Short answer
Greenies is a Mars Petcare line of dental chews. The VOHC accepted list carries six Greenies lines, each for plaque and tartar, with seal years from 2007 (Original) to 2019 (Aging Care and Puppy). Original comes in four sizes from 25 to 142 kcal per chew, one per day, for dogs from 5 lb and 6 months.
How this page was put together
We compare published manufacturer data and the VOHC list. We do not test chews on dogs, and nothing here is veterinary advice. VOHC facts come from the council’s accepted-products list, checked on October 13, 2026. Original-line facts come from greenies.com. For the other Greenies lines, the manufacturer pages we reached gave no sizes, calories or ingredients, so for those we state only what the VOHC list says. Amazon prices, ratings and reviews are not used.
Which Greenies lines are VOHC accepted?
The VOHC Seal is awarded to a named product for a named claim, not to a brand. The list has one row per Greenies line, and all six are accepted for both plaque and tartar. The line you buy must match a row.1
| Line (VOHC row) | VOHC claim | Seal year |
|---|---|---|
| Greenies Original (five sizes; also FreshMint, Blueberry and Pumpkin Spice flavors) | Plaque, Tartar | 2007 |
| Greenies Weight Management (five sizes) | Plaque, Tartar | 2008 |
| Greenies Hip and Joint Care Chews (all sizes) | Plaque, Tartar | 2014 |
| Greenies Grain-Free Dental Chews | Plaque, Tartar | 2014 |
| Greenies Aging Care Dental Chews (four sizes) | Plaque, Tartar | 2019 |
| Greenies Puppy Dental Chews (four sizes) | Plaque, Tartar | 2019 |
Weight Management, Hip & Joint Care, Grain-Free, Aging Care and Puppy are separate rows, so the Original seal does not automatically cover them. Greenies also sells products that do not appear on the list; check the pack name against the table above.
Greenies Original sizes and calories
Original is the line with complete manufacturer data. Greenies sizes it by dog weight and says to give one a day, not to dogs under 6 months or under 5 lb.2
| Size | Dog weight | kcal per chew |
|---|---|---|
| Teenie | 5–15 lb | 25 |
| Petite | 15–25 lb | 52 |
| Regular | 25–50 lb | 88 |
| Large | 50–100 lb | 142 |
The Regular figure is the label’s “reduce the main meal” offset of 88 kcal; some retailer pages quote 86 to 91 for the same size, so treat it as about 88. Calories for the Weight Management, Hip & Joint Care, Grain-Free, Aging Care and Puppy lines: not published on the manufacturer pages we checked (2026-10-13).
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association suggests treats stay under 10% of a dog’s daily calories (WSAVA, Feeding treats to your dog, 2024). A daily Large chew is 142 kcal, so a dog on a tight calorie budget should have its meals reduced to match.
What Greenies Original is made of
The first five ingredients on a retailer listing for the Regular size are wheat flour, glycerin, wheat gluten, gelatin and water (Food Lion listing, not linked). The flavor is listed as natural poultry flavor without naming the species, so whether the chew contains chicken is not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13). It is not grain-free. Greenies states the chews are made in the USA with ingredients from around the world.3 The Teenie recipe differs slightly from the larger sizes according to one retailer, so read the pack for your size.
Are Greenies safe?
Greenies has a documented history: choking and blockage complaints in 2005–2006, an FDA investigation, lawsuits that ended in a 2007 settlement, a reformulation in 2006 and clearer labels afterward. The practical advice is unchanged: pick the size by weight, supervise, and stop if a dog gulps pieces. The dated timeline with sources is in Are Greenies safe?
Greenies vs other brands
This table sets Greenies Original beside three chews whose figures we could read from manufacturer pages. Empty cells say so instead of borrowing a number from another source.
| Chew | VOHC claim, seal year | kcal per chew (smallest to largest size) | First five ingredients | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenies Original | Plaque, Tartar; 2007 | 25 to 142 | Wheat flour, glycerin, wheat gluten, gelatin, water | 6 months; not under 5 lb |
| Whimzees Brushzees | Plaque, Tartar; 2019 | Calories: not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13) | Potato starch, glycerin, powdered cellulose, lecithin, dried yeast | 9 months |
| Virbac C.E.T. VeggieDent FR3SH | Plaque, Tartar; 2020 | 24 to 105 | Plant-based, no animal-derived ingredients, gluten-free, contains grain proteins (manufacturer); full list not published on the page we checked | Puppies once they eat solid food with ease, supervised (manufacturer FAQ) |
| Milk-Bone Brushing Chews | Tartar; 2014 | 30 to 100 | Brewers rice, powdered cellulose, modified food starch, chicken by-product meal, propylene glycol | 6 months |
Sources: greenies.com (Greenies), wellnesspetfood.com (Whimzees), us.virbac.com (VeggieDent), milkbone.com (Milk-Bone); Greenies ingredients from retailer listings (not linked); VeggieDent is described by Virbac as plant-based and containing grain proteins. Wheat appears above; for a dog with an allergy, ask your veterinarian before switching.
