Why Greenies Are Dangerous For Your Dog--Part I
How Greenies came to be
In the late 1990’s, Dr. Joe and Judy Roetheli weren’t overly fond of their Samoyed’s dog breath and devised a dog treat to be an effective alternative to brushing a dog’s teeth. In 1998, the dog treat, Greenies, was introduced and gave their competitors a run for their money with 325 million treats being sold around the world last year alone, overtaking the #1 dog treat spot by a landslide. Greenies are manufactured by a Missouri-based company called S&M NuTec.
A lawsuit
A rescued Miniature Dachshund, “Burt”, died July 25, 2005 at the age of 4. A Greenie was found obstructing his intestines. Burt died 48 hours after the obstruction was surgically removed. Burt’s family filed a lawsuit against S&M NuTec on November 30, 2005.
Common sense
In my non-professional opinion; Greenies pose a danger to every dog due to the biological digestive process of the animal. Asking owners, as the manufacturer does in the fine print, to make sure their dogs don’t gulp the dog treat known as “doggie crack” is ludicrous. It goes against the dog’s own nature and may not be a possibility. Part I of Why Greenies Are Dangerous for Your Dog is dedicated to canine digestion, intestinal blockage, and the lack of common sense of the manufacturers. I urge my readers to take my conclusions seriously and ask your vets for a professional opinion.
Digestion—a quick lesson
Canine digestion is very different than human digestion. Wolves eat their food quickly in an attempt to protect it from being stolen. They do not use their jaw muscles and teeth for chewing; instead they rip off large sections of meat and swallow them whole. The function of canine teeth is to cut, much like a knife. Wolf digestion is quite efficient for its purpose, objects not broken down become encased in undigested fur, and thus the intestines are protected from injury.
Wolves and dogs, as almost-true carnivores, do not have salivary amylase, an enzyme that exists in human saliva and begins the digestive process. Salivary amylase is an enzyme, a “biological catalyst” increasing the rate of a chemical reaction. From what I understand, dogs, unlike humans, will digest any starches/carbohydrates they eat in the small intestine where amylase and other enzymes *are* found and produced by the pancreas.
A dog’s saliva creates an efficient lubricant that glazes food and helps with swallowing quickly. No chemical breakdown is occurring; the digestive chemical process has not begun. This is how dogs can gulp down their food. They are biologically made to do so.In the stomach, digestive enzymes are added to the consumed food, proteins are beginning to break down in the high acid ph of the stomach. The mucus that lubricated the food now protects the lining of the stomach wall from being digested by the enzymes. The food that is primarily protein should now be a thick milky liquid and will pass into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The main site for digestion of carbohydrates is in the small intestine (the workhorse of the digestive system) and enzymes, such as amylase, are added. The broken down nutrients are then absorbed across the wall of the intestine and into the blood stream.
Lack of common sense
Greenies manufacturer, S&M NuTec, says that the most popular dog treat is recommended for dogs over 6months of age and 5 pounds of weight and consumption should be followed with water. In addition, there is a caution. “As with any edible product, monitor your dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed. Gulping any item can be harmful or even fatal to a dog.” Unfortunately for dogs and their owners, favored treats will be consumed like a ravenous wolf at a kill, quickly with minimal chewing. It’s simple biology.
What is an intestinal blockage?
An intestinal blockage occurs when the intestinal contents cannot move because the intestinal walls are not contracting normally. A dog that vomits can indicate an obstruction located high in the intestinal canal. Obstructions found in the lower areas of the small intestine or in the large intestine are not able to be dislodged by vomiting. When a lower obstruction occurs, the intestine expands from swallowed air and accumulated debris creates pressure that causes a loss of blood supply. The loss of blood supply results in cell and tissue death, called necrosis. In surgery, necrotic tissue must be removed. The walls of the intestines may then become more porous than it already is, allowing toxins into the bloodstream. A highly dangerous situation, many dogs do not survive.
Conclusion
Burt isn’t the only dog to have suffered such a digestive Greenie catastrophe. The newswires are currently burning with news of other dogs and families that are suffering from similar problems associated with the dog treat. CNN reports that their investigation discovered that there have been 40 occurrences of Greenie extractions. Unfortunately 13 of those cases will await their owners at the Rainbow Bridge. The CNN story can be found here. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/14/dangerous.dogtreat/index.html
Jessica Tighe
www.asankadogs.com
This article can only be reproduced when proper credit is given to the author and the website link is included.
In the late 1990’s, Dr. Joe and Judy Roetheli weren’t overly fond of their Samoyed’s dog breath and devised a dog treat to be an effective alternative to brushing a dog’s teeth. In 1998, the dog treat, Greenies, was introduced and gave their competitors a run for their money with 325 million treats being sold around the world last year alone, overtaking the #1 dog treat spot by a landslide. Greenies are manufactured by a Missouri-based company called S&M NuTec.
