Screw You Booda! Myah Fell In Love With The Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters Toy!

The Good: Actually durable, Easy to clean, Lower-register squeaker
The Bad: Well, it got my dog pregnant! ?
The Basics: Aspen Pets created one of the very best dog toys Myah has ever gotten. I only wish she would play with it!


The last few weeks, my beautiful Siberian Husky - Myah – has been in an inordinate amount of pain. It seems that she is going through a hysterical pregnancy and the poor girl’s teats have filled right up. And I mean filled! Ironically, Myah – who came to us only a week after she finished weaning the last of her pups – has giant dog breasts now that she did not have when she was actually feeding puppies! What does this have to do with the Aspen Pets Booda Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy? It’s simple; I blame this toy for the hysterical pregnancy and it is only as I write about it that I think I truly understand the cause of Myah’s weeks of suffering.

Myah came to us with a Hartz dog toy we call Teddy. While this little pink bear, which is retired, was Myah’s favorite thing in the world, she moved away from it after she settled in at our house. She started playing with Quackers (reviewed here!) and the Angry Birds plush for dogs from Hartz (reviewed here!). But the toy she mothered and clung to during the transition, she left fall by the wayside. Then, a few weeks back, we took Myah to Petsmart. While there, my wife let her pick out a toy of her own choosing. Myah reached right for the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy. We figured we had a winner because after several minutes of taking it away from her, Myah kept recovering the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy. Out of a whole superstore of choices, this was the one toy Myah seemed to truly want.

When we got home, though, Myah would not play with the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy. Instead, she unburied Teddy from under her blankets and pillows, took the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy next to her and wrapped herself around both. Within two days, her mammary glands were so swollen that Myah seemed pained when she ran. My wife discovered this pretty quickly and we’ve been trying to wean our delightfully crazy dog from the two toys to help get her out of the hysterical pregnancy. It is tough work, especially because Myah throws a fit whenever we take away Teddy or the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy. My theory, because I have one now, is this: Myah saw that the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy was the exact same shade of pink as Teddy and that it squeaked in a similar fashion. Faced with two of them, she somehow came to believe these were her babies. Now, she throws an unholy fit when either Teddy or the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy is squeezed and she looks seriously traumatized when one throws the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy.

This is a problem because the key selling point for us on the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy was that the stitching and squeaker had three times the strength of normal dog toys. Given that my wife bought Myah a holiday-themed dog toy one night and within fifteen seconds Myah had destroyed the squeaker, I was quite keen on the triple-strength squeaker. I hoped that it could live up. And, for the limited amount of time Myah played with it, the squeaker has lived up.

The Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy is a 6” long by 4 1/2” tall by 1” thick soft plush toy. It is not excessively “furred” on the surface, so there is no pilling on the bright pink cloth surface. This flexible dog plush resembles an old blanket in its texture and remains surprisingly clean even when a dog like Myah carries it around for quite some time. The Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy is shaped like a leaping cat sugar cookie, so it has a very faint outline of a jumping cat. Sewn into the side is the embroidered word “meow.” If Myah could read, our cat Gollum would probably be dead by now, she so vigorously attached herself to the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy when she first received it.

And the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy has held up. It doesn’t help that Myah has been mothering the toy since, but it has held up. I like the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy because, in addition to its durability – it has a little more rigidity than most plush toys so it does not puncture or bend nearly as easy as most dog plushes – the squeaker is not as loud or high pitched as most. Myah initially reacted very favorably to the lower-register squeaker (which is still high-pitched, just not as piercing as most). Now, she thinks we are hurting her baby when we squeeze it. Ouch!

Simple, clean, durable and much loved very quickly, the Tuff Plush Cookie Cutters dog toy is a great solution for dogs that eviscerate lesser toys . . . just don’t get one the same color as any other beloved toy your dog has!

For other Booda products reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Bacon Booda Bones
Peanut Butter Booda Bones
Peppermint Booda Bones
Yogurt Booda Bones
Spearmint Booda Bones
Chicken Booda Bones

10/10

For other pet product reviews, please be sure to check out my Pet Review Index Page for organized lists!

© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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This One Mitzie Likes And We Like For Her! Booda Bones Bacon Flavored Dog Treat!

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients, My dog prefers it
The Bad: Least economical pack!
The Basics: Booda Bones Bacon Flavored bones for small dogs are preferred by our dog, but they come in more plentiful - and economically sensible - packages than this single bone pack.


Every now and then, I find myself looking at my wife and wondering just who it was that I married back in April. The reason for this right now is quite obvious; a little while ago, my partner sat down with our dog, Mitzie, and had the dog pick which of two treats she wanted to eat tonight. This was done with my wife putting out her hands with both treats, still wrapped in their packaging, and letting Mitzie smell each one and go back and forth until she placed her paw on the treat of her choice. While this seems utterly ridiculous to me, it seems to work and tonight's dog treat as chosen by Mitzie The Geriatric Cocker Spaniel is the Booda Bones Small Bacon Flavor treat.

Booda Bones, she informed me, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the small bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies. My wife works at a pet store now and they are advertised as having dental benefits. Given that Mitzie continues to choose these treats, I have to assume they taste good as well.

The Booda Bones bacon flavor treat comes individually as a wrapped bone-shaped treat three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the least quantity one might buy them in and there are multipacks. For my tastes and budgets, the single Booda Bone treat seems a bit expensive at about a dollar a treat. Even with my wife's discount, it seems like the individually-wrapped treat is environmentally and economically not much of a value. There are multipacks of the bacon flavor on the market.

The brown bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, even with only eating a few of the Booda Bones Bacon Flavored treats. Mitzie's breath has gotten better, though now instead of smelling like old food, is smells vaguely of fresh bacon.

One of the other key selling points of the bacon flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the bacon flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin, though it is flavored with the "natural flavor" of bacon. This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has been thin for a while, since she moved from Michigan to New York to live with me, so we did not reduce her diet by 5% to accommodate the treat (the package recommends that). She has not bulked up significantly by having one of these treats each day.

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie not only devoured the bacon flavored treats, she kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the Bacon flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude protein and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

When considering what to rate this, I ran into a bit of a problem. Mitzie clearly prefers this flavor to other Booda Bones flavors, but I cannot get around how expensive the single serving size is. As a result, I consider this more of an average, "once in a while" treat than I would the multipack. The treat is good, but it is a bit expensive and while we love our dog, it doesn't hurt to shop smarter than the individual bone.

For other Booda Bones reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Peanut Butter Booda Bones
Peppermint Booda Bones
Yogurt Booda Bones
Spearmint Booda Bones
Chicken Booda Bones

7/10

For other pet product reviews, please be sure to visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Mitzie Eats Them, But The Peanut Butter Booda Bone Is Not Her Favorite

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients, My dog eats them...
The Bad: Mitzie does not prefer this flavor, Least economical pack!
The Basics: While Mitzie likes the peanut butter flavored Booda Bones little dog treat, it's not her first choice and given how expensive they are individually, that seems like too much for mediocrity!


My wife works at a pet store and since she started work there, she seems to be awfully concerned with the dental health of Mitzie, our geriatric cocker spaniel. As she picks up new and different treats for Mitzie, she tends to look more for treats that will keep Mitzie's teeth strong and her breath smelling fresh. Lately, that means she has been bringing home Booda Bones brand bones. My wife has a pretty simple way of presenting them to Mitzie: she keeps them wrapped and offers the dog a choice of two, one in each hand. My wife waits for Mitzie to pick the bone she wants and then she unwraps it. The last five times she has done this, Mitzie has chosen the Bacon flavored Booda Bone and avoided the Peanut Butter flavored Booda Bone.

This surprised me right away; Mitzie has shown a real affinity for peanut butter in real life and in other dog treats. Of course, my mother gives her peanut butter crackers, but given the way she used to devour the peanut butter flavored Kong Stuff'n, it surprised me that Mitzie would always choose the bacon over the peanut butter. So, in addition to making it clear this was not Mitzie's favorite dog treat ever, it took me a while to evaluate this treat because Mitzie simply wasn't selecting them. Now, though, that they are the only Booda Bones treat Mitzie has available, she eats them . . . but without the enthusiasm with which she attacks the bacon flavored ones.

