This seems a bit odd to me. Rawhides are supposedly non-digestable, meaning NO part of a rawhide can be absorbed into a pets system. So basically the whole thing must be passed. So if a dog can eat a huge rawhide and pass it with no problems, why can't they eat a greenie, and pass 15% of it?
Anyone who has ever had a puppy, has probably seen crayons, rope, etc., all pass from their dog. Dogs eat all kinds of things that can't be digested.
Just to be safe, I just checked
www.snopes.com and here's what I found:
Quote:
The digestibility testing that we have with Greenies® show them to be about 85% digestible when adequately chewed — more digestible than the average dry dog food. The primary ingredient in Greenies® is wheat gluten, which is very digestible. If a dog swallows a large piece of Greenies®, or a whole treat, the digestion process will be extended because of the decrease of treat surface area to digestive liquids and stomach action. This would be similar if a dog swallowed a large piece of meat or vegetable.
Our Priority to Educate Pet Owners About Smart Treating
It is very important for pet owners to read the labels on any food or treat they feed, and follow the feeding guidelines. We suggest that pet owners monitor their dogs when feeding any food or treat. Our feeding directions can be found on our packaging and on our web site. The directions instruct dog owners to provide the correct size Greenies® for the weight category of their dog.
Greenies® are not appropriate for all dogs. The feeding directions state that Greenies® should not be fed to dogs less than six months old, dogs less than five pounds, and dogs who gulp food and treats. We offer an alternative called Greenies® Lil' BitsT. Lil' BitsT are made from the same ingredients as Greenies®; we simply chop them into smaller pieces for smaller dogs, puppies under six months, dogs with very poor teeth, or dogs that tend to gulp food or treats. Though injurious incidents with our product are rare, more often than not, the pet is not fed according to our feeding directions.
Our Responsibility to our Customers
This summer we were concerned when we learned about Matthew Balkman's dog, Beau. We completed a thorough investigation, including having our technical services veterinarian review Beau's medical file and speak with his veterinarian. Unfortunately, Beau, a Bernese Mountain Dog, ingested a large chunk of our product without sufficiently chewing it. Beau's veterinarian successfully removed the piece and we hope Beau has recovered well from his surgery.
In September, we were extremely saddened to hear about the death of Gilbert Wright's dog. We replied to his e-mail expressing our sorrow and offering to begin an investigation a few times, but our e-mails were not answered. In early November we were able to get in touch with Mr. Wright via regular mail and have offered to start our investigation. He has asked us to hold off for now. Because we have not yet conducted an investigation, we can't comment on this specific incident. We do wish his family the very best.
Millions of Greenies® are sold, and enjoyed by dogs, every week, without incident. I personally feed Greenies® to my dog, Max, every day. My children feed Greenies® to their dogs. Our employees feed Greenies® to their dogs. We receive testimonials from thousands of pet owners who love our product, and we receive story after story of how our product has saved their dogs' life by improving their oral health.
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So, sounds like greenies are just as digestable (if not more) than most dog foods. Also, sounds like they have it listed on the label that they are not for dogs under 5lbs, under 6 months old, or dogs that gulp large pieces of food. Also, just like with rawhides, they suggest you do not let your dog eat this stuff unattended.
And, like they say, millions of dogs eat these products everyday without incident. A few dogs with problems doesn't sound to me, like we have an epidemic on our hands.