Short answer
Greenies Original holds a VOHC plaque and tartar claim; Milk-Bone Brushing Chews holds tartar only. Milk-Bone has fewer calories per chew in most weight bands, while Greenies has four size bands against three. Both are for dogs 6 months and older and fed once a day. Choose by claim, calories and your dog’s ingredients.
- Broader VOHC claim: Greenies Original (plaque and tartar, 2007) against Milk-Bone (tartar, 2014).
- Fewer calories per chew: Milk-Bone for dogs from about 15 lb: Mini 30 kcal against Petite 52, Small/Medium 65 against Regular 88, Large 100 against 142.
- Smallest dogs: Greenies Teenie is 25 kcal against 30 for the Milk-Bone Mini.
- Named chicken ingredient: only Milk-Bone lists chicken (by-product meal); Greenies names “natural poultry flavor”.
How we compared them
We compared published manufacturer data and the VOHC list. We did not test either chew on dogs, and nothing here is a veterinary opinion. Greenies figures come from greenies.com, Milk-Bone figures from milkbone.com, and VOHC facts from the accepted-products list. The Greenies ingredient order comes from a named retailer listing, marked as such. Where a value was not published on the page we checked, the table says so. Amazon prices, ratings and reviews are not used. The method is the one used on our other pairs, such as Dentastix vs Greenies.
What the VOHC list says about each
The Veterinary Oral Health Council gives its Seal to a named product for a named claim. Milk-Bone Brushing Chews holds a tartar claim, awarded in 2014. Greenies Original holds plaque and tartar, awarded in 2007. In practice that means the list backs Greenies on two outcomes and Milk-Bone on one. It says nothing about which chew a particular dog will tolerate or enjoy. Check the exact product name on the VOHC accepted list, because a flavor or a differently named pack may not be covered.
Milk-Bone Brushing Chews vs Greenies: side by side
| Criterion | Greenies Original | Milk-Bone Brushing Chews | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOHC claim | Greenies Original (five sizes): Plaque, Tartar. Seal year 2007. | Milk-Bone Brushing Chews for Dogs, Daily Dental Treat: Tartar only. Seal year 2014. | 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 milkbone.com |
| Sizes and dog weight | Teenie 5–15 lb; Petite 15–25 lb; Regular 25–50 lb; Large 50–100 lb (four sizes). | Mini 5–24 lb; Small/Medium 25–49 lb; Large 50 lb and up (three sizes). | greenies.com milkbone.com |
| Calories per chew | Teenie 25; Petite 52; Regular 88; Large 142 kcal. | Mini 30; Small/Medium 65; Large 100 kcal. | greenies.com milkbone.com |
| First ingredients | Wheat flour, glycerin, wheat gluten, gelatin, water. Natural poultry flavor, species not specified. | Brewers rice, powdered cellulose, modified food starch, chicken by-product meal, propylene glycol. | retailer ingredient list (not linked) milkbone.com |
| Chicken | Not published on the manufacturer page we checked (2026-10-13); the label names only “natural poultry flavor”. | Yes: chicken by-product meal is on the ingredient list. | retailer ingredient list (not linked) milkbone.com |
| Grain-free | No (wheat flour, wheat gluten). | No (brewers rice first). | retailer ingredient list (not linked) milkbone.com |
| Minimum age | 6 months; not for dogs under 5 lb. | 6 months. | greenies.com milkbone.com |
| Feeding guideline | 1 per day; the label says to reduce the main meal by the chew’s calories. | 1 per day; reduce the dog’s food by about 10% while feeding. | greenies.com milkbone.com |
The two chews are close on feeding rules and minimum age. They part ways on the claim, the number of sizes and the first ingredients: Greenies leads with wheat flour and gluten, Milk-Bone with brewers rice and cellulose, and only Milk-Bone lists a named chicken ingredient.
