MEDIA RELEASE

10 January, 2025

Tennis ball warning as Australian Open heats up

When playful two-year-old Airedale Terrier, Kenzo, suddenly lost his appetite after an energetic game chasing his favourite miniature tennis ball, his family knew something was wrong.

The beloved family pooch was rushed to Lort Smith Animal Hospital, and sent off for x rays.

When the x-rays revealed nothing unusual, our team continued to monitor Kenzo where the mystery started to unravel.

Dr Harold Pook explained: “Sometimes the most telling signs aren’t always

visible at first glance. When Kenzo started regurgitating and drooling we continued further investigations and follow up imaging and that’s when we saw it.’’

A crushed tennis ball had lodged in Kenzo’s oesophagus.

‘’It turns out that Kenzo was a little too enthusiastic while playing with the ball and accidentally swallowed it, ‘’ said Dr Pook. ‘’We swiftly performed an endoscopy to carefully remove the lodged tennis ball.’’

The procedure was a success, and Kenzo soon recovered, much to the relief of his family and the entire Lort Smith team.

While Kenzo’s story ended on a happy note, it could have been a different outcome had he was not treated promptly.

‘’Fragments of the ball, or in severe cases, an entire ball, can get lodged in the throat or gastrointestinal tract, leading to potentially fatal blockages,’’ said Dr Pook.

‘’And with the Australian Open now in full swing, it’s a good time to remind everyone that while tennis balls can be fun for humans, without proper supervision, that can have a devastating impact to an animal.’’

 

MEDIA INTERVIEWS & CONTACT

Suzana Talevski, Head of Media and Digital Content, Lort Smith Animal Hospital
Mobile: 0403 047 945