Owners: Dog treats killed our pets (Greenies)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/14/dangerous.dogtreat/index.html

At least 13 dogs have died after being fed the top-selling pet treat in the country, owners and veterinarians have told CNN.

The problem comes because the treats, called Greenies, become lodged in a dog's esophagus or intestine and then some veterinarians say they don't break down.

"I know they are marketed in saying that they do digest. Certainly the ones that we've taken out, esophageal or intestinal, that have been in for days are still very hard," Brendan McKiernan, a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist from Denver, Colorado, told CNN.

<snip>

Mike Eastwood and his wife, Jenny Reiff, recently filed a $5 million lawsuit in New York, blaming Greenies for the intestinal blockage that caused the death of their dog Burt.

"I'm mad that their packaging states that the product is 100 percent edible, highly digestible and veterinarian approved, yet our dog died of it," Eastwood told CNN.

[medeak]

1. snopes isn't certain about it

received email a few weeks ago with another paper listing article and checked on snopes.

[kestrel91316]

21. I am a veterinarian (cat hospital) and on a website exclusively for

us vets (VIN) I did a search for posts about Greenies, looking for firm firsthand corroboration of the reports of esophageal and gastrointestinal obstruction. I found MANY veterinarians who reported that they had done several surgeries on dogs to remove Greenies. So it is not just an internet rumor. Emergency vets and surgeons have many tales to tell about these things.

I recently did an interview with a local TV guy for a story in the works (followup to his dog Greenies piece) where he looks into the new feline Greenies and considers their risk. We did a "soak test" comparing them to regular dry cat food, and they failed miserably. They just DO NOT soak up fluids and get soft enough to fall apart in a reasonable period of time. I think there is a SERIOUS risk of trouble in cats if they are fed to them, so I do NOT recommend them. You may get away with it, and then again you may not, and just might wind up with $3000 in vet bills and a dead cat. NOT worth it, IMHO.

In dogs, I think the reason for the high incidence of esophageal (throat) obstruction (which is ordinarily very rare in dogs) is because if they stick there, they will not sit in "juices" and soften up. They just sit in a tube that is moist. And sit, and sit. Esophageal obstruction is VERY nasty, as it requires special equipment and skills (fiberoptic endoscopy) to remove foreign bodies from it, and if there are complications, there may need to be open thoracic (chest) surgery (YIKES!!!!!) to save the animal's life. Again, it is SO MUCH EASIER to just NOT feed the darned tings. Why take a chance? Feed regular treats that soften up in water like dry food does. You can even do your own comparison "soak test" if you are uncertain.

[CountAllVotes]

46. thank you for your post

and all of this information as well. Never again ... never ... that is IF I ever get another dog. I wish my veterinarian had not been "pushing" them! I have some serious doubts about these people now running the place. *eek*

:kick:

[Pirate Smile]

2. Accckkkk! No more for my dog.

There are too expensive anyway.

[Alleycat]

3. Yes they are

I think they are like $13+ change for six of them. That almost two dollars a bone.

[CountAllVotes]

4. Greenies made my dog very sick

The vet told me to get them for his teeth to keep his teeth clean after I paid over $200 to have them cleaned.

So, I bought "Greenies" and he threw up both outside and inside the house.

A few months after this, he developed a huge cancerous tumor under his front leg. :(

He had surgery in January of last year; died in my arms on December 29th of last year. :cry:

And as for "Greenies", they made his poop turn all green. I returned them to the place I got them from and managed to get a full refund for them. So, I am not surprised, not one bit. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they cause cancer given what happened to my dog that is now dead. :( :( :( :( :( Who knows anything anymore?

:kick:

[DrZeeLit]

14. Yep. Made my dog sick, too. And he loved them. But we stopped as soon

as he had the problems. The vet checked him out with x-rays and we kept him on a very careful diet. Now, about 3 years later, he is still touchy with some stomach issues periodically.

I'm not surprised about this. I tried to tell the people at the petfood store in my area. They are excellent and carry great products, but the Greenies are prominently displayed all over the checkout counter. Not good.

