Review: Chippin Sustainable Dog Treats

Chippin is a hypoallergenic and all-natural dog treat that your best pal with four paws will love! Chippin dog treats focus on high-quality ingredients, sustainability, and having a PAWsitive impact on the environment, using 90% fewer resources than the average dog treat. I think it’s incredibly important to take your dog's health and nutrition seriously, especially if you want them to be around for a very long time, which is why I recommend that pet owners look into what they feed their pets every day. 

Chippin supports a healthy gut for your pup with recipes that feature human-grade sustainable proteins that are hypoallergenic, omega-3 rich, and easier to digest. What are these amazing proteins and omega- 3 rich ingredients you ask? (Drumroll) CRICKETS!


My Pups' (Ollie & Blast’s) Thoughts on Chippin Dog Treats!

Ollie and Blast said it themselves... They would jump through hoops for Chippin treats! Okay, maybe they didn’t say it, but I could tell that is exactly what they were thinking. I was excited to receive the antioxidant and superfood treats from Chippin because I have always been curious about switching up their treats to something that is healthier and supports their bodies and gut health.

I appreciate the clear list of ingredients that Chippin uses for their dog treats. Additionally, there are no artificial flavors, preservatives, gluten, wheat, corn, soy, or bad odors in the treats, unlike other brands that we have tried before.  (There’s nothing worse than a stinky dog breath kiss).


Meet My Lovable Balls of Fur: Ollie & Blast

Ollie and Blast are the two best pup brothers that anyone has ever seen. (I may be biased on that statement) My husband and I adopted Ollie and Blast about 6 years ago and like many new dog parents, I was obsessed with trying different dog foods and dog treats to find the ones that they liked best. Looking back now, our options were very limited on dog treats and I never researched dog treats beyond what was on the shelf at my local pet store. Ollie has always been picky about his food and dog treats while Blast is an indiscriminate foodie. 

While dealing with my dog Ollie’s atopic dermatitis, I grew apprehensive about how environmental or food interaction affected his skin outbreaks. Looping back to another article I wrote about  Finn Dog vitamins, it has been about a month of being on the skin & coat vitamin for Ollie and his rash is now completely gone. I am amazed how quickly it went away this time, and am curious to try Chippin treats in conjunction with this new vitamin routine to see if they can further bolster his gut health. Since gut health plays such a major role in your dog's skin and coat, my hope is that healthy treats from Chippin would further reduce Ollie's skin issues.


Unboxing Video: See how my dogs responded to Chippin Dog Treats


Why does Chippin use crickets instead of more traditional proteins?

The answer is obvious: Crickets are the superior protein. (Okay maybe not so obvious.) But not only do crickets pack a strong dose of protein, they also boast high Omega -3 to -6 ratio AND are rich in vitamin B-12 to boot. Crickets are an all-natural, nutrient-dense, and hypoallergenic protein for dogs. Compared to these traditional meats, crickets have a higher protein and vitamin B12 content. They are ideal for any dog, but ESPECIALLY those with beef or chicken allergies.

The cricket protein used in Chippin products is ethically sourced from Entomo Farms where the crickets are harvested at the natural end of their life span.  The crickets are then cleaned, cooked, and ground into a fine powder. You can read more about their ethical practices on their website so that you can feel confident in your decision to choose this eco-friendly treat. Chippin then combines the cricket protein with premium ingredients before oven-baking them in small batches for your pup.



Using Spirulina & Crickets as a Source of Protein

Spirulina is an ancient superfood rich in vegan protein, omega-3s, and beta carotene. It has antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties that can support your pet’s digestive and immune systems.

Spirulina can act as a carbon sink through photosynthesis and requires far less water than terrestrial plants.

Crickets are a complete protein, meaning they contain all 10 essential amino acids your dog needs. They are hypoallergenic and easier to digest, and they have more omega-3 and B12 than salmon.

Per pound of edible protein, crickets produce zero methane gases and use only 1 gallon of water (vs. over 2000 for beef).

All of these factoids are necessary to understand what truly sets Chippin's dog treats apart...Environmental sustainability!



Chippin offers the most sustainable dog treats on the market.

Each bag of Chippin treats saves over 40 gallons of water and uses 90% fewer resources (as compared to a typical dog treat with similar protein content). And their packaging is made with 29% post-consumer recycled materials. 

With over 95 million dogs in the United States, our pets consume 30% of global meat produced. An estimated 80% of water use goes to agriculture, and livestock and manure management are the leading cause of methane gas emissions. Chippin aims to make small, powerful changes through their sustainably sourced treats that have a positive impact on your dog’s health.

I will tell you that it is clear that the good people at Chippin truly care about the impact that their products have on the environment. Down to the treatment and sourcing of their ingredients, Chippin is environmentally conscious and gives you peace of mind that love is put into every bag of treats that make it into your home.


