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The dangers of Kong toys

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great post, I have an American Bulldog who chews Kongs all the time, Touch wood to date he has never chewed through on, he once received one from a friend as a gift which he did destroy quite quickly on inspection this Kong was a cheaper knock off.

 

Fortunately there were no ill effects except little bits of rubber in his poop for a day or 2!

 

So if you do allow your dogs to use Kongs ensure you buy the genuine branded ones from somewhere reputable.

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steveb1978, just to explain; the Kong which resulted in my dogs death was definitely an official Kong from a well known outlet. It wasn't a case of him destroying it, the whole of the smaller 'bump' on the end came clean off.

 

ccit, Thankyou for your kind words. I have struggled with it. Sammy was only 8 and there have been a lot of 'what if's'. There still are, but ultimately I could not bear for him to be in any pain and then die a few days later anyway, which was one of the highly likely outcomes. I am heartbroken that I was not there with him - he was 20 miles away under anaesthetic on an operating table when I had to make the decision. How I wish I had never given him that damn Kong.

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Chez2, if you gave my dog a brand new red Kong, she'd have it in pieces within 20 - 30 minutes. The top ring would be off within the first few minutes. The indestructible Kongs take her a while longer but she does chew them as well.

 

Floppet, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog, it's so sad x

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Chez2, if you gave my dog a brand new red Kong, she'd have it in pieces within 20 - 30 minutes. The top ring would be off within the first few minutes. The indestructible Kongs take her a while longer but she does chew them as well.

 

Floppet, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog, it's so sad x

 

I find that difficult to believe if you have the right size kong for the dog. We have German Shepherds and they easily crunch huge bones (raw fed). They can damage a nylobone but never bitten a lump off a new big red or black kong. They aren't incessant chewers and we don't often put food in kongs. If we do, its out in seconds. We try to wedge it in but they are able to stretch and pull it until the food drops out of the hole in the bottom of the kong. :roll:

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Why would I lie about it?! Just because your dogs have never chewed through a Kong, doesn't mean others can't. Here's a picture of my dog's large Kong Extreme http://s1321.photobucket.com/user/kerrydiane/media/image.jpg1_zpsoapbnxoq.jpg.html

 

She chewed the same spot repeatedly until the top came off.

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Quote by Chez2: They aren't incessant chewers and we don't often put food in kongs.

That is precisely why your dogs have been fine with Kongs and why you are therefore expressing incredulity that this actually happens. If you read my opening post, I clearly state that 'Some dogs are able to chew off the top ring and swallow them.' As I have said to you before, your experience is with your dogs and you should not suppose that all are the same. Angel22 has a terrier and these can be very powerful, obsessive chewers. I referred to this fact in the opening post: '* If your dog is an ardent chewer it may be best to avoid Kongs entirely.'

 

You have read the evidence and yet you persist in personalizing this by trying to blame the owner. It is deeply offensive, especially when, as you can already see from this thread that at least one dog has died following the use of this awful product. Trying to score points, especially when one of our members has bravely posted about the death of his/her dog and is still distressed by it is just not on and IMO you should show some sensitivity and apologise.

Edited by ccit

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That is precisely why your dogs have been fine with Kongs and why you are therefore expressing incredulity that this actually happens. If you read my opening post, I clearly state that 'Some dogs are able to chew off the top ring and swallow them.' As I have said to you before, your experience is with your dogs and you should not suppose that all are the same. Angel22 has a terrier and these can be very powerful, obsessive chewers. I referred to this fact in the opening post: '* If your dog is an ardent chewer it may be best to avoid Kongs entirely.'

 

You have read the evidence and yet you persist in personalizing this by trying to blame the owner. It is deeply offensive, especially when, as you can already see from this thread that at least one dog has died following the use of this awful product. Trying to score points, especially when one of our members has bravely posted about the death of his/her dog and is still distressed by it is just not on and IMO you should show some sensitivity and apologise.

 

I disagree, you are wrong and I'm not personalising anything, I'm stating facts. I am sorry about the death of their pets, I know how that feels but you can't shift the blame on to the manufacturer. It can happen with any toy or chew not just a kong.

 

One of our dogs gets 'in the zone' when she chews, its quite funny to watch. She half closes her eyes and will only focus on what she is chewing, she blanks everything else out and goes into some sort of trance. She is a very driven dog so needs to do something all the time, she drives us crazy. She would sit and chew the kong all night if we let her but we don't and we regularly take it off her to check it and don't let her have it for more than an hour. When we take it off her she runs round in circles really angry for a while but she doesn't get the toy back. By me stating she's not an incessant chewer I mean she doesn't chew furniture etc.

 

If you look at the photo of the kong above you will see how damaged it is. It would have been binned if it got to that state at our house no matter how new it was.

 

Our dogs are high drive working Shepherds trained as you would Police dogs. They chew on bones the size of two adult fists so I know how powerful their bite is when they can reduce them to bits so please don't tell me I don't have a clue about dog jaw strength.

 

Its not about the dog; its about the owner being sensible and taking responsibility. I know accidents happen but you can't blame someone else for an oversight. I realise you are trying to stop people making the mistake of leaving their dog unattended with a toy or a toy in poor condition and I applaud you for that but don't have a go at me or blame me or anyone else for the owners mistake. I would also be careful you don't end up on the receiving end of legal action by the makers of kong.

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You are now being deliberately provocative and argumentative, despite seeing evidence of this problem. Talking about legal action is quite ridiculous. If you read my opening post you will note the last sentence:

"It is not my intention to stop owners giving their dog a Kong - there are dangers all around us. However, this is a risk that many people are unaware of and we can perhaps minimize it with some attention and care. If you wish to give your dog a Kong, please use with caution." I doubt very much whether that could in any way lead to 'legal action'. Also, check out that link again in the first post and you will see that Kong actually admitted some degree of culpability by sending the lady a cheque in compensation.

 

You persistently talk of your own dogs as if they are proof positive of the safety of this toy and yet you have seen evidence that there can be problems with them. Your logic is flawed and I do not intend to argue with you any more. The purpose of this thread is just to make people aware that these toys are not 100% safe, to take care and also what to do should their dog swallow any part of it. This has been achieved. It would therefore be best to leave it at that.

 

Thank you for your useful advice on the safe use of this toy.

 

---------- Post added 21-11-2015 at 11:40 ----------

 

Update:

 

This morning I have learned that (as can be expected), Kong are fully aware of this problem and do not guarantee their products as indestructible. The company are in the process of developing a new, tougher range that will only be available from veterinary practices. This product will incorporate barium which will make any swallowed pieces x-ray detectable. This new product is therefore one to look out for, particularly for those owners who have heavy chewers but like to give their dog a Kong. However, it will be necessary to ask about it at the veterinary surgery.

 

I have also been told of a dog that needed veterinary treatment for a piece of Kong that was stuck between teeth so that is possibly another area to watch.

Edited by ccit

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Kong toys are great! I honestly don't have any complaints. I bought the classic kong for my pup and he chews hours on end for years and its still intact. He loves it! It was one of my best dog toy purchases, along with the kong flyer.

Maybe your dog has a strong bite and destroys it more quickly. My cousin's pit on the other hand destoyed a kong in two hours! The rubber is strong but it isn't indestrucible.

Just find another chew toy strong enough for agressive chewers. I found a good listing here: https://dogtoysadvisor.com/best-dog-chew-toys/.

I recommend nylon toys because they're tough, durable and, altough it isn't suposed to, the dog can eat the small pieces that come off as he chews, unlike the kong.

Some balls are also a good alternative, like the Chuckit ball. 

The point is: there are so many good options if you dislike the Kong brand.

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