Hundreds of local families helped NBC Connecticut Clear the Shelters this past weekend.
Six-hundred-ninety pets were adopted, many of them dogs. New dog owners should pay attention to the the treats and toys their dogs play with - they can have a major impact on the animal's health.
“I try to encourage people to buy treats that follow my formula, SAFE: Soft, American, not fragmentable and not to be eaten,” said Arnold Goldman, owner of Canton Animal Hospital.
A quick breakdown: Softer bones are better than hard ones. A Nylabone for example is a bone for chewing but it doesn’t break down into pieces like a raw hide bone does.
“Toys and treats that are rock hard for example so called marrow bones can over time break the enamel on the teeth especially cutting and crushing teeth of upper,” said Goldman.
Dr. Goldman has been a veterinarian for 30 years and says he recommends buying American made products because they don’t contain harmful chemicals. He also says to avoid fragmentable bones, if you want to avoid pricey surgical procedures.
“Fragments of bone can be swallowed, they can be painful, they can perforate the bowel they can make all sorts of problems from one end to the other,” said Goldman.
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Speaking of the digestive process, Dr. Goldman says once those bones are eaten they don’t digest well and can sit in the stomach for months.
“A large breed dog swallowed this whole thing and had to be removed from the stomach because it wasn’t coming out,” he said.
A $5 bone a dog devours in five minutes could mean a $500 visit for blood work or even $3,500 for emergency surgery.
Products like the durable Kong Ball are a better alternative. They’re designed to be stuffed with a dog’s favorite food and they don’t end up in their stomach.
Vets also recommend investing in pet insurance which they say can typically cost $20 a month, depending on the type of insurance.
