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Greenies... Are They Safe For Dogs?
News reports have depicted Greenies, the very popular dog chew
treat that helps to maintain a dog's oral health, as being potentially
dangerous. |
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Greenies
Melon Smart Chew |
These news reports have shed new light on the fact that pet health hazards may be present even in the most unlikely places. Who would expect that a pet product such as a Greenie could potentially harm a dog? But hazards do exist... and Greenies are not the only pet product easily acquired by dog owners that could pose the threat of choking, intestinal obstruction, or esophageal obstruction.
The Boston Terrier presented in this case suddenly started choking and gagging. The owner brought the dog in as an emergency patient but fortunately he was breathing reasonably well and in spite of salivating and repeatedly trying to swallow, he was stoic and remained calm during his physical exam. It was determined that he had been chewing on a chew "bone" moments before his hacking and gagging alerted his owner that something was seriously amiss.
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Bones... do you feed them
to your dog? |
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| The obstruction is evident upon visual inspection | Induction anesthesia is administered intravenously | The esophageal obstruction is difficult to grasp | The obstruction is gently extracted from the esophagus | The foreign object was part of a Nylabone Chew treat | Nylabone chew treat...like other chewable treats can be hazardous |
The veterinarian determined that there was a visible "lump" in the dog's neck along the cervical esophagus. Anesthesia was administered. First an injectable anesthetic was given followed by intubation of the trachea and gas inhalation anesthetic. It required repeated attempts to grasp the object but in about fifteen minutes the the doctor was able to gently extract the hard, irregularly shaped esophageal obstruction. It appeared to be a commercial "bone" treat... at first thought to be a Greenie. The owner returned to the animal hospital with the package the chew treat was purchased in. It wasn't a Greenie but rather a Nylabone® product called "Turkey and Rice Flavored Edibles". Somehow the patient may have tried to swallow the treat but it was only partially chewed and was simply too big to go beyond the thoracic inlet. The resulting esophageal obstruction, if it hadn't been for the observant owner, would have presented an ever-increasing health hazard the longer it remained in the esophagus.
According to the manufacturer's website on 2/15/06 the Nylabone® Healthy Edibles® chew treat is stated to be "tasty, completely edible and digestible providing a safe and enjoyable alternative to traditional rawhide. NO plastic and NO added sugar." The ingredients are: Potato starch, turkey, rice, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, soy flour, lecithin, rosemary oil. The manufacturer also states: *From time to time, our formulas and ingredients may change, based upon availability of ingredients. The ingredients listing above is meant only as a guide. Actual ingredients in any product are clearly printed on all product packaging. They are packaged in six different sizes.
No matter what you feed your dog or cat, watch for
potentially dangerous choking or swallowing issues.
Email a friend and tell them about this page!
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Related topics you may like to view... |
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| Intestinal Obstruction | Gastric Foreign Body | What Is The Best Food | Diarrhea | Intestinal Worms | Dental Care |