BarkBox (March Review)

For 10% off your BarkBox subscription, enter promo code: Buster40k, or go to ruv.me/buster40k.

BarkBox, based in New York City, is a monthly subscription box filled with treats and fun toys for dogs.  Each monthly box contains anywhere from 4 to 6 products, which has been paw (hand) selected and approved by Vesper, their Chief Pawduct Tester.  Each month’s BarkBox is thoughtfully crafted together with a common theme, which is a delight for both dog owners and their dogs.  They have 3 different size boxes based on the size of your dog: “Small & Cute” (0-20 lbs), “Just Right” (20-50 lbs), and “Big & Bold” (50+ lbs), and the toys and treats inside differ slightly.  They are extremely understanding of your dog’s needs, and are more than willing to work with you to get the treats and toys your dog deserves; if your dog tends to rip apart toys easily (like our boys tend to do), they will be happy to put together a box of “tougher” toys for you!!

Because BarkBox is always testing out new products to make sure every pup-scriber is happy, it would be difficult to judge BarkBox (the monthly subscription company) as a whole based solely on one month's BarkBox.  Our aim here is to give you a rundown of the products inside this month's BarkBox for people and pups to get a feel for what they may expect should you decide to be a subscriber!  Remember, the last day to purchase a BarkBox subscription and still receive that month's box is the 10th!

The March BarkBox’s theme was “breakfast.”  Our box (size "Just Right") contained 5 items: 2 toys, and 3 treats.  The following were the two toys inside our BarkBox for March:

 “Lily, the Lion (Large)” by Charming Pet™ Products.  It is a latex toy made in China, made out of all natural latex, and is lead free.  Bolter LOVES it, as you can see in the video below.  This is by far the best toy we have gotten for him.  He can't get enough!! Retail price goes for $8.49.

"Amazing Molecule Ball" by Caitec

“Amazing Molecule Ball (2.5”)” by Caitec.  It is a squeaky ball, and floats in the water.  The retail price is $6.99.  For a pup that loves to play fetch, this would no doubt be a fun toy to have.  Neither Buster nor Bolter are “ball dogs,” and show very little interest in this toy.

The following were the treats inside the March BarkBox:

“Baker’s Best Wild Pacific Maple Glazed Salmon with Blueberries Recipe” by FeelGood®.  The 4oz pack goes for CDN$5.99 retail (which currently is USD$5.40).  The ingredients listed are: salmon, oat flour, brown rice flour, blueberries, molasses, olive oil and maple extract.  The treat is a big hit with our boys.

Wagatha’s “Organic Dog Biscuit- Breakfast (apples, bananas, & maple oats).”  This 8oz box of cute bone shaped biscuits, goes for retail $6.99.  It is a wheat, corn and soy free biscuit, and the ingredients are all organic.  Nonetheless, I would prefer not to purchase this treat myself, since I am a firm believer that the first ingredient, and therefore more of that ingredient than any other, should always be a type of meat, vegetable or fruit.  In this case, the first of that type, apple, was 5^th in the ingredients.

“Twistix – Yogurt, Banana Flavor” by NPIC.  This 5.5oz package goes for $4.99.  This wheat-free dog treat aids in good oral hygiene by helping remove plaque and tartar, and freshening their breath.  For the same reason as Wagatha’s dog biscuits, I would not purchase this myself.  On the other hand, the boys loved them, and true to their advertisement, their breath smelled AMAZINGLY minty afterwards.

This month’s BarkBox amounted to a total of $31.87.

Besides the treats by FeelGood®, which I have not been able to find in any of my local pet stores, I would not re-stock on the two other treats.  Our boys, like many other Miniature Schnauzers, have a very strict diet they abide by due to their allergies and food intolerance.  Therefore, we knew that not all treats we received from BarkBox would be edible.  Yet, the box as a whole was delightful.  We especially have so much fun watching Bolter play with Lily the Lion and are looking forward to the April BarkBox! WOOF!

Order yours today, and get 10% off using promo code: Buster40k, or go to ruv.me/buster40k

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Make sure to post a picture of your happy pup with the BarkBox and tag #Buster40kBarkBox, and let us know what you think!  We always love including other pup’s reviews in our blog!

