[Brian S]

@flowertina, any updates on the treatments you mentioned? Has it continued to be helpful over the long term?

Personally, the _only_ thing I’ve found to help my GSD is allowing her to eat grass (yes; I’ve tried all of the acid reflux solutions any vet has offered). I certainly have some concern about chemicals, pesticides, etc., so I try to take her to a place where I know they’re not used. One thing I’ve noticed is that allowing her to eat grass regularly seems to reduce both the frequency and intensity of the “attacks”. I tried The Honest Kitchen Superfood Pour Overs, which have a fair amount of leafy greens as part of the mix, but she turns her nose up at it.

With that in mind, actually, my girl tends to be quite a picky eater. I’m curious if any of y’all have any difficulty getting your dogs to eat. I have to use a topper (currently either Honest Foods bone broth, or low sodium canned salmon), otherwise she won’t touch her food until she’s famished. I recently recalled that this seemed to start around the time I switched her to Simparica Trio for heartworm prevention. I’d be interested to know what other folks are using for heartworm prevention, and whether it’s a chewable or topical.

[Raven Depto]

For raw dog food recommendations, consider the following:

Quality of ingredients: Look for products that contain high-quality meat, such as chicken, beef, or lamb, as the main ingredient. Avoid filler ingredients like corn, wheat, or soy.

Nutritional balance: Make sure the food includes a balanced ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as essential vitamins and minerals like calcium and phosphorus.

Source of ingredients: Choose brands that use locally sourced and humanely raised animal products.

Safety and sanitation: Make sure the food is manufactured and packaged under strict safety and sanitation guidelines to reduce the risk of contamination.

Customer reviews: Read customer reviews and check for any reported health issues related to the food.

Some popular and well-regarded brands of raw dog food include Stella & Chewy’s, Primal Pet Foods, and The Honest Kitchen. It is important to talk to your veterinarian to ensure a raw food diet is appropriate for your dog and to get specific recommendations based on your pet’s individual nutritional needs.

[aimee]

Hi Patricia,

In regard to AAFCO .. is it perfect? Heck No!

The AAFCO profile is based on NRC nutrient recommendations which were established through research. In general, an AAFCO profile requires higher nutrient amounts than NRC to account for variable bioavailability. NRC cautions, when using their tables, if vitamins in the diet are coming from food ingredients and not a premix the numbers must be modified “because the natural forms of some vitamins have low bioavailabilites” In my mind it is a good thing that AAFCO is not identical to NRC.

My concern when a company reports that their diet meets AAFCO, and it does not, based on the information they provide, is not so much that the diet will cause immediate nutritional harm. The concern I have is with the company’s honesty, integrity, overall nutritional knowledge and understanding of food production.

I’ve seen this so many times with so many companies and how they respond can be a deal breaker for me. I don’t expect every batch of food to hit every level every time. There will be variability in ingredients, processing errors etc. BUT when a company sends me an analysis and appears to state that every number in that analysis, they sent to me meets or exceeds AAFCO min and it clearly does not, that to me is a BIG problem. Rightly or wrongly, I think if a company cannot see that the number 2 is less than the number 3 how can I expect them to understand the more complex intricacies of food production… I can’t!

In my experience, this is typically how these conversations go. I thank them for sending the information and ask them to clarify because it appears to me that what they sent does not meet AAFCO. The company often then replies that all of their nutrient levels meet AAFCO min. I may then ask if this is the most accurate up to date information they have or if anything needs updating or could they check the value for nutrient X to make sure there is not a “typo”. And they say everything is accurate and up to date. Then I may say I’m looking at your reported nutrient level for X , you report A, which you verified with me is not a typo and is the most updated and accurate nutritional information you have. The number given is below AAFCO min. which is B. Please explain. Then the company often replies they are in the middle of updating and the information sent doesn’t reflect their current analysis or some such variation of the above. In some cases, within minutes, the company changes the nutritional information on their website to reflect the number I just gave them, or they take down the webpage or remove the sentence I question. If I didn’t take screenshots you wouldn’t believe it. Sometimes the error is obvious, the number reported is less than AAFCO number, other times it is a matter of the company apparently not understanding that they have to correct their diet for energy density before comparing to the AAFCO profile.

Purina did a 14 year long life study using a food that contains garlic oil. I have no concern with the amount of garlic oil in the Purina products I use, I’ve had concerns with the amounts other companies seem to use. I once purchased a product because I wanted their illegal label. I opened it to dump the food and the garlic smell was overwhelming! At min, you could ask if the company put their food through a feeding trial and if so were there any changes in the blood parameters. It is a small number of dogs but something….

I feed a variety of kibble, canned and home cook prepared foods using Balance it. Since DCM, I primarily feed Purina Pro Plan as kibble base. I used to sometimes use a bit of Wellness Core or Annemaet or Iams/ Eukanuba kibble. For moist foods I’ve been using Purina, Hill’s, Eukanuba/Iams and Fresh Pet morsels as a C and B training “treat”. To this I add whatever fresh veggies or a bit of meat, sweet potato pasta/rice etc we have from our dinner.

