Greenies are Dangerous-i got this in a email.

[Flatcoatluver]

I received the following message from a member of my club.


I have a warning to pass on with a story to tell of my own.....

On the way back from the Dobe National this year, I was walking one of
the
dogs at the airport waiting for the owner to return our rental car when
the
dog
decided to throw up.....I was shocked to see a mass of green rubber-like
material and immediately called the owner. The mass looked like
something
you would
see in the pad under a carpet. I was assured the dog did not shred
anything...and that the only thing the dog had been given to eat
recently
was a
"Greenie"...one of those formed green dog treats that look like a
toothbrush.....I
couldn't believe one of those pressed dog treats would reconstitute into
what
looked like a mass of foam rubber pieces!

Well, after getting home my friend did an experiment....cut up one of
those
things and soaked it in water overnight....low and behold a mass of foam
rubber
crap! Certainly NOT digestible! We both made a note to never feed those
things again...and then last night in the Seattle area the newscast did
a
piece
on...you guessed it GREENIES! A whole story about how dogs are DYING
from
blockages after eating those stupid things! Here is a link to the
article....turns
out they are NOT 100% digestible....DUH!

http://www.kirotv.com/investigations...21/detail.html

SO PLEASE pass this info on....permission to cross post!!

[elizabethann]

I heard about this before. Luckily, Fenway doesn't like Greenies. Kind of scarey though. Thanks for sharing this.

[gemini9961]

Oh no, my 3 really like Greenies. My vet even recommended them for my 3.

[JenBKR]

No to worry! Those usually aren't true. www.snopes.com claims it is undetermined.

Edit: sorry lost the link - I'll try to find it again

[beeniesmom]

I read the article too but do believe that anything can be dangerous for a dog if not eaten properly. I give my dogs greenies all the time and they chew little bits off at a time. They don't gulp it down. Frankie has calmed down with his eating (he doesn't gulp anymore), he eats slowly and can be trusted with a treat but only in my presence.
I will still give my dogs greenies.

[Glacier]

If you run an internet search on any dog treat, toy, food, medication ect you will find some report somewhere saying it's dangerous. My opinion is to just use some common sense. Watch your dog while they are using their toys or eating a treat. If they have a negative reaction, take it away and find a new kind to use for them.

My dogs get greenies occasionally. I give them when the dogs are in the truck or right after a vet app't. Never had a problem and the dogs love 'em.

[Flatcoatluver]

i didn't qutie belive it and posted do see what you guys belived.

[PJ's Mom]

My two love Greenies. They never get to eat them unsupervised and until a real story comes a long with proof they're bad for my babies, they will continue to get one Greenie every day.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

No to worry! Those usually aren't true. www.snopes.com claims it is undetermined.

Edit: sorry lost the link - I'll try to find it again

I found it on snopes, here is the link-

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

[Lady's Human]

As for soaking a greenie in water, the are MANY types of food that if you soak them in water they will no dissolve. Apples, for instance.

[JenBKR]

I found it on snopes, here is the link-

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

That's the one, thanks! I actually forgot to look after I posted LOL

[Thandi]

This was on nbc today--there's a link to it from the snopes website as well (snopes is really quick!) http://www.nbc4.tv/news/5373855/detail.html

'Greenies' Dog Treat May Carry Danger
Product Is Designed To Clean Dog's Teeth

POSTED: 8:48 am PST November 21, 2005

SEATTLE -- Dog treats called Greenies are sold in stores everywhere. But Seattle television station KIRO reported that products like them can pose a real danger to dogs.

Matthew Balkman of Issaquah, Wash., uses cheese to reward his dog, Beau. He used to use Greenies, which are designed to clean teeth and freshen doggie breath.

"The dogs do like 'em. They're tasty; he liked eating them," Balkman said.

But last May, Beau acted started acting sluggish after eating one.

"He wasn't eating at all," Balkman said. "I took him to the vet, the vet monitored him for a day and said there was something obstructing his bowel, 'We need to go in and operate.'"

Dr. Jayne Jensen performed the operation and removed a large green lump from Beau's intestine.

"She handed it to me, asked me if I knew what this is, and I said, 'Yes, that's a Greenie,'" Balkman said.

The package says Greenies are "100 percent edible," but a company spokeswoman told the station they are "85 percent digestible."

"That was not 85 percent digestible," Jensen said. "That was not digestible."

Constance Odle's dog Berkley is recovering from the same emergency surgery. But instead of a Greenie, a similar product was blocking the dog's intestine.

"At first, I thought he ate a piece of a toy, and when the vet told me what it was, I felt terrible guilt because I was the one who gave it to him," Odle said.

Berkley is the latest of several dogs Dr. Jennifer McBride has operated on after eating teeth-cleaning products, mostly Greenies.

"We will see things in abdomens that will dissolve like bones and, over time, they will dissolve and go away. But these are mostly indisolvable, so they tend to get stuck more often," McBride said.

The station discovered the results are sometimes fatal.

"I tried to revive her," said Gilbert Wright.

Wright lost his prized show dog, "Pompey of the Desert" after feeding him a petite-size Greenies treat. He feels an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"And I will feel that way for the rest of my life," Wright said.

During its investigation, the station tracked down nine people who claim their dogs died after eating Greenies. KIRO passed that information on to the company.

A warning on the Greenies label says to make sure you're giving the right size Greenie for your breed of dog. It also cautions you to "monitor your dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed".

"They don't chew. They don't even have the muscles to chew. I mean, we chew, we do that. Dogs don't do that," said Jensen.

"They also say on their Web site to avoid gulping or sloppy eating but, heck, people can't even train their children not to do that," said Gilbert Wright.

Company officials with Greenies declined a request for an on-camera interview. They sent a statement expressing sadness over all the dogs in the investigation.

"Millions of Greenies are sold and enjoyed by dogs, every week without incident," it said.

And "though injurious incidents are rare, more often than not, the pet is not fed according to our feeding directions."

Gilbert Wright just got a new Pompey, but his heart will always be with the show champion original who won countless awards for agility.

Beau has recovered from surgery, and Mathew Balkman feels lucky.

"I'm saddened for the people that have actually lost their pets, because we came very close."

Vets say nearly all dog treats, chews and toys can make your pets sick. They say it's important to keep a close eye on them.
Copyright 2005 by NBC4.tv. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Suki Wingy]

I sure hope they are ok because they are one of the only treats Niño likes to eat but they are so expensive that we give him DentaGreens because he likes them too.

[dogzr#1]

I don't exactly agree with that. I mean every food can cause a blockage if eaten in amounts to large to digest. I think greenies can be eaten but have to be monitored. If your dog chews off a big piece, swallows it, and then gets sick because he was able to digest it, I don't think that is the Greenies fault. Also like someone had already posted: A lot of foods expand when they are soaked. Just my opinion.

[jesse_3]

I agree with the point that you need to monitor your dogs and read insrtuctions. If a pet owner is irresponsible, and gives their dog this without supervision, how can you blaim Greenies? It is not the company's fault that you didn't watch you dog.

That is just my .02 cents..
Steph and the gang