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WUv, Buster & Bolter.

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Dogswell® "NUTRISCA SALMON AND CHICKPEA RECIPE" Review

Having Dogswell® Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea Recipe recommended to us by our local pet store was the best thing that could have happened to Buster (and to us). I know a lot of dog owners who have extremely picky pups; Buster is one of them. In addition, Buster also has an extremely sensitive stomach and is allergic to many things. Sensitivity, allergies and pickiness proved to be a tricky combination when it came to finding a dog food perfect for him. The first few months of getting Buster resulted in numerous vet visits, trial-and-error with about a dozen dog foods, and even more vet visits. Finally, after a year and a half, and plenty of head scratching and money spent, we discovered Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea Recipe.

The Dogswell® Nutrisca dry dog food, made in the United States, comes in three different meats: chicken, salmon and lamb. We chose salmon by process of elimination; I (Buster and Bolter’s mom) HATE lamb, and Buster is allergic to chicken. Fortunately for all of us, I love salmon, and the boys love salmon, making for a happy family.  This is not to say the other meats are not good; after recommending Nutrisca to one of my friends, she ended up getting the Chicken and Chickpea Recipe (since HER Schnauzer hates fish).  Her Schnauzer LOVES his food. [**As a side note, Bolter is not allergic to anything, acts as a garbage disposal (he has tasted guacamole and chocolate, unbeknownst to us, and lived to tell the “tail” without any vet visits), and is a happy-go-lucky pup who will eat anything placed in front of him.]

When choosing a dog food for your pup, always read the ingredients and guaranteed analysis, and check the expiration date). The information on the label is the best way to determine the quality of the dog food. Some things to keep in mind when reading the "Guaranteed Analysis" on the label is mainly the top three: "Crude protein," "Crude Fat," and "Crude fiber."  It's always good to have fiber.  With Schnauzers, it's important to find the right balance between the protein and fat.  Too high of a protein is not necessarily good, and may result in Pancreatitis.  High fat is never good.  When we were testing various dog foods, at one point, Buster was on a crude protein (min) of 34% and was constantly having an upset stomach because he could not digest all the protein.  We also had him on a crude protein (min) of 22% where we saw a loss in his muscle definition.  Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea has Crude protein (min) 30%, crude fat (min) 16%, and crude fiber (max) of 6%.  In addition to getting half a cup of kibble per meal, the boys also get half a cup of chopped up fresh carrots to increase their fiber amount.

Some key things to keep in mind when looking at the dog food ingredients are:
1. The first ingredient on the label should be an animal protein (chicken, beef, fish, etc...) NOT animal by-products, or anything else.
2. Fats and oils should come from specific sources (salmon oil, sunflower oil, etc..) NOT “poultry fat”, “vegetable oil”, etc.
3. Carbohydrates should be listed in their whole form (rice, oatmeal, barley), NOT “oat hulls”, “rice hulls”, etc.

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea Recipes’, first ingredient listed is wild salmon caught off the Pacific Northwest Coast of the United States. Salmon is high in protein and Omega Fatty Acids, which is great for your pup’s healthy skin and shiny coat. For dogs like Buster who have certain poultry or meat allergies, salmon is a great alternative. Additionally, this dog food boasts grain-free, without using potato or tapioca, which are both high glycemic products, and may contribute to weight gain. Instead, they use chickpeas and peas both of which are low glycemic legumes. Both chickpeas and peas are a great source of fiber, which aids in excellent digestion. They do not contain any gluten, corn, soy, wheat, flour, BHA/BHT, added steroids, added hormones, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. In short, Nutrisca's balanced protein levels, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and chelated minerals provide optimum nutrition and palatability.

The Dog Food Advisor has rated Nutrisca dry dog food a whopping 5 stars (out of 5 stars). Our boys give it an enthusiastic 4 paws up (out of 4 paws)! It is an EXCEPTIONAL dog food and comes highly recommended.  We are certain your pups will agree!!

Visit their website at: http://nutrisca.dogswell.com for more information.
Additionally, follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/dogswell, Instagram @dogswell, and Twitter @dogswell, for more pictures and information.

