Speaking on Sunrise, the well-known Bondi Vet explained that while ball-obsessed dogs might love a game of fetch, repeated chasing puts serious strain on joints, especially in high-energy breeds like border collies.
“They generally get early-onset arthritis in the hips and knees from the constant force of stopping short,” he said.
Balls pose risk to dogs' teeth
The risks don’t stop there. Tennis balls themselves can erode a dog’s teeth due to their tough, abrasive surface. “That fur is made to handle hard tennis courts, not canine mouths,” Brown noted.
Brown also suggested feeding dogs just once a day, linking it to longer lifespans and reduced risk of cognitive decline.
Advice to cat owners
And he had advice for cat owners, too: never leave cats alone for more than 24 hours.
“They experience more separation anxiety than we realise,” he explained, citing symptoms like vomiting, weight loss and over-grooming.
While some pet owners were surprised by the advice, many said it confirmed their own experiences. “The ball theory is true,” one user wrote. “We’ve been through multiple injuries.”
What do you think of this advice?
