does anyone feed their dog "Greenies"?

[happynewyear]

and if you do, please advise!

I was told to start feeding these fake "bones" to my old dog here being his teeth are getting encased with tartar again. It cost me $200 to have his teeth cleaned last year and I really don't want to have to have it done again, primarily because they have to anesthetize him when they do this.

So they recommended I feed him these green bones called "Greenies" which are supposed to be good for cleaning his teeth and good for his digestion - ???? They are costly little green suckers - like about $1.00 each (it says feed him up to two of these a day - uhhh no I won't!).

I was rudely awakened yesterday a.m. by the sound of a retching dog vomiting in the residence here. I found the *vomit* and it was greenish spit looking stuff.

Now I am wondering if my dog is allergic to or made sick by these "Greenies". If so, what should I do with these "things"?

I don't want the dog to get sick. He has been known to have a very touchy stomach in the past and he is close to 10 years old now.

The veterinarian recommended I feed him these "Greenies" and not to ever give him real bones from the butcher (wayyyy cheaper they are).

So advice anyone?

thanks!

[mac56]

1. Our dogs love Greenies.

I don't think your dog is allergic to them. Rather, a new addition to a dog's diet may result in some up-chucking. Dogs aren't traumatized by it at all, and we probably shouldn't be either.

I haven't seen any negative side effects to offering Greenies, except that they're pricey little things.

[happynewyear]

4. thanks!

I bought these at drugstore.com and got a "deal" on them (56 of them for $39.95 I think it was). I couldn't see buying them one at a time. He really does seem to like them but that green spit vomit scared me.

I'll maybe just feed him one or two a week. I take it these are a good way to keep his teeth clean? I know they have chlorophyll in them and I sort of wonder how safe it is to consume it.

Thanks again and yeah, the old dog with the touchy stomach might need some time to adjust to them (I hope). That teeth cleaning thing is really pretty harsh IMO.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

2. Gave something like that

to my poodle last year - it was a present from his Christmas stocking - and he threw it up, too. We just stick with plain old milk bones.

[happynewyear]

7. the dog doesn't like milk bones

and he's overweight besides. I was rather surprised he wouldn't eat milk bones myself being he has been known to eat a whole box of Kleenex if he spots a box of them around the house (long story re: this).

I fed him these twice now - he threw up the next morning after I gave him a second one.

:shrug:

[MuseRider]

3. No problems here

but we use them sparingly. When one of the sweeties starts to reek a bit we give them one. It usually lasts quite a while.

[Philostopher]

5. I don't know what could cause the dog to upchuck those.

I will say that several other companies have started to make similar products -- check your pet food stores, look for the green ones.

They're green because they have chlorophyll in them as a breath freshener. Greenies and the others also usually have baking soda and beef protein in them, and whatever they use as a stabilizer to hold the shape -- probably corn or rice base. This may have been the thing your dog had problems with, I don't know.

Our dog loves 'em -- we don't give them to him as often as daily, but his teeth aren't that bad so far. We give him one about once a week, but we probably could give it more often.

Anyway, there are other brands that are similar, and they may be less expensive, I don't know -- it's worth looking into. They all call them 'dental bones' or something like that.

Good luck -- hope you can find something!

[tuvor]

6. Can your vet tell you whether a raw diet might help?

I'm assuming you feed your dog dry food.

My wife and I and our circle of friends feed our dogs raw. Raw chicken, raw tripe, raw bone and so on, and it's done a world of good for each of them, teeth included. (I'll save that for another day.)

And check with a vet who has an open mind. Dogs are genetically the same as wolves, and never had the convenience of bagged, dry kibble in the ancient forest. Even so, some vets seem to have difficulty with the idea of feeding raw food to dogs.

[happynewyear]

9. yep that is what the vet said here

He said absolutely no raw bones and to stick with the dry diet food I've had him on for over 1 year now. He has lost 10% of the weight he had on him but he still has about another 10-20% to go.

It sure is slow trying to take weight off of an old dog to say the least. He gets really tired of it I can tell and that is when all of a sudden that box of Kleenex goes *poof*.

Maybe I should find another veterinarian? The dog also has to be professionally groomed and that is a major pain in the hindquarters not only for the dog but for me!

[clydefrand]

11. What breed is your pooch? Mine is an American Eskimo.

[happynewyear]

15. he is a sheepdog

He is a throughbred I believe. He was my father's dog (Dad passed away several years ago and then Mother had him and now she is gone too - :( ). I have to keep him!

He's a nice enough dog but I haven't owned a dog since I was a kid so I'm sort of lost as to what to do with him. I promised Mother I'd take care of him on her death bed and so far I've lived up to this promise.

I think a sheepdog is aka a shetland sheepdog or a "sheltie"(looks like a small Lassie) - ????

Very friendly people oriented type of dog and he gets along really well with my 2 cats luckily. I didn't know how it was going to go but so far so good! :)

[tuvor]

16. Find a vet who knows about raw diets.

Vets can make more money selling you their kibble than sending you to some butcher or specialty store.

From our experience, raw bone is great for their teeth, raw food is great for their coat, and there's generally a lower vet bill.

