Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Minties Dental Treats and Betsy Farms Jerky Dog Treats | Product Review

Though there's no really good substitute for brushing your dog's teeth and gums, dental treats do have a place in good dental care for canines.  

We've try a few of these products, but never Minties.  

 Until now.

Minties Dental Treats from VetIQ help to control plaque and tartar accumulation and include five natural breath fresheners:  mint, parsley, dill, fennel and chlorophyll.  
  • Mint promotes minty fresh breath.
  •  Parsley contains enzymes to break down odor-causing particles in your dog's stomach.
  • Dill helps inhibit bacterial growth and helps prevent early stages of gingivitis.
  • Fennel helps control bacteria and is a natural breath freshener.
  • Chlorophyll from alfalfa balances acid levels in your dog's stomach and helps deodorize your dog's body.

We received a 6 ounce package of Minties Dental Treats for large dogs 40 pounds plus which contained 4 large treats. They're also available as tiny dog, small dog, and medium size dog treats.  Minties are made in the US and are veterinarian recommended.

Ingredients
Rice flour, vegetable glycerin, water, natural chicken flavor, calcium carbonate, lecithin, garlic, tricalcium phosphate, brewers dried yeast, dried alfalfa (source of chlorophill), parsley, fennel, dill, peppermint, cholecalciferal (source of vitamin D3), mixed tocopherals (preservative.) 

Guaranteed Analysis:
  • Crude protein minimub 6%
  • Crude fat minimum  1.5%
  • Crude fiber maximum  2.5%
  • Moisture maximum 15%
Calorie content per bone 85.6 Kcal
 
As I opened the package, I was greeted by the pleasant odor of Minties.  The mint is obvious, as well as the alfalfa, which happens to be one of my favorite smells.  All three dogs thought they smelled good, too, and were eager to give them a try.

Jeffie waits for a Minties Dental Treat for Dogs taste test.
Minties are generous in size, green in color, and definitely crunchy.  I waqs pleased to see that they're available locally at Walmart.  A 12 ounce package of 8 treats (for large dogs) is $12.88. 

Rosie says: Go away Mama, I'm busy eating my Minties Dental Treats for Dogs

Final verdict - not only did the dogs love Minties, I like them, too.  I like the herbal ingredients, smell, and my dogs' enjoyment.  Though I did not have enough to judge whether they had any impact on my dogs' dental health, they certainly made their breath smell good!

Jeffie is howling for more Minties Dental Treats for Dogs!



Along with Minties, we were given some Betsy Farms turkey jerky dog treats to taste test. Jerky treats for dogs from Betsy Farms are available in three recipes:  chicken, turkey and duck.  Each is made with real American raised poultry and free of wheat, artificial colors and flavors.


We also received a 12 ounce bag of Betsy Farms Turkey Jerky Fillets dog treats to try.
  
Ingredients:
Turkey, barley, tapioca, pea protein, corn protein concentrate, turkey liver, begetable glycerin, dried whey, potassium sorbate (preservative), salt, lactic acid, hickory smoke flavor, mixed tocopherols (preservative), rosemary extract, colored with annatto extract.

Guaranteed Analysis:
  • Crude protein minimum 20%
  • Crude fat minimum  4%
  • Crude fat maximum  7%
  • Crude Fiber maximum 2%
  • Moisture maximum  25%
Calorie content - unknown.

With all the news about jerky dog treats, I was happy to learn more about Betsy Farms Jerky Recipes for Dogs.  Not only are their ingredients sources here in the US, these treats are made here, too.  In addition, Betsy Farms has a unique process that first cooks the poultry at a temperature high enough to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria.  Then, that poultry is pulverized, mixed with the other ingredients and cooked again.

Jeffie, Rudy and Rosie love jerky and as soon as I opened the package of Betsy Farms Turkey Jerky, they had a hard time containing their enthusiasm!
 
Rudy is focused on the Betsy Farms Turkey Jerky dog treats.

Though I spotted Betsy Farms Jerky dog treats online at Amazon, EBay and other retail sources, according to the Betsy Farms website, Betsy Farms Jerky Recipes for Dogs are available at Walmart, Sam's Club, Albertsons-Southwest, Anda, and Menards.   Unfortunately, not only could I not find them at my local Walmart, I also did not find them available at Walmart.com.

Rosie waits paitently for her turn to try Betsy Farms Turkey Jerky Dog Treats.

Final verdict - the dogs loved these Betsy Farms turkey jerky treats.  Though I'd prefer our jerky treats contain fewer ingredients (after all, it is fairly simple to make homemade jerky dog treats), I do like that these are sourced and made here in the United States and these have never been subject to a recall or FDA notice.

Pretty sure Rudy is saying:  Yum Yum!

VetIQ is the bran name of animal health products provided by TruRx, LLC.  VetIQ provides quality medication and supplements for pets at affordable price, plus the best information possible so that pet owners can make informed, healthy decisions for their pets.  VetIQ sources all ingredients and manufactures all product in the US.  In addition, VetIQ offers a free Pet Care Tracker App so pet owners can input all their pet's medical information into one central record that can be accessed 24/7. 

* The opinions in this article are my own.  I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them.  I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I create original editorial content.

Talking Dogs is the official blog of For Love of a Dog Jewelry.

We're joining the Tasty Tuesday blog hop today.  This is a blog hop that celebrates good food, sponsored by Sugar the Golden Retriever and Kols Notes.  

12 comments:

  1. We tried Minties for the first time last year and love the way they smell! Well, I do anyways. Haven't heard of Betsy Farms yet, but those look tasty too!

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  2. We also tried the minties recently but even the large size only took the boys a minute to devour. Kind of wonder how much they help the teeth when they are barely in the mouth :)

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  3. I have not heard of Betsy Farms treats and I am such a treat hound. I'll have to look them up and see what other ingredients are in them. If all the flavors are mixed with some kind of chicken, then I cannot have them anyways. Great review! Glad my pals got to enjoy some delicious treats.
    Oz

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  4. I agree that there are a bit too many ingredients in the jerky for me. Love that they are US made though! We haven't tried Minties yet, but everyone seems to like them. I don't think I've found a dental chew that my two won't work through in 30 seconds. We need an XXL ;)

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  5. I don't know why, but it always surprises me that dogs will eat mint. Chickens and rodents avoid it. Cats love it.

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  6. Mom loves the smell of Minties as well. We love Minties, but I would trade them in for Betsy's Jerky any day! Cute review.

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  7. The dogs look super happy! Love the pictures.

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  8. Love all the pics! I've heard of Minties before but never tried them. THanks for the info! Rita enjoys a hunk of a Greenie every morning (we cut them up cuz they're too big, IMO) so maybe we'll try Minties with her.

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  9. Sugar enjoys Minties :-) a great quick way to freshens dog breath. Happy Tasty Tuesday. Golden Woofs

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  10. Now that is a tasty Tuesday!!!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  11. Great review and pictures, they love them!

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