[kestrel91316]

22. Greenies don't cause cancer, but they are too hard and may not pass.

[OnyxCollie]

32. Sorry to hear about your dog.

Our Belgian Sheepdog, Andre, died of cancer two years ago. We would feed him Purina One dog food and Bil-Jak, and we thought we were doing good. We always joked about his big, smelly piles, that he was "runnin' rich". As he lay dying, we offered him chicken and steak but he didn't want that. He wanted Bil-Jak.

Never again.

Now we feed our dogs frozen, raw chicken backs in the morning and Eagle Pack kibble at night. The chicken backs I get from a poultry store. $18 for sixty pieces. They get Innova kibble as a treat, and liver for training.

Want to clean your dog's teeth? Go to a butcher and ask for dog bones. Super cheap, (I get them for $2.50 a box) and effective. Be sure to throw out any bones that are sharp, or dispense under close supervision.

[CountAllVotes]

39. Wow, sorry!

I still have yet to get over it, believe me. :cry: :cry: :cry:

I actually adopted a puppy and it did not work out and I had to find him a new home which I did. I can't take anymore heartbreak from losing pets right now.

I would like to adopt another puppy/dog at some point but when I don't know.

My poor old dog (passed down via my late parents :cry: ) had an ultra touchy stomach too. Why I do not know but many foods made him sick. I fed him NutraMax light for overweight dogs which he seemed to tolerate ok.

I never gave him very many treats. I found out recently that many of these dog treats we buy are made in China out of parts of the animals that no one there will eat and oh yeah, btw, they do eat dogs in China so I suspect what they make the rawhide bones, etc. out of are the lowest of the low as far as cattle/pig products go. Mad cow anyone?

And to whoever gave me a heart, I thank you so very much. It means a lot to me in ways you will never know. So THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :D

It has made my day! :D

:kick:

[ninkasi]

45. What a beautiful

baby...I had heard of feeding dogs raw chicken, but wasn't sure it would be safe. Thanks for the assurance.

[watercolors]

57. we do the same

I cook chicken, gizzards or livers,and brown rice. We cook soup bones for her treat. Vet..t told us to put on a special dog chow because he felt she should lose weight. The food made her so sick, it never digested in her stomach. She took a while to recover, we will stick to real food. She loves to chew raw carrots and broccoli stems also. I remember my grandmother always cooked for her cats and their dog. Lady Luck is now 13, she has arthritis, not so active, she is Lab and Husky and we love her dearly

[OnyxCollie]

59. Don't cook the chicken.

The organs and stuff would be okay, but don't give your dogs any cooked parts that contain bones. Cooking the bones makes them brittle and can tear their intestines.

Also, don't completely rely on raw meat. There's not enough nutrition. I recommend high quality kibble. We used to mix in a healthy powder made of crushed eggshells, kelp powder, and some other stuff I can't remember right now.

Broccoli and carrots and vegetables like that are good, but stay away from stuff like melon. Too much sugar for dogs to process.

[hedgehog]

42. Our old mutt died of this type tumor last year.

It's fairly common in some types of dogs and doesn't have anything to do with the greenies, but it's heart breaking none-the-less. She was about 18 years old and was some kind of big old hound/collie/ mix (I think), just a big old sweetheart of a dog.

At a guess, I'd say mutts are less susceptible to stomach upsets than some of the pure breds and some of the pure breds are more sensitive to different foods than others. Ours seem to get into everything with no ill effects so far (crossed fingers - I'm still wondering what happened to the turkey neck that somehow vanished before I could get it out to the chickens last Thanksgiving.)

(Last night I set aside some soup bones for the chickens to pick over. This morning the puppy came upstairs and dropped the bone on my bedroom floor. I've got to find a better hiding place!)

[CountAllVotes]

44. my dog was only 9 years old

He was supposed to live to be as old as 15 years I was told. Well that did not happen obviously.

Those huge tumors are just awful aren't they? When I had him put down it had metastasized to his lungs I think as he was having trouble breathing.

As for those Greenies, I guess I'll never know if they played a role is his untimely death. :(

[hedgehog]

49. Oddly enough, if I understand correctly

this type tumor seems to be the one thing that mixed breeds (mutts) are more susceptible to than pure breads. Apparently there's really not much that can be done in terms of treatment except for immediate amputation. With a dog as old as ours was, it just wasn't in the cards. The vet thought that the surgery was as likely to kill her as the tumor was, so we just took her home and kept her warm and comfy.

