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Dec 8, 2005 6:15 pm US/Eastern
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Couple Blames 'Greenies' For Their Dog's Death
by Cindy Hsu
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Burt was a four year old Miniature Dachshund who died in July. His owners Jennifer Reiff and Michael Eastwood say he died after eating a petite sized Greenie. Reiff says she gave Burt the dog treat on a Friday and by that evening he was feeling discomfort. The next day the couple took Burt to the vet and he underwent emergency surgery for blocked intestine. The couple says it was a portion of a Greenie that caused the problem. He died two days later.
Reiff says Burt loved Greenies and had been eating them for more than a year and a half, but says this time it did not digest. She says he did not choke on the product and that he thoroughly chewed and ingested it, but it ended up blocking his intestine.
The couple tried to get the company to recall and reformulate the product, but received an e-mail from S & M NuTec, L.L.C. offering to pay their vet bills along with two thousand dollars for the loss of their dog. The couple is now suing the company for five million dollars.
S&M NuTec, L.L.C. would not comment on the lawsuit but released a statement saying "As a company started and staffed by pet lovers, this incident was devasting to us." It went on to say, "The digestibility testing that we have with Greenies show them to be more digestible than dry dog food when adequately chewed.... we strongly recommend purchasing the correct size Greenies according to the size and weight of your pet."
Reiff and Eastwood say Burt was within the weight range listed on their bag for petite size Greenies.
The Food and Drug Administration says it has recently received some information about alleged problems with this product, and are reviewing the situation.
(© MMV, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)