Freshpet: Dognation Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies

The other type of Ready to Bake cookies Freshpet sent me are the Dognation Oatmeal and Cranberry cookies. Here is Part 1 of the review.

Ingredients:
Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Oil, Eggs, Cranberries, Water, Baking Soda, Carrageenan.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min): 5.0%
Crude Fat (min): 18.0%
Crude Fiber (max): 1.5%
Moisture (max): 19.0%
Calorie Content (calculated): 4,210 kcal ME per kg / 72 kcal per baked cookie

Like the other cookies, I received, these also have cane juice but again, since these are treats, I will not worry about it's inclusion.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place cookies 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheet. Gently flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on baking rack before serving. Store baked cookies in an air tight container for up to 14 days.

Unbaked cookies

Each box comes with 18 cookies and costs roughly $7 per package. A bit more than the other kind, but still doable.

These cookies smell pretty good, better than the peanut better type.
Each dog got one cookie as an initial test. Like the other cookies, they were an instant hit. All the dogs scarfed their cookies down quick.
Conker really liked these and was offering behaviors in return for the cookie in my hand. He does not offer behaviors very often, he usually needs to be given a command. This must be a pretty good cookie if he was doing that. 

Baked cookies

The cookies digest easily which is always a plus for me. I didn't have to "transition" Conker to them like I do with some treats. They are a bit big for smaller dogs but they can be cut or broken into smaller pieces for dogs who don't need an entire cookie in one sitting.

These are a bit on the fragile side so I wouldn't go sticking one into your pocket if you don't want a ton of crumbs getting left behind.

These cookies are a lot of fun, and since the dogs enjoyed them so much, I will probably buy them every now and then if I can find them. I like how they are made with oats instead of grains like wheat, and the baking thing is cool. No need to make the dough yourself with these!

I recommend people who are looking for something a bit different to try these, for dogs who can have a large treat, and for dogs who are not on a grain-free diet.


I'd like to thank Freshpet for giving me the opportunity to review these cookies, and for sending them to me so quickly. I enjoyed baking and giving them a test run (as did the dogs).

Freshpet: Dog Joy Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Ready to Bake Cookies

Freshpet has recently asked me to write a review on their new line of ready to bake cookies. They sent me one box of each kind, and today I will talk about the Dog Joy Ready to Bake Cookies.

They came with a cute little apron and were packed in a nifty lunchbox with some ice packs to keep them cool, as well as some literature on their products.

Box of cookie dough

Ingredients:
Peanut Butter, Oats, Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Oil, Eggs, Water, Baking Soda.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min): 10.0%
Crude Fat (min): 25.0%
Crude Fiber (max): 1.5%
Moisture (max): 15.0%
Calorie Content (calculated): 4,800 kcal ME per kg / 82 kcal per baked cookie.

I'm a bit skeptical about the cane juice and palm oil, but since this is not a "food" and is instead a treat, I will not worry about them.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place cookies 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheet. Gently flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on baking rack before serving. Store baked cookies in an air tight container for up to 14 days.

Unbaked cookies

The box comes with 18 cookies, about 12 ounces and costs around $5 per box. (Freshpet gave me a handy price guide! No more guessing how much stuff costs.)

The cookies smell good (to me, not others in my family) and have a peanut buttery scent to them. Not surprising, since the first ingredient is peanut butter.
The dogs seemed to know the cookies were for them, and waited patiently (except Conker) for them to bake and cool. Once ready, each dog got to try one cookie and all three greatly enjoyed them.  Conker tried to steal the Girls' cookies but that is expected, he always does that. But even Juneau tried to steal, which is rare for her. These must be pretty good if Juneau is turning to crime to get another bite.

Baked cookies

The cookies are a bit big for Conker, so he will only get one half, or one whole if he eats less of his normal food to compensate for the cookie. For dogs smaller than Conker (under 25 pounds) you might want to quarter the cookies before baking (to avoid crumbling) or only give your dog one cookie every couple days, or reduce their overall food intake to make up for the large cookie.

I like these cookies, and if I can find them, will probably buy some in the future as a fun snack for the dogs.  They are priced like other "cookies" that are similar in type and weight. The only differences are that these need to be baked, and they are rather large.

I recommend these for dogs who aren't on a grain-free diet, and to owners who want to try something a bit different than what is normally available as treats, and to owners who would like to try baking for their dogs without having to actually make the dough.


That's Part 1 of the Ready to Bake cookie review!  Here is Part 2.

Zuke's Z-Fillets

While I was in Arizona I was given a bag of venison Z-Fillets by Taro's owner. I was excited since I hadn't tried any of these and they are made by my favorite treat brand, Zuke's!

Venison, yumm

Ingredeints:
Venison, Rice Flour, Maple Syrup, Garlic Powder, Salt, Phosphoric Acid, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Mixed Tocopherols. 

Guaranteed Analysis:

Protein	not less than 25%
Fat	not less than 5%
Fiber	not more than 3%
Moisture	not more than 20%

The ingredients look good. The maple syrup... Dunno about that one or the garlic stuff, but I think it's a small enough amount that it can't hurt to give.

