Dog owners urged to stop playing fetch with tennis ball
Dog owners have been issued a stern warning by Aussie vet and media personality Dr Chris Brown against a common practice.
Appearing on Sunrise, the vet detailed what he would never do as a pet owner with the most notable coming in as a shock to some people — playing fetch with a tennis ball.
Talking to hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr, the animal expert talked about the dangers of giving your furry friends a tennis ball.
'A lot of dogs are absolutely ball obsessed — ball is life,' Dr Brown said on Sunrise.
'They chase balls, that puts a lot of stress on their joints... they generally get early onset arthritis on their hips, their knees.
'The biggest thing is the fur on a tennis ball is highly abrasive to be able to withstand hard courts when playing tennis.
'It will actually wear down their teeth, so ball obsessed dogs will often have worn down teeth.' Archie won during the Esperance Dog Club best ball catcher competition. Credit: Amber Lilley/Kalgoorlie Miner / RegionalHUB
The tip would come as a shock to many dog owners, with tennis balls being a common play toy for canines.
Some other tips the popular Bondi vet gave included only feeding dogs once a day and not plucking their ear hairs.
'If you feed your dog once a day, they will live longer, they will have a lower risk of cognitive decline - doggy dementia - then if you feed them two or three times a day,' he said.
'It helps to regulate their blood sugar, insulin release, and actually means their brain stays younger for longer.' Dr Chris Brown urged pet owners to follow his important tips. Credit: Sunrise
This sparked viewers to voice their opinions about feeding their dogs once a day, receiving mixed reviews about the tip.
'Try telling a Labrador one feed a day, i have to hide just to eat my lunch,' one commentor wrote.
'My dog vomits up bile if she doesn't eat multiple times a day,' a sentiment one shared that was echoed by many.
'Our Maltese lived to 16 years. Only fed 1x a day and was still very energetic until the end,' a person said agreeing with the advice.
A surprising fact that he gave was saying that cats should never be left alone for more than 24 hours, claiming that the perceived independent animal will feel lonely.
'A lot of people think that cats are very independent, sometimes a bit aloof... research shows they experience more separation anxiety then dogs do.'
His other helpful tip for pet owners was to never use fly sprays or cockroach bombs around fish tanks.
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a day ago
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Dog owners urged to stop playing fetch with tennis ball
Dog owners have been issued a stern warning by Aussie vet and media personality Dr Chris Brown against a common practice. Appearing on Sunrise, the vet detailed what he would never do as a pet owner with the most notable coming in as a shock to some people — playing fetch with a tennis ball. Talking to hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr, the animal expert talked about the dangers of giving your furry friends a tennis ball. 'A lot of dogs are absolutely ball obsessed — ball is life,' Dr Brown said on Sunrise. 'They chase balls, that puts a lot of stress on their joints... they generally get early onset arthritis on their hips, their knees. 'The biggest thing is the fur on a tennis ball is highly abrasive to be able to withstand hard courts when playing tennis. 'It will actually wear down their teeth, so ball obsessed dogs will often have worn down teeth.' Archie won during the Esperance Dog Club best ball catcher competition. Credit: Amber Lilley/Kalgoorlie Miner / RegionalHUB The tip would come as a shock to many dog owners, with tennis balls being a common play toy for canines. Some other tips the popular Bondi vet gave included only feeding dogs once a day and not plucking their ear hairs. 'If you feed your dog once a day, they will live longer, they will have a lower risk of cognitive decline - doggy dementia - then if you feed them two or three times a day,' he said. 'It helps to regulate their blood sugar, insulin release, and actually means their brain stays younger for longer.' Dr Chris Brown urged pet owners to follow his important tips. Credit: Sunrise This sparked viewers to voice their opinions about feeding their dogs once a day, receiving mixed reviews about the tip. 'Try telling a Labrador one feed a day, i have to hide just to eat my lunch,' one commentor wrote. 'My dog vomits up bile if she doesn't eat multiple times a day,' a sentiment one shared that was echoed by many. 'Our Maltese lived to 16 years. Only fed 1x a day and was still very energetic until the end,' a person said agreeing with the advice. A surprising fact that he gave was saying that cats should never be left alone for more than 24 hours, claiming that the perceived independent animal will feel lonely. 'A lot of people think that cats are very independent, sometimes a bit aloof... research shows they experience more separation anxiety then dogs do.' His other helpful tip for pet owners was to never use fly sprays or cockroach bombs around fish tanks.
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