As pet owners, we all know what Greenies are. You see them at almost every pet store, but are they safe for your pets, despite being promoted as dental care treats?
These oddly shaped dental treats has come under many negative reviews from pet owners who cited Greenies as a dangerous treat that can cause death to your pets and at any cost shouldn’t be fed to pets.
Greenies are supposed to be dental care in form of treats for your pet dog or cat, to help prevent plaque and tartar build up on their teeth. Besides helping the teeth, it is also promoted to help your pet’s joints.
Made in usually four to six different sizes, the different sizes suits dogs of different sizes with their respectively bite forces.
What Are Greenies Really Made Of?
Greenies are made of digestible matter like processed wheat gluten and wheat, infused with some flavoring, edible fatty acid and chlorophyll.
GREEN COLORED FECES FROM YOUR PETS AFTER TAKING GREENIES ARE JUST COLOR FROM THE CHLOROPHYLL. IT’S NOT LIFE-THREATENING.
They are made hard and chew-able, so your pet’s teeth and gums gets cleaned through the action of them chewing down the treat.
Greenies Can Cause Pet Death
Consumers and veterinarians alike have negative reviews on Greenies. This isn’t surprising as there have been many cases where dogs and cats had to undergo surgery after taking Greenies.
A CNN report back in 2006 stated that 13 dogs have died after being fed with Greenies. That sounds like a serious case but if you consider that over 350 million greenies were sold annually even back in 2006, the number of cases seems pretty low.
But are other types of treats alright while its just Greenies being the dangerous dog snack?
The Real Dangers Of Pet Treats
Like Greenies, other pet treats also poses the same level of danger to your pets.
Every treats that requires chewing can actually cause blockage, stomach indigestion or even choking. This is even more severe if your pets are the type that gobbles down their food.
We aren’t supposed to feed bones to our dogs, yet many do it. Eating bones or eating too much rawhide causes them to get stomach upset or to get their intestines stuck with all these not properly chewed foods.
In conclusion, if your dog or cat is the kind that gobbles and swallows their food whole, it’s not recommended that you feed it with Greenies or even other types of chew treats
Greenies Aren’t For Every Pet
Observe your pet’s eating habits. If it gobbles its food, don’t feed it with large greenies. You might want to go for the lil greenies bit that are made small on purpose for dogs who gobbles.
Greenies shouldn’t be fed to puppies below 6 months old or dogs which weigh below 5 pounds.
Get the correct greenies size for your dog as mentioned on the package. Never try to break the Greenies into half just to save some bucks on your pet treats.
Also never overfeed your pet with too many Greenies. I’ve seen pet owners who feed their dogs with dog treats, just to get them to keep quiet. Feed only one treat every 2 to 3 days.
It’s About Observing And Understanding Your Pet
Whether to feed your pet with Greenies or not depends on your pet’s attitude when it comes to eating treats.
There is nothing harmful in the ingredients used to make Greenies, but rather the way your pet eat and swallows these green treats.
Do you feed Greenies to your dog or cat? Comment below.