Short answer
Both brands carry a VOHC plaque-and-tartar claim on specific lines: Greenies Original, and Whimzees Toothbrush and Brushzees only. Greenies contains wheat and has lower calories in large sizes. Whimzees Brushzees is grain-free with no animal protein listed. Choose by diet, dog size and calorie budget, not by one winner.
- VOHC status: tie. Greenies Original and the Whimzees Brushzees and Toothbrush lines each hold a plaque and tartar claim.
- Wheat-free, grain-free or a plant-only ingredient list: Whimzees Brushzees (grain-free, no animal protein listed). Greenies Original contains wheat.
- Lower calories in the biggest sizes: Greenies. Its largest chew is 142 kcal; Brushzees Large is 173 kcal per the label statement on a PetSmart listing, and no X-Large calorie figure was published on the pages we checked.
- A manufacturer calorie figure for every size: Greenies. The Whimzees page we checked gives weights but no calories.
How we compared them
We compared published manufacturer data and the VOHC list. We did not test these chews on dogs, and nothing here is a veterinary opinion. Product facts come from greenies.com and wellnesspetfood.com, with a retailer page named wherever the manufacturer is silent. Where a value was not published on the page we checked, the table says so instead of filling it in. Amazon prices, ratings and reviews are not used. VOHC status comes from the council's accepted-products list, checked on October 13, 2026.
Whimzees VOHC status: which lines count
The VOHC Seal is awarded to a named product for a named claim. The list shows two Whimzees entries, Wellness Whimzees Toothbrush Dental Dog Treats, all sizes and Wellness Whimzees BRUSHZEES Dental Dog Treats, all sizes, each for plaque and tartar since 2019. The other Whimzees shapes, such as Stix, Hedgehog, Alligator and the Veggie Sausage, are marketed for dental care but do not appear on the list. If the seal matters to you, check the package for the Toothbrush or Brushzees name. The Greenies side is broader: the Original line has held the seal since 2007, and its variants have their own rows. See the full VOHC accepted list for all 83 dog products.
Greenies vs Whimzees: side-by-side
| Criterion | Greenies Original | Whimzees Brushzees (and Toothbrush) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOHC claim | Greenies Original (five sizes; also the FreshMint, Blueberry and Pumpkin Spice flavors): Plaque, Tartar. Seal year 2007. Weight Management, Hip & Joint Care, Grain-Free, Aging Care and Puppy lines are listed separately. | Only two Whimzees lines are listed: Toothbrush (all sizes) and Brushzees (all sizes), both Plaque, Tartar, seal year 2019. Other Whimzees shapes are not on the list. | VOHC list, Oct 13, 2026 |
| Texture and form | Chewy, dense chew. | Texture: not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13). | greenies.com wellnesspetfood.com |
| Sizes and dog weight | Teenie 5–15 lb; Petite 15–25 lb; Regular 25–50 lb; Large 50–100 lb. | Brushzees: X-Small 5–15 lb; Small 15–25 lb; Medium 25–40 lb; Large 40–60 lb; X-Large over 60 lb. Toothbrush sizes: not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13). | greenies.com wellnesspetfood.com |
| Calories per chew | Teenie 25; Petite 52; Regular 88; Large 142 kcal (manufacturer label). | Brushzees: Small 44; Medium 87; Large 173 kcal (label statement on a PetSmart listing). X-Small and X-Large: not published on the pages we checked (2026-10-13). The manufacturer page lists no kcal. Toothbrush: not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13). | greenies.com retailer product listing (not linked) |
| Main ingredients | First five: wheat flour, glycerin, wheat gluten, gelatin, water. Flavor listed as natural poultry flavor, species not specified. Whether it contains chicken: not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13). | First five: potato starch, glycerin, powdered cellulose, lecithin, dried yeast. No animal protein listed; the manufacturer page lists no chicken. | retailer ingredient list (not linked) wellnesspetfood.com |
| Grain-free | No (wheat flour and wheat gluten). | Yes (retailer listing). | retailer product listing (not linked) retailer product listing (not linked) |
| Guaranteed analysis | Not collected for this page. | Protein min 1.0%, fat min 2.0%, fiber max 9.0%, moisture max 12.0%. | wellnesspetfood.com |
| Minimum age | 6 months; not for dogs under 5 lb. | 9 months on the manufacturer page (one retailer shows 3 months, likely a puppy line). | greenies.com wellnesspetfood.com |
| Feeding guideline | 1 per day. | 1 chew per day, with fresh water always available. | greenies.com wellnesspetfood.com |
Calories per chew at the same dog weight
Matching each chew to the weight band printed for it shows where the two diverge. Small dogs get near-identical numbers. Above 40 lb the Brushzees chew carries roughly double the calories of the Greenies chew for a dog of the same weight. Greenies' label tells owners to reduce the main meal by the chew's kcal, so count any chew toward the day's food. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association advises that treats should make up less than 10% of a dog's daily calories (WSAVA, Feeding treats to your dog, 2024).
