If a dog plays fetch for too long and pushes past a point where their body is actually exhausted then it can result in health complications. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Frisbee throwing can produce the same problems as mentioned above with ball throwing, but there are also additional issues associated with the game. Over the course of a year that is 3,640 high impact runs your dog has done, and over a ten-year lifespan, that would be over 30,000 and each of those throws has placed a strain on the body. They're going from standing still to a gallop, then throwing themselves in [the] air, braking and skidding. We had no idea that was the problem. This can take years off their life expectancy.". When carrying a heavy object, the dog shifts more of its weight forward to compensate and begins to run in a 'seesaw' fashion with the burden being on their front quarters. Imagine taking that many shots of steroids, every day.". In 2014, a pet show in Cumbria decided to remove a Frisbee throwing contest after concerns about the impact it could have on the dogs involved. It is likely more breeds will be discovered to have EIC as the problem is better recognised, but it tends to be more noticeable in high-drive breeds. Equally, dogs that regularly chase and carry heavy footballs (soccer balls) will weight shift and potentially place strain on their front legs. In 2016, the British Veterinary Association warned owners that playing fetch with sticks could lead to horrific injuries. Don't use a ball thrower, always throw from your hand. Heatstroke is a killer. This is not the way dogs are designed to jump, and their back legs are not as good at absorbing the impact of the leap as their front legs. Try hide and seek games with a tennis ball or toy, where your dog has to search for the ball in a bush or under a park bench. The scientific evidence for the perils of fetch is increasing and indicates that repetitively running after a ball, leaping into the air for a toy or chasing a stick can lead to joint problems or other injuries. But it is not just carrying balls that could cause injuries. Dogs with EIC should not be encouraged to chase after balls. The Kennel Club backed the decision, stating: "The Kennel Club encourages fun sports and activities for dogs in order to keep them fit and healthy. The commonest way for a dog to be injured by a stick is when it is thrown and they run out for it. Cortisol is a stress hormone that influences mood and is part of the 'fight or flight' mechanism. Some owners don't throw balls, they throw Frisbees. Vets see many dogs with stick related injuries and advise owners not to let their dogs play with sticks. EIC is also known to affect collies and spaniels. We often have to put dogs under anaesthetic to remove splinters, and sometimes have them in for repeat surgeries.". The overall opinion from vets is not to throw sticks; instead try using safer alternatives, such as dog toys that look like sticks but are made from soft plastic or rubber. Avoid throwing a ball high so your dog leaps up to catch it. There are also many types of balls that you can buy for your dog; hard balls, soft foam balls, tennis balls, tough balls, balls with holes, giant balls and even mini balls for smaller mouths. Repetitive ball games can cause a dog to become over-aroused due to the excitement of the game. Usually, the injuries are to the mouth, chest or abdomen. They often twist their bodies at acute angles and land on their hind feet first, rather than their front feet. Because the owner is usually static, they fail to realise how hot their dog is becoming in the pursuit of the game. But the greatest concern with Frisbee throwing is when dogs leap to grab the disc. Jumping and twisting for a frisbee can result in serious injuries. There is even a sport called Disc Dog or Frisbee Dog. This might be up and down a hill or on a beach, and it's causing damage to their joints and trauma to muscles and cartilage. Training should be performed carefully. But because the dog is so excited, they carry on through the pain. ", Some dogs are so obsessed by ball chasing, they don't know when to stop. Say you throw a ball ten times during a walk, over seven days that is seventy throws, seventy times the dog has charged out, twisted or jumped to grab the ball and powered back. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. According to her owner Cathy Pryde: "We took her to the vet and they sedated her and then pulled out this long stick from her throat. There had been no blood or any other clues.". If this happens every day, they end up never able to fully relax, especially if they are being walked three times a day and have balls thrown for them during each walk. The owner immediately chucks out the ball again once it is brought back and the dog's body does not have a chance to cool down. The action of running and catching the object releases adrenaline and some experts now believe that this can lead to the release of the powerful chemical cortisol. For the many dogs who might have injuries or mobility problems, we're making these even worse, meaning pets need to be on medication. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Also in young, growing animals, this could have a negative effect, especially if the weights they are carrying are heavy. It is easy to see why any owner might think that ball throwing and chasing is the most natural activity for dogs. Dogs love games of fetch, but there can be hidden dangers to this favourite pastime. Chewing on sticks can be equally dangerous, as large splinters can lodge in the mouth, causing open wounds that are prone to infection. Don't play fetch every day, and if you go for multiple walks daily, only play fetch on one of those walks. According to the UK veterinary charity PDSA, they see stick related injuries across their 51 UK practices every week. In humans, it is known that overexposure to cortisol can result in anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, heart disease, trouble sleeping, weight gain and issues with memory or concentration. Scarily, this can all happen in a matter of minutes. The action of charging out after a ball could place unnecessary strain on a dog's joints, leading to long-term problems such as arthritis. Are these health warnings even accurate? In fact, in terms of injuries, you would be better sticking with a tennis ball. While it can be safe in controlled conditions, if it is thrown at great heights or awkward angles, leading the dog to jump and twist, it can cause strain and injury on landing so care should always be taken.". In larger breeds, carrying a tennis ball should not cause a weight shift, but in smaller dogs, it could. One vet practice in Sandbach, Cheshire, reported seeing about twenty stick related injuries a year. But when we throw the ball, we throw several times each session. High arousal becomes the new norm. The study used pressure plates that dogs walked over to determine how they were carrying their body weight. In