Conker really likes these.

This is darker than the real thing.

A couple weeks ago I found a bag of beef Z-Fillets for $2.50! I grabbed it since they normally retail around $6 or more.

Ingredients:
Beef, Rice Flour, Maple Syrup, Salt, Garlic Powder, Phosphoric Acid, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Mixed Tocopherol.

 Guaranteed Analysis:

	Protein not less than 30% Fat not less than 5% Fiber not more than 3% Moisture not more than 20%
	Again the ingredients look alright. Keep in mind that all of these do contain a grain, rice, so if you don't give grains then don't buy them.
	Like the venison type, Conker loves these. The Girls do too. I probably won't buy them too often due to the price unless I find them for $2.50 again. They are simple to carry around and can easily be busted up into smaller pieces for training.  They don't crumble very much so it won't leave a ton of crumbs in your pocket. They kinda smell good too, but then again they don't, so you might want to put them in a treat pouch instead of your pocket if you don't want your clothes smelling like it.

Ruff Wear: TurnUp

The other toy I got when I ordered some stuff from Altrec was a Ruff Wear TurnUp!

 I ordered the older discontinued kind in green for $7.49. They normally retail for around $10.

Juneau instantly decided the TurnUp was hers. She took it and carried it around with her and refused to let Conker touch it, much to his great annoyance.

The TurnUp is made from the same durable rubber that Ruff Wear uses with it's other toys. It's hollow in the middle and can be used like a Kong or similar toy that you can put kibbles or treats into. I wouldn't put wet food or stuff like that in it though, the openings are kinda small.

This toy is really easy to use. It's easy to grip and throw and it's odd shape and rubber material makes it bounce allover the place. It can get some pretty good air if it hits the ground right. And bounce over the fence into the neighbor's blackberry bushes.

 It's pretty durable too. Juneau has chewed on it quite a bit (I try not to let her do that) and so far she hasn't ruined any part of it yet.

Juneau loves playing with this toy. Since it bounces all over and sometimes pretty high, she can get it before Conker does who is a tyrant when it comes to playing with the same toy as another dog.

Something I find really fun is that the TurnUp can fit into a standard ChuckIt! This means I can give this thing a good heave and watch as Juneau really has to race to get it. That makes this one of my favorite dog toys when it comes to versatility.

Overall the TurnUp is a good toy. Durable, fun, able to be used in more than one way. If you can find it for a good price, I recommend you buy it. It's well worth what I paid for it.

Science Diet: Puppy Small Bites

Here goes, my review of a Science Diet formula.

When I got Conker he came with a bag of Puppy Small Bites.  I already knew that this was not that awesome of a food but I continued to feed it to him as I switched him to a different kibble anyways.  At this time I didn't know the extent of Conker's digestive problems and though I quickly found out about them, I didn't link some of them to ingredients in this food until somewhat recently.


Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Magnesium Oxide, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Average Nutrient And Caloric Contents*
Protein    31.5
Fat    19.8
Carbohydrate (NFE)    38.4
Crude Fiber    2.3
3897 kcal/kg 384.0 kcal/per cup
*Dry-matter basis


Lets take a look at the ingredients.
Corn  is one of Conker's sensitivities, as it is for many dogs.  Not a quality ingredient in my book.  Followed by chicken by-product meal.   Another sensitivity, but at least it's named. (Doesn't mean it's good.) Corn gluten meal is a bad ingredient, and another problematic one for Conker.  Animal fat but from what animal? Generally not good ingredients.
This "food" is comprised of fillers and garbage.


How did Conker do on this?  Terrible.  He smelled bad, shed a lot, was constantly itching, had unpredictable and often really nasty poop, he refused to eat it at times and was generally not in the best of shape while eating this food.
And it's not surprising, given how crappy the ingredients are.

When I switched him to a different brand he stopped smelling bad, the shedding lessened, he stopped obsessively itching (didn't completely go away though) and his poop became a bit more predictable.  I attributed this to the higher-quality ingredients in the new food.


I know it's not long but it's a simple review due to how bad Conker's condition was on it. I do not think there is much else to say about a food which is obviously not a good one and that's not based on ingredients alone.  He really was not in good shape while eating this stuff.

Ruff Wear: Sqwash

One of the items I got in my package from Altrec is a Ruff Wear Sqwash.  Like usual, I got the older discounted type that comes in an orangeish yellow color instead of swirly purple berry goodness.

Older Sqwash looks like a squash.

I thought this toy would be a bit bigger than it actually is, but that works out good since Conker can easily grip it.  Like the other Ruff Wear toys, it's made out of a durable heavy rubber. It's hollow inside and the rubber isn't as thick as some other toys, so it is easier to squish.

Conker immediately claimed the Sqwash as his.

Conker began to play with it right away, then he settled down to chew on it. After a while Juneau got a hold of it and chewed as well, and while Ruff Wear says it's not a chew toy, so far neither of them have done any damage to it.

