September Chewy Influencer - a bit late! #chewyinfluencer

Due to end of year budget at work, our September Chewy Influencer review is just a bit late...

In September we decided to try Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Wild Weenies!  ...but, da Momma actually didn't know what to do with them...

??

Our pups were excited about this box the moment the mail lady dropped it off.  They smell good, look good, and our pups loved them.  The problem?

Crispy goodness!

What was I supposed to do with them?  They come like the photo above.  Do I feed as is?  Or do I soak them, like other Stella & Chewy's products?  The bag had no instructions.  The first attempt was dry.  Our pups ate them, but seemed a little confused.  I decided our next try I'd soak them.

Drop it, Momma!

That was the key!  In five minutes, they rehydrated and caused our pups to celebrate!  Of course, this won't work if you want to put these treats in your pocket, but it was nice to put them in a cup of water, let them soak for a few minutes (or an hour if you da Momma forgets about them) and have a tasty treat ready for when the dogs come back in.

Insert nom here.

As an added side bonus, the water the weenies left behind?  The dogs absolutely loved it.  I used it as a topper to their kibble and they ate ever bite!  Not bad for our picky eaters.

Refreshing!

We highly recommend Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Wild Weenies and will definitely be giving them to our pups again. 

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

#chewyinfluencer

January Chewy Review #chewyinfluencer

This month we decided to try Honest Kitchens Joyful Jerky Filets Beef Dog Treats from chewy.com.  I have to say, I'm not sure I've come across a treat that has pleased me more!  Our pups were clearly excited from the moment I opened the chewy.com box to the moment they got to sample this treat, and were even willing to wrestle me for a bit more!

Dese are for da  Harlow, right da Momma?

Do you see how serious she is?  Even Monty and Ramble were eager for these treats!

Noms, da brudder Ramble, noms....

First of all, all the things I liked about this product:

• 100% Human Grade (I'm seriously tempted, but the back of the package says pups only!)
• Made in the USA
• Limited Ingredients - Beef, salt, celery juice powder
• Easy to break apart 

I felt that the price at chewy.com was reasonable - 3.25oz for $14.69 - which while that sounds pricey, isn't when you consider you can easily break these meaty treats into training size morsels.

Texture and consistency was comparable to human jerky - and the smell was wonderful!

I think our pups give this product 6 paws up!  It's definitely a winner in our book and definitely a product I will purchase in the future.

Yum!

Thank you, chewy.com, for sending us another wonderful product to try!

More?

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

#chewyinfluencer

First Chewy.com Review for 2017!

We were recently given an opportunity to review Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Grass-Fed Beef Recipe Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Dog Food from chewy.com.  We've tried other Stella & Chewy products and our pups have always loved them, so I was interested in seeing how all three pups would react to the Meal Mixers.

Noms?

The pups were all intrigued from the minute the bag was opened - via an extremely easy open pull strip!  A scoop was provided to make measuring easier as well as different options on feeding. 

LOTS of fine print!

We tried the first option with the first feeding - mixing a scoop dry in with our pups kibble.  Unfortunately, Monty and Harlow saw through this and carefully picked out the mixer and ignored their kibble.  They are used to having a spoon full of Merrick's mixed into their kibble each night to help convince them to eat everything.  For our next try, I mixed it with a little warm water and let it soak for a few minutes.  I found that one scoop (1/4 cup) mixed with water was the equivalent of how much canned food our pups get divided among them.  Success!  Meals were scarfed in a record amount of time, bowls licked  clean, and pups were asking for more!

Da Princess approves!

A couple of notes on using this product:

Product settles in shipping - the photo above is towards the end of the bag.  Definitely needs to be shaken/stirred to mix the fruit/blueberries better.  As it was, Harlow carefully picked all the fruit out of her kibble and deposited it on the floor. 

Cost - if we were feeding this per directions, the cost would be prohibitive.  For our three over 40lb dogs, we would go through one 16oz bag every three days - at $36 per bag at chewy.com - fed as I described above.  Normal price is $50 per bag - and this is using it just as a topper.  If it was a total meal, we would be looking at that daily.

Taste - we have amazingly picky eaters and this mixer was a plus for all of them.  Monty especially has been known to walk away from food he has no interest in.  He was more than happy to dive in and eat his kibble with this added in.

Ingredients - there is a long list of ingredients that make up this mixer, but the list starts with quality ingredients such as beef, beef liver, fruit and veggies.  While not a limited ingredient meal, it's definitely a higher quality product.