animals with existing joint, tendon or muscle disorders, this could have a negative effect. Do not throw balls up in the air for your dog. The reason dogs love chasing balls is because it feeds into their innate prey drive. The stick had gone into his mouth and Rudi's owner could see the tip in his throat, what he did not know was the stick had penetrated further into the dog's body and ran down into his foreleg. Professor Dan Brockman stated: "Several dogs involved in our study died as a result of their stick injury and these deaths almost always involved resistant bacteria and infection that spread from the neck to the chest.. This has them use their nose and is much better for tiring them out than simply chasing. They become more and more hyper as the game goes on, and have trouble calming down afterwards. Lynn has a simple message for other dog owners: "Don't use ball flingers. In Labradors there is a specific form that was first identified in 1993 and is believed to be hereditary. Imagine bungee jumping several times over. While the majority of dogs will recover within 30 minutes after collapsing, it is possible for a dog to die as a result of EIC. Many of the injuries resulting from fetch are due to people pushing their dogs too hard and, with a few modifications, you can make fetch a safe game for most dogs to enjoy. Most dogs love to run out and fetch a ball or stick for their owner and some might even leap up for a Frisbee, but there are growing concerns about how damaging such games could be for your dog. The impact of this weight shift could result in strains and muscular injuries according to Dr. Bockstahler: "It is likely with the increasing speed during running or jumping, the forces acting on the joints and soft tissues will increase. Splinters from sticks can cause damage to the mouth and throat. Vet Cameron Muir explained that typically the injuries are due to the dog impaling itself on the stick, or damaging their mouths: "It's a risky business throwing sticks. The real issue is the way that many dogs are encouraged to repetitively chase ball after ball, with the intention of tiring them out. But that does not mean fetch games should stop altogether. Many people believe ball games will help their dog burn energy and calm down, but in high-drive or obsessive dogs, the opposite can easily be true. Yet, so many dogs find playing fetch vastly enjoyable and this leaves people confusedwhy stop a game that dogs seem to love so much? Many dogs are natural retrievers and love bringing objects back to their owner. Dog trainer Sara Reusche believes that an over-aroused dog is actually an extremely stressed dog: "If you engage in activities that cause your dog to become aroused, and therefore stressed, every day, your dog will always have high levels of stress hormones in his bloodstream. Tony Lywood, one of the show organisers, explained his decision: "In shows elsewhere there have been occasions where dogs have jumped high and twisted their back, and there was one where the dog had to be put down.". If splinters are swallowed, the throat or stomach can be damaged. Another danger of ball chasing comes in the warmer months when people mindlessly throw a ball for their dog in hot temperatures. Wrist, shoulder, neck and spinal injuries are a common result of intensive ball throwing sessions as Lynn Wetenhall discovered when her terrier cross Smudge developed two serious injurieshyper-extended carpal (wrist) joints and strained lower back muscles, which were suspected to have been caused by chasing balls. When the dogs were asked to carry a toy that weighed about half a kilogram (1.1lbs) the dogs started to carry 66% of their weight on their front legs. Dogs with the condition will collapse after 5 to 10 minutes of intense exercise, such as ball chasing. Here are some ways to make fetch stress-free. One of the more subtle hazards of playing lots of fetch is that your dog can start to suffer from over-exertion, yet because of the excitement generated by chasing balls, they will not stop. If your dog ever collapses during a game of fetch, even if they recover quickly, always seek veterinary advice. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. As mentioned above, ball chasing produces such a buzz of adrenaline that dogs will continue with the game even when in pain. Smudge's injuries were fortunately found before they caused permanent damage and with physiotherapy he made a full recovery. Dr. Barbara Bockstahler, a veterinary surgeon involved in the study, explained how this impacts on the dog's body: "[Carrying a heavy object] is comparable to a human holding a weight in his hands, who slightly tilts backwards and therefore shifts his body weight to his heels.The additional weight is physically burdensome for them.". The advantage of a Frisbee is that it flies a long way in a straight line, and many dogs like to leap up and grab it. These dogs are often reactive and hyper-vigilant.". One is known as 'Tongue Bite'this is when an excited dog who is panting hard bites down on a Frisbee and catches their tongue in the process. Scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna conducted a study on the effects of dogs carrying objects in their mouths and released the results in 2017. If the stick has not yet settled on the ground or is sticking up at an angle, they may impale themselves on it. But it has concerns about the game of Frisbee, particularly in its more extreme forms. They found that when dogs are carrying something, they place more weight on their front legs and this could result in joint strains and injuries if the object is too heavy, if they are puppies, or if they run and jump with the item. One under-recognised condition that can result from over-exercise is Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC), there are a few forms of the condition and they can vary by breed. Limit sessions to just a few throws (no more than five) and break them up with walking or other games. Get moving, a walk means you walk as well as your dog, don't rely on a tennis ball to exercise your dog. Canine behaviourist Sindhoor Pangal, who has suffered severe anxiety herself, believes that ball chasing can lead to a spiral of stress caused by the release of cortisol: "When an animal hunts in the wild, after that adrenaline rush, he sits down to eat his meal and lets the hormones wear off. If your dog becomes obsessive or over-aroused over fetch and struggles to calm down after a game, it is better to avoid this game altogether. While occasionally playing fetch with a ball is not likely to cause lasting harm to a dog, repetitively chasing a ball day in and day out can have consequences both to a dog's physical health and to their mental well being. Veterinarian Hanna Capon is the founder of the Canine Arthritis Management website and has concerns about the damaging effects caused by ball chasing, especially when using ball throwers that launch the object a long way off: "We need to realise we're asking dogs to run like athletes.