Pets1

No grief here... It is interesting given the variance out there of something which you would hope had some level of consistency

This is where things are becoming confusing Not meaning to be rude, however testing over 50 of the same product says the newer model has the higher pitched squeak There are obviously iSqueak balls out there that defy this, or.... perhaps they used a particular squeaker many years ago, changed to another, and have now gone back to the original. We are talking about a product that is mass produced... there is bound to be some variation

Snook... You are not dense, nor stupid It is clear, regardless of being New or Old there are differences within each type

Do you mind if I save a copy of this image to show the powers that be? Also, this image shows the difference in the squeaker (I think previously I called it the nipple... ) lol

Have you considered the Bowling Pin or Bone... they seem to be more consistent... well at least the ones I have checked anyway (all Bowling Pins have older style tags as well)

Pot luck.... exactly At the end of the day, rubber is a natural product sourced from a tree... there has to be variations no matter what other additives are combined with it to make the finished product. All of the new tagged large iSqueak balls I have with me are quite easy to squeak except for one... it is very noticeable how much firmer it is... and all the squeaks are the same. Keep in mind as well, when JW did the re-branding exercise with the new logo and product hang sell tags, some of the older stock may have just had the old tags removed and the new tags added for consistency... More questions have been raised than answers I think... sorry

Ruby, this is something I will ask John (owner of JW) in person and will certainly get an answer. I don't know if it is lower quality, as such, but there is a difference in the feel of the product, and if the end user says they are more easily damaged, then feedback is the best course of action. I think though, if squeak is a major factor in buying a product, the only way to really ensure you get what you want, is to buy it at a shop, so there is the hands on testing before paying for something. 2010 stock would be classed as older stock as JW only did the product update, and new tags starting March 2011 (announced at Global Pet Expo). New stock started to hit retailers from around June 2011

No older stock in the mediums… sorry and all Large ones are now on hold (another DOL member got in quick) I will double check stock at the warehouse tomorrow morning and advise if I find any (most of the fun toys I keep at home with me… i.e. lots of toys) lol I am sure if Wagsalot, or anyone else has some and reads this they will let you know I have lot of new stock coming from the distributer next week, I will get them to double check if they have any of the older stock… maybe a stray box behind other stock… who knows

Of the 5 products in the photo, all are newer stock bar the Green iSqueak bone Both bones have a quack type sound The large blue iSqueak has a high pitched sound Medium green ball, quack sound Small blue ball, much higher pitched sound After looking at even more stock (Zeke, Monique, Bowling Pin, Bones, Balls) New and Old, they have different sounds, similar… but different

??? Relevance…. we, like most others who advertise on here also offer a discount

Let me get some photos and load on here which may help, although my last reply said that after checking a lot more, there are several different sounds… which makes things even harder to determine which is the one you want/need

Too make things interesting… have just tested close to 50 new iSqueak Balls, compared to the dozen older iSqueak Balls… There is at least 6-7 different pitches of sound. Some of the newer large iSqueaks still have the lower pitched sound, some are quite a bit higher. The mediums seems to be a higher pitched squeak as well The small ones, well they all are pretty much the same All the iSqueak Bones new and old have the quack type sound so they are the same My cat is wondering what the heck is going on… quack quack, squeak squeak I really think the only way you can be sure of getting the sound you want is to ask for it to be checked. It may seem a funny question, but I have had stranger requests of a product before

I will try and get an audio grab and put it on youtube or something, the difference is minimal, and really only noticeable on the Large and Medium size

I am not saying anything other than the facts, and as per what was said in all my previous replies. I have both types with me, and the older ones feel more solid, and have a lower, almost quack like squeak as per my reference before to other iSqueak products such as Zeke iSqueak The newer stock, with round tag is a smoother finish, and has a higher pitched squeak At the end of the day, the difference is not huge, but the squeak now is a higher pitch This is purely based on having the product in front of me, and given that I am one of the only retailers in Australia to stock the entire JW range in all sizes. If you have just ordered with that mob in the U.S., I would be almost certain it will be new stock with a round tags and higher pitched squeak Just trying to help, given I have both old and new iSqueaks on hand