[leftchick]

55. I am so sorry for your loss.

:cry: :hug:

[CAcyclist]

5. True story, but lots of other treats cause death,too

The greenies are a choking hazard if the dog gets a size too big for them. They are made of cornstarch.

Pig's ears and rawhide chews cause a lot of obstructions and bloats . Regular bones lodge in the mouth, in the throat, in the intestines.

[henslee]

6. Wow, I've given my dog greenies!

[Imalittleteapot]

7. My dogs won't stand for me taking Greenies out of their lives.

They get one every morning before I leave for the office. It's the highlight of their day.

A friend warned me of the Greenie problem, yet I continue to keep the dogs happy with a daily dose.

:shrug:

[RebelOne]

8. Just to be on the safe side, shouldn't you just give a smaller dose?

I have never given my dogs Greenies because of all the bad reports I have heard about them in the past couple of years. And it is the same with Rimadyl, the arthritis medication. It has killed many dogs and almost killed my Rottie when she was taking it. I now pay attention to all the warnings about the dangers that certain foods and drugs can pose to my fur children.

[dflprincess]

10. My sister-in-law's dogs all love Greenies

They didn't get them too often because of the cost, but they aren't getting them at all now.

[lindisfarne]

9. Grapes, onions, garlic, and chocolate can kill dogs too (grapes can also

cause severe irreversible kidney damage). Just to let people know, in case they don't already.

[Kolesar]

11. I did not know about onions and garlic

But if you pop a lot of grapes in your dog's mouth, you might kill them.

[yorkiemommie1]

13. thanks for the info about grapes

i didn't know that. ( they haven't gotten too many, but they do beg for them )

i tried the greenies once, and they loved them but i got scared reading about them so no more. i wish the granulated greenies would be more available. i've been using PlaqueOff for the dogs now in addition to brushing their teeth daily ( well, almost daily. friday is their off night .)

edited to add last paragraph.

[lavenderdiva]

15. raisins too...

my beloved little Emma has just been diagnosed with kidney failure, and while she didn't have LOTS of grapes in her life, she had a few at times. I will always wonder if I did something that may have put her life in peril. We are now doing every-other-day subcutaneous fluids administered by I.V. I had to learn to do this myself. I am feeding her with a syringe. And we pray every day for just a little more time with her.

ps. here's Emma's picture

Also, kidney failure is common in Cocker Spaniels...

[Roon]

17. Prayers for Emma!

:hug:

[lavenderdiva]

27. Thank you so much for your prayers for Emma!

She came to us through Cocker Spaniel Rescue. Her former life was hellacious, being left outside all the time, broken bones that were not set, and absolutely no cuddling or playing. It took me 2 solid years of reassurance for her to let me rub her tummy and kiss her! But now she is a regular cuddlepot, and loves her Mommy to hold her and kiss on her!! We love her oh-so much and are treasuring the time we have with her.

Thank you again for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! :hug:

[Patchuli]

19. Look at that proud little sweetie!

Big prayers for Emma!! And you!

[lavenderdiva]

28. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers...

for Emma and us! We need them! She is doing better since I have been doing the subcutaneous fluids, and today she was up and around. Last night, when we got home, she was actually at the door to greet us, which was such a thrill! We are not taking anything for granted anymore, even things as small as that!

You are right, Emma is a very proud and self-reliant little girl. She had a very hard life before she came to live with me. (please see reply #27 for background on Emma) She has never learned to give kisses. She loves to receive kisses from Mommy and Daddy, but I am praying hard for one kiss from her!

Thank you so much for your prayers, you don't know how much they mean right now!! :hug:

[CountAllVotes]

48. Emma is added to my prayer list

I hope she gets better soon!

