[pattymoore]

Are they safe?

[GuinnessandI]

They can definitely be choking hazards if your dog isn’t big on chewing. I’ve heard stories of dogs who have tried to swallow them whole and ended up dying from it and I’ve heard that even if your dog does chew them as they should Greenies take a looong time to digest and can have intestinal blockage. Most of these stories though are mainly with small dogs, but I’m sure large dogs can suffer from it as well. The only time my dogs ever had Greenies is the one time we took them to a different vet, other than that I don’t buy them. My roommate’s dachshund however, ate 21 greenies one night when we went out and she found them on the desk. She didn’t get sick at all and passed them along quite “nicely” That’s just my experience with them really.

[FreeholdHound]

My greyhound rescue group advised against them. This is probably a digestion issue with greyhounds. I give Halo Pumpkin Chews and have recently discovered Odor free Bully Sticks – these are the only 2 “chews” I’ve found that don’t go right thru my dog.

[jazzybinks]

Personally I have never and will never feed those treats.

Reason 1: They are made by Nutro, who makes multiple less than well dog food products that I would never feed.

Reason 2: They do not digest.

Reason 3: They cause intenstinal blocking

Reason 4: After 12 hours of giving your dog one they can still choke up large pieces still intact, because they do not digest

Reason 5: Greenies has paid for surgeries for some dogs, but still say their treats are safe.

Reason 6: The ingredients. You might as well let your dog eat flavored plastic.

[janus69]

I am going to say something here that I feel I will have to repeat again and again and again. UNLESS YOU KNOW IT FOR FACT DON’T POST IT. UNLESS YOU RESAEARCHED IT AND CHECKED IF MYTH, AGAIN DON’T POST IT. No one needs opinion listed as fact or something a friend of a friend’s cousins mothers brother heard. In regards to Greenie, there is nothing indicating that they are anymore gangerous then any other unsupervised treat…

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/greenies.asp

[GuinnessandI]

It’s not stories heard when people post up stories about how they lost their dogs to Greenies.
http://www.optimumchoices.com/Greenies.htm#Stories

[BryanV21]

There’s nothing wrong with giving your opinion on something. This is not a forum for facts only. If people have personal stories, or have heard a story, then they should share it. The more information the better.

Most of the time, if you can’t tell if something’s fact or opinion, that’s your fault… not the posters.

[pugmomsandy]

I used to give greenies. The dogs did not get the teeth cleaning benefit out of them. Ate them too fast. Now I just give them a real bone to chew and their teeth are clean. Marrow bones, rib bones, chicken feet, neck bones, split knuckles.

[janus69]

Wrong Bryan. There is to much mis and disinformation spread around and it is dangerous. I do not want to trust the health and life of my pet to urban myths and wives tales.

[janus69]

Chicken feet? Interesting I was wondering about that and ducks feet as well. Had always been told not to give a dog the bones of foul as they can splinter.

[BryanV21]

Janus, the internet is full of misinformation and BS opinions. If you don’t like it then log off. Sorry you can’t separate fact from opinion, but it’s not other people’s jobs to cater to your wants and needs. Again… if you don’t like it then leave, because if there’s anything full of it here it’s your attitude.

[janus69]

You know what Bryan, it is peoples job to post correct info. The whole purpose of this very site is correct info. The info in the forums must strive to be as correct as the review of food or the warnings of recalls or it all is for not.

And Guinessandi, as it states in the link I posted, there is NOT enough info, the examples you posted have no vet statement and in two show the treats were unsupervised. The same can occur with rawhides or nylabones if unsupervised.

[BryanV21]

It’s people’s “job”? Seriously? I don’t recall receiving a paycheck from the internet, so it’s not my “job” to do anything. I offer my advice and opinion for free. Please let me know how to start getting paid for it, as I’d love to make a few more bucks.

If anybody has the responsibility for posting correct information, along with giving the most well-educated opinion as possible, it’s the person or persons that run Dog Food Advisor… not those that read and contribute to it’s comment section or forums.

[janus69]

” I offer my advice and opinion for free” If it is incorrect it can be dangers if not fatal to ones pet and anything that is opinion should in fact be marked IMHO or some such to show it is NOT fact. The only person or persons with a responsability to post fact are those from DFA? What rock did you crawl out from under? The whole site is about the health and well being of ones pet. If you wish to kill or improperly care for your pet that is your option, to post it and encourage it here is inhumane and could be seen to boarder on criminal. If you feel DFA is the only ones that have to post fact and correct info then maybe they should appoint moderators to delete posts that do not do so.

