Review/Giveaway: PetBox (for Dogs)

A couple months ago, Jessica reviewed PetBox, a subscription box service that provides a variety of healthy treats, toys and other goodies for cats or dogs - her cat loved the box, and I was delighted to be able to review the dog version for our elderly beagle mix, Sadie.

Because of her stage of life, Sadie isn't so much a fan of toys anymore, and not all treats are particularly good for her.  So it made me really happy that PetBox allows a choice between receiving a surprise box or customizing your box so you can select exactly what's best for your pet.  There are a variety of boxes to choose from - a Snack Box containng one treat for $9.95 a month, a Deluxe box containing 2-3 items for $19.95 a month, a Premium box containing 4-6 items for $39.95 a month, or a Multiple Pet box, containing 7-12 items for dogs and/or cats for $59.95 a month.  All of these include FREE shipping & handling.

Even if you select the Surprise option, there is enough customization to feel confident that what you'll receive will be welcome and approrpriate for your pet - you'll fill out a profile letting PetBox know what sort of pet you have, age, gender and size.

Sadie received the Premium dog box, and we were able to select what came in it.  The process was simple - once we'd set up our account and filled out her profile, we were given points to work with - each item available for inclusion in the box had a point value, so we just selected what we wanted to add in until we ran out of points.

We were able to include five items, and I have found every one of them to be useful and welcome, and in the case of the treats, we'll be seeking them out to continue buying them for her.

We chose:

Doggie Beer Bones

I chose these out of blatant curiousity about how they're made.  They're made in small batches, using spent grains from craft breweries.  Since Michael brews beer, I was just intrigued that such a thing was possible, and whether or not she'd like them.

These crunchy dog bone shaped treats are a huge win with Sadie.  They're just the right size for her to have to spend a few seconds grinding up to eat and her face really lights up whenever I pull out the bag.

In addition to the spent brewing grains, they are made of barley flour, peanut butter, eggs, and water.  The scent is mild, vaguely like a peanut butter sandwich and according to the manufacturer, the color may vary depending on the type of beer being brewed.

There is no beer in these, nor hops (which are bad for dogs) - the grains are strained off before that stage of the brewing process begins.

Jump Joint Health Chews

As an aging, overweight dog, Sadie didn't need to have a box loaded up with snacks, but these are supplements that masquerade as a treat.

Each clover-shaped chew is slightly less than an 1" square, dense and chewy, and has a rather pronounced herbal and fishy odor.  The ingredients include:

Glucosamine HCL and MSM, which help with osteoarthritis
Fish Oil
Ginger Powder, which aids in joint mobility
Yucca and Alfalfa Extracts
Cayenne Pepper - good for pain relief due to arthritis

The inactive ingredients are brewer's yeast, citric acid, coconut oil, glycerin, mixed tocopherols, molasses, rosemary extract, tapioca starch and tapioca syrup.

The dosage is only one treat daily per 40lbs of dog, and Sadie gets hers around lunch time.  It's always hard to tell for sure how a dog is feeling, but she has enjoyed spending time outdoors over the last few weeks, We'll really be able to tell how she's doing with these as the weather turns cold.

Meanwhile, the most important question is... does she like them?

She likes them! She really likes them!

ToothMitt

This is a simple little idea that works out well for cleaning dogs' teeth (especially when their breath sort of smells of fish oil!)

This little packet is about the size of a pack of baby wipes, and opens the same way - lift up the black flap and pull one moistened finger sleeve out. The flap reseals so the rest remain ready to use.

The package says these are 'vanilla scented that dogs love.'  Honestly, I've never known a dog to be particularly in love with vanilla - beef scented maybe, but vanilla?  But that's ok, because they weren't particularly vanilla scented either.  I had no idea if she was going to tolerate these at all.

I'm not going to lie - I chose this because Sadie needs some toothcleaning, but I was a bit too intimidating to try to force my own finger into her mouth and trust I wasn't going to come back one finger short if she decided she was insulted about the whole thing.

So, I made Michael do it.  Sadie likes him best anyway. hah!

She was wary, as any reasonable dog might be when her favorite guy starts coming at her with a strangely gloved finger, but after a couple mild protests, she put up with his giving her teeth a good rub down with the glove - no biting or snarling, just a little bit of acting put out (as she usually is when it comes to any grooming).

I'm not sure how well he got the inside of her teeth on that first introduction, but I expect that will come as the experience becomes familiar to her.

The finger gloves provide for a lot more control than a brush would, without risk of a fast movement injuring  the dog.  You have to use your own judgement about how well your dog can handle your finger in their mouth, of course.

Tick Twister

I am delighted to say that we haven't had to actually try out this next item!

Ticks are my nemesis - I can take almost any living creature in stride, but even thinking about ticks makes me shudder, gets my heart rate going fast, and slides me straight into an enraged panic attack.

I have friends dealing with Lyme Disease here in this area, so Sadie going outside means there will be tick checks immediately!

We do find 3-4 of them a year (and that's 5 too many for me!), and Michael gets rid of them, but this little device takes a lot of the risk out of it - instead of squeezing the abdomen and risking breaking off the head while it is still attached, the tiny forklike tool draws the tick out whole.

It is reusable and can be used on pets or humans, and will stay handy for the inevitable day one shows up. *shudder*

Water Rover

More than once, we've had to cut a walk short because Sadie needed water and there was no water source near enough to fill her travel bowl.  The Water Rover looked like an interesting solution to that problem!

These come in multiple sizes - a 3" bowl attached to an 8oz. bottle, or a 4" bowl attached to either a 15oz. or 26oz. bottle.

The design is really unique - the bowl section as also the lid of the bottle - there is a stopper that seals it, and a hook that allows it to be attached to the human's belt buckle (or the dog's harness), until it is needed.

When in use, the belt hook serves to hold back the stopper to keep it out of the way while the dog is drinking.  We both had a pretty hard time figuring that out - there is a picture on the bottle that explains it, but the various parts aren't sized to easily allow it to happen.  We didn't do it the way it showed (which was to completely loop the stopper around and slide it up the forked hook), but we managed to find a way to keep it out of the way.

Once you have the stopper off, tilting the bottle so the bowl is flat allows the water to flow into the bowl - and the shape means it will level out before the water overflows.

I found that the bottle didn't let the bowl sit entirely flat, but Sadie's drinking didn't seem to tip it, so it's not a practical problem - just an aesthetic one.

When the dog has had enough, you simply tilt the bottle back upright and the bowl drains back into the bottle, available for the next time your dog needs a drink.

That is my favorite part of this - no waste, which means you're more likely to be able to finish your walk without having to hunt for a faucet to use.

All together, I found these items to be great value for the cost of the box - everything is either a full-sized item with generous portions, or sturdy and reusable.  I would heartily recommend PetBox to any dog or cat owner, and a one month box would make a wonderful gift for a pet lover (or their pet).

Between the quality of their items, their customization capabilities and some really outstanding and responsive customer service, PetBox gets an A++++ from me, and if you give them a try, I think you'll agree.

To help you try them out, PetBox is offering 10% off your purchase with the code "RCHREVIEWS".  I promise, you will not be sorry!

Additionally, PetBox is once again generously offering one winner a 1 month Premium Box, valued at $39.95.  These will be a Surprise Box, but you can choose from a Cat or Dog box.  The giveaway is open to US residents only and will end just before midnight ET on Monday, October 13.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This lets us contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PetBox Website
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