:kick:

[Lorien]

29. Good karma headed Emma's way

I know how hard this is. I've been through it myself. :hug:

[lavenderdiva]

31. Thank you for that hug and all that Good Karma!!

Emma certainly deserves it after all she has been through!! It is such a hard time right now- all part of saying goodbye. But it is also a very special time that I am trying to treasure and appreciate everything about her and all she has brought to my life. I am trying to show her, especially now, just how much I love her. I am also trying to reinforce in my memory all the little quirks about her that make her our Emma Boo-Boo.

Thank you again for you kind words and thoughts, and hugs! :hug:

[Lorien]

60. Take lots of photos, a pawprint in plaster,

a lock of her fur-those little reminders of her might mean a lot in the future.If you can have someone videotape the two of you walking and playing together, that might be nice too. I lost my beloved kitty Peewee to cardiomyopathy three years ago and I've always regretted having so few photos of him (he was afraid of the camera,so I only have a handful of pics). I have a bit of trimmed fur and a plaster pawprint in a box, along with his collar, and that helps to keep him fresh in my memory. I sure do miss him. Hopefully you'll get to take some time for just the two of you; I know how one "lives in the moment" at such times.

:hug:

[lavenderdiva]

62. the pawprint and video are GREAT ideas!!

I've been taking pictures like crazy, but I really like your 2 suggestions. I am so sorry to hear of your beloved Peewee, but I know having his pawprint and collar must bring you lots of smiles remembering him, each time you look at them!

Thanks for caring and sharing--

[Kolesar]

35. It takes a lot of grapes at once to give a dog acute kidney failure

So that is not likely the cause of Emma's chronic kidney failure. I think our golden retreiver got chronic kidney failure on account of a bladder infection at ~5 and another at ~10 years of age. Good luck with your pup. I'm sure she appreciates your love and care.

[yorkiemommie1]

56. oh my goodness!

i'm so sorry! thank you for the warning. sending hugs to emma and to you!

[kestrel91316]

23. Cat vet here says YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THESE 4 ITEMS!

[JudyM]

36. My vet said it's good to feed cat little tastes of whatever we're having

for dinner, and she seems to love anything with garlic. Are any human foods particularly bad for cats?

[FlaGranny]

12. One thing I've learned about Greenies -

give the next smaller size. Too much will upset the dogs's stomach. Once I got the regular size and gave my dog one. Then my husband gave her another one later. It upset her and she got some loose stools. I warned him not to give her any because I give her one each morning. I give her the petite size, although the bag/box says that for her weight she should get regular. Rarely do I see any green in her stool.

I can see where they would be a problem with dogs that try to swallow without chewing, and they won't work at all if they're not thoroughly chewed. My 35-pound dog takes about 15-20 minutes to chew up her petite Greenie. She loves them.

Anyway, my story is that she has been on them, one a day, for about 8 months. When she went to the vet's office last time, she (the vet) asked me if I had been brushing her teeth. I hadn't. The Greenies actually worked so that she didn't need her regular dental. Vet said the teeth looked great.

Edit: As for the cost - they are cheaper than a dental and my dog doesn't have to be put under anesthesia, which is also a danger.

[mac56]

41. Us too.

We get the smallest size and cut it in half before giving one to our dogs. We stay right with them as they eat it.

[Gloria]

16. No Greenies for my 3! I buy C.E.T. chews at the vet. They are

"pre-chewed" and formed beefy things. The Petites are about 6 inches long, 1 inch wide. I divide one into pieces for 3 dogs! They have enzymes and really clean up the teeth, but without that chemical that is in a lot of toothpastes and tablets. But they only get a small bit every day, not a whole chew.

The other treats they get are ....their regular kibbies. We just don't do a lot of treats because of the problems with chews, etc. clogging up their insides.

They had a sample of Greenies once and that was enough. Too expensive and they are more for breath. I didn't see any active ingredients for actually cleaning the teeth like the C.E.T. chews have.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Any word on the kitty treats?

My cats love those things...

[enlightenment]

20. Made in a different way, as far as I can tell.

My cats like the kitty greenies, though I only buy them once in a while.
I did buy some small dog greenies for my son's chihuahua around the holiday -- one of the cats tore open the bag (greedy beggar), so I had a chance to compare the two types.
Dog greenies remind me of a Gumby that's gotten old and kind of hard -- still pliable, but not as flexible as before. Cat greenies are more like other cat treats -- crunchy pieces, not chewy.
Maybe dogs would eat the cat greenies? At least they won't lodge in their bowel. Poor critters.
I'm not too worried about my son's dog, since it takes him forever to eat one of the little greenies.

