Warning to owners after $5 Kmart toy sends dog to hospital

The $5 toy is being blamed for causing serious injury to dogs. Photo / Supplied

Vets are warning dog owners to steer clear of a $5 dog toy bought from Kmart after an Auckland dog was rushed to hospital.

Stephen Goument told Stuff that he bought the two-handled tug toy last July from Kmart in Albany and gave it to his dog, Touka.

Two months later Touka became seriously ill and was rushed to Orewa Vet Hospital, where vets found a piece of the toy stuck in her intestines.

After a vet bill of $4000 and months of treatment to repair the dog's gut, Goument complained to Kmart, arguing that the toy must be faulty to have broken up so easily.

Kmart replied last month, saying: "No pet toy is indestructible and can be damaged during play, for your pet's safety inspect regularly and remove if damaged."

Goumet told Stuff that he thought the toys should be removed from sale: "I'd hate any further dogs and their owners to go through this when it's easily preventable and Kmart should be accountable with or without their little self-protect label clause.

"If something unfortunate happened to a child while playing with an inferior product, don't think they'd be able to hide behind a similar label."

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST TO YOUR DOGGY FRIENDS......Last week two completely separate dogs ( unrelated and unbeknownst to...

Posted by Wilston Vet on Saturday, 25 May 2019

The toy has also raised concerns over the Tasman, with an Aussie vet issuing a warning in May about the product.

Wilston Vet in Brisbane took to Facebook to warn dog owners about the toy, writing that they had treated two dogs in two days that both required major surgery after pieces of the toy became lodged in their gastrointestinal tract.