Booda Bones, as my wife has pointed out, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the small bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies. The key selling point of the Booda Bones treats is that they have positive dental benefits for dogs and this has been clearly illustrated to me, even with the peanut butter flavor. As well, even though this flavor is Mitzie's second choice, she does eat them, so they must taste like peanut butter or something else she likes!

The Booda Bones peanut butter flavor treat comes individually as a wrapped bone-shaped treat three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the least quantity one might buy them in and there are multipacks. For my tastes and budgets, the single Booda Bone treat seems a bit expensive at about a dollar a treat. Even with my wife's discount, it seems like the individually-wrapped treat is environmentally and economically not much of a value. There are multipacks of the peanut butter flavor on the market.

The tan bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, even with only eating a few of the Booda Bones Peanut Butter Flavored treats (though she had had several of the bacon flavored treats in the days before she started eating the peanut butter flavored ones). Mitzie's breath has gotten better, though now instead of smelling like old food, is smells of peanuts.

One of the other key selling points of the peanut butter flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the peanut butter flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin, though it is flavored with the "natural flavor" of peanut butter (though not, apparently, actual peanuts!). This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has been thin for a while, since she moved from Michigan to New York to live with me, so we did not reduce her diet by 5% to accommodate the treat (the package recommends that). She has not bulked up significantly by having one of these treats (or the Bacon flavored ones) each day for the past week.

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie ate the peanut butter flavored treats and kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the peanut butter flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude fiber and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

The Booda Bones treats are good for dogs and Mitzie liked the peanut butter flavor, but it has never been her first choice. As she moves into the twilight of her life, there's simply not enough time for her to have second-choice treats, especially when they are as expensive as these Booda Bones are. As a result, these might be great treats for other dogs, but even with the dental benefits, the peanut butter flavor is more mediocre than outstanding with our canine companion!

For other Booda Bones reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Peppermint Booda Bones
Yogurt Booda Bones
Spearmint Booda Bones
Chicken Booda Bones

5/10

For other pet product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Only Available In The Multipack, Peppermint Booda Bones Leave Mitzie (And Me) Unthrilled!

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients, Generally responsible bulking
The Bad: My dog prefers every other flavors to these, Don't freshen breath
The Basics: A disappointing selection of Booda Bones, the Peppermint and Spearmint multipack is unenthusiastically consumed by my Mitzie!


In the attempt to both keep my dog, Mitzie, happy and to rise in the Pets category here the site I used to write for, my wife and I have recently purchased a ridiculous number of treats for our geriatric cocker spaniel, as well as for our two cats. I'm actually discovering that, while Mitzie is a picky eater, this can be an exceptional way to tell the overall value of any number of toys and treats. After all, when flooded with treats, what Mitzie picks tells us exactly what she prefers. And, despite my love of mint, Mitzie is not a fan of mint, at least not in the Booda Bone variety. I thought she might get a kick out of the Peppermint Booda Bones, but she only eats these when there is nothing else for her to enjoy. In other words, right now, she only eats them when I give her no other choice!

Peppermint Booda Bones are available exclusively in a multipack with Spearmint (reviewed here!). The multipack has eleven bones and I was initially pleased that mine was comprised of six Peppermint and five Spearmint, as I figured either way, Mitzie's breath would be wonderful afterward. This is, alas, not the case. And while our old dog might be unimpressed by Spearmint, she downright rejected the Peppermint until I gave her no other choices. Even so, when she had no other choices, she did eat the Peppermint Booda Bones and it's not like she spat it out. As a result, the multipack with Peppermint and Spearmint Booda Bones is not the worst investment ever, it's just not the best bones, at least for our dog.

But when I picked up the Peppermint and Spearmint Booda Bones, I figured that they would freshen breath Mitzie's breath. Mitzie does not have bad breath, but I figured that mint would help make her neutral dog breath actually pleasant. When the Spearmint flavor failed to, I turned to the Peppermint and I was unsurprised when that, too, fell down. It made me wonder what the point of the Peppermint flavor Booda Bones actually is, unless the company rightly figured that they couldn't get rid of these bones individually because dogs would reject them. In that case, the multipack is really smart on the part of the company!

