This CNN story - Owners: Dog treats killed our pets- is saying that the popular dog treat, Greenies has caused the death of 13 dogs. Problems seem to be arising due to blockages in the digestive tract. This scares the hell out of me - I give my little buddy one of these a day and I have recommened them to countless people.
I have refered to them as doggie crack for the insanely happy reaction that you get from a dog when you give them one.
I do try to monitor Goliath when he eats any treats, but blocked intestines isn’t something that can be easily noticable. If anything were to happen to my dog, I don’t know what I would do- I have had him for over 3 years and without a doubt he is the best thing going in my life - I don’t have a girlfriend or any prospects for one and right now I am also unemployed. If I lost Goalie, the company that makes Greenies doesn’t have enough money to compensate me.
If you give your dog Greenies, please keep an eye on them to make sure that they are chewing them fully.
Yup.
Mind you, 13 dog deaths (and no doubt quite a number of life-saving surgeries) isn’t terribly significant, given the millions of Greenies ingested daily. The same thing can happen with rawhides, or just about any dog chew. Dogs eat things that get stuck, it’s a Dog Thing.
That said I don’t give mine Greenies. Too expensive for dogs who just inhale them, and there’s plenty of better choices, if one feels they need to give expensive, gratuitous treats to a dog.
Here in Canada, those Greenies are insanely expensive.
We buy our dog ‘chew flips’, which are rawhide strips basted in peanut butter. They don’t stain the carpet, they last for about half an hour, and you can buy a bag of probably 30 or 40 for $12.
They can also cause intestinal blockages. So can pig’s ears and other stiff dog treats. It’s more about the dog than the treat. Some dogs just rip and swallow, and others chew.
One I can give anything to because he nibbles. It takes him hours to munch down a rawhide or Greenie. I know what ends up in his belly is in little tiny, tiny bits.
The other,. um,. no. Give her the largest rawhide bone you can find and she’ll make it vanish in a few minutes. I’m quite careful in what she gets.
I will happen a guess most of the dogs that died were gobblers over nibblers. I’ll also guess the owners KNEW their dogs were gobblers and didn’t think anything of it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bonobo_jones
and there’s plenty of better choices, if one feels they need to give expensive, gratuitous treats to a dog.
Such as?
For teeth cleaning? Raw chew bones, bully/pizzle sticks, tough jerky, nylabones, Kongs, those Flossie things, etc.
Actually on a decent diet, there’s not that much need for daily teeth cleaning. But for teeth cleaning, enjoyment and jaw exercise or whatever, there’s lots of safer options.
You’re right, because on the side of the box it said 100% digestable, and the vet even said the same thing. So about eight months ago our dog started throwing up yellow bile. Took her in she had a blockage from one of these things. When it was taken out it didn’t even look like it had bee digested at all. Looked rubbery and hard. We haven’t given her one since.
Even a chewer will occasionaly gulp a chunk, and that’s all it takes.
As a member of the show/breeder world, I have been hearing this about greenies for several years. I did give my dogs greenies a couple of times when they first came out, but when friend’s dogs died or had to have surgeries, I quit. I also don’t give pig ears, and any kind of rawhide treats are few and very far between.
For a crunchy snack my dogs adore raw carrots. Also marrow bones, picked up from the butcher, are a super treat. Both help with plaque, as well as giving the dogs something to gnaw on. The raw marrow bones are kept for a day or two, and then tossed. The carrots last around 10 - 15 minutes.
If anyone wants/needs cites, I am able to provide them. For my dogs and I, greenies are never an option.
Ditto here…also I won’t give my dogs those nasty smoked “butcher” bones, or cow hooves. A power-chewer dog can ingest a whole mess of little undigestible bone pieces and get stomach upset, constipated or worse. (Raw bones are digestible though, mine get knuckle bones because they are big dogs and those bones are a bit softer than femurs.)
Daphne the Destructo-Rott can also deconstruct an indestructible black Kong in 30 minutes, so I am limited in safe chewing choices for her.
Bully sticks (dehydrated bull penises, since you asked - also come braided :eek: )
are excellent, long lasting chews. I pay a little more for quality US-made ones that haven’t been soaked in formaldehyde.
I don’t give “treats” just because, though. My dogs have to work for their food and apart from helping clean dishes, they only get treats for training and such. In my house, merely looking adorable and hungry doesn’t get them fed otherwise I’d have 160lb fat Rottweilers.
Nope, no rawhides or pig ears here either. Regular and breath-freshening biscuits, plush toys (under supervision for those who need it), and a big-ass Nylabone that will probably outlast the cockroaches. Our dogs are just too rough on “digestible” chews. I don’t want to risk it.