Juneau being harassed by Conker.

Juneau took to retrieving the Sqwash instantly. She loves it, almost more than a ball. The Sqwash, being lighter and thinner than some other Ruff Wear toys, can get some pretty neat air when it hits the ground, or shoot of at strange angles when it hits something. The dogs have to be paying attention when they play with it or they might lose sight.

Juneau patiently but excitedly waits for me to throw the Squash.

I decided to be stupid and took the Sqwash hiking on Dollar Hill (Mountain).  I figured I would only use it where the trail was flattish, but I did not do that. I began to toss the thing down the trail and watching the dogs chase after it as it ricocheted off the trees and down the hills was quite entertaining. Then, the inevitable happened.

It bounced down the hill, over the edge of the hill, and down into a ravine-thing that was about 250 feet deep. FFFFFF-CRAP! My brand new, $9 toy that I'd had for less than 4 hours was down there somewhere, and I'd have to go look for it, and it happened to be the exact same color as the leaves covering the ground.  I was not in a good mood.

I watched the dogs run around looking for it, and saw it in Conker's mouth a couple times, but being a Shiba he did not bring it back when I told him to. He bugged off and did other things more important than listening to me.
As I prepared to climb down into the ravine to find it...

Juneau returns.

I saw Juneau approaching, with the Sqwash in her mouth!  Good girl Juneau!  She got much praise, treats and loving for returning the toy to me, and while for a moment I wanted to chuck it back down there to see if she could do it again, I refrained from doing so.

Juneau brings the Sqwash back.

So, as a word of caution to you, DON'T PLAY WITH THIS NEAR BIGASS RAVINES!  It will inevitably end up at the bottom, and unless you have an obsessive retriever with you, you probably will not find it.

Overall, this is a very good toy. Lots of fun even if your dog (Conker) doesn't retrieve so well, since it gets their chase-and-catch instincts into gear with it's erratic bouncing.  Like Ruff Wear says, I wouldn't recommend it as a chew toy since it's not meant for that, but you can load it with treats or kibble and use it like a Kong if you want.

The Sqwash retails for around $12 on Ruff Wear's site and many other online retailers, but if you are like me, you can find it for cheaper if you look hard enough.

Outward Hound Urban Adventure DayPack

One of the items I received in the package sent to be my my Shiba Inu Forum secret Santa was a small pack.  I love packs (if you can't tell) so I was psyched to try the little green thing out.

The little pack is made by Outward Hound but I can't find any information on it on their site or much else on the web. Either way, it's a cute little thing and I liked it at first sight.
It weighs only 4.1 ounces (116 grams).

It's made out of water proof/resistant (haven't tested it yet) nylon fabric and is lined with what my guess is, is a waterproof lining of similar material.  There is mesh on the top and wrapped around the chest strap.

There is no padding on this pack but the mesh on the chest strap does protect against rubbing and ensures a more comfortable fit.  It has two points of adjustability.  Since the bags to not attach to the straps any lower, they do flop around and smack the dog's sides somewhat.

There is a small plastic D ring sewn onto the top.  I am a bit hesitant to use this as a leash attachment since it does not connect to the rest of the pack's straps very well.

Green camo accent matches my dog-shit bag dispenser.

The pockets are quire roomy for such a small pack, and each pocket has a smaller outer pouch.  The pockets are closed with velcro and have a small pull-tab on them for easier opening.  The small external pouch with the logo is also closed with velcro, but the other side is not.

Conker immediately knew what the pack was.  He is not fond of having anything put on him, but once it's on, he doesn't show any signs of giving a crap.  We tested the pack out by walking down to MPM and even threw in a couple brisk jogging sessions.  The pack was empty on the way there.
On the trip back Conker carried one small Zuke's Z-Bones in each pocket.  We walked, and jogged, back and the little pack did not shift one bit.  I was somewhat surprised since it has no connector between the two straps to help it stay in place, and also has no belly strap.
I decided it needed a better test run.  I took Conker hiking.

Conker sporting his Web Master II and DayPack.

I was first going to take off the Web Master II that Conker always wears on car rides but due to the presence of another dog and several people on the trail, I left it on.  I think this could have affected the stability of the pack in a small manner, but I have to do more tests to be sure.

Fuji is good at capturing motion blur.

Conker didn't notice the pack which was loaded with his Hydro Bowl and some crap bags.  It was slightly unbalanced but the pack did not shift.  I was starting to really like the little pack.  I encouraged Conker to give it a better test and told him to run, so he did.  The pack did not budge.  He rolled on the trail and scrambled through a bush and even then the pack stayed in place.

This little pack has thoroughly surprised me.  I figured it would slip and slide a bit or come loose but it did not.  It stayed in place and kept it's snug fit the entire hike.  I have taken it on a couple more hikes and it still has yet to totally slip around or do something strange.
I have actually been looking for a smaller pack for Conker since his Ruff Wear pack is a bit big for day hikes. This little pack fits the bill perfectly, and if you can find it, I recommend you buy one.  I cannot give a price since it was a gift and due to not being able to find many places to buy one online.