Booda Bones, I learned in my tenure working at the same pet store as my wife, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the little bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies, but just barely (especially as the holiday season came to a close!). The Booda Bones are advertised as having dental benefits and given how Mitzie has a few each week and has very healthy teeth, this could well be part of her dental health regimen. Given that Mitzie continues to choose these treats, just not these specific flavors of them, I have to assume they taste good as well. If any of them might taste bad, I'd guess that Peppermint and Spearmint qualify because of how little enthusiasm she shows toward them and the metallic smell they have when I pull them out of the package for her.

The Booda Bones Peppermint flavor treat comes in a package with eleven free-floating Booda Bones, none of which are individually-wrapped. Instead, the bag has the bare bone-shaped treats, which are each three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the only way I've found the Peppermint Booda Bones. This is both environmentally and economically more responsible than most of the Booda Bones packs.

The white bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, though because she has eaten so many Booda Bones of late, she hasn't had much in the way of build-up or even generally bad breath.

One of the other key selling points of the Peppermint flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the Peppermint flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin, though it is flavored with the "natural flavor" of peppermint. This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has put on a little weight since she moved here from Michigan with my wife, but lately, we've reduced her diet some and are still able to reward her for good behavior with a Booda Bone every other day (on opposite days, she gets her Greenies treat - reviewed here! - , which she loves).

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie not only ate the Peppermint flavored treats, when given no other options, she kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the Peppermint flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude fiber and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

Because Mitzie is more indifferent to both the Peppermint and Spearmint flavors and they did nothing for her breath, it became very easy not to recommend this multipack of Booda Bones. Even so, economically and environmentally, this is a more responsible multipack than buying Booda Bones individually and if your dog likes Booda Bones in general, they will likely eat these, even if only as a last resort.

For other Booda Bones flavors, please check out my reviews of:
Yogurt Booda Bones
Chicken Booda Bones

4.5/10

For other pet product reviews, please click here to visit my index page!

© 2011, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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Another Surprise For Me: Mitzie Enjoys Yogurt Flavored Booda Bones (When There's Nothing Else)!

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients, My dog eats them...
The Bad: Mitzie does not prefer this flavor above others, Least economical pack!
The Basics: Booda Bones Yogurt flavored dog treats in the individual pack are a bit of a hard sell given that my dog doesn't seem terribly interested in them.


[Note: On Sunday night, Mitzie our geriatric cocker spaniel, came to rest. It is pretty astonishing to me to write with such a euphemism; death is something I am usually quite frank about and Mitzie was just shy of eighteen years old, so her death was not entirely unexpected. But over this past weekend, Mitzie took a surprising turn toward showing her age - something she seldom did as she was always giddy about being pumped full of treats, being taken for car rides and having a morning hunt for her bones. But by Saturday night, she was wobbly on her feet and by Sunday afternoon, she could not stand on her own and it was Mitzie's turn to get peace and when she began to have trouble breathing, my wife and I decided we had to be humane to our good girl who had brought so much light into our life. At 8 P.M., Sunday February 20, 2011, Mitzie Mutt Doggie Butt was able to fall asleep and stop worrying about us. She went peacefully and today, I want to pay tribute to the grande dame of our home. As many of my loyal readers know, my blog is a mix of brand spankin' new reviews and reviews I am transferring from the site I used to write for. Today, I am pulling all of the Mitzie reviews off that site and today and tomorrow, I am giving them priority here in my review blog. Mitzie was a great girl who helped teach me about a LOT of dog-related products. Let her help you make decisions about what treats, foods and toys are best for your dog in these retro reviews! Enjoy!]