Snook, reading through your replies again things don't make sense. Initially you said you dog loves the demented quack like squeak??? That is the old iSqueak model (square tag) The new model is high pitched, which you know say is his favourite toy… Old model - Quack New model - Higher pitched squeak

I am not sure what further clarification you want. All new stock has a round tag and has a higher pitched squeak than previous All local retailers deal through the local distributor, not the manufacturer. The information provided previously is what is known having spoken to JW directly, at trade shows in the U.S. earlier this year and twice last year. We, along with the local distributor will be meeting with them in 9 weeks time at SuperZoo (trade show) in Vegas. Given we have a good relationship with the owner of JW, we will certainly pass on any comments or suggestions. There is nothing wrong with having older stock, at the end of the day it is the same product. Most people would not know the difference. To confirm you are getting one of the new iSqueaks, just make sure it has a round hang tag.

Based on the high turnover of iSqueak stock by the Australian distributor (Prestige) all stock obtained since approx Nov should be new stock (new stock started to arrive here after the Global Trade show in Florida last Feb/Mar) There may have been slight changes to the manufacturing process, this is noted between the older stock with old style tags (square) and the new stock with new tags (round). The weight between old and new stock is within a few grams of each other, so aside from the possibility of a re-designed air vent nozzle (squeaker) there really is no difference. As for the rubber quality, that is the big variable…

The original sound is more of a quack rather than a squeak. The older stock had a larger diaphragm in them and a slightly wider opening where the sound came out of. Other items in the iSqueak range, such as Zeke the dog, at last I checked still had the quacky type squeak

All new stock from JW will be the same, you probably got some of the old stock previously (stock over 1 year old). The old tags were square/angled, all new tags are round with the new JW logo. All stock in Australia comes from the same place the U.S. stock is from, given the fast turnover of the iSqueak range I doubt you will find old stock anywhere, aside from in a store somewhere on display (behind new stock). I will be meeting with the owners of JW in 9 weeks time in the U.S. and I will certainly let them know they have fans of the 'old squeaking sound'

You will find a lot of Admins and Moderators use the anonymous logins, plus others for there own reason. As an example, I run a few aquarium based forums, and when not logged in as anonymous I can be sure to get half a dozen PM's every time I log in with people asking to edit, move, delete content… There are not enough hours in the day for that kind of attention, so the anonymous login gets used most times

Our thoughts go out to the owners and staff of Dural Pet SuperStore after the terrible fire today which destroyed the premises and took the lives of many animals. You are all in our thoughts. Having lived at Dural, and visited the store, and neighbouring businesses in the same complex over the years this comes as a huge loss to the community R.I.P. Pierre, you were a beautiful bird… http://www.pets.com.au/ (image of Pierre on front page)

The 'New' Rugby style Thundershirts should be available here soon Much better looking than the current 3 white stripe version

That is if you buy it directly from Thundershirt in the United States

Just to clarify as well… I am not trying to be stubborn, or dispelling what I know happens quite frequently, just trying to answer the original post in as honest a manner as I can. If I come across as being too direct… sorry <slap> Factoring in I do have a very good relationship with Novartis and several of there staff members, both in sales and senior management, plus meeting some of the big wigs from Switzerland and having the processes both explained and shown (video/photos) I am just trying to share what I have seen, and been told (yes, I am a sucker for information overload) The cutting of chews does happen, that is something we cannot stop or control. Whether this is being done for financial reasons, or because someone has been advised it is ok… there are too many factors to consider. So long as it is known there MAY be a risk doing this, objective completed…. :)

Having seen part of the manufacturing process (on video) they, along with most pharmaceuticals are made individually. (unless it is single ingredient, or liquid based, i.e. topicals) It is similar to an injection moulding process, as they have to be sure the correct dosage is allocated to each chew. Obviously very hi-tech and production line like… i.e. the mould has each of the 3 ingredients filled separately then the beef flavoured suspension mix is added. No cutting or shaping is required I will try and get a copy of the video (or link) or photos and share if it is allowable