Note: This pack is made in China. If you aren't into that, don't buy it. Regardless, I still like it a lot.

Ruff Wear: Gourdo

The first Ruff Wear toy I bought was this little orange thing I found while at Cabelas during last Christmas.  I cost $8.88, not the greatest deal but it was the only one I had found that was not online for a similar price.
The little orange thing is... The Gourdo.  I also found a blue Gourdo at Cabelas for $6.88 and got that one a few days after I got the first. 

Gourdo of two colors and sizes.

The Gourdo comes in two sizes, and formerly, three colors. Black, blue and orange.  The newer version only comes in orange but its swirly orange, so I guess that makes it cooler.

Conker with the small orange Gourdo in Arizona.

It's a durable, heavy toy with a rope on one end for the owner to grab and use to throw, or tug with, to avoid slobber.  It's a handy attachment but care needs to be taken with chewers: they will go right for that rope and chew it off.

Juneau with the large blue Gourdo .

Something I find cool about the Gourdo is that it bounces quite a bit.  Despite it being a somewhat heavy toy (even the smaller one has some weight to it) it can catch some good air when it hits the ground right.  This makes it more fun for the dogs since it can bounce over them and they have to try to maneuver correctly to catch it.

Despite it's size and weight, Conker can carry the large Gourdo .

The more enthusiastic smaller dogs can even play with the larger Gourdo .  Conker actually prefers it to the smaller one when Juneau is playing as well.

Juneau waits patiently for me to throw the Gourdo .

Since this toy is pretty heavy, it could potentially do some damage so I don't recommend playing with it inside. Plus since it bounces, even a short toss could result in something getting smashed. And a dog who jumps the gun and gets ahead can easily be hit with it, but so far none of mine have seemed to notice. (I don't intentionally try to hit them, it just happens.)

Tug with the Gourdo is fun.

Overall this seems to be a pretty good toy. Juneau hasn't been able to put a dent in it yet and hasn't had the opportunity to destroy the rope (I know she will if she gets the chance) and the two who will pick it up seem to really enjoy playing with it.  (Sasha will try to steal it but will drop it as soon as it's hers.)

I have seen the newer model of the Gourdo and couldn't really find much of a difference other than color, so if you can find the older models for a cheaper price, I recommend buying them.  It's on sale on Ruff Wear' site and several others across the web.

The Honest Kitchen: Keen

I have been waiting a while to do this to give the food a long enough trial period.  I believe that a month and a half is sufficient time to write up a review.

Also ordered some samples and some tea.

Back in November I ordered myself a 4 pound box of The Honest Kitchen Keen and I have been testing it out since it's arrival.  Conker was getting roughly half Keen and half home-made food during the first period then exclusively Keen during the second.

Here's the nutritional info.

Ingredients:
Dehydrated cage-free turkey, organic oats, potatoes, organic flax, carrots, cabbage, organic alfalfa, organic kelp, apples, honey, garlic, rosemary, tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein, 21% min
Fat, 15.5% min
Fiber, 5.0% max
Moisture, 8.64% max
Calcium, 1.50% min 1.80% max
Phosphorus, .78% min .99% max
Sodium, 0.17% min 0.24% max
Magnesium 0.15% min 0.17% max
Calories per cup 470,  Calories per kilogram 4140 

Ingredients are good, but it appears to be a bit veggie heavy and low in protien. 

Keen with additions.

I frequently added in things like meats, quinoa, egg or other random things to the food.  One regular item was a chicken heart which I use to hide salmon oil capsules in.

Keen and pork.

Even though already liked food items were present, Conker loved the Keen and licked up every last bit.
During the month of December Conker ate Keen almost exclusively.  He did have a couple other Honest Kitchen varieties and some turkey on a couple days but that was basically it.

I am very fond of how healthy and in shape Conker is on his home-made diet.  One of the things I don't like about most commercial diets is the "effects" from it; namely smell, tartar buildup and grease. While on Keen I did not notice much of a change.

Conker did not smell.
Conker did not develop grease.
Conker did however get some tartar, and that is completely expected due to the nature of this food.  His breath also had a strange funk to it if he didn't have anything to chew on for a while.
Conker continued to have good energy, predictable poop and only refused to eat once.
Conker never showed any signs of intolerances or allergies while on Keen.
However, Conker's fur became a tad brittle and dull while on Keen.

I am very pleased with this food and how it compares to Conker's normal diet. The small number of ____ are easily remedied with a few extra ingredients like fresh meat and fish oil.

Reused image of Keen, no additions.

My main motivation for buying Keen was to find a good food for hiking/camping and travel.  The Honest Kitchen is a very good travel food, especially for someone who feeds raw or home-made foods since no refrigeration is required.

My overall opinion of Keen is good. Conker loves it, he does good on it (short term, I cannot say about long term), it's affordable compared to a home-made or raw diet and is easy to prepare and take with you on trips. 