My wife surprises me quite a bit lately when it comes to pet products. She has great taste, but some of the products she picks surprise me for the fact that she thinks our dog will enjoy them. Even so, she has a pretty wonderful record with picking winners, especially with the Booda Bones line of dog treats - Chicken Booda Bones are reviewed here and Spearmint Booda Bones are reviewed here! That trust in her judgment was something I had to take on faith when she brought home the yogurt flavored Booda Bones dog treat. This was a flavor I never would have guessed our dog would have enjoyed. And yet . . . Mitzie eats these bones and seems to like them.

Mitzie, our geriatric cocker spaniel, seems to like yogurt in real life. She - and our cats - lick out our yogurt containers when we finish them, but Mitzie doesn't race toward the yogurt containers the way the cats do. But as far as the Booda Bones treats go, Mitzie chose the yogurt treat last, though she still seems to enjoy them. But while Mitzie has a lot of choices, yogurt never seems to be the top choice for her. She only eats these when we give them to her, not when she chooses her treat herself (yes, my wife actually allows the dog to choose her own treats from time to time). But when she gets these, she seems to lick them more than she licks the other flavors.

Booda Bones, as my wife has pointed out, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the little bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies. The key selling point of the Booda Bones treats is that they have positive dental benefits for dogs and this has been clearly illustrated to me, even with the Yogurt flavor. As well, even though this flavor is Mitzie's last choice, she does eat them, so they must taste like Yogurt or something else she likes!

The Booda Bones Yogurt flavor treat comes individually as a wrapped bone-shaped treat three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the least quantity one might buy them in and there are multipacks. For my tastes and budgets, the single Booda Bone treat seems a bit expensive at about a dollar a treat. Even with my partner's discount, it seems like the individually-wrapped treat is environmentally and economically not much of a value. There are multipacks of the Yogurt flavor on the market. The picture here on the site gets the color of this specific Booda Bone wrong; these are actually a light lavender color that look like they are yogurt-covered raisins or the like.

The lavender bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. As well, the little bumps on the bone help get the crap off Mitzie's tongue because she does lick the bone a lot before she bites into it. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, even with only eating a few of the Booda Bones Yogurt Flavored treats (though she had had several other treats in the days before she started eating the Yogurt flavored ones). Mitzie's breath has gotten better, though now instead of smelling like old food, is smells of milk. The yogurt-flavored Booda Bones do not seem to have a distinct smell and the result of Mitzie eating them is more of a neutral, milky smell than a sour, yogurt-culture smell.

One of the other key selling points of the Yogurt flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the Yogurt flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin. This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has been putting on weight in the last few weeks, probably because she has been getting so many treats. As a result, we actually have begun to reduce Mitzie's diet by 5% to accommodate the treat (the package recommends that). She has not bulked up significantly by having one of these treats (or the other flavored Booda Bones) each day for the past week.

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie ate the Yogurt flavored treats and kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the Yogurt flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude fiber and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

The Booda Bones treats are good for dogs and Mitzie liked the Yogurt flavor, but it has never been her first choice. As she moves into the twilight of her life, we are less likely to keep giving her these because they are a bit expensive for a neutral reaction from our dog. While these are not bad, they are in no way extraordinary or exciting for Mitzie and she (and your dog) deserve better for the price.

For other dog treat reviews, please visit Mitzie's opinions (as translated by me) on:
Redbarn Bacon N Cheese filled bone
Science Diet Immunity Support Wafers
Mixables Colorado Cookout

6.5/10

For other pet product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.



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Perhaps I'm Missing The Point, But Spearmint Booda Bones Don't Freshen My Dog's Breath!

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients
The Bad: Least economical pack, My dog prefers every other flavors to it, Doesn't freshen breath
The Basics: A very disappointing flavor of Booda Bone, the Spearmint does not freshen Dog's breath and my dog is pretty much indifferent to it!


My wife says I have unrealistic expectations about many things I encounter in this life. I think I have standards. After all, I want products that make a claim to live up to that claim. I want purpose in my life and for those things that are in my life as well. So, while something may not claim to do something, if there is an implication that it does it, I think it is absolutely fair to enter those expectations into one's evaluation of the product. I mention this at the outset of my review of Booda Bones little Spearmint bones because I think if you're going to make a mint-flavored product for dogs there is the implication that it is going to do something to help freshen Dog's breath. This, however, is not the case. Spearmint Booda Bones do nothing to freshen breath beyond what ordinary bone treats to do help clean matter off teeth and help keep the mouth and teeth smelling fair as a result.