I have noted coat changes when I rotated off Purina , increased shedding and flakes which she never had before and resolved when I returned to Pro Plan. No stool problems except for when I fed Honest Kitchen and had voluminous stools. I posted pics on that thread that showed the ingredients coming out appearing to me to be the same way as they went in.

Whenever someone says their dog has newfound energy after eating a raw diet what comes to mind was a dog’s thyroid level was something like 5 times normal after being on raw diet. The raw food company swore they were not using any neck trim, but the levels returned to normal after taking the dog off of the raw diet.

[Sarah K]

I need help- and a lot of it!
I have a 5 year old pomeranian, 10 pounds.
I rescued him when he was about two- I don’t know anything about his history.
Right when I adopted him I noticed strange eating patterns- gulping and not chewing his food, then regurgitating or gulping and swallowing his food again after eating.
I immediately started him on several small feedings a day instead of free eating, and I restrict physical activity before and after he eats. He eats at 5am, 8am, 12pm, 5pm, and 10pm. He eats using a slow feeder and I wet his food beforehand.
I feed him Farmina N&D chicken and pomegranate dry, along with Farmina wet food. I also always mix a variety of green beans, blueberries, raspberries, sweet potato, salmon oil, and pumpkin throughout all of his feedings, and the Honest Kitchen enzyme powder once a day.
He still has the regurgitation issues though. I an beginning to worry his esophagus is going to get damaged if I don’t figure this out. Any time after eating, he throws up the food and quickly swallows it back. Sometimes he actually throws up. I tried working with my vet on this but she refuses to do an endoscopy (strange) and tells me to switch him to Science diet for gastrointestinal, but something about all of those processed ingredients doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t believe her for some reason.
Can anyone that has a smaller dog with these issues offer some advice? Do I feed him dry? Cooked? Raw? Canned? I just want to do what’s best for my baby. I also understand he should be eating less protein and fat, and I want to incorporate bone broth and kefir.
Thanks guys!

[Jesse W]

We have a 5 month old Newf puppy. We had him on Fromm large breed puppy and he did okay. His stools werent consistent. Sometimes soft other times not.

Began to research other options and landed on Honest Kitchen adult Whole Grain Chicken Clusters. Calcium/phosphorus levels are at 1.3:1 according to Advisors calculator.

They also make a puppy version. Its calcium/phosphorus is at 1.4:1

The adult food is also lower fat so a little bit slower growth. Using this food are we making the correct choice?

[Maarissa B]

Hello everyone!
We recently started feeding our 6 month old miniature Australian shepherd the honest kitchen grain free beef dehydrated food. Our vet thought he may be allergic to chicken as he kept having loose, light colored stools and recommended trying something with beef. As soon as I made the switch his stools firmed up, however they are DARK, and almost green colored. Is this related to the fact that it is such a rich formula, and has so many greens in it anyway? He is acting totally fine on the food, tons of energy and LOVES the food. Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else.

[Nadia K]

Thank you for your suggestions ladies. Treats are definitely an issue and I need to monitor that closely for sure. And hubby feeding her from the table has definitely made the problem worse. Patricia I am sorry to hear of your dad’s passing. Taking in your mom and her dog must be a big job and I commend you for it.

I tried something different today just to see what would happen. My vet is not a fan of raw and recommended that I at least sear her patties before feeding her. So that is what I did this morning. I also mixed in some left over veggies from last nights dinner. Well the little stinker ate the entire bowl.

So now I really am not sure how to proceed forward. She may eat it like this for a while and then look her nose up at it. I am also considering trying something like the base mix by Honest Kitchen and adding fresh meat to it.

[Heather B]

I’ll need to check because she has to change food often because they’ll stop eating something for a while. Last time I knew for sure, she was feeding Purina Pro Plan for sensitive stomachs I believe that was the variety. Yes, she’s had fecal floats ran as they’re at the vet’s office constantly. The Vet says it’s not what their eating but I wholeheartedly believe that their diet has a huge role in their overall well-being. She wanted to feed Honest Kitchen for a long time and finally took the plunge. It didn’t last long though. If I remember correctly they either turned their noses up at it or they started having diarrhea. I need to sit down with her and write down the foods she tried and what happened with each one. This list may provide some clues as to what sensitivity they may have. Both of us tried Open Farms (isn’t that made in Canada?) with much optimism. My female Maltese had really bad gas and her stomach could be heard rolling and rumbling around from across the room. She fed this to her two for probably 3 months and it made no difference in their ailments whatsoever. I don’t like that her dogs are being injected with so much stuff so often. She says that it seems like every other “caddy” shot works but those in between don’t.