A 4 pound box of Keen costs $28, 10 pounds $55 direct from The Honest Kitchen.  They do charge shipping ($7.50 for orders of $25-$49.99, $10 for orders of $50-$100.99) but they often have coupons and deals if you sign up for their e-mail newsletter or visit them on Facebook or Twitter.


Note: Keen contains grains.  People who don't feed grains may wish to try one of The Honest Kitchen's other varieties like Force, Embark, Love or Zeal.

Zuke's Z-Ridge and Z-Bones

Back in July I wrote a short post about the chews made by Zuke's which happens to be my favorite dog treat company.
Zuke's has since discontinued the Z-Ridge line in favor of the newer Z-Bones which come in a plastic wrapper instead of cardboard and feature two different flavors than before.  The Z-Ridges came in fresh breath, carrot and cranberry.  The Z-Bones come in apple, carrot and cherry.  Conker's favorite by far is the apple so I can't complain too much about the change.

Anywho, onto the review.

Box of Z-Bones surrounded by Z-Ridges

Apple Z-Bones

Ingredients:
Potato Starch, Tapioca, Vegetable Glycerin, Apple, Alfalfa Concentrate, Cellulose Fiber, Spinach, Lecithin, Turmeric, Natural Flavor, Parsley, Ground Clove, Rosemary Extract, Fennel Seed Powder, Vanilla Extract, Chlorophyll, Calcium Propionate, Zinc Propionate.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein:  not less than 1%
Fat:  not less than 1%
Fiber:  not more than 2%
Moisture:  not more than 20%


Original Fresh Breath Z-Ridge

Ingredients:
Potato Starch, Vegetable Glycerin, Cellulose Fiber, Alfalfa Concentrate (a source of chlorophyll), Natural Flavor, Lecithin, Whey, Vanilla Extract, Clove Powder, Parsley Powder, Nutmeg Powder and Fennel Seen Powder.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein:  0.4% min
Crude Fat:  1% min
Crude Fiber:  6% max
Moisture:  16% max

Both are grain-free so if you're into that, these should be fine.
The ingredients are not too terribly different but I think a better side-by-side comparison would best be done with the carrot flavors (I'll get around to that soon).
One of the reasons why I like Zuke's is that even though the first ingredient on both of these chews is potato starch, Conker does not react adversely to it.  Potato, in it's whole form, sets him off no matter how it's cooked if he has too much. Fortunately neither of these chew do that.

Reused image from July post

The Z-Bones are, as I suspected they would be, around .50 cents to $1 more for the same size of Z-Ridge.  I don't like this at all, which is why I bought the bigass box of apple chews since it would save me $6 to do that.  But other than the price increase and addition of plastic wrap, I like these chews.
The apple flavor smells quite nice and Conker finishes all he's given.  With the old Z-Ridges he would sometimes leave it and Sasha would sneak in and steal it.

Digestion wise, like with any new item I give Conker, is fine if I gradually increase the amount.  Things do turn a bit green, red or orange respectively, but I find that they digest just fine.  No chunks of the chew come out intact.
Since I bought the box of large sized chews I ended up hacking each one into three pieces that would be about the same size as the mini chews.  The regular size Z-Ridges I would normally buy for Conker I would allow him to chew about half then give the rest later, so it equals to the same amount that way.

Anyways, the Z-Bones are pretty good in my book. While they don't really clean teeth as good as a nice bone or hard bully stick, they do make Conker's breath smell nice which even though it doesn't smell like anything to begin with, is a plus.

Zuke's Mini Naturals: Wild Rabbit

My favorite treat company Zuke's recently came out with a new flavor of Mini Naturals!  So naturally I had to go pick up a bag.  The new flavor is wild rabbit.  Conker has never had rabbit treats before so I was interested in how he would like these.

Ingredients: 
Wild New Zealand Rabbit, Ground Rice, Ground Barley, Malted Barley, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Tapioca, Brewers Yeast, Natural Flavors, Fish Oil, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Sorbic Acid (a natural preservative), Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Protein     not less than 12%
Fat     not less than 7%
Fiber     not more than 3%
Moisture     not more than 30%
Calories     Approximately 2 per piece

Like all of Zuke's soft treats the ingredients look good.  There are grains so those of you who do the completely grain-free thing might want to skip these.

The treats are very small, about 1 x 3/4 centimeters.  They are perfect for training or for smaller dogs.  I like to grab a small handful and toss them into my mix of hiking treats since they don't crumble or make a mess in my pocket. 

They cost a bit more than the other varieties of Mini Naturals (salmon, chicken and peanut butter) and I think that's due to them being new and/or how they use rabbit instead of a more common protein or flavor.  This bag cost $6.99 (I got $2 off) which runs $1-2 more than the other flavors.  Do I think they are worth it?  Well, Conker seems to really like them so I see no harm in adding them as part of his treat rotation.

Other than the slightly stepped up price, I highly recommend these treats.  If you want to give them a shot and want to knock a dollar off the price, Zuke's has a coupon on their home page that they'll send to you to use in your local store.

