Do Tennis Balls Cause Cancer in Dogs?

What? Tennis balls!!! Our goldens constantly have a ballie in their mouths. Could they be a potential source of cancer?

Last Friday, Temple & I took Bailey to Pampered Puppy to give him his first two-person bath. He loved being double teamed ;-)

But you can imagine our surprise when the wonderful owner, after hearing about Kodie, took Bailey's tennis ball from his mouth and told us we should not allow these nefarious toys in our house. Through broken English, she warned us about the dyes and materials used to create tennis ball felt.

I immediately ran home, loaded with guilt, and hit up the Planet Dog site to order a bunch of Orbee Balls.

But after doing a LOT of research, I've come to the conclusion that this is a myth. Sure, tennis balls are probably not as healthy to put in their mouths as carrots. And they do get dirty and touch all kinds of things on the ground. So I recommend rinsing them off every so often.

But in my quest to raise cancer-free canines, I refuse to go off the deep end. I'll cook for them, worry myself sick about them, and blog constantly on their behalf. But I draw the line at denying my Boys their favorite toys! And I've found no real evidence to confirm this myth.

Kodie Bear

I still remember the day we met.
We had driven two hours, up to Lodi, on a Wednesday evening.
And we had no idea who or what would greet us at the other end.

I got out of the car, and helped Bailey down.
“Where is he?” I wanted to be quick about it. It was a school night.“He’s just finished his bath – I’ll bring him out,” Jill said.

I sat down on the ground, expecting to meet someone timid, and not even sure we'd want to leave with this person.
Just then a happy fluffy furball came bounding towards me.
It seemed he was going to crash into me, but he put on the brakes, turned his body around, and sat his buns right down on my lap.

And that’s pretty much how we’d spend the next three years together.

As long as I knew Kodie, he would run towards me with vim and vigor and delight. And then he'd slow down, lean in, and get in the snuggle.

If I sat down, on the couch, on the bed, or at my computer, he would jump up beside me and put his head on my lap.

If one of us laid down on the couch, he would find the cubby hole behind our knees and curl up inside it.
If I reached for my keyboard and tried to type, Kodie would intercept my hands with his head, directing me to pet him rather than stare so seriously at that silver box. He was teaching me to lighten up.

On our walks, he was my workout partner. Always three steps ahead, he'd set the pace, and then look back to make sure his trainee was coming.

And oh, how he loved to fetch. First, he'd crouch into the cutest little fetching stance, which would actually give him a first-mover disadvantage. Then he'd watch the ball intently, and move to it ever so quickly. He'd snatch that ball out of mid-air, lifting all four paws off the ground like a soccer star, and then prance around in wild celebration. Finally, he'd drop the ball so his big brother Bo could bring it in and have all the glory.

He was thrilled to go anywhere, but his favorite walk destination was the beach. The first time he saw it, he galavanted so wildly, we wondered if he was having a seizure. Nope, he was doing the “rocking horse wild man,” and he did it everytime he got around ocean water.

He took his first swim at the bay near Maverick’s. Grandogma was in town, and she stood by and cheered as KoBear pumped his little shoulders and struggled to keep his head above water.

He was always the one I could count on to do my dirty work. Bailey wouldn’t come? Just tell Kodie to go get his big brother Bo.  Sho' Nuff, he’d run down mountains, over cliffs, and across entire beaches to fetch that doggie, even if it meant making 2 or 3 trips. A golden retriever, indeed.

It is with unspeakable sadness that I report the little baby Kodie went to sleep forever in my arms Friday morning, as I sang him songs about his life, and petted him in all his favorite places. The vet, who’d known him all of four days, sobbed uncontrollably.

I'm still searching for answers as to why this little boy, who charmed the pants off everyone with whom he came in contact, could contract such a virulent form of cancer at such a young age. Our house is so lonely and quiet without our favorite little cheerleader, Bailey’s little puppy, Kodie.

But I am comforted by all the pictures we took. The fact that we celebrated every day. And never took him for granted. 

I have fond memories of great hikes, swims, trips & adventures. And I am ever-so-grateful the little guy was in our life. He brought tremendous energy, spirit and love to our household. He taught me the merits of remaining a puppy. How by showing love, you will be rewarded with love. And the almighty power of an ear-to-ear golden retriever smile.

And so, it is in honor of Kodie, that I begin a quest to keep our pets happy, healthy, and cancer-free. This blog will be central command for everything I can learn about dog health, the appalling rise in pet cancers, what we should be feeding them, whether holistic veterinary medicine works, and how we can keep man's best friends alive longer. Because really, is there anything more important?