[Dog_Obsessed]

I have the same struggle of Lily refusing to let me brush her teeth. I can sort of brush the front ones, and I can rub toothpaste on, but not much more than that. And this is after trying for several months to acclimate her to it.

I can also support that RMBs are good, even though I don’t give them myself. The idea of “raw” just grosses me out too much. I give Lily Himalayan Dog Chews, which are vegetarian natural chews made out of very hard cheese. I have no idea if they clean teeth, but she loves them anyway and it seems like they could. More on those here: /forums/topic/himalayan-dog-chews/

I don’t really believe that commercial “dental chews” such as Greenies really work, though I suppose they are better than nothing. The ingredients in most of them are really bad. I occasionally give Lily one of the ones with slightly better ingredients as a special treat. There is a topic on Greenies and other commercial dental chews here: /forums/topic/greenies/

Good luck!!! 😀

[Cheryl Pepper Millie Sophie]

Akari 32,
This sounds like your talking about my angel pepper. Yesterday was 3 full yrs since I have her. She is 11 and was never cared for. I could bring you to tears but I won’t with what we have been through-such bad teeth and gums, when she was able to undergo a dental 6 teeth just crumbled in the vets hands. Pepper went completely blind in 2 days-a very rare disease calf SARDS, then there was the aspiration phunmenia last yr that almost killed her then the IBS/IBD that i have been fighting with, the melanomas, i could tell you more, but you get the point.
I love her more than I can put into words, she never learned to play, her greatest joy is our am walks & food,the walks had to be curtailed because of arthritis, the food has to be changed because or recent regurgitation and vomiting eposides-I WiLL not give up on her as long as she has SOME quality of life.
sorry to go on & on, but the good news is that Pepper’s melanomas were shaved off no general anesthesia, not saying that would be in your case, but ask if they can do it with a local.
I would stay away from greenies i got a smell free bully stick at Whole foods, there is also a product called ORAVET (you can get it at Amazon) that helps with the gum disease. Pep hates to have anyone touch her teeth(no one ever did it probably) but with some patience she allows this to be applied to the gums.
The reason I say stay away from greenies they are very hard for the fur-kids to digest, Pepper got very sick on them.
I wish you the very best of luck

[Akari_32]

She’s got a few smaller spots like this on her face, as well. Not all crazy shaped, they’re still round, but I can tell they are the makings of something just like if they ever get that big.

I have not canceled the vet appointment. The thing still bleeds when it’s bothered. If it needs some antibiotic cream or something to help it heal over (provided it doesn’t need to be removed) or something else needs to be done to it to keep it from getting nasty (or nastier, anyways), I want to do it. Tuesday will also have been a week since she’s been on her ear drops, and I’m supposed to call and tell him how she’s doing on them, so he can adjust the dose, so we might as well just do it all in person. I’d also like him to peek in her mouth and see if the antibiotics are clearing her mouth up. The poor things gums were bright red, and she’s been snipping at me when I get too close to her mouth during ear and cheek rubs. I wish I could get her to chew bones or something. I can’t stand the thought of putting her under anesthesia at her age, and she needs a dental some sort of terrible. She just doesn’t know how to play and have fun, much less chew a bone. Her idea of a good time is a bowl full of food lol I did buy her a dental chew for Christmas (I think it’s Fruitables brand, actually), as I’ve gotten her to eat greenies before, but it’s pretty hard. I may just buy her the senior greenies, as they are softer, even though greenies aren’t the best. The dog can’t live on antibiotics the rest of her, weather they’re free or not! lol

[Denise T]

I have three poms and I bought greenies for them all the time but stopped after an incident with one of my dogs. I gave him a greenie and after about fifteen minutes I noticed my dog had a strange look in his eyes and then he started jerking his head up and down. I knew he was choking and there was no way I had time to get him to a vet so I forced his mouth open and used my finger to sweep the back if his throat. What I managed to get out was a huge piece of greenie. I took him to the vet to get him checked out. He had trouble swallowing for a day or so but thank goodness I was there and noticed the change in his expressions. The piece of greenie I took out was large but it was difficult to hang on to when I was pulling it out. I think even if the dog doesn’t intend to swallow a large piece, when they have in their mouth it tends to get very slippery and can easily slip down their throat as they chew.

[Mik L]

Wow, I didn’t realize this was a police forum. I see we have children logged on here. People are entitled to their opinion and there’s not need for supervision here. Micro manage some where else. My dog loves greenies and his teeth doesn’t have much tartar. When I took him to get his teeth clean the vet said I was doing a good job, thanks greenies…. My vet advises against any bones even raw hide.

[Jenny Rellick]

My dog, Leo, was like yours–begging for more food. He went from 62 lbs. down to 50 lbs.over the course of a year on a grain-free dry food. Here are my 4 tips for dog weight loss:

1. Feed the calories for your dog’s ideal weight, not her current weight: Leo gets 725 calories per day, including treats, and has gotten that amount since he hit 62 lbs.. Use The Dog Food Calculator on this site’s home page to figure out you dog’s caloric needs, entering an estimated ideal weight in pounds from your vet or from a time before your dog was overweight, and for activity level, select “overweight.” Leo’s food is 500 calories per cup, and I feed him 1 and 1/3 cups per day, for 650 calories from a high protein dog food. I leave 75 calories for other food, and because the grain-free food I use is so nutritious, I am confident he is well-nourished with the small quantity. Leo gets 2 meals of 2/3 cups, measured with a measuring cup (never eye-ball the quantity.)

