My first hydrogen peroxide experience

[julie87]

I just bought Arexa a brand new tennis ball from PetsMart after playing with it for couple of minutes I noticed the dog started chewin on it. I was like wth?!! I immidiately took it out of her mouth, I look at it about an inch of it is missing. I read somewhere that you are suppose to give dogs hydrogen peroxide if they swallow something they aren't suppose to. So I gave her 1 tablespoon, she is 50 pounds. She started throwing up white foam,and a piece of tennis ball..... I panic, call emergency vet, they told me she was going to be ok. There were so many things going through my mind, I though what if she will die? Why is she throwing up so much? Her stomach was moving, she looked scared. I was thinking what If I KILLED HER what if there is no time to save her? What if she will die at night while we are sleeping? She is only 9 months old, we need each other. I will think about her every day of my life. I can't believe a ball killed my dog, I hate Petsmart. How could she destroy it in matter of minutes!!? What if she throws up her intensitnes? When does it end? I just want her to be happy again...

Anyway, afterwards she scratched to door wanting to go potty. She came back happy and playing like nothing ever happend, and was searching for food, which I was told not to give for 2 hrs. What a panic, my heart was beating fast and I was shaking. But the piece of tennis ball was out and in the end she is ok. My point of this thread is I will never buy Petsmart brand balls again, and it helps to know what do it in an emergency... and will be watching her if she is playing with tennis balls...even though she was sitting next to me she manged to eat it!!! I still don't know how she could destroy it so FAST.

[Jag]

Petsmart tennis balls are pieces of junk. They do come apart very quickly. Even 'good' tennis balls can be torn apart by GSDs, but not that fast. Grim isn't allowed to have them because of the wear down on the teeth. Heck, my PUG was able to tear the outside off a tennis ball from Petsmart....which is when I found out how flimsy they are. You can get the "Chuck-It" brand plastic type balls that are about the same size without any of those issues. I didn't know about the hydrogen peroxide, though!

[jocoyn]

The Planet Dog Diamond plate ball is also very good. Mine are a year, plus old and used multiple times a day with two dogs. The 4.25 inch size will fit in the large chuck-it launcher a little bit looser than the chuck-it ball but throws fine (I won't use a 2.5 inch ball because so many dogs have choked on that size). I really like the softness of the material and it is made in the USA.

PlanetDog.com: Buy the Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff® Diamond Plate Ball - 5 out of 5 Chompers


The ball with the planets on it..I leave out and they don't seem to destroy any orbee stuff I have given them though they like to carry them around. I have complained to them about the planets though because they dogs started ripping them off and I pulled them all off with pliers before I gave it back to them.

[wildwolf60]

I second getting an Orbee...I read that the tennis balls are bad for their teeth, too. They get grit in the fabric of the tennis ball, and it wears down the teeth. I also pulled off 'continents' on the planet ball, cause Jaeger started ripping them off almost right away. Didn't want him swallowing those either. Glad your pup is ok! I bet that was scary, but al least you were on the spot with getting that piece out right away.
The Orbee we have is now over 6 months old and no problems, hasn't chewed it up or damaged it in any way. He would actually pop the tennis balls before within a day or so when I played with them. I never left them laying around for him, they were only brought out for outside fetch play. I now use a rubber chuck it ball, not the tennis ball type for outside fetch. He's got gorgeous teeth!

[shepherdmom]

First thing I'd say is relax. My dogs have been eating tennis balls for over 30 years with no problems. I'd be more worried about poisoning with the peroxide. I've never heard of giving a dog peroxide to puke before. Ugh! The last few years since I've learned tennis balls are "supposedly" bad I've switched to the JW and Kong balls. They have a blast with them and don't tear them up so easily.

[Rua]

Definitely relax. A bit of tennis ball isn't going to kill her. You'd be surprised just what sort of things can pass through a dog's system and not kill it. That being said, I understand why you panicked. And had it been something more ominous, the peroxide is a good quick judgement call.

The hydrogen peroxide is a non toxic way to induce vomiting. It won't poison your dog, though it could slightly irritate the throat and stomach. One way to administer it is by mixing it in a bit of melted ice cream (because often dogs won't eat the peroxide on it's own.)

Another way to induce vomiting is by giving your dog strong salt water. This is just as effective as the hydrogen peroxide only not quite as irritating.

Both methods are worth remembering if you ever find yourself in an emergency situation where you do have to induce vomiting on your dog. I've had to use the salt water solution in the past with Juno when she accidentally ingested rat poison, which is incredible toxic and can be fatal for dogs.

[Cassidy's Mom]

There was a dog owned by someone on the board who died years ago from eating a tennis ball. It was months later, and she'd seemed fine all along, and then suddenly got sick. The owner thought all the pieces had passed and had no idea that any were still left inside. The vet did surgery and when they opened her up they discovered the pieces of tennis ball, and that a large portion of her intestines had died off. There was nothing to be done, she was euthanized on the table. Not to freak anyone out, but if you think your dog has ingested something it's a good idea to have x-rays done unless you're absolutely sure all the pieces are out.

Peroxide is commonly used to induce vomiting in dogs: Peroxide to Induce Vomiting in Dogs | eHow.com

[Nigel]

We had a similar experience last August with a chuck it ball. Here's the thread.
Induce vomiting or not

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by Rua

Another way to induce vomiting is by giving your dog strong salt water. This is just as effective as the hydrogen peroxide only not quite as irritating.

Haha! I tried this once after my dog had gotten out and gone dumpster diving. I must have given her 1/4 cup of salt and she would NOT vomit! She did drink a ton of water after that, but otherwise seemed fine. She had an iron stomach!

[Rua]

Actually that's very true about the chunks of tennis ball being bad. When I said a bit of tennis ball wasn't gonna kill her, I meant like a small strip of the fluffy fabric stuff on the outside. But if she's managed to eat chunks of the actual plasticky inside ball part, then you should be sure she gets it all out.