BELLY UP Community: BELLY UP Treats Review

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For those of you who have young puppies, you probably can relate to the eternal internal question: “What can I give them to chew next??” It is as if the little chompers behind those adorable faces never cease moving. My puppy, Mako (@makothetaco_), is a 6 month old Singapore Special. I tried bellyup.sg hoping to find some unique treats and not only did I find some special treats exclusive to BELLY UP, I found a source of treats that satisfied even my little chomper long enough to give me a WHOLE 5 MINUTES OF PEACE. Imagine that, puppy parents!

The two products I will be reviewing are the Australian Free-Range Roo Chews and the Australian Eco-Safe Shark Cartilage.

Australian Free-Range Roo Chew

My first impression when this arrived in the mail was: WOW THIS IS BIG. I ordered the long version, which is at least 30cm long. It was as long as my forearm! I definitely knew this was a special occasion treat, so I used it during mako’s training of his basic commands (sit, hi five, wave, shake, down, wait, go). See the video! He was highly motivated to get the treat, and did all his commands really quickly. The huge treat felt like a baton in my hand, and I kept waving it at him. He was so focused and probably found me mean for not giving it to him immediately.

The Roo Chew does not have any strong odour, but it does smell of meat (wow duh). It’s not messy at all when Mako chews on it. No crumbs, no residue, no strange odours or bad breath. He loves it so much! I love that this product is single-ingredient and really healthy for Mako, as it is a natural dental treat full of vitamin B-12, omega-3s and antioxidants to support his rapid puppy growth by supporting his immunity. 

As it was really long and huge, I expected it to last him more than one chew session. I thought I could pick it up halfway and refrigerate it. NAH SISTER. The roo chew was so delicious, within 10 minutes, Mako had almost finished it! I would not recommend this if you’re looking to keep your chewer entertained for more than 15 minutes, but for Mako, who can cronch down a dental chew in 2 minutes, this lasted him quite a while! He was thoroughly engrossed in chewing, and did not stop from start to finish. A sign of a real tasty treat!

Australian Eco-Safe Shark Cartilage

I was really excited to try this out as it is definitely a treat I have never seen anywhere else besides at BELLY UP. When I first got it out of the package, Mako came RUNNING from the other end of my home. I don’t know what attracted him, considering it also does not possess any strong odour, but clearly he knows what is good stuff!

The cartilage stick is about 6 inches long, similar to regular-sized commercial bully sticks. I found it a little prickly to hold at first, but it is only prickly on the two sides. I had a mild concern at first that it was going to be too hard and prickly for my puppy. I dropped the cartilage on the floor and it let out a “TOONK” sound. (10/10 asmr review).

Nevertheless, I decided to let Mako try it out. After the pantomime of him doing all his tricks to earn the cartilage, he happily bit into it. Have no fear, for puppy teeth are here! I realised that cartilage is actually just soft bone, and it was really crunchy from being dehydrated, hence my earlier misconception that it was hard.

Once Mako bit into it with ease, even with his tiny baby teeth, I knew that my fears over hardness could be put to rest. It was fine. I picked up half of the stick and looked inside, it is all pure cartilage and the inside is not dense. So good for his teeth! He really enjoyed crunching down on it, and it was SO LOUD my mother wanted to eat some too. I handed her chips instead because I’m sure Mako wouldn’t want to share his sharkie treatos! There were some crumbs remaining, but overall not too messy. No odour, but Mako LOVES the treat. I let him have this when I’m training him to go to his bed and lie down, or when I need to crate him for a while. One bag comes with LOTS of cartilage sticks so it is really worth your money! 

Overall review of BELLY UP

High-quality products, great customer service and speedy delivery. 3 key aspects of any good pet treats store. However, to me, what separates BELLY UP and makes it a cut above the rest is their responsibility to the environment and community.

I am a big advocate of sustainable living, and raising a puppy has made me incredibly guilty about the waste generated from things like pee pads, poop bags, and other kinds of waste. I am also a vegetarian by choice to reduce my carbon footprint, but I cannot impose the same on my dog. What I like most about BELLY UP is that their products are all sustainably sourced, both in the treats and wellness department. Every worker along the supply chain is paid a fair wage, and all treats are made from ethical sources. I feel safe knowing that if I am going to feed Mako beef or lamb treats, that it comes from a store that values our planet and has accounted for carbon footprint when selling these treats. It may be a little more expensive than some more mainstream commercial brands out there, but I am assured my dollar is invested in a company that supports fair and sustainable practices to love our earth. They also donate part of their proceeds to animal shelters in Singapore, just like the one that rescued Mako! What’s there not to love!

BELLY UP, you have scored a repeat customer for sure. Thank you for your amazing service, products, social responsibility, and pictures of Bagel the Goldie. Will definitely be ordering again soon!

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xo
Nellie