2. Pump up the volume with warm water: Use a big, flat-bottom bowl to spread the kibble out, and add enough warm water to just cover the kibble, letting it steep on the counter for a minute or two.. Some kibble swells to make it more filling, and even if your part kibble doesn’t swell much, you are making a tasty broth to drink without adding calories. The water makes the meal take longer to eat, and tricks Leo into drinking extra water, which is necessary for weight loss. My dog goes crazy fpr the aroma while it steeps. Many vets recommend canned dog food for weight loss for exactly these benefits I provide by adding warm water to dry food. My way is much less expensive.

3. Feed green beans liberally with every meal. You can use frozen or salt-free canned (never give salted canned vegetables to a dog.) Of all the vegetables, green beans have an extremely low caloric density but, when cooked (canned green beans are pre-cooked and can be fed directly,) they are appealing to dogs. My dog won’t eat cabbage, lettuce, or celery, but he loves green beans. He gets 1/2 cup at each meal, stirred into the steeped kibble. This adds about 20 calories per meal, but he feels very satisfied with each meal, gets plenty of fiber for bowel regularity, and thinks I am preparing something special for him at each meal. He watches each step, and if I leave the kitchen while the kibble is steeping, he barks and cries as if to say, “you are forgetting to finish cooking my dinner!” If he starts begging before I put the green beans in, I show him the bowl and say, “Don’t you want green beans?” He barks and cries until I add the green beans! If I run out of green beans, he looks so disappointed. When I get back from the store, he goes to his bowl and waits just to get his half cup of green beans by itself.

4. Give very small treats. Except for 2 regular Greenies per week (90 calories each,) Leo gets tiny treats for going potty the right way or listening well. They are about 1/2 the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Most dogs will enjoy one treat three times more than they enjoy three treats all at once. Liver biscotti treats are Leo’s favorite tiny treat. Zuke’s mini naturals are also a convenient size. You could chop up human cold cuts or pepperoni and keep them as treats in the refrigerator. If your dog loves to chew for a long time, antlers are great because only a small amount is ingested or digested at a time, and your dog will burn calories by chewing. Elk antlers seem to be a good size and wear down just fast enough for Leo to get flavor and satisfaction from his efforts. Marrow bones from cattle are similarly good chews for dogs, but bully sticks, pig’s ears, raw hide, and the like present a choking hazard, can cause bowel blockages, have empty calories, and often contain chemicals. By the way, my dog loves his Greenies so much that they serve as his emergency recall reward. For the emergency recall reward, don’t worry about calories!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Karen –

Greenies Allergy Formula Pill Pockets are grain-free.

[Akari_32]

She doesn’t play with toys. She does chew greenies and will probably chew a raw hide, though. Maybe I’ll try that.

[Akari_32]

I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think she could handle it yet. I did try to get the vet to look at her teeth while we were there today, but his advertiser came in and they talked until the next appointment came in, so I didn’t get a chance to have him look. However, they really are too far gone to do much of anything to, besides maybe pull them all. She eats without problem and chews greenies and oversized treats just fine, and I’m 99% sure I can’t afford anything to do with anything dental-y. I do want him to look and make sure nothing is a serious, life threatening (or at least over all quality-of-life threatening) issue in there with in the next few weeks. A person has to have more than $12 to their name before they can have a vet do stuff >.< lol

Mom came home tonight and referred to Ginger as “her puppy” (and “little orphan dog” LOL). For a dog that isn’t supposed to be staying, someone had grown quite attached. I mean, look at this that she posted on Facebook tonight! (Also notice how the cat, who she “hates” is in the middle, and not “her Bentley” :p)

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/42BF73D8-08B1-451C-8F57-BADCDA503099_zpstwdl30vr.jpg

LOL

[Akari_32]

I was doing my internship at the vet today, and a lady called in about her dog suddenly biting and developing all sorts of undesirable behaviors very suddenly. She came a few hours later, and after talking with the vet and diagnosing her with dementia, she ended up leaving the dog, asking to have her put down, unless the vet could find someone that could deal with her.

The end of the day came (they had already come in pretty late in the day), and the vet wasn’t any closer to finding someone to take the dog. She was obviously scared, just sitting in the kennel shaking and crying, no idea what was going on. I volunteered to take her home for a few days, so she wasn’t left at the clinic alone for 12 hours over night, and then for 17 hours the next day, since the clinic closes at 2 tomorrow. Plus, if she’s to be adopted out, theres no way of anyone knowing how the dog actually is around people when she’d be left alone for that long.

So I brought her home, set her up in my closest with some food and water, and a bed and toy, and little Greenies. I also went out and bought her some potty pads at the Dollar Tree, since they sell 4 packs, and I didn’t want to have a whole box of potty pads I’d only be using for a couple days lol

She’s a very sweet little dog! A little brown mini dachshund, can’t weigh more than about 6-7 pounds. She loves to be pet, is very apt to give a warning if I get to a spot that triggers her to bite (I bugged her once, trying to get her out of the kennel, and all she did was whine a little bit and turn her head around at me), walks great on a leash, and so on. I may see how she does with Bentley and the cat over the next couple days and see with mom if we can keep her. She so happy and lovable– she doesn’t need to be put down.