[Hound Dog Mom]

janus69 – As long as poultry bones are raw they’re safe. Raw bones are safe, all cooked bones are dangerous (even bigger non-poultry bones).

[janus69]

thanks hound dog mom

[Hound Dog Mom]

As for the qustion at hand of “Are Greenies Safe?” – I think they’re just as safe as any other chew. Obviously there’s always a risk of choking or intestinal blockage, but that’s with any chew type treat. My issue with them is not their safety but their ingredients. Very low quality, like feeding your doggie a candy bar. Stick with raw bones or natural chews (bully sticks, dried trachea, pig ears, etc.).

[janus69]

Exactly HDM, although I am guilt of giving the dog the bone from the roast. He won’t eat pigs ears though for some reason. Love bulwinkles, freeze dried liver treats(non-chinese) and sweet potato treats as well as raw carrot, sweet potato, turnup, brocolli stems, tomatoe…

[aimee]

When Greenies were first marketed veterinarians saw cases of esophageal obstruction from the product. The obstructions proved difficult to resolve and had a higher complication rate than other types of obstructions. The product has since been reformulated to address that problem.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18380620

[InkedMarie]

It’s no one’s job to post correct info, its up to people to ask questions and then research the info they’ve been given. In regards to greenies, I prefer to err on the side of caution and not feed them. Bones are much better, imo.

[BryanV21]

If I don’t say “it’s a fact…” then it’s clearly my opinion, and as such it shouldn’t be taken as gospel. If somebody does take it as gospel, then that’s on them… not me. Nor do I take what other people say as fact, unless they state it as such, and even then I’m skeptical. Perhaps you’re new to the internet, but that’s the way it’s always been.

I can’t stand it when people need things spelled out for them. I don’t cater to idiots and a**holes… not in real life, and not anywhere else. If naive people continually get treated differently, then they’ll never learn NOT TO BE NAIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

So if you think I or anybody else should always add “IMHO” to every post then you’re the one that’s out of your mind.

[InkedMarie]

Bravo, Bryan!

[janus69]

No Bryan, I am not. And as you seem to think you should post whatever you feel be it correct or wrong and thereby possibly causing harm on a site that is DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION AND SAFETY OF ANIMALS, it is you that is for sure the asshole and I will know not to believe anything you post and hope that at some point an ignore button is added so I can remove you all together from anything to do with my dog. There is no need to reply we have said all there is to say.

InkedMarie

I think you as well should assess what the site is for and what in the spirit of that purpose is appropriate.

[theBCnut]

janus69

We’re all adults here and take responsibility for our own actions, which means if I choose to believe what I read on the internet without verifying it, it is my responsibility. People may believe they are reporting facts and still be wrong or a topic may be about opinion. It’s your opinion what people should post and that differs from a lot of peoples opinion. I would rather hear what people think than hear from someone who says they don’t have a right to post what they think.

[janus69]

Patty I do not “think” or “feel” a food or treat is good or bad. I do not “think” or “feel” a method of training is good or bad. It either is or it is not or it in inconclusive. To spread unchecked info on a site that prides it self on doing what is best for a dog is a disservice to both pet owners and the site itself. Anything posted ends up as a reflection of the site and its credibility, i.e. if one was to post lets say the urban myth of bad Gerber baby food (which actually deals with an issue in France years ago and there is no recall now nor was there ever in North America) then someone reading will say DFA said…. not joe schmoe said. As a dog owner and someone who is replying to a posting it is our obligation to give correct info and not hearsay and misinformation. Under your Bryan and InkedMarie viewpoint if some posted they were having old english sheepdog puppies and I was to say you have to drown the ones with the same coloured eyes. because if they go blind in one then they will go blind in both (the belief of the day when the breed was created), that is fine. It takes seconds to double check what you are going to say, to unchecked it spreads information harmful to pets ten fold whether you intend it or not

[BryanV21]

I know it’s easier to see things in black and white, as it requires no thinking on the part of those that listen/read, but there is a gray area to just about everything.

[theBCnut]

Many people do think or feel things are good or bad. And most understand that they have to decide for themselves if they think or feel the smae thing is good or bad. And since Dr Mike has been on this site since you started espousing your view, but has not chosen to agree with you, I’ll have to assume he is happy with how things are going and doesn’t need you to police the place, until I hear otherwise.