[kestrel91316]

24. Cat vet here: do NOT feed your kitty these darned things.

Cats do not routinely chew up their food enough to ensure that Greenies are broken up into small enough pieces to soften and pass. It is NOT worth thousands of dollars in vet bills and maybe kitty's life to feed these just because they are popular, trendy, and cleverly/heavily marketed.

See my post near the top for further explanation.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. Thanks for the info!

One of my cats in particular seemed more apt to inhale them rather than chew them, so I'll take your advice... :yourock:

[JudyM]

37. Thanks! What about "N-Bone" Cat Chew Treats? They're supposed to

clean teeth/gums and they're in stick form, so I wonder if these are unsafe. Do you have info on these?

[FlaGranny]

43. I don't have cats any more,

but the cats I had, it was only tiny, delicate, little bites for them. The last cat I had was even worse - would only eat food that was lickable. When she licked off the top layer, she wouldn't eat any more unless I stirred up her food to "freshen" it. No wonder they call cats finicky.

The cats I had as a kid in the country, though, they were a different story. They were outside cats and when they came in after a night on the town, they were hungry, and did gulp down their food, but we didn't buy cat food back then.

[Dover]

25. The best and most enjoyed chew treat I've discovered for my dog

is a rawhide chewie by Virbac called C.E.T. HEXtra Premium Chews, that is for dental care. They have Chlorexidine in them and come in three sizes. They are softer and thinner than regular rawhide so they are not as likely to cause any kind of blockages. My dog just goes CRAZY for them. And I've laid a Greenie next to this rawhide to see which he'd go for and he completely ignores the Greenie. In fact he won't even eat them anymore. He just waits for this rawhide.

The only problem is that I really don't like the smell. But they don't lie around at all...he eats the whole thing in one long sitting and is in heaven.

My vet recommended them first (she sold them at her office), but the price was a little steep so I asked my local pet store if they could carry them and do a little better on the price. They were happy to do it so I save a few bucks.


Here are the ingredients: Beefhide, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed poultry liver (enzymatic), tetrasodium pyrophosphate, salt, lecithin, sodium gluconate, potassium sorbate, gluconodeltalactone, mineral oil, mixed tocopherols, rosemary oil.
___________________________________



P.S. - Awwwwww....I'm so touched. Hearts and kisses to my secret Valentine!:hug: :loveya:

[FlaGranny]

47. I've used the C.E.T.s

for my dog, too. She likes them, but I didn't get the same result of sparkling white teeth.

The ingredients of the Greenies are: "Processed wheat gluten, glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acids, magnesium stearate, and chlorophyll." They can also be softened in the microwave. Someone above mentioned that Greenies contain corn starch, but they do not.

There is a disclaimer on the box/bag that says to monitor your dog while eating them and states that "Gulping any item can be harmful or fatal to a dog." Also, on the box, it says to use "L'il Bits" size for toy breeds, puppies, and for dogs who gulp.

Sad to say, many dogs die from eating things they shouldn't or gulping down pigs ears, socks, rugs, and all kinds of items. People have to watch their dogs when they have a tendency to try to swallow things whole like that. I think rawhide chews especially are unsafe for any dog. They have a tendency to get stringy when chewed on and the dog will try to swallow them when they're soft and stringy, but the rest is still hard, and then the dog chokes. The C.E.T. strips are ground up beefhide that doesn't hold together when chewed and so is not dangerous like solid rawhide.

My heart breaks for anyone losing a pet for any reason. They are family.

[brentspeak]

26. Why not just plain ol' milkbones?

Dogs love those things. And they're safer than greenies.

