws’ webpage, http://www.fourpaws.com. On the webpage they state that they will replace any defective toy. Again, all the best to you and Chai. I hope the two of you can share many years of happiness ahead.
If the Four Paws company was so concerned, shocked and saddened by what happened to Chai and others like him, they need to open their wallets and pay the massive vet bills that are paralyzing these families.
As pet owners, we grow to love our pets very much. Recently My husband daughter and I had a conversation about vet bills. How high would you to to save one of our pets (4 cats and a dog) my daughter said 300 dollars. My husband said 500 dollars.
To our horror less then 3 days later one of our cats finally showed up after he was missing for 11 days, I KNEW something was wrong. His spine was severed and he had to be put to sleep. Cost, 580.00.
Exactly 1 month to the day later we find his sister in the garage. We thought a coyote got her. Imagine our shock and horror to find out that she had been SHOT! She had her front leg amputated and is now recovering nicely. Vet bills… over 2 grand. My husband who said he wouldn’t go over 500 had a change of heart when it was one of his pets. You will too.
Our animals are strictly indoors. We’re in the country so we figured they were safe from things like cars and mean people.
So fourpaws – do the right thing. Open your wallet AND your heart.