Chippin Ingredients: All-Natural & Hypoallergenic Proteins

Antioxidant: Banana, Cricket & Blueberry

Peanut Butter, Cricket & Pumpkin

Spirulina Dailies: Kale, Flaxseed & Carrot

Smokehouse BBQ: Sweet Potato & Cricket

Oats, Bananas, Crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), Blueberries, Flaxseed, Chopped Peanuts, Sunflower Oil, Honey, Turmeric, Rosemary Extract.

Oats, Peanut Butter, Crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), Pumpkin, Flaxseed, Chopped Peanuts, Sunflower Oil, Honey, Cinnamon.

Oats, Kale, Flaxseed, Carrots, Parsley, Sunflower Oil, Honey, Thyme Extract, Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis).

Oats, Sweet Potatoes, Crickets (Gryllodes sigillatus), Tomatoes, Carrots, Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil, Molasses, Natural Hickory Smoked Flavor.

Analysis

Protein (min)       20%

Fat (min)              17%

Fiber (max)           3%

Moisture (max)     8%

20 kcal per whole treat. Breakable

Analysis

Protein (min)       20%

Fat (min)              17%

Fiber (max)           3%

Moisture (max)     11%

20 kcal per whole treat. Breakable

Analysis

Protein (min)       15%

Fat (min)              15%

Fiber (max)           3%

Moisture (max)     8%

20 kcal per whole treat. Breakable

Analysis

Protein (min)       20%

Fat (min)              15%

Fiber (max)           3%

Moisture (max)     8%

20 kcal per whole treat. Breakable

into 4 pieces at 5 kcal each.

into 4 pieces at 5 kcal each.

into 4 pieces at 5 kcal each.

into 4 pieces at 5 kcal each.


Chippin Supports Gut Health

You may be curious why your dog's gut health is so important. All people and animals have unique collections of different microorganisms living in our digestive tracts. These collections are called the gut microbiome. The diversity and presence of beneficial microorganisms can be changed by diet. Your pet's gut health and the microbiome is extremely important, as it impacts your dog’s immune system health, risk of disease, and overall digestion. It also plays a role in developing allergies, diabetes, and anxiety.

Cultivating a diet around supporting your pet’s physical health, should be one of the most important tasks of a pet owner. As dog owners we are so quick to check all of the other boxes; vaccines, exercising, weight, comfortable dog bed, but we forget we need to nurture our pups bellies to ensure that they are healthy physically, which keeps them healthy mentally. Chippin dog treats support your dog’s gut health all while being tasty ethically sourced!


Bonus: Chippin is woman-owned  and pours love into every treat!

I can go on and on about how much I look up to Haley and Laura for creating such an amazingly thoughtful company. As an entrepreneur, a person is faced with countless battles everyday -- especially in the pet space -- and to see that they haven’t let go of quality and their eco-friendly mission is inspiring. On top of high-quality nutritional value, they dive further and make sure that their ingredients are ethically sourced. If you are looking for a woman-owned small business to support, I give Chippin two PAWS up!


How Do Chippin's Treats Compare To Other Dog Treats?

Brand

Ethically sourced ingredients

Provides Protein and gut health support

Pricing

$23.45 for 2 bags

$23.98 for 2 bags

$22.00 for 2 bags

Website


Overall, it was extremely hard to find a dog treat that offered everything that Chippin offers. You can go with the vegan brand that I found above, except they don’t satisfy the protein and microbiome support for your pet. I have found that Chippin is competitively priced for a brand that has such high quality ingredients and standards for their dog treats. It is clear from the research that Chippin is the superior dog treat for your pet!


Beyond sustainability: how does Chippin give back?

If you check out Chippin’s Instagram you will see how they are constantly using their voices and brand to give back to the animal community. Each month, Chippin chooses a shelter or foster organization to spotlight and support. The amazing women behind chippin keep stacking on reasons for me to be a returning customer and I am here for it!


The Verdict: Should you try Chippin dog treats?

As a fellow eco-friendly pup parent, I appreciate Chippin's dedication to reducing carbon emissions that stands well above the rest. Chippin's focus on staying green is apparent in the ingredients that go into their treats, packaging, and how they source ingredients. If you're a climate-change conscious shopper and want to vote for progress with your dollars, Chippin's treats are among the best dog treats out there.

As far as taste, my dogs absolutely loved these treats. If you  don't believe me, rewatch the unboxing video above. It only takes a light shake of the bag, and they come running! In addition to Ollie and Blast adoring the taste of Chippin's cricket snacks, I appreciate that the ingredients are top-notch and healthy, giving me one less thing to worry about. Price-wise, Chippin's treats are very reasonable; while you'll surely be able to find cheaper alternatives elsewhere, they aren't likely to be as healthy for your dog, and definitely not as healthy for the earth.

Chippin is loved by countless dog parents who sing their praises in the form of five star reviews online. And I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree! Give them a try https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1601051&u=2575865&m=100179&urllink=&afftrack=, and see how your pup takes to cricket protein.