But when I picked up the Spearmint Booda Bones, I figured that if a company is going to flavor a dog treat with mint, they might as well make it such that it freshens breath. My geriatric cocker spaniel, Mitzie, has never shown any inclination toward mint flavored treats (and I have a ton of mint chocolate things around the house!), so I did not feel my assumption was too far out of whack. The thing is, just as Mitzie has never seemed eager for anything mint, she did not go for the Spearmint Booda Bone with any enthusiasm either. In fact, even more than the Yogurt flavor Booda Bone, Mitzie seems to have an antipathy toward the Spearmint flavor. Combined with not freshening her breath in any noticeable way more than the other flavor Booda Bones, this made it easy for me to not recommend this flavor!

Mitzie ate this bone lackadaisically, without any specific passion for the Spearmint Booda Bone. This is quite a contrast for her because she'll pull Greenies out for her herself (it's actually quite impressive) and she loves other flavors of Booda Bones, like the Chicken Booda Bone (reviewed here!), so when she only casually chomped on the Spearmint each time I gave her one, this was a bit of a surprise to me. Even without any other competition, she slowly makes her way through the little Spearmint flavored Booda Bone.

Booda Bones, I learned in my tenure working at the same pet store as my partner, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the little bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies, but just barely (especially since the holiday season began!). The Booda Bones are advertised as having dental benefits and given how Mitzie has a few each week and has very healthy teeth, this could well be part of her dental health regimen. Given that Mitzie continues to choose these treats, just not this specific flavor of them, I have to assume they taste good as well. If any of them might taste bad, I'd guess it is the Spearmint because of how little enthusiasm she shows toward them and the metallic smell they have when I pull them out of the package for her.

The Booda Bones Spearmint flavor treat comes individually as a wrapped bone-shaped treat three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the smallest quantity one might buy them in and there are multipacks. For my tastes and budgets, the single Booda Bone treat seems a bit expensive at about a dollar a treat. Even with my employee discount, it seems like the individually-wrapped treat is environmentally and economically not much of a value. There are multipacks of the Spearmint flavor on the market, as well as a multipack which has both spearmint and peppermint in it!

The dark green bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, though because she has eaten so many Booda Bones of late, she hasn't had much in the way of build-up or even generally bad breath.

One of the other key selling points of the Spearmint flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the Spearmint flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin, though it is flavored with the "natural flavor" of spearmint. This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has put on a little weight since she moved here from Michigan with my partner, but lately, we've reduced her diet some and are still able to reward her for good behavior with a Booda Bone every other day (on opposite days, she gets her Greenies treat, which she loves).

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie not only ate the Spearmint flavored treats, when given no other options, she kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the Spearmint flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude fiber and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

Because Mitzie is more indifferent to this flavor and it did nothing for her breath after having one of her rare soft dog food meals, it became very easy not to recommend Spearmint Booda Bones!

For other dog treats, please check out my reviews of:
Redbarn Bacon N' Cheese Filled Bone
Science Diet Immunity Support Wafers
Senior Greenies

4/10

For other pet product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!

© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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Mitzie Enjoys Little Chicken Flavor Booda Bones (No Surprise!)

The Good: Good for dog's dental health, Good ingredients, My dog enjoys it.
The Bad: Least economical pack, My dog prefers a few other flavors to it.
The Basics: A perfectly average Booda Bone, the little chicken flavored bones were met with more indifference than excitement by our dog!


I've begun, in some small ways, to feel like I have begun writing a serialized children's novel with the continuing adventures of my geriatric cocker spaniel, Mitzie. Half the time when I am writing pet reviews, they include a little story of my wife's seventeen year-old cocker spaniel and what she is trying out now in terms of snacks or health maintenance products. The truth is, no matter how often I write "my wife's cocker spaniel," I have truly come to think of Mitzie as a part of my family and I have a very big place in my heart for her as well. So, tonight, when Mitzie came in from her nightly run around the yard - tonight it was raining, so she came in soaked - I was happy to give her a new (to her) treat, a chicken flavored Booda Bones treat.

