Saturday, January 14, 2017

If You're Not Making Your Own . . . Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders Deliver!


The Good: Healthy, Good ingredients, Smells great, Myah loves them!
The Bad: No real dental benefits, Comparatively expensive
The Basics: Myah enjoys the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders, but she eats them so fast that it is tough to justify the expense of them for the limited dental benefits they provide!


Ever since my wife and I took in our lovely Siberian Husky, Myah, I have been learning more and more about dog foods and dog nutrition. There is some regret that both my wife and I have over how our beloved cocker spaniel, Mitzie, got such cheap food for her long life and yet we spoil our newer dog, who is nowhere near as outwardly affectionate. And yet, while Mitzie rolled with everything in her life, Myah is, admittedly, a bit of a brat and seems to have a far more fickle constitution than old Mitzie did. As a result, we tend to feed Myah pretty wonderful treats when we can find tham at affordable prices. One such treat we have picked up for Myah are the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders.

Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are a dog treat that is almost human quality food (don't eat them!) and I make that comment because there have been a few times I have overcooked chicken breasts and fed Myah the inedible portions (simply because they are so dried out!) and that is what the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are reminiscent of. Recognizing that and the lack of a dental benefit to the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders, it is hard not to consider the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders as incredibly expensive for what they are. Indeed, if one buys some clearanced chicken breasts, slice them to about 1/4" thick, then pop them in the oven at 350 degrees, one can make their own chicken jerky for far less money than the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders. But, for those who want something already prepared, more portable, and designed for dogs, it is hard to argue with the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders!

Basics

The 11 oz bag of Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders is regularly about $11 online, but we lucked out and found them at our local discount store for only $4.99 . . . and that seemed pretty expensive to me for the approximately thirty treats in the bag. Each treat is approximately 4" long, 1 1/2" wide at the widest point and never more than 1/2" thick. These treats have quite a bit of variation in size and shape to them, though they are all about the same general proportion and have a tear drop-shape with one very tapered end to them.

The Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders dog treats are brown strips of meat. The strips are fairly hard, but each has some flexibility to them. The bags of Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders include a deoxidizer packet which should not be consumed by any animals!

Ease Of Preparation

The Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are a fully prepared treat; one need only open the resealable bag and dispense a treat. For Myah's weight - as a full-grown Siberian Husky - she should have no more than three treats a day. On average, she gets only one per day; the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are intended for dogs five or more pounds in weight. For smaller dogs - those in the five and barely over weight bracket - it is especially important to have water for the dog there when dispensing this treat!

Myah’s Reaction

Opening the bag of Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders reveals a treat that smells just like human grade chicken that is roasted to perfection. Myah recognizes the scent and comes whenever the bag is opened.

Myah loves the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders! She eagerly takes each Jerky Tender from my hand whenever they are offered to her. Unfortunately, for a 75 pound dog like Myah, she is supposed to get three treats per day and given that they take her only about thirty seconds to get through, this is an incredibly expensive treat for big dogs!

The softer-than-some treats Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders have minimal dental benefits for dogs, especially big dogs like our seventy-five pound Siberian Husky. Because the snacks are so easy to eat, Myah seldom even chews them for more than ten to fifteen seconds. It is hard to extol the dental benefits of something that is on the lips and teeth for only a few seconds.

One of the other aspects worth noting about the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders is that our cats love them, too! Whenever Myah gets the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders, our cats come running and beg for them. Our Siberian Husky looms over the three begging cats as I tear up part of one of her treats (I'm not sure why she looks so upset; she usually gets one and a half treats when I capitulate to the begging cats, as opposed to the one that she usually gets!). In small enough chunks and with adequate water around, our cats are able to enjoy a tiny bit of the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders!

Nutrition

The Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders dog treats are very healthy. With at least 65% crude protein, 1% crude fat and no more than 1% crude fiber and 16% moisture, the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders offer incredible nutrition to dogs. Made entirely of chicken breast and vegetable glycerine, Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are incredibly good for dogs (and, to be fair, cats!). The Chicken Jerky Tenders have a decent shelf life of several months, though it is hard to imagine active dogs allowing them to last that long.

As with all dog treats, it is highly recommended that when you give your dog Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders, you make sure they have a decent supply of clean water available. Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders treats are not intended to replace dog food.

Overall

Myah, admittedly, loves the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders. But, she also loves fresh chicken and for the price, it's about a wash. Given the lack of a positive dental benefit to Myah, the Purina Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Tenders are a tougher sell for me. They are a wonderful "once in a while" treat, but not an essential, must-stock-up on dog treat.

For other dog treats, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Purina Beneful Healthy Smile Twists Peanut Butter Flavor Accented With Real Parsley Dental Dog Snacks
Hill's Science Diet Simple Essentials Skin & Coat Adult Jerky Treats
Dental Smartbones - Large

6/10

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

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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