View Full Forums : Warning for people who give their pets Greenies


Stormhaven
12-22-2005, 11:33 PM
Friend forward this article to me, maybe something that pet owners may want to take a gander at:

<a href="http://www.newsday.com/mynews/ny-lspets4557714dec19,0,4163123.column">Greenies: A safe or deadly treat?</a>
Greenies: A safe or deadly treat?
December 19, 2005

It is the nation's top-selling dog treat, with $315 million in domestic retail sales last year.

It is so beloved by dogs that amused owners have a nickname for it - doggie crack.

And it is the reason, contend Michael Eastwood and Jennifer Reiff of Manhattan, that their miniature dachshund, Burt, is no longer alive.

On July 22, as she'd done regularly for the past year and a half, Reiff gave the 4-year-old rescue dog his Greenies treat. The next day, Burt was on an operating table, where vets removed three feet of necrotic intestine and what looked like a soft foamy green mass.

Two days later, Burt was dead.

The couple says S&M NuTec of North Kansas City, Mo., the manufacturer of Greenies, sent an e-mail expressing sadness for their loss, and offered to pay the almost $6,600 in medical bills as well as $2,000, the estimated purchase price for a mini-dachsie like Burt. In return, Eastwood and Reiff would have to sign a confidentiality agreement and agree not to pursue legal action.

Jinjre
12-23-2005, 09:14 AM
I'm in total agreement with the owners: I'd find it insulting if my dog just died as a result of a dog treat-induced intestinal blockage, then the company said "oh here's your vet bills, we want you to sign a gag order". That, if anything, would just make me likely to be that much more vocal about their company/product.

As Hagrid said: People can be a bit stupid about their pets sometimes.

B_Delacroix
12-23-2005, 10:51 AM
I've never heard of greenies.

Stormhaven
12-23-2005, 10:58 AM
Greenies are a big thing at pet stores right now, they're being promoted as breath savers, teeth cleaners, and lots of other stuff. Apparently they've gotten a lot of calls about the articles and put something into their <a href="http://greenies.com/faqs/details.cfm?ID=336">FAQ</a>.

Taeyn Kaidyrsi
12-23-2005, 11:54 AM
I wonder if this is also a problem with feline greenies?

Panamah
12-23-2005, 11:58 AM
Processed wheat gluten (wheat protein), glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose fiber, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acid, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll.
Bad, bad, bad. Gluten does horrible things to cat's brains. When I started researching into whether or not gluten might be doing bad things to me I came across a study on what it does to kitties. Humans have had only about 10,000 years to adapt to grains, kitties are Generation 0 of that adaptation process. I don't feed my cat anything with wheat in it (anymore). Wish I'd known before.