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| Tuesday, September 13, 2005 | |
 Greenies NOT a treat. | I am getting more and more feedback everyday about the dangers of greenies!
(please do a search here on the right hand side of the page to see ALL The Posts On GREENIES) It all started with my article, Safe Dog Chew Toys then I posted the article and pictures from improvehomelife.com. I am amazed at all the people who have not just had digestive problems with these "chew toys" but the ones that have had dogs choke and die as well as having to have surgery to remove undigested greenies! |
Just today I got a message from a faithful reader, Gilbert White. Here is what he had to say: |
"I fed my Pomeranian greenies for about a year. Last Thursday night I gave her one (petite size) . I found her on the floor about an hour later. She was already dead. The vet who performed the Autopsy said that there was no way the chunk of greenie in her throat could have been removed by me. I have since learned of a Doberman and a Golden that had intestinal problems. Do not give these wretched things to your dog." And here are a few more, in fact, the next ones were found online under customer reviews for greenies products! "WARNING-Greenies almost killed my dog too !!
My dog loved hår greenies too. She is not a "gulper". However, she developed a bowel obstruction after eating one and had to have emergency surgery-she almost didn't mà êå it. The warning label on the package is in very MINUTE print-(not noticeable) DO NOT FEED YOUR DÎG GREENIES !! " "DANGER--Almost killed my dog!
I am highly råñîmmånding you DO NOT give óîur dog Greenies. My German Shepherd was given one by a friend. He loved thå taste and à tå it wholeheartedly. However, within a 24 hours, he was vomiting blood à nd taken to the vet's emergency clinic. Not only did the product tear uð his throat, but he had à n intestinal blockage because the Greenie did not digest easily. He was at risk for emergency surgery, but my vet was able to help him pass it. He had to be on an IV for a week. Folks, the packaging on Greenies even says it is fatal if not thoroughly chewed. DO NOT RISK IT! I almost lost my best friend. "
The following comments were listed on an online forum: "Hi,
Michelle just posted about her dog throwing up a big piece of a greenie. I have seen on other forums that they can choke and kill your dog. On their site, they do say to monitor your dog so they don't gulp them, but they don't say what to do if your dog is choking on one. I think they are some what irresponsible for not warning about that specifically.
To say to monitor your dog does not seem like enough of a warning, but of course they don't want to say your dog can choke on them. They make it seem like they may just eat a bigger chuck than they should, but don't mention the ramifications.
If you still want to give your dog greenies which are supposed to cut down on a dog's tartar build up, then don't leave them alone with it. For me, I don't even want to risk my dog getting it lodged in her throat. You really can't tell they are eating a big chunk until after they do it. " " WARNING:
Green "toothbrush"-shaped dental chews prove deadly It has taken me since Monday evening to write this message to you. That is the night that our little 17-1/2 year old Chihuahua mix, Peanut, died as Dr. Bell and Dr. Iannone of Evesham Vet Clinic worked valiantly to save her life. It was a death that never should have happened, and I will forever have to live with knowing that because of what I did NOT know, my wonderful little girl would lose her life. I only hope that this E-mail will save the life of someone else's precious companion. Peanut died after having swallowed a chunk of what is known as a "greenie". " Click here for the whole story
These so called "treats" are touted as being "the Original Smart Treat for Dogs and Other Pets". They are not looking so smart to more and more dog owners. ingredients listed: processed wheat gluten, glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acids, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll. So, what is so smart about that? The ingredients are pure junk and then not digestable on top of that! Let's face it, dogs can and often do choke on a lot of things including kibble but if we know a product to be unsafe and that needs to only be given to our dogs under supervision, the manufactor should have a warning label large enough to see and they sure should not be advertised as a "smart treat". Please warn your friends. Just my two cents worth! lol Jeannie ********************************** If you find this article or our Blog channel interesting and informative, please share our address with all your pet-loving friends, family, co-workers, and veterinarian. If you have any questions please email us or leave a private message here on the QMTP private Messenger in the upper right hand side of this page. The Whole Dog News Blog is brought to you by: 
Jeannie Thomason and The Whole Dog Store The Whole Dog News is dedicated to providing you with the latest holistic/natural news for your dogs health. We also are proud to provide you with all natural, healthy products to help your best friend achieve and maintain optimum health. We will continue to provide with important information as well as only safe and effective products that we use ourselves. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any information or product, please don't hesitate to ask. We will always be here to help.