The one area that triggers her is very easy to avoid (left shoulder sort of area), and as long as you aren’t trying to touch her there, or put a muzzle on her (I tried to muzzle her to bring her home so I could get her in and out of the car more easily, but she wasn’t having any of that lol), she’s great. She even made me sit down so she could sit in my lap a little bit ago. This dog doesn’t need to be put down. She needs an owner that understands she has boundaries, and needs them to be respected because her little brain isn’t all there, and she will respond with instinct now, rather than conditioning.

The only “bad” thing she’s done since I brought her home is she barks at the baby gate. I was keeping Bentley and the cat out of my room, thinking they would just bother her (she barked at them some when I first brought her in), but I finally opened the bedroom door and let them come in, and she quieted right down, and has been sleeping for the last hour or so. She had two other dog friends at home, so maybe she finds comfort in having them in the room. Who knows.

So while she’s here, the vet asked me to see what triggers her to bite. So far, its just touching the one spot. Do the same thing on the other side, she doesn’t care. The lady was also shoving a syringe full of anti-biotics down her throat, which is when she would bite, and thats why she left her with us. I can’t help but wonder if one of those times she was giving the meds, if she hurt the dog in some way, and now she’s responding in the only way she knows how to make it stop. She’s also apparently been peeing inside recently, as well as barking around 4am. I’m hoping a change in routine, scenery, and life in general, will help fix both of these.

Anyways, if anyone has any tips on how to deal with dementia, go for it! I won’t tell you guys her name or post a pic just yet. Don’t want to get too attached incase the vet ends up putting her down. I really hope that doesn’t happen! This dog can live a perfectly happy life as she is right now with the proper owner. Wish her luck!

[Sarah Y]

ahhhh i do order from best bully sticks. We get the tendons, rings, lamb pizzles, and curly sticks. Never thought about those kinds of things. I always thought about the greenies and stuff similar to that. good to know i am all set LOL

[Sylvia S]

I do agree with everything said above. I would divide the “treat” problem into two:
TRAINING TREATS, which should be small and delicious, relatively soft enabling the dog to swallow them down quickly in order to continue the training.
CHEWING TREATS: to substitute raw hides, greenies, antlers’ horns and other treats which are reputed to be noxious for our pets. They should be large and somewhat harder without endangering the teeth but hard enough to keep the pet busy and entertained for a long time. They should preferably be “acceptable” for inside the house (not like raw kneecaps which are very smelly!)

[Sarah Y]

I’m trying to find a good, safe dental chew for my dogs. I have heard mixed reviews on greenies though they seem to be the most popular. One of my beagles can be an aggressive chewer too. I remember reading greenies should not be swallowed in pieces. My beagle tends to chew a piece then swallow it whereas my other two beagles will thoroughly chew their greenie. Soooooo, I stopped giving greenies to them because one not not chew through the whole thing. I bought nature’s recipes dental chews today but honestly am not sure if they are good or not.

I do brush my dogs teeth and to be honest, it’s not consistent. Sometimes its 2 or 3 times a week for a few months then it’s once a week, sometimes once every couple of weeks. They have had dental cleanings too. So overall their teeth are pretty good.

Any suggestions on good dental chews/treats?

[Zach M]

Also, Shasta, how do your homemade “greenies” work with bad breath? I really some of those if they help with gas and bad breath.

[Brittany D]

Acana does not offer puppy food and I know my two dogs really like Acana so we will eventually switch to it when Dexter is fully grown but I need a puppy food for him he is only 7 months old. We recently rescued him and he was emaciated when he was rescued by the orginzation and he was still quite underweight when we adopted him just a few weeks ago. He is doing much better now and is only still slightly underweight but he is growing well (rib cage is actually looking more normal instead of very thin and small). Dexter appears to be a Scottish Terrier+Poodle mix. I haven’t weighed him recently but I know he’s at least 8 pounds.

I am only buying high quality food such as Acana, Orijen, Wellness Core, etc. I am going by the rating system here on DFA and am choosing 4+ star dog foods only. It seems odd though that all of the 5 star foods that DFA has reviewed do not offer puppy foods. Is this common?

I’d prefer to have a dog food that is completely gluten-free as I myself have Celiac Disease and am very sensitive to gluten so handling the food and receiving doggy kisses puts me at risk of having a bad reaction if they are eating foods with gluten in them.

So I’d prefer a grain-free OR one with Rice/potato/sweet potato, etc but no other gluten-containing grains.

Dexter and Bentley (who is 6 years old, Yorkie) both itch a lot and have atopic dermatitis. Dexter’s is on his face and I have not seen any spots anywhere else, and Bentley’s is mainly on his back but he did have it practically everywhere on his body (just not a full blanket rash). We switched to Greenies Pill Pockets Allergen Formula and it does seem even better now with much less itching for Bentley. So he also may have an allergy to wheat (gluten) as one of the main ingredients in all of the pill pockets minus the allergen formula is wheat.

