Breathing support pet toy and method of use

A perforated ball for pet play, comprising:

• (a) a solid body having an exterior and a plurality of distinct, separate air passages therethrough, each air passage having one and only one entrance and one and only one exit and a tapered section therebetween, each entrance being a wide entrance at the exterior of the solid body, and each exit being a narrower exit at the exterior of the solid body, wherein no air passage is in fluid communication with any other air passage;
• (b) wherein, as the ball is carried in the mouth of a pet:
• (i) the wide entrances of a first set of the air passages facilitate air being drawn through the first set wide entrances, through the first air passages, and then out of the first air passages via their respective exits and into the mouth of the pet during an intake of breath, and
• (ii) the wide entrances of a second set of the air passages, the second set being separate from the first set, facilitate air being expelled from the mouth of the pet through the second set wide entrances, through the second air passages, and then out of the second air passages via their respective exits during the expelling of breath.

A semi-hollow ball for pet play, comprising:

• (a) an outer shell of uniform thickness having an exterior side and an interior side and a plurality of passages therethrough, wherein each passage of the plurality of passages has a uniform length defined by the uniform thickness of the outer shell;
• (b) a hollow interior defined by the interior side of the outer shell;
• (c) wherein the plurality of passages include:
• (i) a plurality of intake passages, each intake passage extending a distance, equal to the uniform length, through the outer shell and having a wide entrance on the exterior side of the shell tapering to a substantially narrower exit on the interior side of the shell such that the intake passage is in fluid communication with the hollow interior, and
• (ii) a plurality of exhaust passages, each exhaust passage extending a distance, equal to the uniform length, through the outer shell and having a wide entrance on the interior side of the shell tapering to a substantially narrower exit on the exterior side of the shell such that the exhaust passage is in fluid communication with the hollow interior;
• (d) wherein the intake passages and the exhaust passages are interspersed with each other around the exterior side of the outer shell;
• (e) wherein the wide entrances of the intake passages facilitate:
• (i) air being drawn into the hollow interior of the ball during an intake of breath when the ball is carried in the mouth of a pet, and
• (ii) air being forced into the hollow interior of the ball during the expelling of breath when the ball is carried in the mouth of the pet;
• (f) wherein the wide entrances of the exhaust passages facilitate:
• (i) air being expelled from the hollow interior of the ball during the expelling of breath when the ball is carried in the mouth of the pet, and
• (ii) air being drawn out of the hollow interior of the ball and into the pet's mouth during an intake of breath when the ball is carried in the mouth of the pet;
• and
• (g) wherein, because the intake passages and exhaust passages are interspersed with each other around the exterior side of the outer shell, one or more intake passages and one or more exhaust passages are available for the pet to use during both intake and expelling of breath when the ball is carried in the mouth of the pet.