Greenies are dental treats for your dog. At what age should you start giving greenies to your dog, and can a puppy eat them?
Greenies should not be given to a puppy until they are at least 6 months of age. Before then, a puppy's jaw is not developed enough to be able to chew the greenie. Puppies also have weak stomachs that are not strong enough to digest the greenies once they have eaten them.
You want to make sure you wait long enough before giving your puppy a greenie or they can get very sick. I have written down the advice from some experts on the subject below. Read on to learn when you should start giving greenies to your furry friend.
Are Greenies Okay for Puppies?
Greenies should not be given to a puppy under the age of six months, but they can be given to an older puppy. This should not be the regular greenie though. It has to be a special puppy greenie. These greenies are created to be smaller, easier to chew, and less strong. This means that these should not affect your doggie's digestive system or teeth as much as a normal greenie would.
When you give your puppy a greenie for the first time, you need to sit with them as they eat it. It is very easy for a puppy to choke on a greenie. Therefore, until your dog is grown up, you should always sit with your pet while they eat their greenie.
Before your puppy is six months old, though, you still want to take care of their dental hygiene. If you do not take care of their dental hygiene, their teeth will rot and fall out. This will cause your pet to be in a lot of pain and will also make it harder for your pet to eat.
Instead, stick to giving them mainly dry food until they are older to keep their teeth healthy. You can also brush your teeth with a toothbrush. There are also liquid puppy-safe tartar removers that your puppy can drink. This will help clean their teeth. Making regular dental appointments for your pet will also protect their teeth until they are old enough to eat greenies.
Can Greenies Make Puppies Sick?
You need to wait until a puppy is at least six months old before you give them a greenie, even if you really don't like how their breath smells. There are many reasons for this. To begin with, your puppy does not have adult teeth yet. This means that they do not have teeth that are strong enough to eat a greenie. If they try to eat a greenie, they will likely break or hurt their teeth.
If your puppy breaks his teeth on a greenie, you need to take them to the dentist. They will be able to help fix your puppy's teeth and offer alternative solutions for how to take care of your puppy besides greenies.
Digensitvly a puppy's stomach is not strong enough for a greenie. Greenies are made with materials that help with plack and other dental buildups. Their little tummies are not strong enough to digest these chemicals, while full-grown dogs have mature enough stomachs to be able to handle them easily.
If your puppy eats a greenie due to their underdeveloped stomach, it will likely get sick. This could mean vomiting and diarrhea. This is not only a mess that you will have to clean up, but it could be dangerous to your baby puppy. This could cause your puppy to lose too much weight too quickly. It also could cause your puppy to get dehydrated and malnourished.
If your puppy is showing these symptoms, take your puppy straight to the vet. They can put your pet on an IV that will keep them hydrated and alive. The vet can also give you advice on how to care for your puppy without giving them greenies.
Why can’t Puppies Under 6 Months Have Greenies?
As talked about previously puppies cannot eat greenies because they are underdeveloped. Dogs don't get their big teeth until they are about 6 months old. Until then they have smaller more fragile teeth. You will know when your puppy's teeth have developed enough to start using greenies because the puppy's teeth fall out.
Your puppy's teeth will start falling out at around 12 weeks of age. You will notice that their teeth are missing, and it is normal. Once you have seen that all of the teeth have fallen out you know that your puppy is closer to being ready to eat greenies.
Your puppy's stomach also isn't developed enough to eat the greenies. When your puppy is young, its stomach is still getting used to eating real food. It will take time for their stomach to get used to having things beyond their mother's milk in it.
To help with your puppy's sensitive stomach when they first start eating greenies, encourage them to eat slowly. The faster they eat the more likely they are to have stomach problems.
Also, do not give them treats before or after they eat a greenie. Treats are not good for their stomach in general, which is why they are a treat. Therefore, if you give a treat to a puppy right after or before they have a greenie you are raising the risk of your dog having an upset stomach.
Are Greenies even Good for Dogs?
I know you have heard a lot of bad things about greenies for puppies and that may deter you from wanting to give greenies to your dog at all. This is not a good thing. Greenies are really good for your pet. Most vets suggest that you give your puppies greenies.
The reason why greenies are so good is that it really does help their teeth. Yes, they are too tough for a baby dog's teeth and stomach, but as your dog gets older, their teeth and stomach will become stronger and they will be able to handle this extra strain that will help them stay healthy.
Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.