So I think I need:
1) gluten-free
2) 4 or 5-star rating from DFA or one that hasn’t yet been reviewed but is on the same level quality-wise as 4 or 5 star foods DFA has already reviewed
3) Prefer smaller kibble as my dogs are small/toy size.

Kind of off my own topic but Bentley (6 year old yorkie) vomited whenever he ate Orijen 6Fish so I think Orijen itself is too strong somehow for Bentley so I tried Acana and they both ate it without any issue. Maybe the Orijen is too protein-rich for Bentley?

I am hopeful you (all) will be able to help me narrow down a puppy food to give to Dexter. I prefer kibble over canned only because it is more cost effective and less work to prepare and we won’t have to worry about how long that can was in the fridge.

I look forward to your responses. 🙂

[Cyndi]

Forum topic regarding greenies…

/forums/topic/greenies-2/

[Chris S]

What’s the verdict on Greenies??

[Suburban Gal]

“Greenies have been known to break apart and cause blockages.” -pugmomsandy

This is a risk you take with ANY dog chew.

[Shasta220]

Back to the subject of dental chews, I guess I do use them on occasion. Here is the ingredients of the ones I sometimes buy:

Potato flour, rice flour, glycerine, water, natural flavor, gelatin, canola oil, titanium dioxide (color), monoglycerides of edible fatty acids, flaxseed oil, citric acid, magnesium stearate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate

They’re called Checkups, sold at Costco. The size is prob medium (easy to split in half), great size for a 30+lb dog. Not the best ingredients, but I like how there are under 20…

Plus the price is hard to beat. 24 for $11…. Greenies and other dental chews are around 1-3$ for a similar sized chew.

Usually I give them to my older girl as she dislikes bully sticks, and bones are too hard on her since she has a chipped molar on one side, and no molar on the other.

[Naturella]

For me, I agree with Shasta220 – I feel like those things would stick to teeth more than clean them. But, to each their own – every pet owner is completely entitled to care of their animal as they please unless they are abusing it. And everyone is entitled to their opinion as well.

I know someone who was giving Greenies to her dogs every night after their dinner, and she did so for many months. Eventually she decided to stop as her dog’s teeth were still not getting cleaned. She brushes them once a week, and she finds this much more effective. But, like I said, to each their own.

Of course, I still agree with the moderation point – this is valid for just about anything. And as stated above, I don’t think that an occasional, super rare Greenie or Milkbone biscuit will kill Bruno (can’t speak for every dog out there), and I always watch him while he’s eating those, but I would just not spend money on them – I’d rather brush and feed the RMBs and dehydrated natural chews, occasionally of course. Well, I need to ump my brushing up though… That I need to make regular and not occasional.

[aquariangt]

Because comparing two sub par products and saying “look, greenies are fine” isn’t really proving a point. All you’re doing is bringing up two other products I’d never buy.

Technically ol Roy and alpo have a stamp of approval from Aafco, that doesn’t mean I’ll feed them. Everything in there is edible for a dog, so that makes them an acceptable product?

Those were the two points you made, and neither makes a good case for greenies. There are better products that are better for my dog, that have ingredients I approve of, and aren’t any brand you listed

[Shasta220]

I suppose if you want to take the risk of it and do more harm than good, then you’re more than welcome to Greenies. I find that texture to be more along the lines of sticking to teeth, causing even MORE plaque, despite the fact that it might take off a couple crumbs of tooth gunk.

My dog has almost perfect teeth and he has had only a small small handful of chews over his lifetime – it’s all been brushing and good diet.

[Suburban Gal]

I’m actually curious to know WHY my reasoning is flawed. If someone is going to say XYX, then they should back it up and not just stop at XYZ.

As for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC), it’s like the American Dental Association (ADA) only for pets. Just as a seal citing that a mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush or dental floss is ADA Accepted, the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance means that the dental chew, treat, food, toothpaste, toothbrush or sealant is VOHC Accepted. It means the products do what they say they’re going to do and that regular use of products carrying the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance will reduce the severity of periodontal disease in pets. The whole point VOHC exists is so that they can help to recognize products that meet pre-set standards of plaque and calculus (tartar) retardation in pets and why it’s important for pet owners to take oral pet health seriously so why the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance wouldn’t really mean much to pet owners kind of baffles me. I’d like to think pet oral health really means something to most pet owners.

While the ingredients of Greenies and other oral dental chews and treats may not be the greatest of ingredients, these things are good and fairly safe to give a pet. After all, these things should always be given in moderation anyhow. They’re not like regular chews and treats that are given on a typically regular basis.

[Naturella]

I agree with Carlyn (Shasta220). And I actually think the NutriDent ingredients are not THAT bad, I know what more of the ingredients mean than those in Milkbone for example. Before I knew all I do now, we bought Bruno a bag of the Nylabone equivalent of Greenies, NutriDent for puppies, and aside from making his stool green, they didn’t cause him any discomfort, but I doubt they cleaned his teeth at all. Once I learned about bully sticks and other dehydrated natural chews and raw meaty bones, I would not get him any of those commercial “dental” treats ever again. 🙂

[Suburban Gal]

And yes, I do believe in moderation. Greenies all the time, no. Greenies some time, yes.

