Wow, they paid attention. I hope they'll issue a fixed version soon.

It doesn't sound like a design flaw so much as a freak accident (the dog may have just chewed out the area where the second hole was in the first place, still opening up the chance for suction). That being said, that does sound like it was a terrible experience for the owner.

Thanks for reporting on this. I will be poking additional holes in all my dogs toys from now on.

How awful. Glad to read that the company did the right thing, though, in recalling the toy.

Ouch, that wasn't something I'd even considered to be an issue before with dog toys. I guess I'll stick to the KONGs my 3 dogs have and bully sticks for treats!

That letter is actually pretty good.

Sounds like a feature, sell it to all the people who live next to a yapping dog.

Call it 'The Silencer'

They'll make millions!

@rainmkr: Nothing like Bull Penis to reward a dog.

@APFPilot:

Moose penis. You haven't seen a happy dog until you've seen a dog with a moose penis.

Wow. Talk about service. I was scared they would be like "Accidents happen. it's not our fault."

It's a sad story but I'm glad it seems to be worked out without the usual corporate bullshit.

So, essentially they allowed the dog to play with a toy already broken, not aware of what would happen? I sure hope they add that second hole to the toy to take care of this kind of issue in the future.

I'm glad they didn't try to bullshit their way out of this.

Despite the nice letter, obviously they didn't care enough to remove the product from their web site or recall it.
[www.fourpaws.com] [www.google.com]

Good post, though. With the benefit of hindsight, a better approach would have been to cut the ball to release the suction and / or cut it away from the dogs mouth (running the risk of cutting the tongue, but avoiding a much more serious injury).

@hellinmyeyes: I think the ball already had one hole in it by design, to let the sound of the bell out. I've seen that sort of thing before.

@rainmkr: I second the love of Kong toys. Especially for heavy chewers. It's what they give the tigers at Great Adventure

@woot: It sounds like they did, but the tongue had swollen past the point it could be removed that way. Then it appears the arteries and veins were damaged which prevented proper blood flow.

I'm glad the dog is alive, and although he won't be able to lick you anymore, at least he is still with you.

Shame for the poor dog and its owner. Nice to see the company taking measures to prevent it. A sad scenario in which the best outcome possible in the circumstances occurred.

The notion that the dog's pain didn't matter because it was "property" made me so incredibly sad.

If that happened to my dog, I'd be looking for blood. And I'd fucking find it.

I just did a slightly panicked inspection of the dog's toy basket. The regular kong toy has a smaller hole in the opposite end. The four paws brand ball we bought last year has two holes and a cut out of a paw on one side with the bell ball inside. I can see where the model with one hole is a high risk for an accident. If I had one it would be in the trash asap.

Damn poor dog.

I am so glad someone did write that letter. I can't say for sure since it was 11 years ago, but I am sure that is the same toy that KILLED my lab! My lab and I were playing catch and the ball got stuck at the opening to her throat. The suction of her breathing in and the fact that there was no place for the air to started to choke her. I tried CPR, reaching my hand in there and a very fast trip to a vet to no avail. My ex-wife and I even called the local news to see if they could help us get the word out. Glad to hear that this dog only lost his tongue.

If companies recalled every item that happened to be involved in some sort of 1 out of several million freak accident, there would just be no stuff anywhere at all for anyone to buy.

I can understand that this person's experience with the chew toy was traumatic, but this doesn't immediately indicate that the product should be recalled.

@The_IT_Crone: From some reading I did recently on recent pet trends, it is possible to receive a higher reward for pet suffering if a judge considers the pet more than property, and some element of the family (and assigns them some fraction value of a human). There is legal precedence for this. Otherwise, the value of a dog is considered to be something like $10. But, no matter how pro-pet, and lavish we are, dogs really are property. They don't get to leave you and pick another owner, they don't have the rights of individuals, etc.

Commendable that they swiftly started taking care of this.

Poor dog though, lucky it was only 1 out of 500,000 though

I'm impressed that they're not "taking it seriously."

Rest assured isn't much better, but it does look like they're working on it.

@The_IT_Crone:

Agreed! Everytime I see a case about a dog on dog fight or something similar, I feel the same way because pets are viewed as property and thus aren't entitled to pain and suffering.

