‘Dangerous’ pet video trend slammed by veterinary nurse: ‘It’s not cute — it’s harmful’
around to the tune of the Insane Clown Posse song “Juggalo.”
Registered veterinary nurse Sarah Bartlett recently posted a video on TikTok of her reacting to a montage of pet owners participating in the “Juggalo” challenge.
The trend sees people pick up their pets, usually by their front legs or torso, and swing them in a circle to the beat of the song.
Bartlett, who runs the TikTok account @sarahRVN, pleaded with her followers to stop participating in the challenge, claiming it can cause significant damage to the animals.
“I keep seeing these videos and it’s making me feel a bit sick,” she said in the video, which has been viewed over 1.7 million times. “Please don’t do this to your animals. You could dislocate their hips or their shoulders or really hurt their backs.”
She also explained that while the pets might not immediately display signs of pain, it doesn’t mean they aren’t being injured.
“Just because they’re not showing you that they’re in pain, doesn’t mean that they’re not,” she said.
Many vets and animal experts agree with Bartlett, warning that the “Juggalo” challenge can cause serious harm to pets.
“Swinging a dog or cat around like that is never a good idea,” Dr. Brian Evans of online vet service Dutch told Fox News Digital. “Even if the pet appears to be enjoying it, there is a high risk of injury.”
He explained that the most common injuries he would expect to see from this type of activity would be shoulder and hip dislocations, muscle strains and sprains, and even spinal injuries.
“These injuries can be very painful and can require surgery to correct,” he said.
Some commenters under Bartlett’s video noted that videos of the trend often show larger breed dogs, who could be more resistant to injury than smaller dogs or cats. However, Evans warns that size doesn’t matter when it comes to this challenge.
“Even large dogs can be injured by being swung around like that,” he said. “Their joints are still susceptible to dislocation and their muscles can still be strained.”
Instead of spinning pets around, experts recommend owners find other ways to bond with their animals that are safe and fun for both parties.
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