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Dangerous Dog Toy from Four Paws Inc

won — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:31:46 +0800

I got a forwarded e-mail from a friend recently about a dog, Chai who got a severe injury after playing with a pimple ball with bell toy made by Four Paws Inc. The injury was so severe the dog's tongue has to be amputated to safe his life.
I am not sure whether this toy is sold in Malaysia, but I think it is good to post to warn other owners about the hazard of this toy.

Taken directly from the blog posted by the owner: The Chai Story
(spoiler as some picture are disturbing)

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

QUOTE

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)

[attachmentid=573205]

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.

[attachmentid=573248]

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.

[attachmentid=573251]
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.

[YOUTUBE]FREkmqw1qF8[/YOUTUBE]
(This is video of Chai showing the pain level that he had for the first three days despite being on heavy doses of pain medication)

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.

Additionally, I shared my story with friends who have a French Bulldog named Petunia. Upon hearing my story their eyes widened. They explained that the same thing happened twice in one night with a smaller version of the same ball to their dog. Fortunately, they were able to pull it off before the tongue swelled, but not without tremendous effort and pain to the dog. They recalled how horrific it was to hear their dog screaming while they had to pry the ball from her tongue.

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 an animal treatment clinic that has also documented the same injury to a Shepard mix.

I sent this information along with the reference to Petunia the french bulldog to Four Paws Inc, and it is their position that there just aren't enough instances to do anything about this. I told their Insurance company's case manager that was not a good enough excuse, It was inferred that my dogs value wasn't much and that his pain and suffering don't count as he is just a piece of property.

This should never happen to another animal again!
I'M CALLING FOR AN INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT OF ALL FOUR PAWS PRODUCTS UNTIL THIS PRODUCT IS RECALLED. We need your help, please take the time to make your voice heard.

Please copy/paste the following into the body of your email in support of this boycott and send it to the address below to let Allen Simon the CEO of four paws know your stand;

Mr. Allen Simon,

I am in support of a boycott of your company until you recall the product pimple ball with bell,
as it is designed is such a way that irreparable damage can be caused by its use.

hbirk@fourpaws.com

Here is a video of the shepherd (mentioned above) that has suffer the same injury:
[YOUTUBE]8n02_u1shaM[/YOUTUBE]
The shepherd was lucky that his injury managed to heal over time and his tongue does not need to be amputated.

However, after Chai's owner posted Chai's story, he also got a e-mail from a dog owner whose dog suffered the same injury in July 2005 and died as a result.

QUOTE

A friend just forwarded your blog to me. It was with shock and horror that I read about Chai's experience.
My dog Cole was injured in exactly the same way in July of 2005. It was with the very same Four Paws ball.
After phone calls and letters to the company I was assured the ball design would be changed. I have copies of what I sent to them. I was told several times this was just a freak accident and I agreed but still asked they change the design so that no other dog would suffer. I hope they did not tell you this had never happened before because I can assure you THEY KNEW about the problem in 2005!
Now to see that they did not respond and did not make changes and other dogs suffered needlessly makes me very sad. These balls are not sold in any stores near me, so I was not able to check to see if they had modified the design.
My Coley boy died as a result of his injuries. He was a 5 year old bouncy beautiful lab mix that wagged his tail up till the very end when we let him cross the rainbow bridge due to the horrendous injury to his tongue.
Please write to me at onedogmatters@comcast.net if you would like more info about my interaction with this company.

I am SO SORRY I did not fight harder and took them at their word.

Why didn't the Company recall the toys when similar cases happened since 2005 or make some changes to the design to make it more safe?
The product was not recall yet at the moment (based on the update posted by Chai's owner on 24/8/08). He was instead offered a settlement which he has refused and decided to see them in court.

I felt very sad looking at Chai's photos and video.
Poor dog suffered so much from this. It makes me now think twice before getting any toys for my furkids. (since even dog's toys are not safe for dogs anymore!) Please be very careful and supervise them always when giving toys to the furkids to play with.
Kudos to Chai's owner for spending the time and patient to rehabilitate Chai (instead of euthanizing him). He is now calling for an international boycott of Four Paws Product until they acknowledge that their product is hazarduos and recall them. Please show your support!

Thank you.

Is spaying / neutering your pet cruel?

won — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:15:49 +0800

Based on some recent post, it seems that a lot of the pet owners still think that spaying/ neutering their pet is a cruel thing to do.
Are they aware of the spaying / neutering procedure? What are the concerns?

Here are some information regarding spaying / neutering. Please go through this post (sorry for the long post) before voting and feel free to comment.

QUOTE

What Do "Spay" and "Neuter" Really Mean?
Female dogs and cats are spayed by removing their reproductive organs, and male dogs and cats are neutered by removing their testicles.
In both cases the operation is performed while the pet is under anesthesia. Depending on your pet's age, size, and health, he or she will stay at your veterinarian's office for a few hours or a few days.
Depending upon the procedure, your pet may need stitches removed after a few days. Your veterinarian can fully explain spay and neuter procedures to you and discuss with you the best age at which to sterilize your pet.

QUOTE

Benefits of spaying / neutering:

Why is spaying / neutering good for your pets?
1) Spaying and neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
2) Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
3) Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
4) Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.

