Thursday, May 24, 2012

Three Strikes In One Box: Myah Inexplicably Rejects Hartz’s Crunch ‘N Clean Savory Flavors Dog Treats!


The Good: Healthy, Decent dental benefit for dogs, Good ingredients, Affordable
The Bad: Myah seems determined not to eat these.
The Basics: Despite having so very much working in their favor, Myah refuses to treat Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog treats as an actual treat!


I feel the need, right away, to make two disclaimers at the outset of my review of Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog biscuits. The first is that, against all odds, my amazing Siberian Husky, Myah, refuses to eat these treats. We started trying to feed these to Myah about three days before she went into heat and, even then, she was not keen on them. I do not believe this has to do with her being in heat, but I’m the farthest thing from an expert on dogs that there is. So, disclaimer #1 is this: I’m going to keep trying with Myah and these treats after she comes out of heat and if she shows more of an inclination to them then, I will gladly revise this review. Until then, however, the rating at the bottom represents the very highest rating I can give a product that has so many benefits, but that Myah absolutely refuses to eat.

Disclaimer number two is this. Around Thanksgiving last year, Hartz generously sent Myah and Gollum a care package chock full of Hartz products for review. These treats were not provided by Hartz and the evaluation of them is unbiased by either the past generosity of Hartz or the lack of current incentives from Hartz. This is a pure review of the Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog biscuits.

While we were in Michigan recently, my wife picked up a box of Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavor dog biscuits, ostensibly because I was far too generous in giving Myah and her friend Hefner the Milk-Bone MaroSnacks (reviewed here!) that we purchased before the trip. The box of Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog treats was remarkably affordable; we picked up the box for only $2.50 on sale.

My wife picked up the 26 oz. box of Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors and, at the time, we were impressed by how inexpensive they were. After all, these were significantly less expensive than a comparable-sized box of Milk-Bone dog biscuits. At best, I can suggest that they are so inexpensive because dogs might not be impressed by them. Myah, who is used to getting treats when she comes in from outside or responds to basic commands, refused to eat these. I have seen her fall asleep with one of these treats on her paw and wake up in the morning and not eat it when she discovers it! I have never seen her behave that way toward any other dog treat!

The Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog treats are bone-shaped dog biscuits and the 26 oz. box comes with three flavors. This box has Braised Beef (dark brown), Rotisserie Chicken (tan with green textured bits in it), and Smokehouse Bacon (rusty red). I was shocked by how the Braised Beef and Rotisserie Chicken did not smell like the meat they were based on. In fact, they had almost no aroma and that might have contributed to Myah’s apathy toward the snacks. The Smokehouse Bacon flavor has a very, very faint salty, greasy, bacon scent that smells like actual bacon. For the most part, though, opening a box of Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors does not bring the animals running toward the delicious smell. There is no delicious smell from these! Each snack is 2 1/2" long by 1 1/16" wide by 9/16" thick. The surface of each bone is slightly rough with an indented HARTZ stamped into each one. All three flavors are very hard.

The solid quality of the Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog biscuits helps physically remove plaque and other build-up from dog’s teeth. When Myah actually ate these bones, her teeth actually looked cleaner when she was done and Myah’s breath was marginally better as a result. Knowing there is a clear dental benefit for these treats helped me rate them higher; these treats help minimize the need to brush your dog’s teeth and can save money at the vet’s.

The Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog treats are rather healthy. With at least 15% crude protein, 4% crude fat and no more than 4% crude fiber and 12% moisture, the Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors offer some decent nutrition to dogs. With 45 calories per biscuit, these could be an energizing snack for your dog . . . if they will eat them! Made primarily of wheat flour, ground whole wheat and chicken meal, Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors contain various fats before the ingredient list becomes a vast chemistry equation of preservatives. The preservatives made it so the box we bought at the beginning of May would not expire until August 9, 2013 (and given how disinclined toward them Myah is, they just might last that long!). As with all dog treats, it is highly recommended that when you give your dog Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors, you make sure they have a decent supply of clean water available. Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors treats are not intended to replace dog food.

Ultimately, Hartz Crunch ‘n Clean Savory Flavors dog biscuits have a lot of benefits, but they are absolutely sunk by the fact that my dog will only eat them after she has exhausted every other option . . . and fasted for a while to be sure of that!

For other Hartz dog products, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Hartz Angry Birds Flyer
Hartz Angry Birds Plush Ball With Sound Chip Dog Toy
Hartz Quackers Dog Toy

4/10

For other pet products, be sure to visit my Pet Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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