5 Tips For Buying Toys That Are Safe For Your Pet

There are many things that can make your pet happy, and buying the right toys for them is one of those things. Toys are important because they can provide mental stimulation, build independence, and aid with your pet’s learning. Most importantly, toys can prevent your pet from developing behavioral problems in the long run. 

The market is bombarded with a wide variety of toys for pets today, but as a pet owner, you need to be careful in choosing what to give to your animal companion as these toys can also become a safety hazard. Buying toys that are too small for your pet, for example, can cause them to choke and prevent them from breathing properly. 

If you’re planning to surprise your pet with toys Kong dog toys in Canada suggests that you consider these tips when buying toys to ensure your pet’s safety:

Look For Standards ASTM

You’ll be able to find colorful toys when you visit pet stores in your locality. But, if you want to make sure that you’re only giving your pet safe toys, you should take some time to carefully read labels.

Aside from buying pet toys created by reputable manufacturers in the industry, you should also see to it that the toy you’ll buy has letters ‘ASTM’ on it. Buying a pet toy that has an ASTM mark on its label means that the product has passed the quality set by the American Society for Testing and Materials. This agency is responsible for testing out and checking materials used in creating different toys for pets.

Before you head out to the store to buy toys for your pet, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website to determine which toys were recalled because of safety issues, or choking hazards. The information you can gain from this website will give you an idea on which toys are indeed safe for your pets.

Look For Toys That Are Indestructible

It’s common for pets to play rough once in a while. If you have a large dog breed, such as a pitbull or rottweiler, expect that they’ll be testing their toys to their limits.

One of the most basic tips that you should follow when buying safe toys for your pet is to pick ones that are indestructible. Avoid buying soft rubber toys as these can easily get damaged and break down into tiny little pieces. When this happens, your pet might be tempted to chew on the material and that could cause intestinal blockage.

You can prevent such a mishap from happening by providing your pet with toys that are made from nylon or hard rubber. These materials are tough and can withstand the excessive chewing and pulling of your pet.

Avoid Toys That Come With Ropes Or Strings

As mentioned, pet toys come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. As a pet owner, you’ll never run out of options when you decide to buy toys for your animal companion.

If this is your first time to surprise your pet with toys, steer clear from those that come with ropes or strings. Sure, these toys can be very colorful, but giving these to your pet can have adverse effects on their health. This is especially true if you leave your pet with their toys to keep them occupied while you’re away.
You should never give your pet toys with ropes or strings because they can easily swallow these materials. Ropes or strings could end up in your pet’s intestine, which could be more dangerous than swallowing a ball.

A linear foreign body scenario happens when a loop of rope or string gets wrapped around the base of your pet’s tongue. When left untreated, this can cause your pet to experience abdominal pain, dehydration, vomiting, and lethargy.

Don’t Settle For Stuffed Toys

Stuffed toys are great for children, but it’s never the same when it comes to pets. As their name suggests, stuffed toys are stuffed with several materials, such as batting, cotton, synthetic fiber, and wood wool, to help them retain their shape.

When giving to pets, especially those who are destructive, these stuffed toys can tear apart and cause the stuffing materials to spread out. Pets are naturally curious, and seeing new materials in front of them will likely encourage them to chew on them. These materials can adversely affect your pet’s safety and health.

Aside from the stuffing materials, stuffed toys often come with buttons or squeaker. Once your pet tears apart their stuffed toys, they’ll likely eat these parts and cause them to choke.

Tick Off Rawhide Toys For Your Dogs

It’s common for dog owners to give their pets toys that resemble the shape of bones, like rawhide toys, for example. Rawhide toys come in different sizes and are often inexpensive, which is why a lot of pet owners would opt to give them to their furry friends. However, if you want your pet to remain safe and healthy, you shouldn’t do the same. In fact, you should tick off rawhide toys from your options.

Rawhide toys might be available in almost all online and offline pet stores, but these kinds of toys actually contain chemicals that can cause digestive irritation to your dog. 

Consider Other Factors

You’ll never run out of options once you decide to buy toys for your beloved animal companion. And, while it can be very tempting to buy whatever is accessible or cheap, make sure that you don’t do it. Yes, these factors are important, but these shouldn’t become your sole deciding factors as you’re more likely to purchase toys that could end up as health hazards to your pet.

If you want to end up buying the best and safest toys for your pet, make sure to take note of the information presented in this article. It’ll be very easy for you to narrow down your options when you know what to consider when buying.