Lagos

A bored animal will find its own entertainment.

Most destructive behaviour people describe as naughtiness is an under-stimulated animal solving its own problem. Toys are cheaper than the sofa, and puzzle feeders in particular do more for a dog's day than another walk.

Delivery free with any home visit10% off for Skeepy Pet HMO clients
Before you buy

What we would check first.

The thumbnail test for chews

If you cannot dent it with a thumbnail, it is hard enough to break teeth. Slab fractures on the big chewing teeth come from bones, antlers and hard nylon, and they need extraction.

Size up, not down

A toy that fits entirely in the mouth can be swallowed. Intestinal obstructions from toys are surgery, and they are common.

Rotate rather than pile up

Three toys out and the rest away, swapped weekly, holds interest far better than everything available all the time.

Supervise anything with parts

Squeakers, eyes and rope strands all come out and all get swallowed. Rope in particular does real damage in a gut.

Asked most

The questions people ask in this aisle.

Are rawhide chews safe?

They are the ones we see cause the most trouble. Rawhide softens into a slab that gets swallowed whole and swells, and it is a regular cause of obstruction. If your dog needs to chew, a rubber toy stuffed with food lasts longer and does not go anywhere.

My dog destroys everything in ten minutes.

Then the goal is not a tougher toy, it is a job. A puzzle feeder that makes the dog work for its actual dinner tires it out in a way a chew does not, and a dog fed entirely from puzzle feeders for a week is usually a noticeably calmer dog.

Do cats need toys if they go outside?

Yes, and they need the kind you hold. A wand toy is you playing with the cat, which is a different thing from a ball on the floor, and it is what actually satisfies the hunting sequence.

Not sure what your pet actually needs? A vet at the visit will tell you, and will say when the answer is nothing. Book a home visit

More in this aisle

Delivered with your next visit.

Delivery is ₦3,500 on its own and free with any home visit, so most people add what they need to a booking they were making anyway.

Nexara Weekly

Care tips and offers, written for your actual pet.

Tell us who lives with you and we’ll only send what fits: dog advice for dog homes, cat advice for cat homes, and early access to offers. No noise, unsubscribe anytime.