We give Greenies Dog Treats a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars:
Introduction
Greenies have long since been one of the most popular dog treats available. Not only are they delicious, but they also help fight tartar and plaque build-up while freshening your pup’s breath. Although the company started in 1996 with only its original flavor, it has since expanded with the Teenies, Petites, and Large treats.
Not only that, but they have also formulated options for grain-free, weight management, and aging care. What’s more, you now can choose from different flavors such as blueberry and pumpkin spice; although the original remains the fast favorite.
Overall, these oral hygiene boosters keep you from struggling with your reluctant pooch on toothbrush day. They are an all-natural company that prides itself on providing healthy treats. Of course, no product is perfect. There are a few drawbacks that will share below.
At a Glance: The Best Greenies Dog Treat Recipes:
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Our Favorite
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Greenies Pill Pockets |
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Greenies Breathy Buster Bites |
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Greenies Grain-Free Teenies |
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Greenies Dog Treats Reviewed
Greenies have proven to be an effective way of keeping up with your dog’s oral hygiene. Tartar and plaque build-up can cause serious health risks for your pet, but wrestling your dog to the ground and attempting to brush their teeth can have consequences of its own.
Dental treats don’t make brushing completely unnecessary, but it cuts down on how often it needs to be done. Not only that, but most pups love the taste of these bendable, soft chews. The texture and ridges are comfortable to nibble on while they also remove organic food particles.
Below, we will take a closer look at the finer details with this Greenies dog treat review.
Who Makes Greenies and Where Is It Produced?
Greenies were originally founded by Joe and Judy Roetheli in 1996 in Kansas City. As devoted pet parents, they wanted to develop a healthy and nutritious way to freshen their dog’s breath. They developed Greenies as a natural dental treat for canines.
In 2006, the Roethelis decided to pass their business along to Mars Petcare. Their headquarters are still located in Kansas City, plus it is where the treats are manufactured. The ingredients are sourced from around the world. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer where exactly the ingredients come from.
Which Types of Dogs Are Greenies Best Suited For?
Greenies are a great option for all dogs. They come in four sizes to accommodate all breeds, plus the chewy, bendable snack is safe for senior dogs, as well as, puppies. Any pooch who has bad breath or a build-up of tartar will benefit from this product.
These dental treats also have the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval. What’s more, they have added nutritional value by providing vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to your pet. They are also part of a balanced diet.
Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
If your pet has a preexisting dental or oral condition, it is wise to consult your vet before giving your pup any type of dental treatment. That being said, many of these treats have grain and gluten in the formula, so caution is advised. At the same time, Greenies offer a grain-free option.
Our last recommendation is for those dogs who inhale their food and treats without chewing or stopping for breath. Unfortunately, the design of these snacks has been known to get stuck in the throat. What’s more, the formula, which makes them a hardy treat, also keeps them from breaking down quickly.
If you have a fast-eating pet on your hands, we recommend going with OraVet Dental Hygiene Chews. This option is a smaller oral health treat that breaks down more easily.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
One of the more popular aspects of Greenies is that they are formulated with all-natural ingredients. It is important to note that the term “natural” is not regulated by the FDA. Although the Food and Drug Administration requires labeling to be true, there is no definition for “natural”. The term can be used lightly.
In this case, Greenies does not use any ingredients that are artificial or synthetic. They regulate their formula based on the AAFCO guidelines. Not only are their treats pure, but they also offer many additional benefits.
Nutritional Value
Greenies is a product that is not meant to be a dietary staple, but a once-a-day supplement. That being said, all dog snacks need to be in the guidelines for a healthy diet. For example, a dog’s meal should contain 18-26% crude protein. Greenies treats are made with a minimum of 30%.
What’s more, they are also on the mark with their calories at 55 kcal/treat ME, fiber content at 6.0%, and fat at 5.5%. This is important for your pup to maintain a healthy weight and energy level.
Vitamins and Minerals
Another great aspect of Greenies is their vitamins and minerals. The formula contains vitamins A, B12, D, C, and E to help support your pet’s immune system, cardiovascular system, muscle strength, and more.
The formula, as mentioned, also has good levels of protein and fiber, plus probiotics to promote a healthy digestive system. This not only helps break down the formula, but it also makes it easy to digest. As mentioned, however, this treat is more difficult to process than others.
Lacking Features
One thing to consider with this treat is two of the first ingredients are wheat flour and wheat gluten. Gluten is difficult for dogs to process. Many canines suffer from allergies or sensitivities to grains, but even if that is not the case, it can still cause an upset stomach, gas, and diarrhea.
The important thing to remember is to follow the dosage recommendations. Overfeeding your pet with any treats can cause digestive problems that will make bad breath look like a walk in the park.
A Quick Look at Greenies Treats
- All-natural formula
- Easy to digest
- Added vitamins and minerals
- Effective oral health treatment
- Can get stuck in your dog’s throat
- Contains wheat products
- Sourced globally
Ingredients Analysis
Although we have already gone over some of the ingredients of the Greenies Dental Treats, we wanted to take a closer look at what this formula has in store for your pooch. The FDA requires all pet food labels to be listed in the order of concentration on their label, so we will follow suit here.
- Wheat: We will keep this brief as we have already gone over this ingredient, but it is worth mentioning again. Greenies’ original flavor is chicken; however, it is only flavored that way. The wheat and wheat products make up the bulk of the snack.