[Shasta220]

I still genuinely think that Greenies do way more harm than good. If you want fresh breath, google “DIY greenies”. There is a great recipe for a natural breath-killing recipe (uses herbs, chlorophyll, and activated charcoal…..texture is more like a biscuit tho).

It’s said on here that giving a Greenie is like giving your kid a candybar. I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to it once in a blue moon, as every kid gets a candybar once in a while. BUT, if there are healthier options that are just as satisfying then I’d rather go with them.

Zuke’s do have much better ingredients, yes, and they are a tad spendier, yes. I use them maybe once every few months. Any dental chew does ZERO good for my lab who is missing a top molar, since she only chews on one side.

Brushing is still the best way. If you want a tooth-cleaning treat, give them a chunk of raw bone-in meat (I give frozen chicken, actually. Works better than dental chews IMO. Doesn’t leave that nasty gunky residue on the teeth, either!)

Also, I honestly couldn’t possibly care any less about a seal of acceptance. No matter what fancy labels/tests/seals go on, my gut instincts and my dogs will be the judges of what works and what doesn’t work…

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Shasta220.

[Suburban Gal]

As for the ingredients of Greenies being bad for dogs, just took at the ingredients for their competitors:

Nutri Dent dental chews:
Wheat Starch, Glycerin, Powdered Cellulose, Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Chlorophyll, Parsley & Soy Flour. Vitamins: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin A. Vitamin E, Biotin, Choline, Inositol & PABA. Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Manganese Oxide & Sodium Molybdate. Omega Fatty Acids: Omega-3 Fatty Acid & Omega-6 Fatty Acid.

Milk Bone brushing chews:
Rice, Modified Food Starch, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Water, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Bone Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Gelatin, Animal Digest, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (Used As A Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Titanium Dioxide (Color), Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Yellow 6, Yellow 5, BHA (Used As A Preservative).

If you look closely enough, some of the same ingredients in Greenies are ALSO used in that of their competitor’s dental chews.

I took the liberty of checking the ingredients of Zuke’s Z-Bones. While the ingredients looked a lot better than the ingredients in Greenies, Nutri Dent and the like, I still think something like Zinc Propionate can’t be very good. Heck, I don’t even know what that is! (Would someone care to enlighten me?)

To be quite honest, it’s better to give your dog something than nothing at all and, as expensive as dental chews are, at least someone is making a good effort even if it’s not as good as Zuke’s Z-Bones.

I can’t wait for Zuke’s Z-Bones to receive the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance. IMHO, that means a little more to me as a pet owner.

[Suburban Gal]

I give Gizmo, my 7-year-old papillon, Greenies and he really enjoys them.

I’ve never had a problem with giving a dog Greenies. Greenies were awarded the VOHC® Seal of Acceptance in 2007 and good for a dog’s overall oral health.

I think Greenies are just as safe as any other chew. There’s always going to be a risk of choking or intestinal blockage, but that’s with any chew-type treat. If an owner is really THAT concerned, then I think Greenies and other chew-type treats should be given under direct owner supervision and be taken away from the dog if there appears to be a problem.

[Akari_32]

Since everyone is so in awe of my couponing, I figured I’d make a thread where everyone can post their couponing trips, and ask coupon questions 🙂

Heres what I did today at PetSmart 🙂

1x 3lb bag of Simply Nourish Source Rabbit and Chicken cat food– reg. price $9.99
2x 5lb bags of Pet Botanics Grain Free Dog food (one Lamb, one Salmon)– reg. price $14.99 each, on sale for $9.99 each
2x 18 count (12oz) bags of Petit size Greenies– reg. price $16.99 each, on sale for $13.99 each
2x 3oz cans of Simply Nourish Source cat food (one Beef, one Venison)– reg. price $1.19 each, on sale for $1 each

Total regular price is $76.33, without tax (which is 7% here).
After Pet Perks sales are applied, $59.95, without tax. To the non-couponer, that would sound great, but to me, thats terrible! Thats like a quarter of my paycheck LOL

So my coupons were:

$5 off off any Natural or Specialty Dog or Cat Food (prints on the receipt of a previous purchase, and gives you a specific list of foods to choose from).
2x $5 off any 5lb or larger bag of Pet Botanics Grain Free Dog Food (found in a pamphlet by the food)
2x $10 off any 12oz or larger package of Greenies (Pet Supermarket coupon, received in an email. I will share that below)– These are pure gold!
2 cans free of any brand stated on the coupon (prints on the receipt of a previous purchase)
$4 off $20 Pet Supermarket Coupon (reveived in an email, and will share below)
$3 off any purchase $3 or more PetSmart coupon (prints on the receipt of a previous purchase)

After coupons and tax were applied, I scooted on out of there for just $17.07! And mom owes me $8 for the Greenies for her dog (Bentley) lol So really, I only paid $9.07 >=D

Here are those Pet Supermarket coupons!