As with all transitions, we recommend that should you decided to change your pups dog food, you do it over a period of time, so as not to upset their stomach.  Begin adding small amount of the new dog food to your "old" dog food, and make sure to watch your dogs carefully through the transition.

Remember to subscribe to us, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (all @buster40k), and as always, feel free to leave comments and suggestions below!!  Happy chomping!!

Loving Pets® "GOBBLE STOPPER" Review

Our boys gobble their food down.  Now, I've heard of dogs who gobble/inhale their food so fast that they end up choking on their food, or throwing up; our dogs are not to that extent.  They finish their meals in about 45 seconds, and then spend the next 15 seconds licking up the bowl (so I don't have to clean it... thanks, boys).  It is still fast, and gobbling down food can cause bloating, choking and gagging.  When we heard of "Gobble Stopper" by Loving Pets, from one of our good friends, we decided to give it a try.

There are many slow feeders out there, but this one is unique in that it is a device you can attach to any bowl to make it a slow feeder.  You can choose from 3 different sizes depending on the size of your bowl, and it has a strong suction so it can attach to the bowl and prevent your dogs from taking it off (easily, at least).  It is simply a plastic bone, which acts as a "canopy", attached to a suction.  By having the device in the middle of the bowl, it prevents the dogs from putting their entire face into the bowl, and forces them to take only small amounts of food at a time.  Petco sells the large one for US$7.99, medium for $6.99, and the small for $5.99.  We bought the large one because the boys eat from a large bowl.  (I use a large bowl so that the food will spread out thinner, thus preventing them from taking large portions of their food and wolfing it down.)

The first time we used it, both boys took SIX MINUTES to finish their meals off.  Loving Pets advertises that it slows down their eating by as much as 5 times.  Based on our initial review, they are correct.  It was clear, however, that the boys were not happy with the inedible device in their bowl that prevented them from easy access to their otherwise delicious meal.  Some of the food would get lodged under the bone, and try as they might, they simply could not get at their food.

We also noticed that their stool was VERY LOOSE after their meal, and they were farting... A LOT.  **If you're anything like us, the consistency of your dog's poop is a pretty important topic in your daily conversation:
"Honey, did our boys poop?"
"Yup."
"Was it solid?"
"Yup."
"GREAT." **
So, it was slightly concerning after a day of testing out the Gobble Stopper that our dogs were having loose poop.  When we watched them eat their meals using the Gobble Stopper, we noticed that our boys, in their desperate need to eat their food, were also inhaling quite a lot of air.  While the time it took for them to finish their meal increased, the speed at which they attempted every bite of their food did not.  As a result, they were inhaling air with every food they ate, as well as with every failed attempt to get at the food.

We've had the Gobble Stopper for two nights now (3 meals).  Last night, both boys woke us up twice in the middle of the night with vomiting and the runs.  It is certainly a possibility that they picked up something on their walks, but the major change in their daily activities was the Gobble Stopper.  After doing some research online, diarrhea, flatulence, and vomiting CAN BE caused by inhalation of too much air (USUALLY as a result of wolfing down their food.)  There is no way for us to know exactly what was the cause of their vomiting and the runs, but they woke up in the morning, ate their breakfast happily (without the Gobble Stopper), and are now taking their luxurious post-breakfast nap.

A dog MAY learn to eat more slowly over time as a result of the Gobble Stopper, but for us, it is not worth testing it out any further at the risk of their well-being (and our sleep).  Most of the reviews online, and the reviews I got via social media is that the suction is not strong enough, and that their dog quickly learned how to take it off.  Some others found a new way of eating that didn't entail them to have to struggle with the Gobble Stopper (ie, flip the entire bowl over on the floor... yikes!).

We give it 2 (front) paws up (out of 4).  Our conclusion: It DID slow down their eating, but it was clear they were extremely unhappy.  While vomiting, flatulence and diarrhea may have had NOTHING to do with this device, the unfortunate overlap makes it difficult for us to want to continue testing this out.

We are still on the hunt for a slow-feeding bowl/device.  Please feel free to leave any comments/suggestions/advice below!!