Lower Jaw Entrapment

A friend's tiny dog recently had a major scare with an OurPets IQ Treat Ball. This is a hard plastic ball with a round hole that allows food and treats to fall out of the ball as the dog rolls it around. The ball comes in two sizes, but both have the same size of exit opening.

Sedated, unhappy, but ok.

The poor little papillion got her lower jaw stuck in the hole, and panicked. The pup began bleeding from the mouth, and her tongue was turning purple. She was rushed to the emergency vet, where the was sedated so the ball could be cut off her jaw.

The packaging for the IQ Treat Ball says it should not be given to dogs large enough to fit the entire ball in their mouths. It does not, however, have a warning about giving it to small or toy breed dogs. In fact, it is actually advertised as being perfect for small dogs.

It's worth noting that this dog was being closely supervised as she played with the ball, and immediate help from her owner did not prevent her from panicking. The dog ripped both dewclaws off trying to get free from the ball.

Dogs getting their lower jaws caught in toys is a fairly common occurrence, I've seen pictures of dogs stuck in marrow bones, classic Kongs, and Kong Wobblers. There were a couple of reports of dogs getting their mouths caught in P.L.A.Y.'s Wobble Ball, however the company has since redesigned the toy to make it safer.

Amazon.com has a surprising number of reviews that mention small dogs getting stuck in the IQ Treat Ball. This seems to be a somewhat common occurrence, and that really bothers me.