Brilliant Biccies For The Gummy Gang (Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits
Date:	07/07/09 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Calcium & vitamins, good for teeth, easy for pups to eat, value for money, a safe chewing outlet

Disadvantages: Reccommended age is 16 weeks. My guys had some at 7 wks with no problems, however.

*What are Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits?*
These dog biscuits, designed exclusively for puppies, are produced by the Bonio company, the hugely popular dog biscuit manufacturers, owned by Purina who also make many other popular pet food brands such as Felix, Go-Cat, Bakers, Pro Plan, Winalot and BETA.

*The product itself*
Those who read my reviews regularly may have been following the story of a litter of 6 little Collie cross puppies that I have been hand rearing. They've been here since they were just a couple of days old, and they are now nearing 7 weeks, so it'll soon, very sadly for me but fantastic for them, be time to make their way off to their new separate homes, where I just know they will be spoilt rotten and have lovely happy lives.

Every time I raise a litter, whether it be puppies, kittens or whatever, each time I always tell myself that I won't get attached, as the more attached I get, the harder it is to let them go at the end, and as much as I'd like to, I obviously can't keep them all. Firstly, it just wouldn't be possible, and secondly, their space is much needed for other animals that require the care they had. This litter has been no exception, I started off all strong saying I wouldn't get attached, and now seven weeks later, I keep having brief moments of wanting to keep one!

I won't be however, and as sad as it'll be to see them go, the Collie Six will be leaving in a week or so- and it's actually rather heartbreaking! So, in the pet shop this week whilst stocking up on supplies for my own pets, I decided to have a little look at what they had to offer in the way of puppy treats to spoil the little pupsters with during their last few days with me.

My own two dogs are nearly 2 and 4 years old now, so it has been a while since I had need to buy puppy treats so I wasn't really sure what was available, nor what price ranges they were in. Scanning the shelves of the pet shop, it was this bright red Bonio box that caught my eye- my own dogs enjoy the adult dog Bonio biscuits immensely, so after a quick read of the packaging, these were the ones I decided to go with!

The Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits, are as the name suggests, biscuit treats, made with milk and designed to be suitable for younger dogs, those aged between 16 weeks and 1 year and help provide an ideal treat for early training sessions and also provide a safe, tasty outlet for your pup to let out all that chewing frustration that comes with teething!

The small biscuits, the perfect size for little puppy mouths, are made with fresh milk which provides much need calcium which is required to help develop strong, healthy bones and teeth and also, a wide selection of various vitamins and minerals to help with general overall well being and the healthy development of eyes, fur, the digestive system and the immune system.

The hard, crunchy texture of the biscuits presents a moderate chewing challenge for younger puppies, helping to build up mouth, jaw and neck muscles whilst the slightly abrasive texture of the biscuits helps to scrape teeth clean and keep teeth and gums strong and healthy from a young age.

*Packaging*
These treats come packaged in a bright red cardboard box, similar to those of the normal Bonio biscuits but it is stated clearly in the corner that these are infact the puppy version. On the box you'll find all the usual information you would expect such as ingredients, nutritional information, feeding guides and of course, contact details for Purina, the guys who make Bonio.

Handily, the box can be recycled once empty.

*Price & Availability*
The Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits are pretty easy to find, being readily available in most of the larger supermarkets and most, if not all, pet shops, as well as from various places online.

I purchased our 350g box from my local Pets At Home store for £1.09.

Keep in mind that Pets At Home often have money saving offers on the Bonio range, including both the puppy and the adult varieties, such as 3 for 2 or buy one get one free, so keep your eyes peeled and stock up whilst you can!

*My opinion*
I've been a Veterinary Nurse for 8 years now and between myself and my Vet fiancé, we've had a fair few litters of puppies and kittens come and go throughout the years. Whereas the kittens are generally Jason's main responsibility as they are his main love, I tend to focus more on the puppies, as dogs are my number one love!

The current 6 little Collie crosses (crossed with what? I have no idea!) that we have here at the moment have a very special place in my heart, and always will do, as not only are they the puppies that were in the worst condition (and all survived) when they came to me, they are also the tenth litter I have raised, which is a little personal milestone for me!

So, when picking up supplies for my own gang in Pets At Home, I thought I'd get a little something for the pups too and it was this box of Bonio Puppy Milk Biscuits that came home with me for the little ones. The first thing that drew me to them was the fact they were of course by Bonio- my own dogs love the Bonio biscuits for adult dogs and I thought these ones would be just as good for the pups. Also, I must admit, the price sealed the deal. At £1.09 for a big box, they seemed very good value, especially as 7 weeks of heat lamp bills, milk formula, weaning food and puppy toys has drained my pocket enough, and I've got their first vacations to pay for in another week, at £25 per pup!

Anyway, back at home, I took the box straight through to where the pups are living to see what they thought of them! Here, I was very disappointed to read in quite large letters on the box that the treats were for puppies 16 weeks and over! I was just about ready to sling the box in the cupboard, ready to give to one of the new owners for one of the pups when it was old enough, when I decided what harm could a couple do?! Yes, my guys are only 7 weeks old, but I felt I have had enough experience raising puppies and owning dogs to be able to judge things for myself, and decided to go ahead and let the pups have some anyway. True be told, purely because they were driving me insane chewing everything else in sight- my fingers, trouser legs- even poor Grace and Benson!

Sitting down on the floor with the pups, I opened the box and I was instantly mugged! After a brief battle trying to get them all sitting and waiting relatively patiently, I handed them one each. They had great fun squabbling between them over what biscuit they wanted but all soon settled down for a munch! Being just 7 weeks old, the puppies don't have all of their teeth yet, they are the Gummy Gang at the moment, as we like to call them, but that didn't stop them from tucking in!

Some pups struggled more than others but they were all determined to demolish their biscuits! As the pups chewed them, well more like gummed at them, they started to remind me of a babies rusk biscuit. Although the biscuits had been hard and crunchy to start with, as the puppies chewed at them, they were soften by their saliva and became rather soggy, melted and gooey, but much easier for the pups to eat and they were loving them! Some pups finished their biscuits, whilst others managed just a corner or so, but regardless of how much they ate, one thing was clear- they all LOVED their treats! And after 7 weeks of milk formula, boiled rice and bland puppy weaning food- can you blame them?!

The chewing required to eat the treats really knackered the pups! They all had to spend ages gumming away at them in order to break small soggy pieces off and after 20 minutes or so, whether they had finished or not, all puppies were whacked- completely sound asleep! Thankfully, they also seemed to satisfy their urge to chew and both my fingers and my trouser legs, as well as poor old Grace and Bensons ears and tails, were safe once again!

Although the pups were almost ten weeks younger than the recommended feeding age, I was pleased to find later that day that none of them had suffered any unwanted reactions where toilet habits are concerned as a result of eating the biscuits. They only had one, or less, each but that was more than enough for them and didn't upset their delicate tummies whatsover.

I brought the biscuits on Sunday and the pups have been having one each a day and they have been fine, even though they are apparently too young, they are loving the biscuits and I feel they are great for them- providing a nice, safe item for them to just gum, chew and mess about with , whilst also been full of calcium and vitamins, not to mention how good they are for working their jaws. This morning I also tried mashing a couple of biscuits up with their milk formula to create a biscuit/milk mush and that went down very well- granted, they done more rolling and paddling in the dish than eating it, but even so, they enjoyed it, and that's all that matters!

Overall, great little biscuit treats which the six of them love, I imagine this box will last us another week until the pups leave me and even then, I'll be recommending them to all the new owners of the little puppies.

Summary: The perfect product for puppies to slobber on, gum, chew and crunch!