[Shawna]

Many people did have an issue with Greenies and like Aimee said, they were reformulated. I can’t fault them for dogs choking as 2 have mine have choked multiple times and it wasn’t due to Greenies. And one of mine is a long time raw bone eater but if someone in the house drops a piece of food several of the dogs will snatch and swallow.. And a few times the food item has been too big to go down..

I found the below — take from it what you will 🙂

From Veterinarynews.DVM360
“During a Feb. 22 teleconference with media, Joe Roetheli, Greenies founder and chief executive officer, says the company financially compensated or reimbursed veterinary expenses for no more than 20 fatalities allegedly tied to the bone-shaped dog treats.” http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=322331

LATimes
“KANSAS CITY, MO. — The maker of Greenies, one of the nation’s best-selling dog treats, settled a class-action lawsuit by pet owners who claimed the teeth-cleaning product injured or killed their dogs.” http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/18/business/fi-dogs18

Setteling a lawsuit could simply mean that they didn’t want the negative publicity a trial would bring but the reformulation makes me believe there WAS a problem.

Comsumer Affairs
“The dental chews were reformulated to be “more highly soluble and thus safer, yet effective as a daily preventive of oral disease,” the company said in a November 2007 statement.”

“A division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied that it is investigating NUTRO Products Inc., whose pet foods are the subject of more than 700 complaints from consumers who say their dogs and cats became ill and, in some cases, died after eating NUTRO products.” http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/05/nutro_greenies.html

[Shawna]

PS to clarify — the second quote from Consumer Affairs regarding the 700 complaints is regarding ALL NUTRO products, not just Greenies.

[woof]

Greenies was originally a private company, and had only one product. When the original Greenies company got into financial difficulty because of a problem with some dogs being injured by the product, the Greenies company owners sold the company to the Mars Candy Company.
The same thing happened with Nutro, when they ran into financial difficulties, they were bought out by Mars. In both instances, Mars, using their expertise in manufacturing, reformulated the products and reintroduced them to the market. One might say that Mars was an opportunist in buying nationally branded companies at a deep discount, but that is what financial solvent, well established companies do. The see value in the brand, even if the brand is suffering from a major negative publicity problem. Once they purchase them, they do what they do best. Reformulate the product, and move forward to reestablish the brand in the market place. As many of you that are familiar with the old Greenies product, there are far more that don’t have a clue that there ever was a problem. The one problem that I see is that things that happened 10 years ago keep getting dragged up as if they happened just yesterday. This past year, Taste of the Wild dog food had a recall, and the plant was shut down, totally dismantled, and sanitized before they could start producing product again. Yes, some dogs got sick, and some died, but it wasn’t as a result of something that the manufacturer (Diamond Foods) did deliberately. Today, the food is back on the market, and being fed to dogs without any problems. To keep bring up the past as if it was yesterday just isn’t fair to any manufacturer. How would you feel if your automobile insurance company were to keep charging you higher premiums for an accident that you had 10 years ago? You would be screaming it isn’t fair… Lets leave the past in the past, and not dredge up history, unless there is something to be learned from that history. If the company / manufacturer didn’t learn from their mistakes, I can see where past history has a place in not trusting their product in the future, but this isn’t the case with either Greenies, Nutro, or Taste of the Wild. I am not endorsing any of these products as being the best, or the most beneficial, however, if you were to feed any of them to your dog, I don’t believe that they would be harmful. The free market place does a great job of discarding the unsafe manufacturers in favor of the reputable ones.
Woof

[InkedMarie]

I think you as well should assess what the site is for and what in the spirit of that purpose is appropriate.

Janus, you directed the above at me. By site I assume you mean the DogFoodAdvisor. That is a review of dog foods. Thats what it’s for and that is what Mike Sagman does, review dog foods, which is appropriate. He reviews the foods based on their ingredients and guaranteed analysis, which is also appropriate.
Some people don’t review dog foods that way, they seem to think if a food has inferior ingredients but their dogs “look great” on it that it is a good food. It’s not.

[janus69]

“Some people don’t review dog foods that way, they seem to think if a food has inferior ingredients but their dogs “look great” on it that it is a good food. It’s not.”

Yes Marie and those are the people that should be checking what they are posting to inform people.