Calories per chew at the same dog weight
| Dog weight | Greenies Original size | Milk-Bone Brushing Chews size |
|---|---|---|
| 10 lb dog (about 218 kcal RER) | Teenie 25 kcal: 11% of RER | Mini 30 kcal: 14% of RER |
| 20 lb dog (about 366 kcal RER) | Petite 52 kcal: 14% of RER | Mini 30 kcal: 8% of RER |
| 35 lb dog (about 557 kcal RER) | Regular 88 kcal: 16% of RER | Small/Medium 65 kcal: 12% of RER |
| 70 lb dog (about 936 kcal RER) | Large 142 kcal: 15% of RER | Large 100 kcal: 11% of RER |
RER here is the estimate 70 x (body weight in kg)^0.75, the resting energy a dog needs; real daily needs are higher, so the true share of the day’s food is smaller than the percentages shown. Milk-Bone is lower per chew in three of the four rows, and the biggest gap is the 20 lb dog (30 against 52 kcal), where Milk-Bone’s Mini and Greenies’ Petite both apply. The exception is the smallest dogs, where Greenies Teenie is 5 kcal lower. Chew weight in grams is not published for either, so a lower number may simply mean a smaller chew. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association advises that treats make up less than 10% of daily calories (WSAVA, Feeding treats to your dog, 2024). Use the dental chew calorie calculator for your own dog.
Choose Milk-Bone if / choose Greenies if
Choose Milk-Bone Brushing Chews if
- You want fewer calories per chew for a dog above about 15 lb, and a tartar claim is enough for you.
- Your dog does well on grain and chicken ingredients and you want those named on the label.
- You prefer three sizes with a wide first band (5 to 24 lb).
Choose Greenies Original if
- You want the plaque and tartar claim rather than tartar alone.
- Your dog is under 15 lb and the 25 kcal Teenie fits the day’s food better.
- You want four narrower size bands, which gives more control over the match between chew and dog.
Neither is a fit for every dog. For a dog with a food allergy, a weight problem or a history of swallowing food whole, ask your veterinarian first. Our Milk-Bone Brushing Chews page and Greenies Original page list every size.
Are Milk-Bone Brushing Chews healthy?
A label cannot answer that, and we have not tested them. What is checkable: the chew is VOHC-accepted for tartar, it is a grain-based treat with a by-product meal among its first ingredients, and it counts toward calories. Whether those ingredients suit a dog is a question for your veterinarian. A calorie-conscious owner will find it lighter than the Greenies size for the same dog in most weight bands, as the table above shows.
Which costs less?
We do not show prices. Pack counts and retailers change them constantly. Enter your own price and chew count in the dental chew cost calculator to get a per-day figure.
Related comparisons
The same Greenies baseline is used in Dentastix vs Greenies, Greenies vs Whimzees, OraVet vs Greenies and Earthbones vs Greenies. For the safety record of Greenies, read Are Greenies safe?
Where to look
These links open an Amazon search for the product name. We show no prices, ratings or availability.
Milk-Bone Brushing Chews on Amazon Greenies Original on Amazon
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Frequently asked questions
Are Milk-Bone Brushing Chews better than Greenies?
Neither wins on every measure. Greenies Original holds a VOHC plaque and tartar claim; Milk-Bone Brushing Chews holds tartar only. Milk-Bone has fewer calories per chew in most weight bands. Match the size to your dog and ask your veterinarian.
Are Milk-Bone Brushing Chews good or bad for dogs?
We cannot rate that from a label. Published facts: VOHC accepted for tartar (2014), 1 chew per day, 6 months minimum age, and chicken by-product meal among the first ingredients. Ask your veterinarian if your dog has allergies or diet limits.
Is there a healthier alternative to Greenies?
"Healthier" depends on the dog, and we do not rank it. For the VOHC-accepted options and their calories, see the table above, the VOHC accepted list and our best dental chews hub.
Sources
- VOHC: Accepted products, accessed October 13, 2026. VOHC claims and seal years.
- Greenies: Original Regular product page, accessed October 13, 2026. Feeding, age, texture; sizes and calories on the four Original size pages at greenies.com.
- Milk-Bone: Brushing Chews Small/Medium, accessed October 13, 2026. Ingredients, feeding, age; sizes, weights and calories on the Mini, Small/Medium and Large pages at milkbone.com.
- Retailer listing: Greenies Original ingredients (retailer product listing, not linked), accessed October 13, 2026.
- WSAVA: Feeding treats to your dog (2024), accessed October 13, 2026. Treats under 10% of daily calories.