The information contained in The Whole Dog News is educational in nature and not to be used as specific veterinary advice for your pets. Neither the authors nor the publishers can be held responsible for any unfavorable reactions to recommendations contained herein. Readers should seek professional advice, preferably from a holistic veterinarian, before initiating any of the advice contained within The Whole Dog News Blog.
Posted on 09/13/05 at 19:03:00 by Jeannie Thomason
Category: In The News
Comments
Thank you all for the information regarding greenies. We purchased an off brand and just had that emergency.
It was horrible!!!
I was gone for 3 hours and came home to a huge amount of vomit. After searching around the house I found poop with greenies in it. LARGE PIECES - 1/2 INCH PIECES in the fecal matter.
I had not ever heard about the problem being an issue. Kaiya (English Bull Terrier) had the greenies at 4pm the previous day. Wait it gets worse...
I let her out and watched her to see if her stool would provide any additional information. She sounded like she was in pain and constipated.
Nothing came out.
When she came back in I thought just bad tummy...Nope! I noticed blood droplets on the tile. When I looked at her backside there was blood and fecal matter.
She went back outside within 10 minutes and walked around trying / straining to go to the restroom. My husband and I watched her, waiting with a flashlight to see what could be the problem. We saw blood and diarrhea.
We had to take her to the emergency room because of course our vet was closed. She may have passed the greenie but we will not know until 8am tomorrow morning.
The vet at the emergency pet hospital said that she did not believe that there was an obstruction. But we would still have to have blood work done, xrays and who knows what else.
Thank God she was not vomitting anymore and was not dehydrated. I will post what happens tomorrow.
We have VPI Pet Insurance and a secondary insurance through our vet but we still couldn't afford to have those blood tests done till morning at our vets rather than having them charge us 170 for 3 blood test. They didn't take xrays. We paid $65 for the emergency visit. But there is more to come.
And to think, I would spend the extra money believing that I was spoiling my dog. I "thought" I was giving my dog "treats" that would keep her healthy.
Does anyone know what has happened since the last posts. I am going to forward this on to family and friends so they don't loose precious pets nor pay huge medical bills.
P.S. While we have these pet insurance programs - it still costs a lot of out-of-pocket money for these emergencies!!!
Thank you to all those who posted the above information. Those posts convinced my husband and I to seek medical help. We would not have been able to live with ourselves had she died during the night.
Thank you!
Peace, Love & Blessings!
Rebekah
rebekahq@ca.rr.com
Any treat has the potential for harm. MONITOR your dog and you will not have a problem. NO treat/chew should be given unattended. Would you give your baby a teething ring and then put him in his crib??? My dog has been having Greenies for years with no problems.
Your product sucks take it off the shelves!!! My dog is in surgery right now because of your shitty ass product!!!!
Thanks Bill Lloyd
BJ,
Yes, the ingredients would be similar. Be careful!
I have never fed my schnauzer Greenies but do give her Dental Green, I suppose these would be the same?
I stopped feeding my dog Greenies about a month ago after getting a massive email from friends. I've been passing the word around town to stay away from these horrible treats!
Since then, I have seen numerous TV news reports (I'm in Los Angeles) and I've heard about the lawsuit too! What will it take to get these things off the market? I think it is totally repulsive that the makers claim that the dogs ate the treat too fast or that the owners didn't watch them carefully!
They don't want to be responsible in all these unnecessary deaths and near-death experiences because they are making millions of dollars!
I also did not want to take a chance with my dog...even though he loved them! I care too much about his health and well-being!!! I brush my dog's teeth every night.....Good luck to all! Spread the word!!!!
