I was browsing www.dogster.com, the Health forum, and read a post from a sad owner whose dog had died after eating a Greenie. Greenies are a compressed vegetable-based treat, shaped like a toothbrush, marketed to clean teeth and freshen breath for dogs AND cats. And dogs love 'em.

I did some more browsing and there is growing concern over the safety of Greenies and similarly made treats. In some dogs, pieces have become lodged in the esophagus, and caused intestinal blockages and perforations. In some dogs, they either do not digest at all, or turn into a wad of Greenie glue.

With my own precious pooch, I noticed she'd vomit chunks of undigested Greenie *hours* after eating one. So I stopped giving them to her. I'd nearly lost her to an intestinal blockage (vomiting was the early warning sign) -- so barfing is a red flag to me.

According to a Newsday article on the www.smokersclub.com site, enough vets have shown concern over the problems caused by Greenies *in some dogs* to begin doing research. The vet intereviewed said that after fish hooks and chicken bones, these vegetable-based treats are next in line as the most frequent causes of blockages.

I haven't found any info on cats and Greenies, yet.