Greenies (or other dental treats)
this weekend, we bought machete his first greenie...petsmart had a sale and i grabbed two of the 'lite' version.
he took to it much better than he did the zuke's dental treats.
then a friend on here mentioned that they don't digest and congealed in her relative's dog's stomach and the dog unfortunately died. which, obviously freaked me out.
various veterinary medicine sites on the internet and other research gave inconclusive results: some said greenies are perfectly safe and not to worry; others said NO do not give them to your dog it will result in surgeries, illness, and fatalities...
yesterday we took machete to the vet for a booster shot (he's finally DONE with vaccines! yay!) and i asked my vet.
now, as background: we are vigilant with his teeth, no bones, no antlers, nothing that will crack his teeth. we scrape and brush them all the time during our regular grooming. i just always wonder if i should be doing more.
so the vet said the following:
- she HAS heard of the deaths and such related to greenies
- she knows for a fact that they've reformulated their product and that [death or illness] is no longer a concern
- she says they are very good for keeping teeth clean
- but also that they are very high in calorie count (which as we all know, corgis putting on weight is a concern)
i did grab the lite greenies, but i think i'm going to maybe call the company to get the exact calorie count per treat. i've called a number of treat manufacturers or contacted them about calorie counts and they're all pretty helpful about it so far.
anyway, what have your experiences been with dental treats? or greenies in specific?
good or bad?
appreciate any input, thanks!
edited to add from the greenies website found caloric content:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by rae on
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Called Zukes to get the calorie counts on the Z-Bones treats...OOF!
Z-Bone:
regular apple 162
regular cherry 160 calories
regular carrot is 166 calories
that seems like a LOT, considering if i find treats that are edging up to the 5/6 calories per treat i'm like, uh...no. so i definitely wouldn't toss a 160+ calorie treat at machete every day, that seems too much!
still have to get a hold of the whimzees/paragon treat guys, though.
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Permalink Reply by Katherine Meadows on
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You can try the Virbac Hexchews. They are coated with chlorhexidine and it helps break down the stuff on the tooth when the dog is chewing on the treat. It is backed by veterinarians and it is the same principle as how technicians clean the dog teeth. I I got the large size and cut them in half to give to my corgi about once a week.
Crude Protein 75%
Crude Fat: 1%
Crude Fiber: 3.5%
Moisture: 16%
Calories: 63
There are also oral additives you can add to their water that helps freshen breath as well. Or there is Purina DM or Hill's Science Diet t/d that you can get from your vet that is food but you can use as treats or supplements to your current food. The food bites are larger and have a grain to them. They are coated too so when the dog chews them the bite is actually cleaning the teeth with enzymes and coarse scrubbing. I would encourage you to look at other options beside greenies. Teeth brushing is always going to be the best option but there are many other things to supplement your regiment with depending on how involved you want to get.
Check this website out for more information!
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Permalink Reply by Chris Payerl on
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Our first corgi, Asta, got very sick after eating a Greenie. I'm afraid to give one to Sophie. We did try Zukes with her but she's swallow small chunks and I was afraid of a blockage so no more. We brush her teeth and I smudge some of the doggie toothpaste on her Nylabones, as she needs to chew something and those don't break off in chunks; the tiny "shavings" or whatever you'd call them just pass through.
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