Best to start off with some research.

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html

Good luck!

[clydefrand]

8. My dog loves the greenies! And they do indeed keep her

teeth much cleaner.

The green spit-looking stuff occured how soon after you had given your dog a greenie?

My dog throws up green stuff also, but not necessarily after she has eaten one of those. I think it is probably bile and/or a result of her having eaten some grass which seems to also love. Of course I heard many years ago, that dogs eat grass when they're feeling bad and that makes them throw up. Wellllllllllll, I've since read that dogs eat grass because they like it!

Yes, the greenies are expensive. I only give her one a couple or three times a week and they have helped the tartar build up. The last ones I got came from Petsmart and were a bit less expensive than some I had bought at a nearby country feed/seed/pet supply store. And they were a better size for her. She weighs about 23 lbs.

I never buy my dog bones at the butcher/grocery store. I have some thin, rectangular pieces of rawhide...made in the U.S.A. only...that I give her maybe once or twice a week. I always keep an eye on her when she's eating it to be sure she doesn't get choked.

[poppet]

10. Both my dogs love greenies,

the toothbrush shaped ones, but never get sick from them or throw up after eating them.

[happynewyear]

18. yes that is what I have

they are toothbrush shaped alright. It names a website on the package of www.greenies.com I think ... Hmmmm ....

[Branjor]

12. My dog loves them but they are a choking hazard....

I used to give her only one, once or twice a week. She had green poop, but never threw up.

BUTTTT...I stopped giving them because there is a real choking hazard with them.

[Elanor]

13. greenies

I gave my dog one of those green bones two years ago, and she went into liver failure the next day. We have no idea what caused the liver failure; she recovered completely; as far as I know she didn't eat anything unusual except the chlorophyl bone.

I don't know if it was the brand-name greenie; I just bought one to try it. Obviously I'm not going to try another one, but you may want to make sure you don't buy a cheap generic, just in case that was what caused my dog problems, and I really don't know what did.

[AmandaRuth]

14. i work in a pet shop. We sell a lot of greenies, and i mean

a lot. People say they do work at cleaning the teeth, better than most all of the other products we sell for teeth cleaning. My sweet little dog enjoys them, and I do see a difference in the teeth before and after.

[happynewyear]

17. thanks for the info!

Wow, this is promising. I'll try the slow route being the dog is so old. They are pricey but if you surf around on the www you can find a few deals here and there! Thanks again!

[tuvor]

20. Hey, AmandaRuth...

does your handle have anything to do with Rank and File?

[AmandaRuth]

23. yup

love the song, love the band, you are the first one to get it

[tuvor]

24. They played at the University of Alberta in 1983

At least I think that was the year. Initiation week. Good set.

Never had any of their albums, and I only know a few songs, but what I know, I like. Me, I got more hooked on Lone Justice.

Cheers!

[AmandaRuth]

25. what potential

"new " country music had back then, what shlock it has become today.

[mac56]

27. Their first album

and side one of "Long Gone Dead" are absolutely stellar.

[flordehinojos]

19. i feed my dogs greenies one once a month

but ... "up to two a day" might be a bit much... maybe your vet's office can tell you. i'll be taking my dogs in for their yearly shots in the next two weeks. i'll ask my vet about how often my dogs need or can have their greenies.

[matt819]

21. No problem here either

I feed them now and again, as a treat, to my three (yep, 3) jack russell terriers. Two of them like the bones, the oldest is too finicky.

[Imalittleteapot]

22. I searched the web for the best Greenies buy because

buying them individually or even in 24 packs is expensive. I just bought 240 petites for $69 plus tax and shipping. My dogs get 1 (sometimes 2) per day. They love and expect their Greenies right before I leave for work. They have never had a problem.

[BattyDem]

26. Greenies are great!

My dog loves them and they really help with keeping his teeth clean.

I've never had problems with doggie digestion because of Greenies. However, he does have green poop when he eats them, but I can live with that. :)

I don't give him more than 1 a week. I think it's better to use them as a treat than as part of a regular diet, especially if your dog has a sensitive stomach. You may want to try them one more time. Maybe the vomiting wasn't related to the Greenies - maybe he had an upset stomach to begin with and the Greenie made it worse.

If you find that he really can't tolerate Greenies, you may want to try "Petrodex Dental Chews" (available at Petco.com, Petsmart.com and most pet stores.) The dental chews are rawhide, but they're coated with a special enzyme that attacks bacteria that causes plaque and tartar. My dog likes these, too - and they do make a difference.

I've also used "C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews", which do the same thing as the Petrodex chews and most vets carry C.E.T products - at least they do in my area. You can also get them from VetAmerica.com and PetFoodDirect.com.


As a last resort, you can brush his teeth or at least clean them with a doggie dental rinse. Most vets carry dental hygiene products or they can recommend a good brand. The Drs. Foster and Smith web site has several good products, including one you add to your dog's water (there's no flavor). http://www.drsfostersmith.com/

My dog has dental problems, so I've learned a lot about this stuff during the past year. I have tooth brushes, tooth scalers, rinses, pastes, gels, chews, cleansing pads and everything else that's available, LOL!