[InkedMarie]

Janus, maybe I need to go back to sleep because i don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

[theBCnut]

Woof

Taste of the Wild is made by Diamond and Diamond has had multiple serious recalls. Both people and pets have died. They did not learn from their mistakes. They had to take things apart and do such a thorough cleaning this time because of things that were their fault and that they did knowing it was not the right thing to do. They made repairs to food handling surfaces with cardboard and duct tape and they left unbagged food laying around in the open for unknown amounts of time in addition to other FDA violations.

[janus69]

The recall was in May and there is no current actions being taken against them.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57429961-10391704/diamond-dog-food-salmonella-recall-expands/

[janus69]

Also in regards to Diamond, their various products and seem to rate between 4-5 stars hear.

[janus69]

We should also consider that if recall is grounds not to buy a brand then we would prob be out of luck all together and unable to buy any. Here is the recall list of brands having been recalled:

ALPO
Americas Choice, Preferred Pet
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Blue Buffalo (RICE GLUTEN)
Bruiser
Cadillac
Canine Caviar Pet Foods (RICE GLUTEN)
Champion Breed Lg Biscuit
Champion Breed Peanut Butter Biscuits
Co-Op Gold
Companion
Companion’s Best Multi-Flavor Biscuit
Compliments
Costco/Kirkland Signature (RICE GLUTEN)
Demoulas Market Basket
Diamond Pet Food
Diamond Pet Food (RICE GLUTEN)
Doctors Foster & Smith
Doctors Foster & Smith (RICE GLUTEN)
Dollar General
Eukanuba Can Dog Chunks in Gravy
Eukanuba Pouch Dog Bites in Gravy
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Gravy Train
Grreat Choice
Hannaford
Happy Tails
Harmony Farms (RICE GLUTEN)
Harmony Farms Treats (RICE GLUTEN)
Health Diet Gourmet Cuisine
Hill Country Fare
Hy Vee
Hy-Vee
Iams Can Chunky Formula
Iams Can Small Bites Formula
Iams Dog Select Bites
Jerky Treats Beef Flavored Dog Snacks
La Griffe
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Master Choice
Meijer’s Main Choice
Mighty Dog
Mixables
Mulligan Stew Pet Food (RICE GLUTEN)
Natural Balance (RICE GLUTEN)
Natural Life
Natural Way
Nu Pet
Nutriplan
Nutro
Nutro – Ultra
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nuture
Ol’ Roy
Ol’ Roy 4-Flavor Lg Biscuits
Ol’ Roy Canada
Ol’ Roy Peanut Butter Biscuits
Ol’ Roy Puppy
Ol’Roy US
Paws
Perfect Pals Large Biscuits
Performatrin Ultra
Pet Essentials
Pet Life
Pet Pride / Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Royal Canin (RICE GLUTEN)
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet (RICE GLUTEN)
Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels
Schnuck’s
Schnucks
Shep
Shep Dog
Shop Rite
SmartPak (RICE GLUTEN)
Springfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stater Brothers Large Biscuits
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Triumph
Truly
Weis Total Pet
Western Family Canada
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet

[BryanV21]

Patty made it clear that it’s a history of recalls that’s the issue, not one in particular. History shows that it’s quite possible for another recall/issue to arise in the near future… that’s the problem.

And their rating here at DFA is indicative of their ingredients and dry analysis, it is not based on their history pertaining to recalls or other health conditions. Which is why I tell people that inquire about Taste of the Wild that it is a good food per it’s ingredients, however Diamond’s history keeps me from recommending it.

Another case where needing to look into the gray area is necessary, as it’s not a black or white thing.

[InkedMarie]

I must make good dog food choices because nothing I’ve fed in the last few years is on Janus’ list

[theBCnut]

Woof specifically mentioned unless they don’t learn from their mistakes, so I was specifically pointing out the brand she mentioned that is made by a company that obviously didn’t learn from their mistakes.

[soho]

The ingredients in greenies canine dental chews are:

INGREDIENTS: Gelatin, wheat protein isolate, glycerin, pea protein, water, potato protein, sodium caseinate, natural poultry flavor, lecithin, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide), vitamins (dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [source of vitamin C], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid), dried tomato, apple pomace, vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), ground flaxseed, dried sweet potato, cranberry fiber, dried cultured skim milk, choline chloride, taurine, decaffeinated green tea extract, carotene, chlorophyll (sodium copper chlorophyllin)

This is a treat that I definitely would not feed any dog or cat. I just started making jerky treats for dogs and cats. Here are the ingredients of the chicken variety:

Boneless skinless chicken breast.
Salt or molasses or honey depending on the variety.