My boy Roundy (jack russel) adores Greenies. He has been VERY SICK for a week. We spent yesterday at the hospital (and $200+) only to find bits of green shards in his intestines that had not digested after being ingested 11 days ago. Package reads - "100% edible and highly digestable" NOT SO!Causes vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal bleeding, and possibly death. Roundy is ok, but on liquids, and rice, and antiboitics, for a few days. DO NOT FEED THIS PRODUCT TO ANY ANIMAL!
This site was listed on http://www.meezer.com, a Siamese cat message board I frequent. One of our board members responded to the original post with this website:
http://www.snopes.com/critt...
I find it interesting to see how the creator of Greenies® was responding to these horrible fatalities, and near fatalities.
I just want to say THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!
I just threw away a bag of Greenies, and I am SOOOO angry! These people KNOW that their products can KILL our best friends and they do not recall it?!?!?! Does this make everyone else as angry as it does me?
My chihuahua LOVES greenies. In fact, when I say the word, he goes nutty. It scares the absolute heck out of me that something could have happened to my Frodo. Thank you so much for this information. I am truly, truly grateful!
Harriet,
The ingredients for the Talk to Me Treats are as follows:
Wheat Gluten
Glycerin
Natural Flavor
Powdered Cellulose
Mono and Diglycerides
Thitanium Dioxide
Parsley
Dill Weed
Spearmint
Sodium Metabisulfite
Not the best of ingredients either huh?
If you are looking for a good treat to help your dog's breath and keep his/her teeth clean, please consider a RAW marrow or Knuckle bone, Dogs love these and they are all natural and very nutritious to boot!
I would like to know about Talk to Me Treats. They are sponge when wet. Are they like Greenies?
THANKYOU JEANNIE for running this story. As the owner of one of the dogs that died,(Burt, the mini Daschund) I truly thank you for having the courage to spread the word.
To the person who asked "is this widespread"? Just search the internet. It wont take you long to draw your own conclusions.
-Mike
Stephanie,
Thank you for your comment on Whole Dog News regarding Greenies.
The second article I ever posted on Greenies was here:
http://www.quikonnex.com/ch... it includes pictures of an Old English Sheepdog's surgery to remove the undigested greenie from his intestines. So, yes, large breed dogs have problems with greenies too. It is not just choking.
Thanks again for your comment.
Jeannie
I have a Berner named Tucker and he loves Greenies and I do find they help with keeping his teeth somewhat clean. Are most cases of choking or obstructions with small dogs like Yorkies and Chihuahuas? Anyone who owns big dogs and has found problems, would you email me at nalagraceA@aol.com. I have at least 2 full packages in my cupboard and am prepared to throw them out. What do you think?
My dear little dog began to vomit the day after having a Greenie. She kept vomiting, and stretching....butt in the air, front of her down low, and staying in that position. I got the vomiting stopped, fed her rice, cooked pasta, and this morning she passed a stool FULL of pieces of the Greenie! I now know how lucky I am. Dog lovers need to know this, as the company has covered itself, legally, with the disclaimer on the package.
How can we find out if these are isolated cases or a steady, widespread problem?
Nancy,
I doubt we will be able to get greenies off the market but I am hoping we can at least get them to put a warning lable on them regarding the possibility of choking and maybe change their formula so it digests and quickly so there are no more obstructions and blockages from these products.
Attention Everyone,
I have two email address for you! These people are interested in putting together news stories about the dangers of Greenies!
