[Cooper]

Greenies are little green bones you find either in the dental aisle of your pet store or near the denta-bones in the treats area.

They help reduce bad breath, improve gum and teeth health and most dogs love them to pieces. The Greenies website also promotes them as being nutritious.

When I got Cooper, I was at my parents' house for Christmas and they live in the middle of nowhere. He was chewing on everything he could find so I went to the local feed store and the lady there suggested them because they're softer than other bones and would be easier on his little puppy teeth.

I've been giving Cooper a petite sized Greenie since that day and if they ever went out of business, I am sure we could find Cooper on the streets, trying to buy them on the black market or pimping himself out for a fix during an episode of "Cops".

If you read the packaging, they say the petite sized bones are for dogs 10-20 lbs. Cooper's been gnawing on them since he was weighed in ounces though ... and it didn't seem to stunt his growth or anything. However, if your pup is really small, you may want to try the "teenies" instead. They just began making them but I've seen them everywhere lately.

 

[Cooper]

They splinter? They must be giving you inferior products in Europe or putting the same name on a different product ... the Greenies I give Cooper are waxy (almost like a semi-soft candle) and I can't even see how they could splinter.

I'll confess... I've actually bitten into one. I wanted to see what the big deal was. I didn't like them; they tasted a bit too salty.

 

[Cooper]

I'm such a dork when it comes to things Cooper eats. If the packaging says "made of human grade food" or "all natural", I'll taste it.

I bought him some biscuits at Petsmart called Luv'a Bones (World's Finest Gourmet Dog Biscuits, or so they say on the box) in the Roasted Turkey and Sweet Potato flavor. When I opened the box, they smelled exactly like turkey and sweet potatoes ... the box says they're all natural, made with real meat and veggies and I couldn't resist so I ate one. Now Cooper gets mad at me when he sees me grabbing the box because he knows he's going to get one but I'm going to eat one too ... and that's one less biscuit in his box. :lol:

I don't know why I do that; probably because he tastes my food and turnabout is fair play. Plus, they're yummy.

I don't act like a dingaling with the cat's food. I just give it to her and leave it alone. Probably because she and I sleep in the same bed and I know she wouldn't think twice about suffocating me in my sleep.

 

[Cooper]

[quote="xx-nathalie-xx
it was not like i was attacking you :?
[/quote]

I didn't think you were attacking anyone and I'm sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you... I was just confused over the splintering because of the way the Greenies are made. Splintering sounds to me like a piece of wood or something with a woodgrain-type consistency.

The way I look at it, anything your dog, cat, baby, grandma, whoever - eats potentially can cause a choking problem. The only alternative is to not eat at all and, well, I'd rather choke. Especially if it's chocolate.

 

[Cooper]

Today i was at petsmart getting some potty pads and i found these extra tiny pieces of greenies. They arent the normal toothbrush shape they are little teeny teeny pieces that you could use to train dogs... i dunno i just found that interesting... i didnt buy any though i just thought you all might like to know... :lol:

They have teenies that are a bit smaller than the petites too. The bag of bits (that's what I call it) always seemed silly to me. I figured if I ever bought those, I'd just put some in a bowl, pour some milk in there and let Cooper eat it like cereal.

I didn't think anyone was attacking anyone else - I think we all got our wires crossed. Can we all be friends now?

 

[Cooper]

There are many books out there about first aid for pets. I have a book (I can't find it right now, of course) that has EVERYTHING in it from why your dog does what he/she does to first aid.

I did a websearch on canine first aid and there are TONS of them out there but this is one that came up first: http://www.abcantra.com/first_aid.html

You may also ask your vet about first aid for your dog. They may have some literature they can give you or actually show you how to do certain things.

I keep the phone numbers to the local 24-hour emergency vet clinic and the poison hotline on my refrigerator with a copy of the bill from Cooper's last annual vet visit and a listing of any other visits and why he went so I have that info handy if he does go to the ER clinic.

You can also buy or make your own first aid kits for your animals. The weblink above has a listing (on the left side of the page) of things you should have in your first aid kit and there are many other sites out there with the same info.