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/10offgreenies_zps12ab1fac.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/april2014_Petscoop-4-off-20-April-2014_zps342f6f12.jpg

Remember when using competitors coupons at *any* store, that you check and make sure what stores they even take. My PetSmart will take PetCo, Pet Supermarket and PetLand coupons. They should take whatever is directly around them. And always follow any coupon, either manufacturer or competitor, to the tee. Manufactures pay the store back the face value of the coupon, PLUS 8 cents (sometimes more, its stated on the coupon). So they make money on these. If you continually screw them out of their 8 cents, even on accident, they’ll hate you forever. And they aren’t payed back for the competitor coupons, so use them well, or they can refuse to take them all together.

I have more to share! I just have to find them in my various dog and cat food threads LOL If anyone has any to share, post away! I love hearing about good deals 🙂

• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Title changed from Coupons! to Dog Food Coupons
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[Christine W]

Want to know if Greenies are bad for your dog just read these horror stories from pet owners @ http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/greenies.html. To me it is unconscionable that vets sell these things in their office.

Please, please always research anything you’re going to give your pets. Even the ratings on their dog food, because quite often they have been recalled in the past and/or have a history of being recalled and/or have questionable ingredients. Play it safe by researching first.

Regarding feeding your pets bones, only feed them raw, never cooked. Cooked bones splinter and can cause intestinal tears. Even if you’ve fed them bones in the past and nothing bad happened, all it takes is one time that can put them at the vets or emergency room. Costing several thousand dollars for surgery, which the majority of us don’t have to spare and end up having to put them asleep.

Hopefully this helps someone before it is to late. Please make sure to pass this information on to any pet owners you know.

[Nancy C]

YES I want to know too. Have a 20 month old GSD. My vet does not like deer antlers and anything else hard which includes BONES because they can easily crack a tooth and then you REALLY have a problem. I was surprised but she said if I saw some of the problems she sees due to cracked teeth I would agree with her. Rawhide is not digested so I do not give them to my dogs. Greenies are supposedly VERY BAD- plus our GSD chewed the XL ones in one minute. I found the website BESTBULLYSTICKS.com and they seem to have good ones. Go read that site. They explain WHY theirs are better. I ordered some and he LOVES THEM and a 12 inch takes him about 30 min. I take it from him after 15 min. I put them in the freezer a few days, thinking it will help with ANY bacteria left on the sticks. THe company says there is no bacteria due to their processing, but you never know. When this dog started getting runny stools I quit giving them to him because it COULD be bacteria in the stick that he cannot deal with. Now I’m dealing with runny stools. I also bought him a VARSITY BALL which is at Amazon and on the net. They are expensive but honestly this is more entertaining than a chew toy could ever be. Watch the videos of dogs playing with that toy. Plus, it wears him out. He cannot get enough of it. You might consider spending your chew toy money on this great entertainment. Good luck.

[Shasta220]

Greenies around here aren’t liked too much, I’ll admit. And I will agree with everyone else – they stink, have gross ingredients, and really don’t clean as well as they say.

Try getting on a routine of brushing daily (or at least weekly if you have a difficult pooch), and you can use raw bones as well as other natural chews. I also went to the extremes of a water additive for my oldest girl, but I don’t think that’s nessicary.

I do, however, love Zuke’s Z-ridge bones. The textur is similar to greenies, but they are made of better ingredients like potatoes, fruits, and natural breath help from plants. Plus they seemed to actually work. I broke a big one in half and gave a piece to two of my dogs – by the time they were done, they have /really/ good breath. Greenies? Not so much. I’m not sure how good they are ever since Purina bought them though :/ all I know is the packaging has already changed (I miss the old packages) and prices have skyrocketed… Ugh!

[Naturella]

I never used Greenies per se, but I have used the Nylabone green puppy chew things. Bruno liked them, but we are not getting any more. Ever. I am happy he never had a problem, but I would much rather give RMBs, brush his teeth, and give antlers, hooves, and bully sticks/ears/tracheae/natural and digestible stuff for dental health.

My friend, however, used to use Greenies every day with no problems. She also used bully sticks, but she wanted a long-lasting chew, and eventually they failed, so she stopped getting them. She is now on DentaStiX for her 2 dogs, but thankfully she is stopping soon. Her next trial will be water additive for fresher breath and with a joint supplement. Hopefully that works better. She will be using Tropiclean. Any thoughts on that?

[kvee]

I do not like the ingredients on greenies, I rather giving Susie some mint to chew on to freshen up her stinky breath. But, I do my best to brush my sharkface’s teeth every night.

[Naturella]

I think I have mentioned being in a similar situation with my roommate who feeds his lab-hound mix the Science Diet. While not as horrible as Beneful or Pedigree, he can still do MUCH better, especially because he has the means to! But he just believes he knows a lot about dogs and would not listen to another opinion. This weekend he was out climbing and I was in charge of feeding his dog. Many times I debated whether I should sneak some good food into her crap, or at least a sardine, some coconut butter, or some healthy additive, but never did, precisely because of what neezerfan said. The dog is somewhat picky and if she doesn’t eat the food and he gets home and sees it, he will be upset. Or, if she eats it and gets sick, he will be upset. So while it is heartbreaking to me to not feed her good food, I am working on coming to terms that this battle is one I will never win.

