Why You Should Avoid Buying Your Dog Rope Toys, According to an Expert

While playing tug-of-war with your dog might seem like the ideal way to spend your time, some rope toys designed for dogs can actually be pretty dangerous, experts say.

"They are so bad for dogs," dog-toy creator Lendy Beatty told Insider.

Beatty has been working in the dog-toy space for two decades and is the cofounder and CEO of Playology, which creates scented dog toys. Speaking to Insider at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in May, she gave further insight into what can make rope toys so dangerous for dogs.

"They're made out of cotton," she said. "So their cotton comes off in long strands. It absorbs moisture. It can very easily create a blockage" in a dog's digestive tract, she said.

Vets have also warned against giving rope toys to dogs.

"We do not recommend rope toys, as we have concern[s] that the strands of rope or string may be ingested and act as a linear foreign body in your dog's gastrointestinal tract," Dr. Clarissa B. Lyon, a vet at Larklain Mobile Veterinary Services in Pennsylvania, told The Dodo in 2020.

This can cause "an accordion-like pleating and obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract," which would likely need surgery to fix, Lyon said.

However, both Lyon and Beatty said that not all tug-of-war toys are dangerous. Beatty said Playology's rope toys are made from a fiber that breaks into tiny pieces so it doesn't cause a blockage.

"Playtime is really, really important for dogs both from a mental wellness standpoint and just from building that parent-pet bond," Beatty said.