[DemonGoddess]

33. yep, that's what my old girl gets

Milk bones! When I first saw the greenies, and then FELT one of 'em, that was enough for me to decide not to buy it. I figured if it was that hard before they ate it and chewed on it, that it would be a potential problem....so I passed on 'em

[Dover]

52. Biscuits and Chewie treats serve different purposes

Biscuits and chewies serve different purposes. My dog likes both, but REALLY enjoys knawing away at a long-lasting chew treat. He used to enjoy chewing on shoes and books and socks until we discovered this more 'acceptable' treat. And it certainly keeps him occupied, which I think is particularly attractive to those owners who must leave their pets alone for long stretches of time.
Since I work mainly from home (except when I'm traveling), that is not my major issue. My dog just seems to NEED to have a chew project. So, as I stated above, I give him the C.E.T. beefhides which he is crazy about.

There is nothing wrong at all with biscuits. I give mine an organic biscuit made with Quinoa (rather than wheat, soy, or corn) called Mr. Pugsly's by Pet Guard. It has all kinds of heatlhy, natural ingredients and he enjoys them. I found them at Whole Foods Market. But they are gone in two shakes of a doggies tail!

[SoCalDem]

34. Our dogs were lucky we were too cheap to buy them store bought treats

Our labs' favorite treats?

Toast with butter :)
the occasional bacon slice
strawberries (yes strawberries)
watermelon cubes
and doggie ice cream

and of course they always got to "do dishes"..licked the plates very clean:)

[LeftyMom]

61. There are recipies all over the net for DIY treats, too.

I made a ton of them for christmas and it was really easy.

[SoCalDem]

63. Alas, our sweet doggies are all in Doggy-Heaven

we have 8 persnickety kitties , who will probably outlive us :scared:

[0007]

38. Does junior or little dick chew on these treats?

[RebelOne]

40. This has been happening for a long time.

I remember reading about Greenies killing pets several years ago. Why wasn't something done about these treats then?

[Protagoras]

50. At least in my case this wasn't a myth.

$1000 of surgery later our dog is alive but it was a close thing. One day we noticed she was hunched over and had blood coming out of the wrong places. We rushed her to the vet and the x-ray showed an amazingly large and sharp shard of "greenie" poking in her intestine.

The things seemed great when we first got them but the vet said we were not the first in her office with this issue. She said to never give our dog another greenie. We've mentioned it to the two pet supply stores that we used to shop at. One doesn't carry them anymore. The other still does...and we don't shop there now.

Maybe this is a very rare problem, but it's actually happened and I have the vet bills to prove it. Thankfully my dog lived. Don't feed your dog greenies.

[ripple]

51. Be careful with Cheweez, too!

I finally quit giving them to my dog after having to dig one too many out of her throat. They seem to be more munchable than rawhide, but when chewed, they turn ito sort of a gummy, rawhide piece that requires further chewing. I think might be too difficult (requires way too much patience) for a dog to chew them as well as they should before swallowing them. My dog loved them, but I worried that one day one would get lodged in her throat that I couldn't get out.

In retrospect, it was prety dumb for me to keep giving them to her after the first one got stuck. :blush:
I guess I just didn't want to take something she liked so much away.

[lavenderdiva]

53. CNN is now doing a whole story on this on TV....

significant length story! Showing Vets all over the country telling of dogs they have either had to operate on to remove undigested Greenies from the esophagus or intestines, OR telling of autopsies they have had to perform.

owner of Greenie company says they are working closely with FDA, voluntarily, to 'get to the bottom' of why the Greenies aren't digested fully. However, when CNN contacted the FDA, its looking into 8 complaints, but hasn't launched a formal inquiry.

[noonwitch]

54. I almost bought one for my dog, and I'm glad I didn't

She's a constant chewer. I bought a nyla-bone, instead, which the vets have always told me are safe.

[Dervill Crow]

58. I read that here a while back in the pets forum.

Thank gods for DU; my son bought greenies for my dog's Christmas stocking and we returned them to the store.

On the news last night they said the owner should check to make sure the dog adequately chews the greenies. Uh huh . . . my kids would open their mouths to show me, each other, and any other interested or uninterestated persons their masticated food (ick), but that's something I doubt I could train my dog to do.

[mvd]

64. I'm glad this came out

I saw them on the shelves recently at Target - they need to be re-called. It's a good thing I don't give my dog more than meaty bone cookies and jerky treats, because I could make the same mistake.