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Optimum ConnectionsNews from Optimum Choices, LLCNovember 2005To receive this newsletter in your e-mail, click here. ContentsCurrent news
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 Pompi
was 8 weeks old when I began to care for her. I am 76 and so
hoped that we would live out our lives together. We went through
puppy training, obedience training and earned an AKC good canine
citizen award. We then began agility training. She was almost
always more advanced than me. Through the training and when I
made the wrong move she would so inform me with a sharp bark. We
did our first agility trial in El Paso where she won two blue
ribbons. We were scheduled to compete in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, Las Cruces, New Mexico and Odessa, Texas but then I
made the fatal mistake of giving her that wretched Greenie. She
was always such a happy little girl. I had been giving her these
things for about 7 months without any ill effects and so trusted
using them. I had not taken the time to do a Yahoo or Google
search as to any problems. An hour after giving her the final
Greenie, I found her on the floor. Her body was completely
inert, but still warm. I tried mouth to mouth, CPR and the
Heimlich and rushed her to a nearby dog training center for more
knowledgeable help. It was futile. We at that time did not know
the cause of her death. The next day our vet did an autopsy and
found a chunk of that wretched Greenie lodged in her trachea. He
told me that there was no way I could have removed it. We must
inform everyone of the danger from these "treats". If I had had
any warning in any way, this tragedy would not have happened.
Please tell everyone.
 --Gilbert WrightThis picture on the left shows the Greenie fragment removed from the trachea. Click here to view the death certificate by the veterinarian. |
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Our wonderful dog, a healthy, 4-year old rescued Miniature Dachshund, named Burt, died July 25, 2005. He was killed by a Greenie. Burt was promptly admitted to an emergency hospital after vomiting blood, bile and collapsing on the local vet's examination table. The doctor suspected an intestinal blockage and recommended exploratory surgery. What the doctor found inside of Burt was 3-1/2 feet of necrotic (dead) small intestines, as well as the "foreign body obstruction" behind the problem. The “obstruction” was none other than a well-chewed, partially digested portion of a Greenie. Both the large mass of dead intestines and the Greenie were surgically removed from Burt. The Greenie was saved and was rubber-like and spongy. It had absorbed liquids and had expanded in size about 25%. It was the "toothbrush" end. My wife recognized the ribbed contours of the toothbrush immediately. But, it took me a bit longer to recognize it because it was well-chewed (like they say it has to be). Burt tried as hard as he could but he just couldn’t hang on. He turned septic. He got pneumonia. He died 48 hours after the surgery with my wife and I by his side--after his 3rd cardiac arrest. The trauma was indeed too much for him and unfortunately the damage caused by the Greenie had already been done. Burt was killed by the Greenie. His problems would not have happened if it weren't for the wretched "treat" obstructing his intestines in the first place Prompted by my outrage over the unnecessary death of my dog, Greenies investigated. We shared medical records with them. They spoke with our vet. Then, they spoke with me. They can't find any fault in our actions, or the doctor’s actions, or the timeline of events--at least, that's what Dr. Brad Quest (Greenies on-staff veterinarian) told me over the phone. I voiced my concerns with the product with him and told him that the product needed to be recalled and reformulated. To this day, they have not responded to this request. And all this from a product that comes with veterinarian recommendations and "highly digestible" and "edible" claims on its packaging and website. We read the packaging. We followed the instructions. We had been feeding Burt Greenies this way for well over 1½ years with no problems and we supervised him every single time. I guess on that day we won that statistical Greenies lottery. Hooray for us. I constantly wonder who will be next. Burt died 3 years to-the-day that he came into our lives. He is dearly missed by his family. He is not replaceable. Burt will not die in vain. Please think twice about this product. Make smart choices for your pets. Why take any risk at all? Our new motto for the company is this: Greenies: your dog can live without them. Sincerely, Mike
Eastwood on behalf of Burt |
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| Mack the bulldog was ten weeks old and three lbs the day
I took him home and became his caregiver. He didn't like to
think of himself as a lapdog or even French for that matter, he
was a construction site dog, a tough little guy. "I may be a
runt, but I've got spunk!". The first meeting with Stella, the
ridgeback, ended with Mack (5 lbs) chasing Stella (70 lbs)