Why is spaying / neutering good for you?
1) Spaying and neutering makes pets better, more affectionate companions.
2) Neutering dogs/cats makes them less likely to spray and mark territory.
3) Spaying a dog or cat eliminates her heat cycle. Estrus lasts an average of six to 12 days, often twice a year, in dogs and an average of six to seven days, three or more times a year, in cats. Females in heat can cry incessantly, show nervous behavior, and attract unwanted male animals.
4) Unsterilized animals often exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been spayed or neutered.
5) Spaying and neutering can make pets less likely to bite.
6) Neutering makes pets less likely to roam the neighborhood, run away, or get into fights.

Why is spaying / neutering good for the community?
1) Communities spend millions of dollars to control unwanted animals.
2) Irresponsible breeding contributes to the problem of dog bites and attacks.
3) Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals.
4) Stray pets and homeless animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and frighten or anger people who have no understanding of their misery or needs.
5) Some stray animals also scare away or kill birds and wildlife

source

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Some Myths surrounding Spaying / Neutering:

I love my pet so much, I want another one just like her.
Chances are, your pet's offspring won't be just like their mother or father. Even breeders who follow generations of bloodlines can't guarantee they will get just what they want out of a particular litter. A pet owner's chances are even slimmer. In fact, it is possible that the puppies or kittens will inherit their parents' worst traits rather than the great ones you are trying to duplicate. Each animal is an individual with lovable quirks and habits of its own.

A female cat or dog should have a litter before she is spayed.
The sooner you spay your female, the better her health will be in the future. The likelihood of developing mammary tumors or uterine infections increases the longer a female goes unspayed. In fact, a female spayed before sexual maturity (six to nine months of age) only has one-seventh the risk of developing mammary cancer, compared to an intact female.
Neutering reduces a dog's ability as a watchdog.
Don't confuse aggressiveness with protectiveness; a sterilized dog protects his/her home and family just as well as an unneutered dog, and many unwanted aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

My pet will become fat and lazy.
Lack of exercise and overfeeding make pets fat and lazy - not neutering. It is true that altered animals require fewer calories. There's an easy way to keep them fit and healthy: cut down on their meals and treats, provide toys to keep them busy, and make time for walks or playtime every day.

My children will not have the chance to witness "the miracle of birth."
Countless books and videos are available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner, without endangering your family pet's health (did you know that your cat or dog may get sick and even die during pregnancy and birth? Also, it is not uncommon for one or several of the babies to die within the first few weeks after birth).

Even if children are able to see a pet give birth -- which is unlikely, since it usually occurs at night and in seclusion -- the lesson they will really learn is that animals can be created and discarded as it suits us. Instead, explain to your children that the real miracle is life and that preventing the birth of some pets can save the lives of others.

Instead of showing your children the "miracle of birth," why not foster a litter of kittens or puppies for a shelter or rescue group? You will make a great difference for orphaned animals, your kids will love it just as much, and you will be teaching them to treat animals responsibly.
It is not safe to spay a female before her first heat. Early spay or neuter is risky.
As long as a kitten or puppy is healthy, weighs more than two pounds, and is two months old, he or she can be neutered or spayed. Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles become visible (at 3 to 4 months of age). Female rabbits can be spayed at 4 to 5 months old. Veterinary medicine has made great strides in the last years and many veterinarians now practise perfectly safe early sterilization.

Neutering is cruel and painful to the pet.
Every surgery carries certain risks, but sterilization is the most common surgery performed on animals today. Spays and neuters are performed with the same general anesthesia used in human medicine, and pain medication is available for animals.

The surgery usually requires minimal hospitalization -- many pets can go home the same day. And with a minimal amount of home care, your pet will resume normal behavior in a couple of days. In fact, many males act perfectly normal the day after surgery so don't be surprised if your dog tries to play ball with you the morning after his neuter (do restrict your pet's activity for 7-14 days after surgery depending on your vet's recommendations).
Kittens and puppies are so adorable that it will be easy to find homes for them.
In six years, one female dog and her offspring can be the source of 67,000 puppies, and in seven years one cat can be the source of 420,000 kittens! But even if your pet does have "just one " litter, it won't be easy finding good homes for all of them. Every year hundreds of kittens and puppies die in shelters right here in San Diego County. Most of them are perfectly healthy and cute, but there simply aren't enough homes for them. It's not a question of age or cuteness... it's pure math.

We don't need to neuter males because they aren't the ones having the litters.
Every litter is sired by a male. A single male can impregnate many females in just one day! Also, neutering isn't just about preventing litters. Keep in mind that neutering your male animal before sexual maturity dramatically reduces diseases of the prostate and testicles. It also reduces aggression and territorial behaviors, making your male pet so much more pleasant to live with.

I don't want my male animal to feel like less of a male.
Pets don't have any concept of sexual identity or ego. Your dog, cat, or rabbit won't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered.

My animal is a purebred so breeding her won't contribute to the problem.
A large number of animals killed at shelters and pounds are purebreds. Remember, pet overpopulation is a problem of numbers, not "what kinds" of pets.

It's too expensive to get my pet(s) spayed or neutered.
The cost of spay or neuter surgery is a one-time cost; and, if we do say so ourselves, it's a relatively small cost when compared to all the benefits. It certainly is a bargain compared to the cost of having a litter and ensuring the health of the mother and babies. Your pet's pregnancy and the time until the litter is weaned can add up to significant veterinary bills and food costs if complications develop (which is not uncommon). Then there's the heartache if things go wrong and you lose a baby or the mother

source

Spay or neuter surgery carries a one-time cost that is relatively small when one considers its benefits. It's a small price to pay for the health of your pet and the prevention of more unwanted animals. Hopefully the above post also helps to answer the question about spaying / neutering.