Mitzie enthusiastically devoured this bone, which is interesting to me because each time she had the choice about what treat to eat, she chose the option I had with the Booda Bones Small Chicken Flavor treat. On its own, it seems, Mitzie is fine with this, but when faced with the choice of other flavors of Booda Bones and the Chicken, Mitzie chose the other. As an objective test, I've just given her the choice of a second Chicken Booda Bone and a Bacon flavored Booda Bone and she has pulled (politely) the bacon one from my hand. I suppose she likes the Chicken just fine, but she either prefers variety or likes other flavors more. Without any competition, she devoured the little Chicken flavored Booda Bone just fine.

Booda Bones, I learned in my tenure working at the same pet store as my partner, come in a wide variety of sizes for dogs and the little bones are intended for dogs less than 15 lbs. in size, so our old cocker spaniel still applies, but just barely (holiday snacking and all!). The Booda Bones are advertised as having dental benefits and given how Mitzie has a few each week and has very healthy teeth, this could well be part of her dental health regimen. Given that Mitzie continues to choose these treats - she does not avoid the chicken flavor - I have to assume they taste good as well.

The Booda Bones Chicken flavor treat comes individually as a wrapped bone-shaped treat three inches long by 7/8" wide (3/8" thick). This is the smallest quantity one might buy them in and there are multipacks. For my tastes and budgets, the single Booda Bone treat seems a bit expensive at about a dollar a treat. Even with my employee discount, it seems like the individually-wrapped treat is environmentally and economically not much of a value. There are multipacks of the Chicken flavor on the market.

The reddish-brown bone is designed to help fight plaque and tartar build-up by having a texture to it. The bone has bumps and the bumps agitate the build-up on teeth whenever a dog bites into them. Because the bone is too big to simply be swallowed, the Booda Bones effectively brushes the dog's teeth and tongue using friction whenever the dog bites into it to split it and swallows it, dragging the bolus across their tongue. This has had wonderful results with Mitzie, even with only eating a few of the Booda Bones Chicken Flavored treats.

One of the other key selling points of the Chicken flavor Booda Bones treats is that it is wheat-free. Apparently, wheat is used in a lot of dog products and it is not great for their digestion. For those looking out for their dog's diet, the Chicken flavored Booda Bones treat is made up primarily of modified food starch, water and glycerin, though it is flavored with the "natural flavor" of chicken. This is intended entirely as a treat, not a meal substitute or replacement. Mitzie has put on a little weight since she moved here from Michigan with my partner, but lately, we've reduced her diet some and are still able to reward her for good behavior with a Booda Bone every other day (on opposite days, she gets her Greenies treat, which she loves).

These treats are not bad for dogs and the package says that if there are any messes from the dog they clean up easily, but Mitzie not only ate the Chicken flavored treats, when given no other options, she kept them down without any problems. Still, this is basically candy for dogs and the Chicken flavor offers little to dogs that is either beneficial or a detraction. This treat has at least 1% crude protein and crude fat and no more than 6% crude fiber and 14% moisture, so those looking out for their dog's specific dietary needs, that might help.

Because Mitzie is more indifferent to this flavor, it was easier for me to consider it average (at best), but because she does like the flavor (I've seen her spit out things she does not like, so she has no qualms about doing that!) and it has so many benefits, I was more in a quandary about whether or not to recommend it. Ultimately, I opted to recommend it because it is a treat that is generally so good for dogs that it is hard to find one that tops it. Still, even with a mediocre flavor like the chicken (which has a very metallic smell), I would recommend if your dog likes it to get the bulk bags or boxes instead and do your wallet and the environment a favor.

For other dog treats, please check out my reviews of:
Science Diet Immunity Support Wafers
Mixables Colorado Cookout Dog Gravy
Bark Bars Peanut Butter And Carob Chip

5/10

For other pet product reviews, please be sure to visit my index page!

© 2010, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.




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