- Powdered Cellulose: This ingredient is added to the formula to allow the treats to maintain their shape. Cellulose in its raw form is a plant-based material, but when used in animal food, it often takes on a synthetic nature. As “cellulose” is considered safe, yet the ingredients for animal food are not “fit for human consumption” the powder is typically mixed with other substances such as sawdust.
- Potassium Iodide: Iodide is an important supplement for your pet. It helps them produce thyroid hormones, plus it supports their metabolism. Iodide can come in many forms such as sodium iodide, but in this case, it is with potassium to give your pup an extra boost.
- Choline Chloride: Though it doesn’t sound like a good ingredient, it is a part of the B-complex family. On the other hand, this is a water-soluble ingredient, and you do need to be careful in how it is used.
- Biotin: This is a great ingredient to have in a treat or your pet’s food. What it does is boost the other supplements, and allows them to work quickly and more efficiently.
Recall History
At the time this article was written, Greenies and the Mars Petcare company have not had any recalls on their products. That being said, the brand has been involved with two serious lawsuits in 2006 and 2015.
The 2006 suit was filed by a couple after their dog had a piece of a Greenies treat stuck in his esophagus which ended up being fatal. The lawsuit was eventually settled outside of court. In 2015, a suit was filed regarding Greenies claim that their dental chew was the number one recommended oral health treat. This case was also settled.
Reviews of Their 3 Best Treat Recipes
Greenies have several formulas that make a great treat for your pet. Take a lot at our top three favorites.
1. Greenies Pill Pockets Peanut Butter Flavor
- Contains one (1) 32-oz 30-count pack of GREENIES PILL POCKETS Tablet Size Dog Treats With Real...
- GREENIES Pill Pockets are the tasty, smarter way to help your dog’s medicine go down at treatment...
This is a great option for your pet if they need to take mediation. The handy “pocket” shaped treat is perfect for hiding a pill or other medication. Not to mention, the flavor is tasty enough your pet will not notice a thing.
These treats are made with all-natural ingredients including chicken and peanut butter. Although they don’t carry any other nutritional value, your pet will not be able to sniff out their medication.
- Tasty
- All-natural
- Great for taking medication
- No real nutritional value
2. Greenies Breathy Buster Bites
- Only 15 calories per treat
- Bite-size for frequent treating
This little option is a great snack if your pooch is sporting bad breath. This is a small bite-size snack that comes in a chicken, mint, or apple flavor. The ingredients are all-natural, plus they contain additional vitamins.
Something to note about this product is it is not as effective at cleaning your dog’s teeth or reducing tartar. The main purpose of these treats is only to freshen breath. Also, the mint flavor can be strong for some dogs. Other than that, this is a grain-free formula.
- All-natural
- Fights bad breath
- Contains vitamins
- Not for cleaning teeth
- Mint is strong
3. Greenies Grain-Free Teenies
- Cleans Teeth, Freshens Breath, Helps Control Tartar
- Veterinary Oral Health Council (Vohc) Accepted
The Greenies grain-free option is just as effective at cleaning your pet’s teeth of excess tartar and plaque build-up. The formula is all-natural, as is customary with Greenies products; plus, there are a multitude of vitamins and minerals to choose from.
To avoid gluten, this formula is made of pea flour and potato water. This can cause the nutritional value to dip, especially as peas do not offer too much in the way of vitamins. Also, like their gluten toting counterparts, these snacks can be difficult to break down.
- Gluten-free
- Vitamins and minerals
- Effective at cleaning teeth
- Pea flour and potato water
- Can get stuck in the throat
What Other Users Are Saying in their Greenies Dog Treat Review
Sometimes, it is better to hear what other consumers think of a product they have already tried. As we agree with this, we thought we would add some customer reviews for you to take a look at:
Chewy.com
“My dog loves these! He waits for one every morning and spends several minutes happily chomping away. I like that the texture is firm and takes him a while to chew, and I feel good spoiling him with a healthy treat every day that he enjoys so much.”
Chewy.com
“My dogs are huge the baby at 3.5, 220lbs loves to get his teeth brushed and loves greenies. The other wouldn’t let me brush so we use these and he has great teeth fresh breath and they love these!!!”
We would be remiss if we did not mention Amazon reviews. As most consumers shop through the site, we thought we would link some reviews here, as well. You can look through Greenies Treats Amazon reviews.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed the above Greenies dog treat review. We know the importance of your pet’s oral health, and we want you to be able to choose the right treatment with confidence. Overall, the Greenies are a great option for freshening breath and reducing tartar and plaque build-up.
Not only do they have an all-natural formula, but you will also find many other vitamins and minerals. Just be careful if your pup has any gluten issues, or if they are a speed eater. Otherwise, you can look forward to fresh kisses.
Featured Image Credit: Greenies, Amazon
Contents
- Introduction
- At a Glance: The Best Greenies Dog Treat Recipes:
- Greenies Dog Treats Reviewed
- Who Makes Greenies and Where Is It Produced?
- Which Types of Dogs Are Greenies Best Suited For?
- Which Types of Dogs Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
- Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)
- Nutritional Value
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Lacking Features
- A Quick Look at Greenies Treats
- Ingredients Analysis
- Recall History
- Reviews of Their 3 Best Treat Recipes
- What Other Users Are Saying in their Greenies Dog Treat Review
- Conclusion