| Dog weight | Greenies Original | Whimzees Brushzees |
|---|---|---|
| 5–15 lb | Teenie: 25 | X-Small: not published |
| 15–25 lb | Petite: 52 | Small: 44 |
| 25–40 lb | Regular: 88 | Medium: 87 |
| 40–50 lb | Regular: 88 | Large: 173 |
| 50–60 lb | Large: 142 | Large: 173 |
| Over 60 lb | Large: 142 (up to 100 lb) | X-Large: not published |
For a 50–60 lb dog fed one chew a day, that is 142 kcal (Greenies Large) versus 173 kcal (Brushzees Large) from the chew alone. Chew weights in grams are not published for either brand on the pages cited, so we cannot compare calories per gram.
Choose Greenies if / choose Whimzees if
Choose Greenies Original if
- You want the longest-standing VOHC listing for the exact product on the pack (seal year 2007).
- Your dog is large and you want a smaller calorie hit per daily chew.
- Wheat in the ingredient list is not a problem for your dog.
- Your dog is 6 months or older and over 5 lb.
Choose Whimzees Brushzees or Toothbrush if
- You want a grain-free chew with no animal protein or chicken in the ingredient list, for example when your vet has you avoiding poultry.
- Your dog is small to mid-size, where the calorie counts are close to Greenies.
- You are fine with a 9-month minimum age (manufacturer page).
A food allergy or sensitive stomach is a question for your veterinarian. An ingredient list that avoids one trigger does not make a chew right for a specific dog.
How to pick the right size
Both brands size by body weight, and both say one chew a day. Use the dog's weight today, not the weight you hope for. The printed bands touch at their edges (Greenies Petite is 15–25 lb and Regular is 25–50 lb), so a dog sitting exactly on an edge should follow the pack label. Watch the dog while it chews, take away small leftover pieces, and keep water available. Greenies is not for dogs under 5 lb; Brushzees starts at 5 lb with the X-Small size. For very large dogs, Greenies' biggest size stops at 100 lb, and the Brushzees X-Large lists no upper limit.
Which costs less?
We do not show prices. Cost depends on pack size and the retailer you buy from, and it changes. Enter your own price and chew count in the dental chew cost calculator to get a per-day figure for either chew.
A note on Greenies safety
Greenies has a public safety history that some owners ask about. We summarize it with primary sources in Are Greenies safe? Any hard or dense chew can be swallowed in pieces, so size it correctly and supervise.
Related comparisons
Comparing Greenies with the Pedigree stick? See Dentastix vs Greenies. For the three-way question, Whimzees vs Greenies vs Dentastix, read these two pages together.
Where to look
These links open an Amazon search for the product name. We show no prices, ratings or availability.
View Greenies on Amazon View Whimzees Brushzees on Amazon
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Frequently asked questions
Do vets recommend Whimzees?
This page quotes no veterinarians. What can be checked is the VOHC list: on October 13, 2026 it accepts the Whimzees Toothbrush and Brushzees lines for plaque and tartar, and no other Whimzees shapes. Ask your own veterinarian whether a given chew suits your dog.
Do vets actually recommend Greenies?
This page quotes no veterinarians and cites no veterinary endorsement of the brand. Greenies Original does hold a VOHC Seal for plaque and tartar (seal year 2007), and the council lists several Greenies variants. Your veterinarian can say whether it fits your dog's mouth, weight and health.
Is there a healthier alternative to Greenies?
"Healthier" depends on the dog. Chews with a different ingredient profile exist, for example Whimzees Brushzees, which is grain-free with no animal protein listed. Check calories per chew for your dog's size and ask your vet. Our VOHC list shows other accepted chews, and Dentastix vs Greenies compares one more.
Is there a lawsuit against Greenies?
Greenies has faced legal action over the years. We do not summarize case details here; the timeline with primary sources is in Are Greenies safe?
What is the healthiest dental chew for dogs?
No chew is healthiest for every dog. Look for a VOHC-accepted product, match the size to your dog's weight, count its calories toward the day's food, and avoid ingredients your dog reacts to. The VOHC accepted list is the place to start.
Sources
- VOHC: Accepted products, accessed October 13, 2026. VOHC claims and seal years on this page.
- Greenies: Original Regular product page, accessed October 13, 2026. Feeding guideline, minimum age, texture; sizes and calories appear on the four size pages at greenies.com.
- Wellness: Whimzees Brushzees, accessed October 13, 2026. Sizes, weights, minimum age, feeding, ingredients, guaranteed analysis.
- PetSmart listing: Whimzees Brushzees, caloric content statement (retailer product listing, not linked), accessed October 13, 2026.
- Retailer listing: Greenies Original ingredients (retailer product listing, not linked), accessed October 13, 2026.
- Retailer listing: Whimzees Brushzees grain-free (retailer product listing, not linked), accessed October 13, 2026.