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- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
We received a free Gnaw Box from Nature Gnaws in exchange for an honest review.
With a nine-month-old puppy in the house, I go through a lot of treats. Copper, a scruffy terrier mix, is extremely food motivated. He also loves his chew toys and treats and is a very good boy. Who could resist rewarding him with the occasional snack, especially if it keeps him busy for a few minutes?
I already have subscriptions set up for Copper’s food, but I haven’t yet established a good treat system. So when the folks at Nature Gnaws reached out to me to see if I was interested in trying out their natural dog treats, their Gnaw Box monthly subscription caught my eye. The team graciously sent me the most recent Gnaw Box to review.
About Nature Gnaws and Gnaw Box
As their name suggests, Nature Gnaws is a dog-treat company focused on making chews out of natural ingredients. Their best sellers include popular items like pig’s ears, bully sticks, and beef tendons.
Their products are made with simple ingredients: the pork skin rolls contain just pork, and the bully sticks only beef pizzle—no chemicals or other additives.
As Nature Gnaws’ monthly subscription service, the Gnaw Box promises to deliver a variety of these natural treats to your doorstep every month. Boxes come in two sizes: large (indicated as best for medium- to large-breed dogs and aggressive chewers) and small (for more petite pups).
The subscription automatically renews every month. However, the Gnaw Box policy indicates that subscribers can skip a month or cancel at any time.
What comes in the Gnaw Box
The contents of the Gnaw Box change monthly, so you’ll never know exactly what will be in the box until it arrives. For our Gnaw Box review, we received the following:
That’s a total of 20 chew treats in a single monthly delivery—not quite enough for one treat a day, but a good amount to spread throughout the month.
Value of the Gnaw Box subscription
At the time of review, the large subscription box cost $39.99 a month, while the small is listed at $34.99. Both come with free shipping.
Based on Nature Gnaws current pricing and some educated estimates, the value of the treats included in our test box was right around $40. This means that the total value and monthly subscription cost are essentially equal.
That said, it ships free, and you can get some unique items, like the cow’s ears (which aren’t currently available for direct sale on their site). Plus, the box we reviewed also included a dishwasher-safe tin cup for humans to enjoy.
Gnaw Box Review: Trying the Treats
For this test, I enlisted the help of my two favorite pups: Copper, the 9-month-old Terrier Mix, and Logan, a 12-year-old Black Labrador Retriever. Neither dog is particularly picky about their food and treats. At 45 and 60 pounds respectively, we got the Large Gnaw Box.
Because we’re talking about chew treats, let’s talk about teeth: Copper has a brand new (and thus super sharp) set of adult teeth. Logan’s teeth have a bit more mileage on them, and he’s had some dental issues in the past few years, but he still chews happily.
Personality is important in this Gnaw Box review too: Copper is a chomper, barely tasting his chew treats, while Logan savors them a bit longer.
Getting the box in the mail
Because our Gnaw Box was provided courtesy of Nature Gnaws, I can’t comment on the experience of delivery through an active subscription. That said, the box landed on my doorstep just a few days after providing my address to the team.
The box is marked, so there’s no mystery as to what’s inside—for humans, that is. My dogs weren’t interested in the box at all until I opened the treat packages inside. We think this is a good thing; if your box is delivered while you’re not home, you shouldn’t have to worry about other animals getting into it.
Unboxing and testing the treats
As I opened the Gnaw Box, my first thought was, “This is not a box for vegans.” All of Nature Gnaws’ products are animal-based. The cow’s ears still looked like ears and even had tiny remnants of hair left on them. If that makes you uncomfortable, naturally-shed antlers or synthetic chew toys might be a better bet than the Gnaw Box subscription.
Most dogs, however, have no such qualms—including mine, who were very pleased with the aforementioned ears.
We tried several of the treats at once. That’s not highly recommended, but we got excited. In addition to the ears, Copper and Logan loved the bully sticks, the porky pretzels, and the jerky chews—making all of the Gnaw Box treats a success.
Durability of Nature Gnaws Treats
From start to finish, it took Copper about 20 minutes to go through all four treats. The cow’s ear was the longest-lasting, and Logan continued chewing on his for a while after I stopped taking notes.
Nature Gnaws does sell some sturdier options like deer and elk antlers. However, most items in the Gnaw Box probably aren’t going to last your dog several days, let alone an hour. Strong chewers will be through a bully stick, for example, in a matter of minutes. So it should be noted that the Gnaw Box contents are, more often than not, treats—they’re not chew toys, and not intended for long-lasting enjoyment.
What To Watch Out for With a Gnaw Box
Because the Gnaw Box treats were all on the hard side, so you’ll want watch for shards or bleeding. For dogs with loose teeth or dental concerns, it’s also a good idea to check in with your vet first.
As with any new treats, you’ll need to watch for any digestive issues. Logan did have a bit of diarrhea a day or two after our testing session—but, in full transparency, that’s a common occurrence for him, and not necessarily a result of the Nature Gnaws treats. Copper, as usual, was fine.
Recommendation: Is the Gnaw Box a Good Value?
If you have a dog that loves to chew (and isn’t picky about their treats) and you have the money to spend on a subscription service, we think the Gnaw Box is a good option. Since you could order the contents separately for around the same price, the real value of the box is its convenience and its variety.
With the auto-renewal setup, the Gnaw Box will land on your doorstep every month until you cancel. Plus, we think the quality of Nature Gnaws products means that you’re getting good treats every time.
That said, not all pet parents want to spend $35-$40 a month on treats. I certainly don’t, even with two dogs in the house. That ultimately could make the subscription a hard sell for a lot of people, especially when there isn’t a huge added value to the contents over buying the treats individually.
We think the Gnaw Box will be a good fit for pet parents who:
- Have dedicated, enthusiastic chewers on their hands who aren’t fussy about chew type
- Want a set-it-and-forget-it approach to chew shopping that still offers variety
- Prioritize high-quality, natural chews without additives
Consider skipping the Gnaw Box if you:
- Have a picky chewer or a pup with a sensitive stomach and need consistency in your chews
- Have a dog with dental issues who needs carefully selected chews
- Are looking to spend under $40 monthly on chews
If you’re in the latter camp and don’t want a monthly box, we think individual Nature Gnaws chews might still be worth considering. The company’s chews are still of interest to me and my pups. I liked the natural, simple ingredients—and my dogs loved the taste. We’ll definitely be back.