"Hello, I'm a reporter in Flint, MI. I found your information on the dangers of Greenies very interesting. I was wondering if you had any contacts in the area that would be willing to share their story. Thank you.' Jaime Meyers jmeyers@wsmh.sbgnet.com
Hello, my name is Brian Doerflinger. I work in the special projects unit at KIRO-TV in Seattle. We're in t"he process of building a data base reguarding the safety of greenies. If you, or someone you know has had a pet die or become very ill after eating a greenie, we would like to hear your story." Brian Doerflinger bdoerflinger@kirotv.com
Even if people do not live in thier areas I highly recommend emailing them any information you do have and trying to find out if they can help. :-)
Jeannie
i can not beleave that all this is true about Greenies, people had lost there pet's and some people had almost lost there pet's over this product.i only give my baby rex one of the Greenies once a month and i never even liked to give him one. but now after all this that i found out, im fur sure that will never give him one again,i could of already lost my rex over this product,i hope that people stop buying Greenies for there pet's
i can not beleave that all this is true about Greenies, people had lost there pet's and some people had almost lost there pet's over this product.i only give my baby rex one of the Greenies once a month and i never even liked to give him one. but now after all this that i found out, im fur sure that will never give him one again,i could of already lost my rex over this product,i hope that people stop buying Greenies for there pet's
my little boy dog, mack died while chewing a greenies three weeks ago............ my heart is broken if youd like the full story email me at stroub@pacbell.net
Fortunately my one and a half pound Yorkshire Terrier's obstruction was at the rectum. It caused him much pain and I was able to remove splinter after splinter of greenie at a time. I will never give any of my other dogs greenies again. Any higer in his body and he would have died of an unrecognizable problem or anesthesia.
Try to find CET Pet Chews made by Virbac from your Vet. or from 1800petmeds I give these to my dog now rather than greenies. They also sell a tooth paste, and a spray. It is a better way to help with keeping your dogs mouth healthy. They are a small chew and more digestable.
Jeanne...I don't have an answer for you. If fact, I have the same question. Will someone please help us? Thanks in advance!
My dog just loves greenies. She's a rescued greyhound who's 3-1/2 years old (rescued 1-1/2 years ago). We get them primarily for their teeth cleaning attribute. It's really the only treat she'll eat and hates having her teeth brushed. As you know greyhounds are notorious for their bad teeth. Do you have any suggestions for treats that are safer yet just as effective in keeping her teeth clean?
She's been eating them daily since she came home with us, and there's never been any choking, bowel changes, etc. What do you recommend i do for her? Any suggestions?
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It was horrible!!!
I was gone for 3 hours and came home to a huge amount of vomit. After searching around the house I found poop with greenies in it. LARGE PIECES - 1/2 INCH PIECES in the fecal matter.
I had not ever heard about the problem being an issue. Kaiya (English Bull Terrier) had the greenies at 4pm the previous day. Wait it gets worse...
I let her out and watched her to see if her stool would provide any additional information. She sounded like she was in pain and constipated.
Nothing came out.
When she came back in I thought just bad tummy...Nope! I noticed blood droplets on the tile. When I looked at her backside there was blood and fecal matter.
She went back outside within 10 minutes and walked around trying / straining to go to the restroom. My husband and I watched her, waiting with a flashlight to see what could be the problem. We saw blood and diarrhea.
We had to take her to the emergency room because of course our vet was closed. She may have passed the greenie but we will not know until 8am tomorrow morning.
The vet at the emergency pet hospital said that she did not believe that there was an obstruction. But we would still have to have blood work done, xrays and who knows what else.
Thank God she was not vomitting anymore and was not dehydrated. I will post what happens tomorrow.
We have VPI Pet Insurance and a secondary insurance through our vet but we still couldn't afford to have those blood tests done till morning at our vets rather than having them charge us 170 for 3 blood test. They didn't take xrays. We paid $65 for the emergency visit. But there is more to come.
And to think, I would spend the extra money believing that I was spoiling my dog. I "thought" I was giving my dog "treats" that would keep her healthy.
Does anyone know what has happened since the last posts. I am going to forward this on to family and friends so they don't loose precious pets nor pay huge medical bills.
P.S. While we have these pet insurance programs - it still costs a lot of out-of-pocket money for these emergencies!!!
Thank you to all those who posted the above information. Those posts convinced my husband and I to seek medical help. We would not have been able to live with ourselves had she died during the night.
Thank you!
Peace, Love & Blessings!
Rebekah
rebekahq@ca.rr.com