around the kitchen. From the day Mack came home, he never left my side. In restaurants he would lie peacefully under the tablecloth cradled in my knees...in meetings, he would assume the same position on my knees and fall quickly asleep, "these humans are boring". Mack trusted me. I could pick him up in the air, on his back, his little legs would splay and he would be as relaxed as if he was spending a sunny afternoon at the ballgame (which we did). If I picked Mack up and he was on his belly, we'd play airplane, where I would hold his outstretched legs and he'd soar. Mack was cream colored with the most amazing eyes that would peer deep into yours. This amazing boy seemed to be an old soul, wise and content. We were happy together. We were enjoying each other's company from morning to night, we had become a pack of two. Last week while I was packing for our first camping trip together, Mack, now 16 weeks and 10 lbs, was enjoying a "Greenies" dog treat. I heard him choke and ran over to see if I could help. I tried to dislodge the chunk that he swallowed. I couldn't!!! I don't know if there is a doggie Heimlich maneuver, but I was trying it. I screamed for my neighbor who came upstairs and immediately tried to find help on the phone while I was still giving Mack the Heimlich and then mouth to mouth. The poor little boy's eyes were peering into mine silently screaming "Help me!". I kept doing both mouth to mouth and attempting to dislodge the Greenie, now with kitchen utensils. While giving Mack his last mouth to mouth, he spasmed, his little teeth dug into my mouth, and I saw the life drain out of my little boy. I clutched his limp body, and curled up in my tub sobbing hysterically. There had been nothing I was able to do to keep my little guy from suffocating. Please don't feed your doggies Greenies! Dedicated to the memory of Mack Stroub, 2005. Thank you Mack for six weeks of pure love. --Robert Stroub, stroub@pacbell.net |
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To read more heartbreaking stories like these about dogs that have been harmed by Greenies, see the Whole Dog News website. If you do an Internet search on the topic, you can find many more stories from dog owners that have lost or almost lost their dogs to Greenies. Our intent at Optimum Choices is to educate people about healthy options for feeding their dogs and to avoid saying bad things about particular brands. However, we feel that dog owners need to be educated about products that could possibly harm or even kill their dogs so we are passing on this information about Greenies. After reading these stories, we do not feel comfortable feeding Greenies to our dog. We will leave it up to you to decide whether they are an appropriate treat for your dog.
Give your pet the fountain of youth and prevent cancer!
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My Dog Pulls. What Do I Do?by Turid RugaasISBN 1-929242-23-9Click picture to order online from DogWise |
Reviewed by Margaret Auld-Louie
Like Turid Rugaas' previous book, Calming Signals, this is a tiny book packed with information and Turid's wisdom. Turid explains why dogs pull and some simple steps for kindly teaching them not to pull. What is striking about her approach is her very kind and considerate attitude towards dogs. She is always concerned not to hurt, frighten or stress dogs. Therefore, she explains how to treat dogs gently and why jerking on the leash is harmful for dogs. She explains that "One hard jerk on a leash, or many small ones can easily damage your dog's skeleton or other parts of the body. It can also potentially cause blindness or poor sight -- and possibly brain damage. Whiplash damage is not uncommon." If you find this hard to believe, read this article by an animal chiropractor.
Turid also describes equipment to be avoided and explains why, including head halters, pinch collars, choke collars and harnesses that tighten when the dog pulls. She explains how dogs learn by association and the consequences of this. For instance, if the dog is pulling on the leash while focused on a nearby child and the owner gives a negative correction (jerking the leash, yelling "no" or pinching its ear), the dog can make a negative association with children. The dog then becomes angry at or frightened of children. She illustrates the power of association dramatically with the following story:
"A dog and owner were participating in a class. During the training session, which was too long and strenuous, the dog became thirsty. While passing a water bowl he went over to it for a drink. The instructor spotted that, and threw himself at the dog, yelling "NOOOOO" at the top of his voice. The dog startled, and did not dare to drink. He did not dare to drink when he got home either. When the owners contacted me two days later, the dog had still not dared to drink, and was on the verge of collapse. He could easily have died. This was such unnecessary suffering for a dog who simply wanted to drink when he was thirsty."
Sally Askew of Rainbow Pet-Dog Training School in England explains in her endorsement of this book, "Turid's message is very powerful; simple yet at the same time so subtle. Her approach is startlingly unique. No one else...has her approach to dogs. It is a holistic approach, encouraging owners to look at the world from the dog's point of view".
This is a book every pet owner could benefit from. When I see owners walking their dogs in the park and yelling "no, no, no, no, no" at them and jerking on their leashes, I feel very distressed for the dogs. The owners simply don't know any other alternative for training their dogs. This book provides the alternative--a kind and gentle way to teach your dog to behave nicely on leash.
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Greenies have become a wildly popular chew treat for dogs, due to their
"healthy" appearance (a green-colored toothbrush shape) and the fact that most
dogs love them. While thousands of dogs have eaten them without incident, we
thought it important to let people know that some dogs have been harmed by them.
Some dogs have even been killed by them. Despite this, they are carried by
almost all pet stores, even natural pet food stores, due to strong customer
demand.