A lawsuit
A rescued Miniature Dachshund, “Burt”, died July 25, 2005 at the age of 4. A Greenie was found obstructing his intestines. Burt died 48 hours after the obstruction was surgically removed. Burt’s family filed a lawsuit against S&M NuTec on November 30, 2005.
Common sense
In my non-professional opinion; Greenies pose a danger to every dog due to the biological digestive process of the animal. Asking owners, as the manufacturer does in the fine print, to make sure their dogs don’t gulp the dog treat known as “doggie crack” is ludicrous. It goes against the dog’s own nature and may not be a possibility. Part I of Why Greenies Are Dangerous for Your Dog is dedicated to canine digestion, intestinal blockage, and the lack of common sense of the manufacturers. I urge my readers to take my conclusions seriously and ask your vets for a professional opinion.
Digestion—a quick lesson
Canine digestion is very different than human digestion. Wolves eat their food quickly in an attempt to protect it from being stolen. They do not use their jaw muscles and teeth for chewing; instead they rip off large sections of meat and swallow them whole. The function of canine teeth is to cut, much like a knife. Wolf digestion is quite efficient for its purpose, objects not broken down become encased in undigested fur, and thus the intestines are protected from injury.
Wolves and dogs, as almost-true carnivores, do not have salivary amylase, an enzyme that exists in human saliva and begins the digestive process. Salivary amylase is an enzyme, a “biological catalyst” increasing the rate of a chemical reaction. From what I understand, dogs, unlike humans, will digest any starches/carbohydrates they eat in the small intestine where amylase and other enzymes *are* found and produced by the pancreas.
A dog’s saliva creates an efficient lubricant that glazes food and helps with swallowing quickly. No chemical breakdown is occurring; the digestive chemical process has not begun. This is how dogs can gulp down their food. They are biologically made to do so.In the stomach, digestive enzymes are added to the consumed food, proteins are beginning to break down in the high acid ph of the stomach. The mucus that lubricated the food now protects the lining of the stomach wall from being digested by the enzymes. The food that is primarily protein should now be a thick milky liquid and will pass into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. The main site for digestion of carbohydrates is in the small intestine (the workhorse of the digestive system) and enzymes, such as amylase, are added. The broken down nutrients are then absorbed across the wall of the intestine and into the blood stream.
Lack of common sense
Greenies manufacturer, S&M NuTec, says that the most popular dog treat is recommended for dogs over 6months of age and 5 pounds of weight and consumption should be followed with water. In addition, there is a caution. “As with any edible product, monitor your dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed. Gulping any item can be harmful or even fatal to a dog.” Unfortunately for dogs and their owners, favored treats will be consumed like a ravenous wolf at a kill, quickly with minimal chewing. It’s simple biology.
What is an intestinal blockage?
An intestinal blockage occurs when the intestinal contents cannot move because the intestinal walls are not contracting normally. A dog that vomits can indicate an obstruction located high in the intestinal canal. Obstructions found in the lower areas of the small intestine or in the large intestine are not able to be dislodged by vomiting. When a lower obstruction occurs, the intestine expands from swallowed air and accumulated debris creates pressure that causes a loss of blood supply. The loss of blood supply results in cell and tissue death, called necrosis. In surgery, necrotic tissue must be removed. The walls of the intestines may then become more porous than it already is, allowing toxins into the bloodstream. A highly dangerous situation, many dogs do not survive.
Conclusion
Burt isn’t the only dog to have suffered such a digestive Greenie catastrophe. The newswires are currently burning with news of other dogs and families that are suffering from similar problems associated with the dog treat. CNN reports that their investigation discovered that there have been 40 occurrences of Greenie extractions. Unfortunately 13 of those cases will await their owners at the Rainbow Bridge. The CNN story can be found here. http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/14/dangerous.dogtreat/index.html
Jessica Tighe
www.asankadogs.com
This article can only be reproduced when proper credit is given to the author and the website link is included.
posted by Ridgeback Ranger at 6:41 PM
16 Comments:
Great minds think alike..lol..I heard this on the news earlier and thought I would put it in my blog for all my pet loving friends.
Very well written. As you know, I agree w/ you about Greenies being dangerous. My Riley Pug almost needed surgery to remove a piece of greenie. Very scary.
I don't know much about Greenies. Yet.
But here's to sorting out how to get a profile picture as lovely as you do sometime soon.
Thank you both for the Inspiration.
Greenies feel and look like particle board. When my dog threw up a greenie it was like bits of plastic and chunks of compacted fiber.
Thank you all for your comments. I'm very interested in the regurgitated Greenie. I'm wondering if it didn't cause a "higher" intestinal blockage that was able to be dislodged through vomiting.
I think the water is needed (the instructions say to have your dog drink water after Greenie consumption) to help break down the cellulose which is like a glue, while I'm thinking the acidic ph of the stomach is what breaks down the gelatin.
It's my theory that these two things are what allow the Greenie to pass through the digestive system. With one step missing, problems arise. One step can easily be missed because you take a dog to water, but you can't make him drink!