For head-to-head detail, see Greenies vs Whimzees and Dentastix vs Greenies. Three other names come up often; here only the VOHC facts are stated.
| Brand or line | On the VOHC list? | Row, claim, seal year |
|---|---|---|
| Purina DentaLife | Yes, several lines | Daily Oral Care, North American sizes: Tartar, 2016. Plus Digestive Support and Plus Immune Support: Plaque, Tartar, 2023. |
| Pedigree Dentastix (Mars Petcare) | Yes, several lines | Original Large Dog Treats, Beef & Fresh Variety Pack: Tartar, 2024. Advanced: Plaque, Tartar, 2018. |
| Member’s Mark (company: Sam’s West) | Yes | Dental Treats: Plaque, Tartar, 2018. |
| Minties | No | No Minties row on the list. |
| Kirkland Signature | No | No Kirkland row in the list snapshot we checked. |
Being on the list is not a ranking. The list shows which named products passed the council’s review; it says nothing about taste, calories or fit for a particular dog. The full list is on our VOHC accepted dental chews page.
Where to look
This link opens an Amazon search for Greenies dental treats. We show no prices, ratings or availability, so confirm the line and size on the pack against the tables above.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Do vets actually recommend Greenies?
This page quotes no veterinarians and cites no veterinary endorsement of the brand. What can be checked is the VOHC list, which accepts six Greenies lines for plaque and tartar. Whether a given Greenies line suits your dog is a question for your veterinarian.
Is 2 GREENIES a day too much?
The label says one per day. Two would double the calories: for a dog in the Regular size, 2 x 88 is 176 kcal from treats alone. Greenies tells owners to reduce the main meal by the kcal of the treat. Use the dental chew cost calculator to compare options, and ask your veterinarian before giving more than one.
Are Greenies high in calories?
It depends on the size. The Original chew is 25 kcal (Teenie) to 142 kcal (Large) per the manufacturer label. WSAVA advises keeping treats under 10% of daily calories, so count the chew as food and reduce the meal to match.
What are Greenies made of?
The first five ingredients of the Original recipe on a retailer listing are wheat flour, glycerin, wheat gluten, gelatin and water, with a natural poultry flavor whose species is not stated. The full list for each line is on the package and on greenies.com. Other lines differ, so read the pack you buy.
Are Greenies OK for dogs with sensitive stomachs?
No Greenies-specific study was found. The Original recipe contains wheat, and Greenies has a separate Grain-Free line on the VOHC list. For a dog with a sensitive stomach or an allergy, ask your veterinarian first. Our guide on dental chews for upset stomachs and allergies goes through ingredients.
Is there something better than Greenies for dogs?
"Better" depends on the dog. Other chews hold a VOHC Seal, and some differ on wheat, calories or minimum age; the comparison table above shows the figures we could read from manufacturer pages. See also Greenies vs Whimzees and Dentastix vs Greenies.
Sources
- VOHC: Accepted products, accessed October 13, 2026. Greenies rows, claims and seal years; DentaLife, Dentastix, Member’s Mark rows; Minties and Kirkland absence.
- Greenies: Original Regular product page, accessed October 13, 2026. Feeding guideline, minimum age; the Teenie, Petite, Regular and Large size pages on greenies.com give weights and kcal.
- Greenies: Dog dental treats collection, accessed October 13, 2026. Made-in statement; the page gives no kcal or weights for variant lines.
- Wellness: Whimzees Brushzees, accessed October 13, 2026. Ingredients, minimum age.
- Virbac: C.E.T. VeggieDent FR3SH, accessed October 13, 2026. Sizes and kcal per chew.
- Milk-Bone: Brushing Chews, accessed October 13, 2026. Minimum age, ingredients, kcal per chew.
- Food Lion: Greenies Original Regular listing (retailer product listing, not linked), accessed October 13, 2026. Ingredient list.
- WSAVA: Feeding treats to your dog, 2024. The 10% treat guidance.