Made in the USA? - I think....  The bag proclaims "Crafted in the USA with the world's finest ingredients".  Not quite sure how to interpret that....

Strawberries, banana, blueberries, meat - what's not to love?

I think all in all, we give this product 5 out of 6 paws.  It's mainly the cost that would prohibit us from considering this in the future.  Thank you, chewy.com for letting us review this product!

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

Chewy's review!

It's time for our monthly Chewy's review.  This one is extra special for two reasons:  it's Ramble's first review and Aaron stepped in to act as camera man.

We decided to review Dick Van Patten's Natural Balace Wild Pursuit Lamb Lung Bites.  These are Harlow's favorite treats although we tend to buy from another company.  I wanted to see what she thought about this brand.

My favorite thing about these treats is the only ingredient is lamb lung - no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.  Being dehydrated they are easy to break into smaller pieces.

Hurry, da Momma!

Harlow and Monty are pros when they see the Chewy's box and it took Ramble a minute to realize it was a box for the pups and there were treats inside.  Aaron took the following photos:

What's going on here?

Ramble still hasn't realized there is a goody coming....

Add caption

 It's just dawning on him here.

Wait what?

 Now he's got it...

I'm wondering at this point if I should fear for my life...

 The boys have their sits mastered!

 Harlow is there too.  She knows to patiently wait in the back.  I had to toss Ramble's for him to give Monty a chance to eat his. 

 Seconds?  Of course!

 All right guys!  That was it!

So as you can see, these treats were definitely a hit!  We love Natural Balance products in general, so I can definitely see purchasing this in the future.  If you hurry, they are on sale!

....and the pups gave it 12 paws up!

Thank you, Chewy's!

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

June Chewy review - ZiwiPeak Good-Dog Lamb Jerky Dog Treats

It's time for our June review from chewy.com!  Our first delivery to our new house!  Thank you, chewy.com!

We decided to try ZiwiPeak Good-Dog Lamb Jerky Dog Treats.  I'm always looking for a high quality, value added treat to help further our pups along in their education.  I think I might have found one with this product!

Nicely packaged to maintain freshness!

 First a quick look at the ingredients....

Don't worry - it was hard for us to read too.

The treats were made up of the following:  Lamb Meat 95%, Lecithin, Chicory Inulin, Parsley, naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols...  

Just in case you were wondering:

Lecithin:  generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, which are amphiphilic - they attract both water (and so are hydrophilic) and fatty substances (lipophilic), and are used for smoothing food textures, dissolving powders (emulsifiers), homogenizing liquid mixtures, and repelling sticking materials.  (Via Wikipedia)

Chicory Unulin:  Inulin is added to dog food for two key reasons: 1) it is somewhat sweet and can be used to increase a food’s sweetness even though it is a relatively low calorie alternative to other fats or sugar and 2) it can be used as a prebiotic to aid digestion. (Via slimdoggy.com)

Tocopherols:  Mixed tocopherols are a common source of vitamin E in pet foods. (Via drsfostersmith.com)

The treats smelled delicious and Monty couldn't wait for me to open the bag.

You need help dere?

Or apparently for my fingers to get in front of the camera.... 

Whisker shot!

 Harlow remembered her manners....

Da Princess is always gentle, da Momma.

...and posed for an "after treat" smiley shot!

Wipe da drool da next time?

ZiwiPeak Good-Dog Lamb Jerky Dog Treats smelled very good and meaty and I really liked that they were soft and easy to break apart.  All in all, our pups gave them four paws up (out of four!).

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

Chewy's found us!

Chewy's found us all the way in Sedro-Woolley, Washington!  The pups were ecstatic when the box arrived! 

Monty was trying to figure out how to open it.

Inside was a sample of Honest Kitchen's Proper Topper's Dehydrated Superfood for Dogs.  According to the bag, it was made with only 5 ingredients, 90% pure meat, no ingredients from China and 100% human grade.  I was a little perplexed when I turned over the bag and found an ingredient list that contained more than five ingredients - I'm still not sure what to think about that.  It looks like the remaining ingredients are the additional vitamins and minerals the bag advertises, but...  (insert overprotective dog momma face here...)