I have, however, gotten a really close friend of mine and a former roommate to stop feeding her lab and chorkie (chihuahua-yorkie mix) dogs the Aldi brand dog food Shep (1 star), to feeding 3.5-5-star foods, such as Blue Buffalo, Great Life, Earthborn, Holistic Heath Extension, Evangers, Nutro, Victor, etc. She can clearly see the effects of better food on her dogs, especially her lab, whose coat has gotten soft and shiny. Her and her dogs are my pride and joy! Now, if only I can get her to stop bathing them every week and giving them “greenies” every night, I would feel complete, but that’s another story, lol. She does give them bully sticks-antlers-marrow bones-hooves-himalayan dog chews-other natural chews, so I guess they are ok for the most part. 🙂

Another “battle” is with a classmate, who is a vet actually, but studied in Colombia, back in the day. Her husband feeds their rottweiler Pedigree (1 star) and stuff like that, so I am going to slowly introduce her to other foods for a great price too (Victor for example, and Earthborn, and HHE). I am giving her a bag of free samples of better foods I got from the nearby pet boutique, and I will hopefully get her to switch to Victor Joint Health or something like that soon. 🙂

Overall I have spoken to many friends who have dogs about dog food, and some take my advice, and some don’t, but if I can even help one dog, I would be happy. I would always want to help more though, but you just have to be careful, and really gauge how to speak to a person about what they feed their “baby”.

[Mom2Cavs]

Ooohh….Cavaliers! I have 2 right now, older girls. Congratulations on your new baby. If it were me and I had another puppy I would probably feed Fromm Gold Puppy, or Wellness Small Breed Puppy. I also like all-life-stage foods like Annamaet, Fromm 4Star, Dr. Tim’s. I also top my dogs’ food with canned food for more variety and moisture. A good probiotic/enzyme supplement, a whole food vitamin/mineral, and omega 3’s in the form of fish oil are some things to consider in the future, as well. I also admit I used to feed Greenies and Dentastix but discovered the ingredients aren’t that great and they can be a choking hazard, as well. Now, I like to use The Honest Kitchen Beams. They are dried fish skins. I’m sure others will have recommendations for you soon. 🙂

[Bormanl]

New to the group. Does anyone have a suggestion for puppy food for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? I figure since this is a small dog we can afford a little more expensive brand.

Also, I have heard mixed things about Greenies. Is there another treat similar for teeth that is safely recommended?

Thanks

[theBCnut]

I can’t get Nutri Dents anywhere here, but a couple of them came with one of my puppies two and a half years back, so they can’t be that new. I used to use Greenies and I found that they had questionable ingredients and unless I got a size that was for a much bigger dog, they weren’t enough of a chewing challenge to clean my dogs teeth. The Nutri Dents also had ingredients in them that I wouldn’t want to feed all the time, but they lasted longer. I can’t really say they cleaned the teeth either though.

[Samurachi]

Hi,

I bought my 2 year old Havanese, Piper, “Nutri Dent Complete Grain Free Dental Chews for Adult Dogs. Peanut Butter” during a holiday sale. She absolutely loves them, but as I read posts about Greenies causing problems I’m wondering if anyone knows any research or issues with the Nutri Dent dental chews. They don’t have the VOHC seal yet (whereas Greenies do), but I’m not sure how much that means if it’s a new product.

Any feedback on Greenies, or potentially Greenies vs. Nutri Dent?

Many thanks!

[Shasta220]

I am starting a business with home made treats. So far I’ve only made pumpkin-flax treats, but I’m going to come up with other super nutritious flavors as well. I’ll be making the “home made greenies” to sell (they help with bad breath by working in the digestive tract, which also will help relieve any smelly gas…)

I noticed you use spices in your first treat recipe. I know that cinnamon is great for dogs, and I think ginger is good too…but I’ve read somewhere that nutmeg is very toxic to dogs. It’s probably best to avoid adding much seasoning other than maybe the cinnamon. Dogs usually don’t care about spice-flavors anyway 🙂

[Sydney]

We still moisten the kibble for our 8-month old puppy, so we decided to try Greenies to keep her teeth clean. Never again. After first turning her nose up at it, she finally managed to slowly polish off one stick. She eats virtually everything, so we thought it was odd that she didn’t show her usual avid interest. Later that day, she became rather lethargic and laid down rather than eat dinner. That’s when we knew something was wrong. Normally, she plays and plays during the day, and when dinner time arrives, she dives in head first. We noticed that her heart rate was much higher than normal, and she was panting… not because of excess play or hot weather. It was winter with snow on the ground. Her body temperature also seemed elevated, although we didn’t have a rectal thermometer to take her temperature. She refused to eat yogurt or her favorite carrots, and we thought about taking her to the vet, but decided to let her rest until morning. The next day, she was her usual self: hyperactive, hungry, and happy. She had 3 large bowel movements before noon, and after that was even happier! Current information on Greenies suggests that they are hard to chew into small pieces and often break off in large clumps, which may cause pancreatitis and esophageal or intestinal obstruction. They are only about 85% digestible if chewed completely, even after a reformulation of this product by the manufacturer. Chewing them completely can result in stringy diarrhea and/or vomiting for many dogs and cats. Although there is a negligible amount of vitamins and minerals, Greenies consist of mostly pork gelatin, wheat, and glycerin–not exactly what makes for a healthy pet. We are thankful that our puppy didn’t suffer more serious consequences from her first (and last) experience with Greenies. Rather than donate the unused portion of the bag we purchased to our local animal shelter, it has instead been donated to the local landfill.