That’s it. This is the kind of treat I think is species appropriate for a carnivore such as a dog or cat.

[Shawna]

WOW James, I agree with you!!! This is LOADED with excitotoxins.. Feeding these long term and often (if the ingredient list is correct) is just asking for trouble in my opinion… 🙁

I make treats for my kids too — dehydrated liver, heart, chicken, fish etc. 🙂

[Anonymous]

I would NEVER buy greenies for my dogs. Yuck! I read the ingredients once and never looked at greenies ever again. It’s another case of yummy marketing vs degrading ingredients.

And is somebody in this thread really defending Diamond? Ouch, there goes the legitimacy of the thread.

[theBCnut]

No, Janus69’s posts don’t detract from the legitimacy of the thread. They just go to prove that when people read something on the internet, they have to decide for themselves how much they are going to check for themselves about what was said versus just blindly believe everything you read. That a good thing for all of us to realize, even if we don’t agree with someones point of view. There are a few regulars on the reviews that I don’t agree with their point of view, but I still learn A LOT from them and I would hate it if they quit posting because people don’t agree with them or something like that. There is plenty of room here for people who think differently, as long as we are polite to each other, and don’t take ourselves too seriously.

[Ninantank]

I have two dogs, one is a Cockapoo and the other is a Yorkiepoo and both get a greenie everyday. My cockapoo has been eating them for 8 years and she has never had an incident. My yorkiepoo has had them since he was 6 months old with out any problems. They love them and my Vet recommends them.

[scottNY]

I have to agree with Ninantank. My vet recommends them, my 7-month old pit mix loves them and so do almost the 1500 people who gave them four or five stars on amazon.com. I don’t give one everyday, but at least 4 or 5 times a week. I am new at all this. Are the ingredients really that unhealthy compared to other snack products?

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you read the ingredient list you’ll see that Greenie’s are a highly processed and unhealthy product. MOst people recognize the importance of avoiding processed foods for themselves and their children, the same is true for dogs.

The ingredients are:

Wheat flour, glycerin, wheat protein isolate, gelatin, water, rice flour, oat fiber, pea protein, potato protein, lecithin, natural poultry flavor, apple pomace, tomato pomace, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid complex, iron amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex, potassium iodide), ground flaxseed, choline chloride, decaffeinated green tea extract, sodium copper chlorophyllin, vitamins (dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid)

These are basically grains (gluten containing grains nonetheless), vegetable proteins and synthetic vitamins/minerals/amino acids. Why not feed your dog some real food with dental benefits? Raw meaty bones or natural chews like pig ears, bully sticks or dried tracheas. If you insist on feeding a processed dental product I’d at least recommend checking out Zuke’s Z-Bones – while they’re by no means a health food, they’re much better (ingredient-wise) than Greenies.

[scottNY]

Wow, thanks HDM. I guess this is the last box of Greenies for this house. I can’t do raw bones [no outdoor space and I don’t want mice or roaches] but I will certainly look in to the natural chews. Does anyone have any feedback on the Smokehouse brand?

[Christine W]

Want to know if Greenies are bad for your dog just read these horror stories from pet owners @ http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/greenies.html. To me it is unconscionable that vets sell these things in their office.

Please, please always research anything you’re going to give your pets. Even the ratings on their dog food, because quite often they have been recalled in the past and/or have a history of being recalled and/or have questionable ingredients. Play it safe by researching first.

Regarding feeding your pets bones, only feed them raw, never cooked. Cooked bones splinter and can cause intestinal tears. Even if you’ve fed them bones in the past and nothing bad happened, all it takes is one time that can put them at the vets or emergency room. Costing several thousand dollars for surgery, which the majority of us don’t have to spare and end up having to put them asleep.

Hopefully this helps someone before it is to late. Please make sure to pass this information on to any pet owners you know.

[Suburban Gal]

I give Gizmo, my 7-year-old papillon, Greenies and he really enjoys them.

I’ve never had a problem with giving a dog Greenies. Greenies were awarded the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance in 2007 and good for a dog’s overall oral health.

I think Greenies are just as safe as any other chew. There’s always going to be a risk of choking or intestinal blockage, but that’s with any chew-type treat. If an owner is really THAT concerned, then I think Greenies and other chew-type treats should be given under direct owner supervision and be taken away from the dog if there appears to be a problem.

[Author]

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