Our sample was the Grain Free Turkey Recipe

 Prep was very easy - 2 tsp per 20lbs of body weight daily.  We shared 1/4 cup between the two pups.  Per the directions, we splashed with warm water before feeding.  The smell was very yummy - sort of a very good meatloaf/meat ball smell.  The pups went crazy when I tried to put their dishes down. 

Yummmm!

There was the usually frenzied eating of noms....

Nom nom nom...

Nom nom nom...

...and then we asked them what they thought.

Monty gave it two paws up.  (This is his happy face.)

...and a smiley two paws up from Harlow!

I did find this product a bit pricey for the amount I would need to feed our pups - $19.59 for 14oz.  Per the instructions, Harlow would need to be feed 1-2 cups and Monty might possible go up to three, which makes it a bit cost prohibitive in our household.  I could see purchasing this product as more a treat versus a daily additive.  However, for small dogs or a finicky eater, I feel this product would be wonderful.  Our pups loved it, and both have been known to turn their shnooters up at certain foods.

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

Part 1 - Chewy Review

Chewy.com reached out to us earlier this month and asked if we would do a special review for them on Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora Probiotic Dog Supplement.  After a little research on the product, we agreed.

Why did we agree?  

As Monty has gotten a little older, his stomach has gotten a little more sensitive.  While we are careful to watch what he eats, Monty sometimes helps himself to forbidden items.  Tissues are one of his favorites.  Additionally, loud noises (fireworks, thunder) scare him and his vet-prescribed meds can give him a marvelous case of the runs afterwards.

To my amazement, on the chewy.com website, this product has received 231 comments, with 229 folks recommending this product.  I checked out a couple of other websites and saw that this product consistently brings in good reviews. 

This product is also amazingly affordable on the chewy.com website.  Right now it is going for $20.26, with it's normal price being $25.99

Per chewy.com: 

Forti-Flora is a probiotic. If you are not too familiar, probiotics are live microorganisms that, when ingested, have beneficial effect on intestinal function by promoting improved intestinal microbial balance. The probiotic used in FortiFlora is Enterococcus Faecium SF 68. Nestle Purina has been conducting research in the area of probiotics since it opened in 1987 in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was one of the first research centers in the world to look at the molecular interaction of probiotic bacteria with intestinal cells. Since then, Nestle has published over 200 articles on it probiotics research.

FortiFlora helps to re-establish a normal microflora balance in the gastrointestinal tract. The beneficial bacteria help to nourish the intestinal cells ad protect against the colonization by pathogenic bacteria, which can cause diarrhea. In general, FortiFlora should be given once a day for 30 days.

 What did we get?

This product is amazingly easy to use!  In each box, there are 30 individual packets - one for each day.  The packets are small and are meant to be sprinkled over your dog's food.  We were a little worried about Monty eating it, since our boy is picky about his food, but he has no issues at all with it.

If you notice, this is Part 1 of this review.  Chewy.com has asked us to take a month to evaluate it.  Monty has been using this product for several days now and we will be publishing Part 2 shortly.  Thank you, chewy.com for giving us an opportunity to review this product!

...and of course - our handsome Monty thanks you!

Thank you, chewy.com!

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.

Chewy.com review - Blue Buffalo Halloween Boo Bars

We decided to get a jump start on the holidays here at How Sam Sees It, by reviewing Blue Buffalo's Halloween Boo Bars, offered to us from Chewy.com.  ...and yes, we are seriously ready for summer to be over!

Of course, the pups are well trained - they know that when a chewy.com box arrives, there is something yummy in there!

Dese for us, right da Momma?

 I have to tell you, when I opened the bag, I almost didn't want to share.  They smelled that good!

Pumpkin and cinnamon - cookies!

I noticed their little quote at the top as I was opening the bag.

How true is this?

 Harlow couldn't wait for hers....  (On a side note, the treats are crumbly/soft enough to break into smaller pieces!)

I iz good puppy, da Momma.  Can da Harlow have two?

Monty was a little more cautious.  He still remembers the time I slipped him a bit of broccoli...

Broccoli?

Not broccoli!

If you are looking for something fun, corn and wheat free, and made in America, these delicious little treats are just the thing.  They will definitely get you in the holiday spirit!

Boo!

Thank you, chew.com for letting us review this great product.  Our pups give it 8 paws up!

Disclaimer:  How Sam Sees It has not been compensated for this product review. We received a product to review.  We have no connection with the brand and were not influenced in our opinions. Our opinions are strictly our own.