Pet toys are a mixed blessing; they provide hours of enjoyment, but at the same time can be death traps. And since pets (well, at least mine) seem hell bent on destroying every toy they are given, I have to check them all every day or two. I find sharp edges and potential dangers once in a while on my birds' toys, but luckily no injuries yet.

Get well soon Chai :)

Poor Chai! Good to see the manufacturer responding so quickly.

My dog really only chews on parts of other animals that we get at the store or out of the freezer. If it isn't a bone, some skin, an ear, a trachea, a heart, a peener, or the whole lower leg of an antelope or deer, he's not all that interested. He'll only mess with his Kong if it's filled with peanut butter or meat.

@wiggatron: ...you're saying he chewed out the area with the second hole, creating... a bigger hole? Logic = Fail.

@Bladefist: If your cat plays with ball like toys, poke holes in those as well.

That's disturbing. A dog without a tongue. Saddest thing I thought of all day. I feel so bad for the dog.

Am I the only one wondering how the dog is going to drink after this?

It's good to see that they're doing something about it. Too many companies these days don't really give a crap. It was one of those "design defects" that really couldn't be foreseen, so hopefully they'll make that minor change to the product (adding a hole). Although removing the bell might be a good idea so it isn't chocked on.

I just read the blog post, and what do you know? The manager of the pet store also did something about the problem. I guess there are some decent people out there after all.

So my questions are, was all of Chai's tongue removed, or where they able to save any of it? How is Chai adjusting?

@InfiniTrent: Nope, I'm curious about that, too. I also thought that one of the ways that dogs regulate their body temperature is through the tongue. Poor doggie. :(

I have this same toy, even with the same company's logo on it. I checked it out, it has holes on opposite ends... ?

"That's why we recommend that dogs always be supervised when they are playing with any toy."

I don't think anyone who is not actively throwing a toy to a dog has done this, EVER. You supervise children, but dogs? The toys keep them busy while you are at work, how are we supposed to "supervise" them?

Yeah, how is the dog going to drink from now on? Watching the first video of the dog just yelping in pain on the couch and floor just brought me to tears.

@TheUncleBob:
I think the ball in question was the result of a manufacturing defect, where the hole didn't form.

@god_forbids:
True, but at the same time, they kind of have to make that disclaimer.

All in all, I think they handled the situation as well as could be expected.

@god_forbids: We keep all of our dog's toys out of reach when we're not around, aside from a few stuffed ones that have no dangerous parts. If he's playing with a squeaky ball or similar, we're always within earshot at the very least.

I wish people would read the entire blog before posting a comment. The ball was NOT broken when first given to dog, Four Paws, Inc. basically told the owner that her dog wasn't important enough for them to be concerned with the problem until they started getting heat from the masses, and This was not a "freak accident" as there is a link on the original blog post directing you to other dogs who suffered from this toy. Such a sad situation and I really hope the lady gets compensated appropriately!

Wonder if dog tongue is as good as beef tongue.

@InfiniTrent: Good question, though there aren't many good questions that come from this story. Any vets out there that can qualify a dog's ability to drink without a tongue?

@lingum: Fuck you.

@pigbearpug: +5. On both lingum, and wanting vengeance for your dog. So that's 10 total.

@lingum: Ha Ha. The Chinese seem to think so (just not while guests are around).

Too bad the dog got hurt, but just like with kids close supervision is a must, and accidents do happen.

As for Four Paws, 'if the cost of 'c' is less than that of a recall, we don't do one'. It's how we roll in a Capitalist society.

So THAT's why they have a small hole on the other end of a KONG.

Could it have just been that if a dog is stupid enough, the toy will sense this and try to kill the god?

My heart goes out to the dog and dog owner. This is just sad, and it sounds to me that the CEO couldn't care very much. Sorry, but I think there may be some pain and suffering money in order. I realize there are disclaimers and the whole observe your pet while playing, but come on. It sounds like this occured while they were watching it.
Bad toy company! BAD toy company!

@hellinmyeyes: My dog routinely chewed rubber balls to pieces within ten minutes or less. There were only a few brands that could withstand her. And she was a miniature poodle.

So it's entirely possible that their dog wrecked the toy the first time they gave it to him.

@badhatharry: Thanks harry! :) Can I cash those in for comcast credits?