Freshpet: Vital Slice and Serve

I recieved two 2lb rolls of Freshpet's Vital Slice and Serve in my sample box.  I got one Turkey roll and one Bison & Beef roll.

Vital rolls on the bottom.

Here's the technical stuffs.

Turkey Ingredients:
Turkey,Turkey Liver, Spinach, Blueberries, Cranberries, Pomegranate, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Broccoli, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Green Tea Extract.
Beef & Bison Ingredients:
Bison, Beef, Beef Liver, Spinach, Blueberries, Cranberries, Pomegranate, Carrageenan, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Broccoli, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Green Tea Extract.

Vitamins:
Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid. 
Minerals:
Calcium Sulfate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.

Turkey Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min)  6.0%
Crude Fat (min)  4.0%
Crude Fiber (max)  1.5%
Moisture (max)  78.0%

Beef & Bison Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min)  8.5%
Crude Fat (min)  7.5%
Crude Fiber (max)  1.0%
Moisture (max)  76.0%

On the roll and website it states that a 21-40 pound dog should get 1/2 to 1 pound daily.  I gave Conker just over 1/4 of a pound for the first couple days since he also got a piece of turkey neck.  For the last bits of the roll he got 1/2 pound. 

Vital turkey roll.

Each roll lasted roughly 5 days.  I started with the turkey and added it to the Complete Meals for a one-day transition period.  It went smoothly with no problems, probably since the products are quite similar.
The worst part of the transition was a little incident that occurred when I was giving Conker a taste test of the Turkey recipe.   I gave him a piece by hand, the bowl was on the floor, and let him try it.  He liked it, so I gave him another piece.  After I saw how quickly he ate it I figured I should move him to my room so he wouldn't savage the Girls like he sometimes does with food he really likes.
Well, he didn't like my hand grabbing his bowl and instead of savaging the Girls' faces, he savaged my left index finger. He sliced it open in three places.
So if that doesn't give you an idea of how much Conker liked this food (enough to guard against me), then I don't really know what else to say about that.

Note:
This was entirely my fault.  I should have told him to leave the bowl and move it away with my foot first instead of just reaching for it with my hand.  Conker is very good about not guarding food from me but with newer stuff, especially stuff he really really likes, sometimes he slips up a bit.


Like the Complete Meals, Conker got a bit of a funk in his fur.  It wasn't very noticeable unless you pet him a lot or shoved your nose into his fur but the trade-off was again a lack of super rancid farts. He didn't lick his front paws as much as he did on the Complete Meals but he still did a bit more than normal.  It might have just been a lingering effect from the chicken in the Complete Meals or he could have also had some sort of problem with something in the rolls.  I don't know what caused it but since he doesn't eat Vital full-time I won't worry about it.

Like I said before, if it weren't for the lack of stores carrying the Vital line, it would probably be a regular or occasional part of Conker's diet.
I might use something in the Select line for times when Conker has to be watched by someone who wasn't comfortable feeding raw food.  The one store that carries it does have the beef kind, which is probably what I'd use with Conker.  It costs about $4.99 for 1 1/2 pounds and 14.99 for 6 pounds. 


So that's it for my Freshpet review!  I really liked this food so if you can get it in your area and don't mind spending a bit more for your dog's (or cat's) food or just want to give them something different on the weekend, I highly recommend you try Freshpet.

In case you missed them, here's Part 1 and Part 2 of the Freshpet review.

Freshpet: Dognation Bones

Freshpet has a line of dog treats and chews called Dognation.  In my free sample box I revived a pouch of Dognation Bones.  They are "Crunchy Brown Rice with Real Chicken Center" bones.  Chews that mimic a real bone like a beef bone or something.

Bones are in the back on the right.

Ingredients:
Brown Rice Flour, Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Tapioca Starch, Whole Ground Oats, Gelatin, Chicken, Natural Chicken Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Apples, Parsley.

Nothing looks terrible here, and the only problem for me is the chicken content.  The chicken flavor is the only kind of Bones Freshpet makes right now, but as an occasional treat I don't think it will be a problem for Conker.

The "bone" is about 5 inches long.  The outside is the rice stuff, the inside the chicken part.  The chicken is kinda like marrow while the rice like actual bone.  It didn't last as long as a real bone though, but it did help clean a bit of the gunk off Conker's teeth that had built up a bit since he started eating Freshpet.
So I can see why these would be beneficial to your dog if you fed them Freshpet's food.  Like I said in part 1 of the review, the food has no benefit to the teeth, so giving your dog a "bone" every week or so will help keep the teeth healthy and clean.

For the first sample I let Conker have only half of the bone.  He really liked it and was not happy when I took the remaining half away, but I wanted to be sure there wouldn't be any problems on the back end.
Things were a bit soft and... odd looking, but the next time around everything was fine.
Conker really enjoyed chewing the bones.  The first time it took him about 20-30 minutes to get through half, then only 20 minutes for half, and the second bone I gave him he went through in 30 minutes.  I originally only wanted him to have half but he chewed it so quickly I didn't notice until it was gone.
So for Conker they aren't incredibly long lasting.

