They’re B-aaaaack-Product Reviewers Swim Upstream!
May 14, 2010 • Product Reviews
Fusspots. That’s both me and the Fido in my life. He is fussy about what treats he likes and I am fussy about what ingredients he takes in. Having lived with a dog who had irritable bowel disease, I am particularly picky when it comes to the treats my dog consumes.
So when the four-legged variety of my household had the opportunity to review a product cleverly titled “Salmon Paws,” I hesitated. Just how fresh is this salmon? What about bones? Preservatives? If only I could taste it and see for myself. I could. You can. You should.
Salmon Paws dog treats is a family owned and operated business. Beautifully packaged pure Alaskan salmon and Omega Stix arrived at my Fido’s footsteps, er doorstep. The envelope lay in wait until I could engage my BFF, Dexter, and his compadre in all things edible, Zola. The opening of the envelope in this household equates to that moment on Oscar awards night when Best Picture is named. Bated breath, eyes fixated, anxiously awaiting. A shudder of dismay envelopes me when the treat elicits a less-than-stellar reaction from said canines. Not so with Salmon Paws.
I began the “experiment” by gingerly opening the bag and attempting to place it on the floor. Patience is clearly not Zola’s best virtue. Who could blame her with the aroma of fresh salmon in the air?
Okay, bag upward. Sit you two, be good puppies for Mom. “Want a treat?”
Gulp, snarf, chomp, buh bye. And that was just the two dogs swimming upstream towards my hands for the loot. ~grin~ These treats were easy to chew, broke well into smaller pieces, and kept two very active dogs quiet, then looking for more in their best “stay” mode.
Besides the obvious yum factor, Salmon Paws treats are good for Fido. I like to monitor the way a treat works its way through my dog’s digestive system 24 hours later. No harm, no foul, all digested well. Yay!!! Paws up for this as well.
This fussy Fido mom then took to the research end of things. All of the salmon in Salmon Paws comes right out of the waters of Alaska. Owner Debbie Wakabayashi tells me there are two types of farmed salmon: Atlantics and Steelhead. Typically farmed salmon is much too oily for Fido and can produce diarrhea. The meat around the belly on wild salmon is also too oily for Fido. Salmon Paws uses only the center cut from the Sockeye salmon for their treats. They heat their product to 170F to extract only the moisture from the treat and kill any bacteria. They do NOT use skin, bones, head, guts, or anything of the sort. Center cut only! Paw-some!
At this stage, Dexter and Zola eyed up the Omega Stix, at which point I told them “later taters” and they stood sentry by the ‘treat closet.” On my quest for the beneficial truth, I also found out that historically, native Alaskans used salmon to feed their sled dogs. Salmon gives dogs protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is also an incredible source of OMEGA-3 and OMEGA-6 fatty acids, which have been linked to fighting bone and joint disease, cancer, and helps a dog have healthy skin and coat.
But what about preservatives? Nope. In fact, Debbie encouraged me to try the Salmon Paws. I did. I liked it! I might take sentry duty at that treat closet after all. Since there are no preservatives, Salmon Paws must be refrigerated upon opening. Larger quantities can be frozen for a shelf life unopened of 1 full year!
So where can you get them? Salmon Paws treats s can be purchased online at Salmon Paws, at high-end doggie boutiques and holistic vets.
You can find stores on the website’s “Store Locator”, just go to Salmon Paws, then click on Store Finder, which will show states and stores they are in.
I found out that the product stays in the Salmon Paws ovens for over 6 hours and this results in 100 pounds of product produced per shift. This is the case even though the plant is over 10,000 square feet and has a very large commercial oven. Like my grandma used to say, “honey, you get what you pay for.”
Knowing I’ve satisfied Fido with the very best tasting treat that’s also good for him gave me the warm fuzzies, too.
Overall Product Review: We’d swim upstream for these tasty, oh-so-good for Fido treats anytime. Paws up and high five, Salmon Paws!
Note: We accept no monetary compensation for reviews. Review is NOT sponsored by Salmon Paws and is the sole opinion of the reviewer for FIDO Friendly magazine. We welcome your feedback and comments.
