Tennis balls, the most popular ball on the market for dogs, can wreak havoc on your dog’s canine teeth. The outer shell of the tennis ball is abrasive in itself, let alone after it collects dirt and sand from rolling on the ground. Compound that with the fact, that it hardens from the saliva in your dog’s mouth. The ball now becomes a round piece of sand paper for your dog’s canine teeth, that will wear off the enamel and wear down his canines. I had no idea and my dog loved playing fetch with tennis balls. One day I looked at his mouth and saw his canines were partly worn down. My other lab’s canines were fine but he didn’t like balls, he liked surfing down the driveway on upside down, trashcan lids.
Several decades ago, the dye used for tennis balls had lead in it. Today, that dye is no longer used in the production of tennis balls used for sports as they are regulated. Tennis balls for dogs are not regulated. I believe you would have to check with the manufacturer of the tennis balls to verify that they use a safe, nontoxic dye. Though I’d have my doubts about any, that came from China.
If you have a “ball dog” like I do, a much safer ball to use would be a smooth rubber ball. Please be sure it is not a hard ball as your dog can crack a tooth or hurt his mouth when catching it. A smooth soft rubber ball would cut down immensely on the dirt it collects while playing catch with your dog. I doubt your dog would notice the difference as long as you continued to play fetch.
If you continue to use tennis balls, it would be a good idea to wash them off daily with plain water, to cut down on the collection of dirt and sand. This should help to preserve your dog’s canine teeth.
Worth mentioning, basketball type balls that have a rough outer shell will also wear down a dog’s teeth as the dog continues to bite at it, never being able to fully grab it. Dogs that chew on wire crates also have dental problems as chewing on wire will wear down teeth at an alarming rate, as well.