Overview
It’s a lot of fun to give your dog a treat, especially for good behavior, or just because. Watching them enjoying the treat you give them can be a pleasurable moment for you, as they get lost in the sensation of having something different from their normal food and water. When a treat serves the double purpose of cleaning their teeth and gums, it seems to be a win-win situation for everyone. But some owners wonder if treats like these can serve as a substitute for dental cleanings at the vet’s office.
The Claim
The makers of Greenies claim that they have designed the shape of their treats for a specific purpose: cleaning your pet’s mouth. For dogs, on one end of the treat is what appears to be a brush. On the other end, it looks like a bone. They say that these are designed this way so there are special breakpoints so your dog doesn’t end up eating the whole tree at once, presenting a choking hazard. The cat treats are smaller in size, basically almost bite-size, but are supposed to have the same teeth cleaning properties.
The Hype
Pet owners will do anything for their pets so that they can have a better existence, and a better time here on earth. This means that any product that has the dual benefit of tasting good for the pet, and keeping the teeth clean so that the owner doesn’t have to break out that specially designated toothbrush and go to town on those teeth, is going to get a lot of attention. Also, anytime something states that it is recommended by veterinarians, you have to take a step back and see if that’s actually the case or not.
The Cost
One of the great thing about Greenies is they don’t cost a fortune. You can get a pack of 94 dog treats for $20. This is nice because you don’t have to sit there and weigh the pros and cons of giving your pet a treat wondering whether or not you can justify the expense. At roughly 20 cents per treat, any time your dog does something that is treat worthy you should give them one without flinching at how much it’s costing you.
The Commitment
A lot of owners are going to view this as a way to prolong a trip to the veterinarian for a dental cleaning for their pet. It can be hard to take your pet in to have their teeth cleaned because you know it is not a very pleasant experience for them, but is something that is necessary. It can also be hard for you too, because it is not exactly the cheapest procedure they offer at the pet clinic. However, these are still a great way to help keep their teeth clean between visits, and should lessen the amount of times you need to brush their teeth for them.
Evaluation
You just can’t argue with the sort of positive reviews that Greenies get from satisfied owners. The important thing to remember here is that pet owners are notorious for being harsh critics. Not only do they have to like the product, but their pet has to like it as well. With so many different dog and cat breeds, and so many different personalities, there is a big chance that a pet product will get mixed reviews at best. When you see something like this that has almost unanimous approval, you know you’re on to something good.
At this price point, it’s something that you can buy with confidence knowing your pet is at least going to like them. And if they end up loving them you can buy them again.
We’re giving Greenies our Thumbs Up review, and highly recommend them for your pet. This is a company that recognized the need to reward your dog or
cat with a treat, and also keep their mouth and teeth cleaned. It’s funny to think that a lot of research and development went into pet treats like these, but when you stop and think about it, and inspect the treat yourself, you can see that it isn’t just a bunch of hot air. The grooves and the design that are in the dog treats really do appear as if they help scrape the plaque and clean the gum line.Our Recommendation
Definitely grab these for your pet. Often as owners we are tempted to give our pets people food as a way to reward them for good behavior, or just because we’re tired of seeing them beg for the food that we are eating. This makes a great substitute for when your pet starts to beg. You can swap out what you are eating with one of these treats and they are none the wiser, unless you have a rather smart animal on your hands, or are really bad at making the swap.
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My dogs LOVE Greenies. In fact, my Silky Terrier, Sophie, who is quite intelligent, seems to know exactly the time of night I give them their treat, every night, without a doubt. Never miss a night. If I'm running late doing things, she starts nose butting me. Sometimes I forget why. I'm walking around, she follows me, gently butting my ankle. Finally, I stop and say, oh, want your Greenie? Her little stump of a tail starts wagging like crazy. I walk to the pantry. As soon as I reach for the box, she starts standing on her hind legs, dancing, as long as she can, puts down on all fours, then starts dancing again. I hold it down in front of her. She grabs it in her mouth & runs in another space to eat it all up. My chihuahua can't dance, but he stands there wagging his tail, takes it in his mouth, runs to his bed & chews away. He doesn't have a lot of teeth, but he chews away. I asked the vet if my girlie needed her teeth cleaned again. She cleaned them 4 yrs ago. She looks & says, no, not yet. They're pretty good. I've had a few other dogs, who have passed. They all have LOVED Greenies. They would hear the crinkle of the package, not being right there with me, and come running. I highly recommend Greenies.
I was wondering what other people had determined. I have been told by vets that nothing but a vet cleaning can remove tartar once present. As far as greenies are concerned, that is pretty close to accurate. They are simply too soft and chewed up too fast to do much. They are more of a feel good solution in lieu of brushing. The thing that does work from my experience is the Nylabone product. However, there is a caveat. This things are not turned into a dental cleaning tool by small dogs. They simply can't mash the nylon up into tendrils like a big dog. However, in a multiple dog home, the big dogs can prep the nylabone for the little dogs. I recently rescued a 2 year old dog at about 35 lbs. My 60 lb dog demolishes nylabones where the 35 lb dog could only mar it to a limited degree. They share bones of course. The smaller dog came with dental tartar at the level of take her in now or soon. Both dogs are nylabone lovers and chew them for fun as well as for stress relief in the home and car. In about 3 weeks, 90% of the tartar is gone from the smaller dog and the larger dog has never developed any, at least visibly on his teeth above and below the gum line. I will be interested to see if the small dog achieves 100% in the next few weeks. I only buy the largest nylabones. The smaller dog has no trouble with the larger size. The ends of the bone look something like a spore after the larger dog preps them. The shape of the nylabone seems obviously bone shaped but after examination, it is clear that the design is conducive to the dog moving it around his mouth like he would to get marrow out of a beef bone. The fact that it is distortable by the dog's chewing makes it a much better brush than a beef bone.
My Yorkie loves Greenie. He is very picky about his food and his treats. He doesn't like hard treats such as milkbone, bones. Greenie and Cloud Star's Buddy Biscuits and Zuke are about the only treats that he actually likes. Not sure how effective Greenies are since his breath still stinks as he has periodontal disease. He gets his teeth cleaned every year but still the same.
I am guilty as charged - one of those pet owners who would do *just about* anything to make sure my dog has a happy, healthy experience on the planet. So, naturally, I bought the Greenies as soon as I heard about them - and my crazy dog wouldn't eat them! (The thought actually crossed my mind to show her how good they are but - even thought it might have improved my breath - I was able to resist the demonstration.) She honestly eats everything else - and cannot be called 'picky' after some of the stuff she's rolled in. Oddly enough, however, I can wholeheartedly recommend these based on the happy, health experience my friend's dog is having.
Rebecca, I have a "fussy" dog as well and I had the same experience. I heard so many people raving about Greenies so...naturally I bought them but Spenser won't eat them. He will, however, tote it around the house so it is a well travelled treat. I, also, had the same inspiration to show him that it is edible but then I thought...are you nuts?
I am convinced that Greenies are a great idea...why not do something for dental health while letting them have a treat? I would also recommend the product based on other's experience with their dogs.
I don't know if there's any truth to it, but my grandma who's owned more than 10 dogs in her life tells me is unhealthy to feed dogs human foods or snacks. Seeing as how fat my dog has gotten under my care I think she might be right about that and I think it's time that I started feeding my dog more responsibly. I like the dual purpose of this snack, the fact that it's a treat and also a tooth cleaner. For $20 is almost gratis, so hopefully Mr. Tingles likes it :D