[Mahaghaith]

Hi, I am at the stage where am obsessing about the health and longevity of my dog.
He’s a short haired Russian Toy Terrier. Almost 8 years old. Not neutered. He has always been healthy with very few issues. The occasional constipation/diarrhea followed by anal gland infections when he’s fed fatty fresh chicken. However recently I’ve noticed his skin/ coat changing. He has more bald spots and white hairs and has finer hair especially around his ears, neck and feet. He doesn’t itch nor seem bothered by them. His energy levels are great and his weight has always been stable(5.5 lbs). He’s been eating Royal Canine for chihuahuas and the occasional greenies and Macs&buddy treats. Not taking any supplements.

Now I’m wondering if I’m doing enough for his health. Was thinking of switching his food to Life’s abundance. Any advice/recommendations?

This is my first forum convo. All advice would be much appreciated especially since it’s from others who love their pets as their children like I do.

Thanks a bunch.

[onapap1]

I quit using them and went back to what I was giving. Sad shame but as they say nothing worthwhile is free. I can get all the greenies I want free.
It is just not worth my dogs health so they are gone.
onapap1

[katj813]

I have an 11 year old 20lb dog. My vet isn’t happy with his teeth giving he chews very few things. After spending easily a hundred dollars or more in the past year experimenting (and I’m a college student) the only winners are duck feet and nylabone healthy edibles. I even bought a chicken flavored flexi-chew nylabone and no dice. I’ve already tried rawhides, bully sticks, antlers, the lot. My vet said greenies no longer work because they had to make the formula softer due to issues. I was wondering if nutrident was any better given I have no other option.

Could it at all be safe to just give him a one size up healthy edible as well? That way he would have to work on it longer.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 2 months ago by katj813.

[jackieshoes]

I have an 8 year old teacup chihuahua that weighs 4.2 pounds. She has been on Beneful Incredibites for some time now and ONLY likes the chewy ones. She picks them out and comes and finds me to feed her more if there aren’t many in there. I had no idea what kind of JUNK they put in dog food until I changed my English Bulldog from Prescription Diet to Castor and Pollux UltraMix (totally different dog).

I have been on the search for a food that she will eat, as she is very very very picky. She turns her nose up at things most dogs would woof down in no time. She doesn’t like cheese (unless its string cheese), any treats I have ever purchased (except marrowbones and she only gets a few of those a month), greenies, green beans, bananas, carrots, etc. She just turns her nose up and walks off. I want to find a good food that is relatively chewy (but not wet) that she will eat – but want it to be a QUALITY food because I want her life to be as full as possible. She is still full of life and acts like a puppy most days running around and chasing things – so no major health issues. Except we might be a little overdue on a dental, but I’m between jobs right now so that will have to wait.

I appreciate any input and recommendations!

[scottNY]

Wow, thanks HDM. I guess this is the last box of Greenies for this house. I can’t do raw bones [no outdoor space and I don’t want mice or roaches] but I will certainly look in to the natural chews. Does anyone have any feedback on the Smokehouse brand?

[Hound Dog Mom]

If you read the ingredient list you’ll see that Greenie’s are a highly processed and unhealthy product. MOst people recognize the importance of avoiding processed foods for themselves and their children, the same is true for dogs.

The ingredients are:

Wheat flour, glycerin, wheat protein isolate, gelatin, water, rice flour, oat fiber, pea protein, potato protein, lecithin, natural poultry flavor, apple pomace, tomato pomace, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, magnesium amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid complex, iron amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex, potassium iodide), ground flaxseed, choline chloride, decaffeinated green tea extract, sodium copper chlorophyllin, vitamins (dl-alpha tocopherol acetate [source of vitamin E], vitamin B12 supplement, d-calcium pantothenate [vitamin B5], niacin supplement, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement [vitamin B2], vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride [vitamin B6], thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], folic acid)

These are basically grains (gluten containing grains nonetheless), vegetable proteins and synthetic vitamins/minerals/amino acids. Why not feed your dog some real food with dental benefits? Raw meaty bones or natural chews like pig ears, bully sticks or dried tracheas. If you insist on feeding a processed dental product I’d at least recommend checking out Zuke’s Z-Bones – while they’re by no means a health food, they’re much better (ingredient-wise) than Greenies.

[scottNY]

I have to agree with Ninantank. My vet recommends them, my 7-month old pit mix loves them and so do almost the 1500 people who gave them four or five stars on amazon.com. I don’t give one everyday, but at least 4 or 5 times a week. I am new at all this. Are the ingredients really that unhealthy compared to other snack products?

[Ninantank]

I have two dogs, one is a Cockapoo and the other is a Yorkiepoo and both get a greenie everyday. My cockapoo has been eating them for 8 years and she has never had an incident. My yorkiepoo has had them since he was 6 months old with out any problems. They love them and my Vet recommends them.

[maggy6577]

Hi All,
I wanting to know what poultry digest is? My vet recommended a treat with this ingredient. As far as I can figure out this is any fowl part bowled up except for hair. Am I right?

maggy6577