These, like all Freshpet's stuff, need to be refrigerated and they tell you that if your dog doesn't finish a bone in 2 hours to take it away and refrigerated it.  They also say to use up the bones in 14 days after opening.

Again I'm not sure if I can get these locally or what they're price is.  Once I find out I'll update this.



Anyways, that was part two of the review!  Here is Part 1 and Part 3.

Freshpet: Vital Complete Meals

Some of you may know about the company called Freshpet who makes a food somewhere in between kibble and raw.  It's cooked, but it isn't dry and it's not canned.  More like... bologna.  For dogs, but better.

I sent in my resume for Freshpet's blogger program and appear to be one of the last ones chosen to try out the food in return for a review.  I went to their site and could not find the blogger program page, so I guess they are no longer taking in applicants.
Anyways, I am very glad I was given the chance to try out some of their foods and was quite surprised when I received an unexpected package on my porch a couple weeks ago.  Before I even opened the box Conker seemed to know it was for him.  He got super excited as I brought it inside and sliced open the tape.  He impatiently stuck his nose in before I could even see what was in there. This is what was inside the box.

All the food I received was from the Vital and Dognation lines.

Two bags of Complete Meals (one pictured)
One 2lb roll of Turkey Slice and Serve
One 2lb roll of Bison and Beef Slice and Serve
One pouch of Dognation Bones

Today I will talk about the Complete Meals.


I started off with the Complete Meals and I didn't transition Conker to the new food.  One day he got raw, the next he got Freshpet.  Well, I did give him a hunk of turkey neck and while things were a bit soft on the other end, there was nothing really bad worth noting so an instant switch is possible.  Even with a dog who's had issues with that sort of thing in the past, Conker did fine.

Ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Cranberries, Beef, Salmon, Eggs, Spinach, Vinegar, Peas, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Salt, Caramel Color, Inulin, Pomegranate, Broccoli.
Vitamins:
Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid.
Minerals:
Calcium Sulfate, Dicalcium Phospate, Zinc Chelate, Potassium Chloride, Iron Proteinate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis: 
Crude Protein (min)     18.0%
Crude Fat (min)     9.0%
Crude Fiber (max)     1.5%
Moisture (max)     65.0%

This food does contain chicken but there's no potatoes.  And when those two are together, Conker has issues.  There are other proteins in it but they are in smaller amounts so I gambled a bit to see how Conker would do with the chicken.   

The bags contain 1.75 pounds of food and according to the directions, Conker is supposed to eat from 1 2/3rds cups to 2 1/2 cups of food each day.  I only gave him about one cup and he neither gained nor lost any weight but in order to be certain I'd have to feed it for longer than 1 1/2 weeks.  But as some pet owners know, the guidelines are just that.  They are not set-in-stone rules about how much you have to give your dog.

 This food smells really good.  So good in fact that I tried it.  Just a tiny bit, but I tried it nontheless.  It was much less flavorful that I thought it'd be but man did it smell good!  That's probably why Conker choked on it three times the first day he was given it.  He inhaled it faster than anything he's ever eaten before and it scared me real bad.  But after his initial act of stupid, he didn't eat as fast and didn't choke again so I guess he understood what not to do anymore.

So if that doesn't clue you in, Conker LOVED it.  Every morning if I didn't get up fast enough he'd leap off the bed and strut furiously around the room and toss his head in that odd Shiba fashion then stick his nose in my face and... Grunt at me.  He'll whine when he wants something but grunt when he feels like he needs it, like he's got an addiction that needs to be satisfied, and I'm the only one who can give him the cure.
Which is true, but still.  Having an addict that happens to be a dog is quite annoying.

So!  How did Conker do on this food?
Very well.  So well in fact that if it weren't for the price tag and the fact that the only store in GP that sells Freshpet doesn't carry Vital that it would be a regular part of his diet.  Because of that I can only estimate the price which I'm gonna say would be... something around 7.99 and up.  (The equivalent in the Select line costs $5.99 for 1.75 pounds and 8.99 for 3 pounds.)

See, Conker's got these horrid deathfarts on raw.  Every night around 4 in the morning he lets one rip.  And at random times during the day but that late night/early morning one is so regular that it's practically predictable.  No such late night/early morning monstrosity happened while Conker was on Freshpet.  He did fart a bit but it was nowhere near as bad as his normal farts.
Conker's energy levels were normal, he kept his weight, poop was good (almost better than raw, actually) and he liked it a lot.  He never refused a meal which he has done with several raw items and other foods.

The only adverse things I can say about it health-wise was that he did develop a slight "doggish" odor that he normally doesn't have but it wasn't unbearable (only noticeable if you stick your nose into his fur, which I do several times a day) and that there is absolutely no benefit to the teeth.  If your dog doesn't have teeth, or has really sensitive teeth, then this food is great.  It's easily eaten and since it's soft, it doesn't need to be chewed.
Note:
While Conker didn't show any huge signs of a chicken allergy/intolerance, he did begin to lick his front paws which he does not normally do.  Once he was switched back to raw he quit licking his feet so I guess it's gotta be the chicken that caused it. 


