Are tennis balls bad for dogs' teeth? What a vet dentist says about fetch

Fetch is great exercise. The ball you use matters more than most owners think, though, and the classic yellow tennis ball is the one veterinary dentists keep warning about.

The problem: sandpaper on teeth

Writing in Veterinary Practice News, board-certified veterinary dentist Dr. John Lewis explains that tooth wear from chewing on non-dental objects is called abrasion. Hard things like bones and rocks cause it, but so can something soft. As a tennis ball rolls around the yard, its fuzzy surface picks up dirt and grit, and that "acts like sandpaper" on the teeth. The result is a typical pattern of wear across several teeth.

Mild abrasion may not need treatment. But wear can happen fast enough to expose the sensitive dentin or even the pulp inside the tooth, and Dr. Lewis advises monitoring worn teeth with X-rays, because they can develop root problems later.

Warning signs

• Canine teeth or front teeth that look flattened or blunt
• Brown discoloration on worn surfaces (this can be protective dentin, or a sign the pulp is exposed; your vet needs to check)
• A dog who chews balls for hours rather than just carrying them

How to keep playing fetch

1. Switch to a smooth rubber ball for fetch. There's no felt to trap grit.
2. Size up. A ball should be big enough that it can't slip into the back of your dog's throat. When in doubt, go one size larger.
3. End the game with the ball. Put it away after fetch, so it doesn't become an all-day chew toy.
4. Rinse balls that have been rolled through sand or mud.
5. Skip "indestructible" chews. Dr. Lewis notes that with very hard chews, either the chew or the tooth breaks.

Worn teeth are also a good prompt to start a home dental routine. See Best Dog Dental Care, and more fetch and chew toys in Best Dog Toys & Enrichment.

Source: John Lewis, VMD, DAVDC, "Diagnosing dental self-trauma," Veterinary Practice News, April 2023.