Part 2 will be my Greenie experiments. If dog owners are going to keep buying them (I'm guessing quite a few will and dismiss the warnings as 'hype') they need to fully understand how a Greenie breaks down. This will protect the dog at the very least.
I'm so warm-fuzzied by the people that care so much about their dogs. Thank you! Please get the word out about how a dog's digestive system works. The chunks of Greenie consumed are going to have a difficult time finishing it's breakdown (or not happen at all) in the small intestine, the powerhouse of the digestion system, NOT THE STOMACH. Protein ONLY gets digested in the stomach, and only proteins that dogs have the enzymes to break down. Different breeds can also have different digestive requirements based on their natural enzyme production. Different dogs, different natural systems.
I meant glycerine, not gelatine. (grin)
Jess,
You are awesome my friend! Thanks so much for spreading the real truth about Greenies! Can't wait for part II.
I will be blog rolling you on two of my blogs! Whole Dog News http://www.wholedognews.com and Boston Terriers Rock http://bostonterriersrock.blogspot.com
My mixed terrier has been having problems with diarrhea/vomiting for 6 weeks. She has lost 14 lbs and my vet has no explanation and $400+ of tests that have revealed nothing. Now he wants to do a barrium x-ray for another $400 which I would not be opposed to if it will identify the problem. My dog has eaten these "greenies" in the past. I am wondering if this could be the cause and if the duration of it is plausible? If anyone has any input it would be GREATLY appreciated. Like I said it is not the money but the vet bill is climbing and my dog is getting sicker by the day. Thanks for the great info on this horrible product for future reference and anyone who might have had a similar experience that could provide some insight. Laura
It's going to be tough to say what exactly is causing your dog's problems, especially if a vet can't figure it out either, lol, :)
Out of curiosity, does your dog lick the fabric of places he lays for long periods of time? (The old fur licking-off-fabric is an intestine protecting action).
Have you tried giving your terrier kefir, yoghurt, or raw (not-pasteurized) goat or cows milk? The reaction to these things would tell you a LOT. There is actually a goat dairy about an hour from Fort Worth, they do ship frozen milk if I remember correctly.
Also, you may want to put some apple cider vinegar in the dog's water. Not a whole lot, but maybe half a tablespoon to one pint of water.
More specifically, your question is could greenies have affected my dog's digestion? The answer is yes, it could have affected your dog's digestion. Obviously there is no obstruction, but there's the possibility an obstruction passed prior to the visit with your vet. An intestine wall could be slightly damaged. We just don't know. (And I'm not a vet, lol). There are other factors involved including how you feed your dog. If you feed your dog "normal" dog food, your dog may have a stomach acid issue.
A terrier (especially a mix) is a hardy animal, so these problems are very alarming. FERMENTED foods are soft on the stomach and intestines, having already been pre-digested by the good bacteria. As fermented foods are acidic, if no problems occur out of at least one end, your dog may in fact have a stomach acid problem, i.e., not developing enough acid to maintain a stomach ph of 1.
If there is an acid problem, you will know because your dog will not throw up. The other end may still be runny, but whatever the problem is, it will take time to fix.
God Speed to health for your terrier, and let me know if you try the above and the results. My first dog was a terrier mix and they occupy a special place in my heart.
People, cool it a bit. Greenies were on the market and selling very well for eight years, now you blame everything and kitchen sink on it. I also copied about chocolate being extremely poisonous for dogs: "Milk chocolate: 1 ounce per pound of body weight. Approximately one pound of milk chocolate is poisonous to a 20-pound dog; one-half pound for a 10-pound dog. The average chocolate bar contains 2 to 3 ounces of milk chocolate. It would take 2-3 candy bars to poison a 10 pound dog. Semi-sweet chocolate has a similar toxic level." YOU NEED HALF POUND OF CHOCOLATE TO POISON 10-POUND DOG! Don't you think he/she would not be able to eat that much?
Get a life, it might help put things in perspective.
Our dog had many problems with greenies -- I wish we'd known about this. We stopped giving them to her after she continued to throwup. We thought maybe we weren't giving her the right size, so we tried different sizes. Always supervised, but even swallowing small pieces caused serious problems.
Oh, and we switched to z-ridge. No problems with that brand. It is made by Zukes. She's been fine since.
Anonymous, I'm sorry to hear your dog had a bad experience with Greenies. I'm thankful that you took a moment to let me know how you were affected.
I've been thinking of carrying the Zukes line, I've heard many good things about it.
Thankyou the digestion bit helped me with my biology homework. P.s Greenies suck
This is absolutely shocking! Ive been feeding all 3 of my dogs Greenies for years, I'm extremely terrified of the danger I've been putting them in. Thanks for the information though!!
--Lauren
Interesting. Iwonder how hey think an owner is to INSURE water conumption after eating. Someone has cearly never hear. "You can lead our dog to water but you can't make him drink."
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