So again other than price and availability in my area, this food would be a normal part of Conker's diet.  The Complete Meals wouldn't be a huge portion due to the potential chicken allergy thing but the rolls I tried would be.  If you've got a dog that doesn't have any problems with chicken and you can find and afford Freshpet, I highly recommend you add it to your pet's diet, even if it's only an occasional thing. 

Juneau and Sasha did get to try the Complete Meals and they, like Conker, loved every bit of it.


Anyways, that is part one of the review.  Here are Part 2 and Part 3.

Ruff Wear Approach Pack II and Web Master II Harness

Yes, they are both in one review.  Why?  Because I started with this:

The Ruff Wear Approach Pack II is no longer being made and has been updated with the newer Approach pack. It is still available online if you look in the right places.
The Approach II came in red and blue and is built on the older version of the Web Master Harness.


Now onto the actual review.

I found two of these packs at the Grange where I buy food for Juneau and Sasha.  At $50 a pop, that wasn't a bad price since the newer version of the packs retails at around $75.  However, these particular packs were on sale for $25!  If I'd thought about it sooner I would have bought them both but by the time I went in to pick them up only one was left.  Both were size XS and when I tried it on Conker it fit perfectly.
For only $25 I got myself one of the best brands of dog packs out there.

The Ruff Wear Approach Pack II is VERY solid.  I've been using it for about 2 1/2 months, not too long, but so far it's held up amazingly well against rocks, dirt, sand, trees, more rocks, other dogs and countless car rides.  It's been smashed, folded in half, stepped on and shut in a door (no dog was wearing it when that stuff happened) and it's still in the same shape as when I bought it.
The plastic snaps for the straps are good. The belly straps are a bit thin but they have fleece coverings for added comfort and they help protect the straps against rubbing on things.
The bags are made of rugged nylon and the zippers are very beefy with nice big pulls. 
There's a thin stripe of reflective material between the red upper and black lower parts of the bags.  It's not incredibly noticeable but when lights flash across it it does reflect enough to count.

The storage capacity of the bags is really good.  I loaded two cans of sardines, a Zuke's chew, about 20 treats, two rolls of poop bags, and a portable water bowl into the pack and still had plenty of room left.  In total this weighed about 2 pounds including the pack which weighs 11 ounces.  Conker did fine with the extra weight and for some reason it didn't slow him down one bit even though he shouldn't really be carrying that much in the first place.

My official verdict on this pack is:  If you can find it, BUY IT!  It's entirely worth the money, especially if you can get it on sale like I did.  It's an incredibly well made product and unlike the larger Palisades with it's removable bags and the Singletrak with it's close fit, the Approach and Approach II is available in XS and XXS for people with smaller dogs like mine.


Now onto the second part of the review.

Somehow my Approach II pack ended up like this:

Where are the bags?  Did they get ripped off?  Simple answer:  No.  Complicated one?  I took them off so I could make my own version of a Palisades pack.  Modification instructions for pack:  Version 1 and Version 2.

I find it to work incredibly well despite being an older model.  Even if I hadn't gotten it as a pack, it's worth the $25 for the harness alone.  Web Masters retail at $50 so again I got a killer deal on this thing, especially since I'm modding it.

Anyways, after some trials with it as a harness only I'm convinced I never want to buy another harness but those made by Ruff Wear.  This thing is really handy, especially when Conker is being a punk and I need to remove him from a situation before he starts a war.  It's also great for helping him get over strange obstacles and quickly getting him out of the way of a raging mountain biker.

The harness, so far, hasn't caused any fur loss or rubs Conker bad in any way.  He's still got his full range of motion and he still acts like a normal Shiba.  He can shake, run, roll, jump and swim in it without it interfering with his activity.  When adjusted properly, it fits very snug but not too snug and even when it was still a pack Conker could do most activities without being restrained. 

Like I said about the Approach II, if you can find this harness and find it at a cheap price, buy it!  It's well worth the money.  But if it comes down to the old version versus the newer one for the same price, I'd probably go with the newer one.


Edit: After having this pack and harness for quite some time now I felt like an update was in order.
The harness has held up extremely well to the abuse Conker puts it though.  He wears it almost daily and it has survived many nips from other dogs, fights with bushes and wars against trees.  It has gone through countless rolls in various substances (some not so good) and once dry, is cleaned by simply brushing it off or giving a good vigorous shake.
I don't need to adjust it very often, only when Conker gets stuck bad on something or he eats right before I put it on. Even after picking Conker up by the handle (which is ingenious on it's own) the straps do not come loose.
The harness has not rubbed any fur off Conker in any place, given him any hot spots or other discomforts.  His older hanress rubbed a bit so I am glad that the Web Master does not.

I still highly recommend you buy it if you can find it, but try to get it for less than the newer one.