Nutro, Crunchy Peanut Butter Treats – Review

We are on a journey in search of the best dog treats for Great Danes. Different treats are good for different uses and of course for different sized dogs. It’s hard to pick any treats as the “best dog treats,” some are healthier that others – some are better for training – some are just fun and funny. Today we’ll look at the Nutro, Crunchy Peanut Butter Treats.

• Manufacturer: Nutro (MARS PetcareUS)
• Treat Name: Crunchy Treats
• Flavor: Peanut Butter
• Best price: Amazon
• Made in the USA: Joplin, MO
• Guarantee: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee*
• Lucy’s Rating: 4/5

Lucy Likes It!

This may not seem like a big deal but Lucy is unlike any other Great Dane I’ve seen, or any other dog for that matter. Lucy is not food driven. We often have to coax her to eat a meal. I’ve given her a piece of cheese, hot dog (or other cold cut) only to have her take it in her mouth, walk away and drop it on the floor and leave it there. Weird, I know. (Sometimes I wonder if she’s broken.) So, to find a treat that Lucy will eat, and even get a little excited about, well that’s a big deal!

She likes Peanut Butter

First, I think it’s the peanut butter flavor. I have identified this as a flavor that Lucy seems attracted to. Often we give her an empty plastic peanut butter jar and let her go-to-town licking the inside and doing her best to get that long tongue down to the bottom of the jar.

Great Size for Training

The size of each kibble is perfect for training. You want your training treat to be “just a taste,” so you can keep giving them without spoiling their dinner. Also, if the treat is too large it will take time to eat, which will distract them from the training task-at-hand.

The treats aren’t greasy, they’re dry and easy to hold in your hand. I’ve used other treats that leave a nasty greasy film on your hands after you hold them for any period of time. These are not messy in your hand. Kinda like M&Ms, they melt in their mouth – not in your hands. (Ok, maybe not that much like M&Ms.)

Quality Ingredients

The Nutro “Feed Clean™ Philosophy” is printed on every package. Their whole brand is based on quality, clean ingredients.

They make with non-GMO ingredients and are only 5 calories per piece. They contain no chicken by-product meal, no artificial flavors or colors, no artificial preservatives, no corn, wheat or soy protein. With all these things that aren’t in them it make me wonder what IS in them?

The ingredient list actually sounds pretty tasty;

• Whole Brown Rice
• Chicken Meal
• Oatmeal
• Peanut Flour
• Peanut Butter
• Ground Roasted Peanuts
• Cane Molasses
• Peanut Oil
• Natural Flavor
• Tocopherols (natural preservative)
• Rosemary Extract

I mean, this sounds like something I’d eat (no, I haven’t tried one – yet).

As a rule of thumb, I like to be able to at least pronounce all the ingredients in my dog’s food, and these Peanut Butter treats pass that test pretty well. (OK, I had to look up tocopherols, but they appear to be natural and don’t seem to be bad).

Caution: Nutro did have some product recalls back in 2015 that were related to their Nutro Apple Chewy Treats due to potential for mold contamination. No actual reports of mold, just the potential for it. Possibly related to their lack of chemical preservatives, and I think the recall shows their commitment to quality.

You should always use caution when introducing anything new to your dogs diet. Do it slowly and watch for any problems. I’ll be watching Lucy, but for now she loves them – I’ll be sure to let you know if anything changes.

Don’t Over-Do

As with any treat you’ll want to introduce them slowly into your dog’s diet. Dogs digestive system can be amazingly delicate. Seems strange to say about an animal that will gladly eat anything found in your kitchen waste can, but making big changes to your dog’s diet can lead to digestive issues including (but not limited to) diarrhea. No one wants that, especially with a Great Dane!

How many is too many?

The back of the package displays a chart with the recommended number of treat you can safely give your dog per day based on their weight. Only problem is the chart only goes up to 75 lbs. (I sense big dog discrimination here.) However, the chart indicates 25 treats for 75 lbs. Projecting that forward to Lucy’s 135 lbs. I would think 35 treats would be right, and I can’t imagine using more than 35 treats a day training Lucy.

The Bottom Line

• Great for training
• Healthy clean ingredients
• Resealable bag
• Reasonably priced
• Lucy likes them!!

Every dog is different, just because Lucy likes these won’t guarantee your Dane will. I’d love to hear about your Dane’s favorite treat. Perhaps Lucy will like them as well.

Our last Dane (Abby) would do anything for a piece of Pup-peroni but Lucy won’t touch them. I’ve since learned that Pup-eroni is not a good treat and is even considered by some as toxic. So maybe Lucy’s just smarter than me. That’s a distinct possibility.

Remember, we’re in this together, so let me hear about your Danes and their favorite treats.

  

*Nutro’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you or your pets are not happy with the product (within reason), please keep the bag & receipt and return the product to the retailer or call us on our toll-free number 1-800-525-5273 for a refund or replacement.