[KathyA P]

You sound like an awesome pet person with all you do for your dogs! We vary between Open Farm and Honest Kitchen and sometimes add their toppers. We always add a little warm water. We have 12 dogs. Two of them are picky eaters but one loves Honest Kitchen. The other loves Open Farm Turkey and Chicken grain free. I’m keeping track of the research about grain free but they’ve been on it a long time with no issues. Japanese Chin are also prone to luxating patella and the vet said a couple of them would require surgery. We had a rescue years ago that had permanently dislocated knees that we had put in place and his tibia needed moved. 12 weeks of cage rest and physical therapy three times daily. He did great! We decided since these two were young we would try supplements first. We bought Steadfast Canine supplements from Arenus.com. They love taking them and no more problems. We feed twice daily. If your pups get picky, you might check out http://www.openfarmpet.com I love the small size on the kibble too!

[KathyA P]

What food is your mom currently feeding? I switched to Open Farm Grain Free Turkey and Chicken especially for my picky eaters and a few had bouts of diarrhea. They love it and are doing great. We have 12 dogs and they all love it. Sometimes I feed their Ancient Grains recipe and I’ve also alternated with Honest Kitchen or added a topper with a little warm water added but I only use toppers from these two companies. http://www.openfarmpet.com I love Maltese! They are amazing dogs. Also, have you taken stool specimens to your vet, especially for the one with blood? Repeated steroid shots can cause serious health issues.

[Viv R]

Medication and probiotics didn’t work for us and we tried that for about a month, but here’s what did work for our pit-husky mix:
1. Feed 3-4 small meals a day, and no fatty or rich foods or table foods. We started with 4 per day, and by day 4 we went to 3 a day.
2. Feed a lower fat lower protein dog food that is Not grain free. I have slowly stopped trusting dog food manufacturers who don’t publish the origin of their ingredients and feed Nature’s logic, Open Farm, and Honest kitchen, so I didn’t think I could improve here. But she is our picky dog, and we were adding chicken breasts or thighs with skin (ugh) to her food. Without the addition of chicken, she didn’t want to eat. The pet food store suggested Dr. Harvey’s canine health mix as an alternative to Honest kitchen’s mix. This is a mix that requires you to add muscle meat, organ meat (for taurine), and a healthy oil- I use olive oil or krill oil. For protein, I add skinless chicken breast (and a small portion of ground turkey liver, hearts and gizzards). I follow their recipe for low protein, which amounts to about 1.5 grams of protein for each pound that my dog weighs, which doesn’t sound low protein to me. She LOVES it, but most of all, her GERD, acid reflux, gulping, and burping up water is under control. I buy frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Costco ($1.77 per pound), and do a big meal prep once a week, freezing half. It’s expensive, but cheaper than the vet.
It’s been about 6 months, and we’ve been able to slowly go back to 2 meals a day, but 3 is probably better. She had an episode a few days ago after I fed her too many Ziwi peak treats, but other than that, she’s good!

[Wendy K]

Has anyone here transitioned their dog from dry or canned food, to Farmers Dog/Honest Kitchen, and noticed a vast difference in the recommended calories per day?

It’s by almost half! I’m trying to understand why. Maybe it’s possible there is a reason, but despite a week of trying to google research on my own, I can’t find an answer.

For instance, my dog has been on Acana, and then after a major dental surgery, on Merrick dry and canned, and I’m trying to switch him onto a healthier wet/fresh option.

He’s a 5 y/o, neutered, active male…weighs about 35lbs, is a mixed breed.

Acana states he needs 776 calories a day (1 cup dry, twice a day)
Merrick states he needs 875 calories a day (1 cup dry or 1 can, twice a day)
Farmers Dog states he needs 402 calories a day (6oz, twice a day)
Honest Kitchen states he needs 892 calories a day ( 1cup, twice a day)
Ollies Fresh states he needs 496 calories a day (not sure what each serving size weighs)

When I use the VetCalculator website, it states he needs 858 calories for his MER.

I’m worried I will be under feeding my dog, by switching to a fresh or dehydrated food.

[KathyA P]

I am a nut case when it comes to anything I give our 12 dogs! After talking with the company, I ordered some sample packs of Coast and Range beef and chicken. I just slowly started changing the six little ones over and they seem to really like it so far. I will probably order one bigger bag just to keep them on it for a bit to see how it goes. This will sound odd but the smell is much better than other kibble I’ve fed. I usually order 10 bags of food at a time from either Honest Kitchen or Open Farm but I’m always researching foods for anything that might be better. Will update when I see how this goes. I was concerned, like several here, when I couldn’t find a rating on the food. It’s even more expensive than Honest Kitchen so I’ll probably leave the six big dogs on their current food.

[Carupup]

Hello,everyone,first post here…
I’m going to attempt the homemade food as well when my small breed puppy comes home but I think for me, the veggies in purée form will be easier on their tummies and I’ll skip the root vegetables and just give him mostly leafy greens/some herbs and skip the rice as well and go with quinoa,millet and similar grains.
I’ll have to find a local butcher and maybe get “whole” ground turkey,rabbit,goat…etc,including bones and also use the kidneys, liver and hearts, but getting the ratios right is going to be the most challenging,especially for a puppy.I’d like to give him something different every day,ideally, because I think variety is key.Egg shells (calcium) and some sort of supplement will also be part of the diet.
Another option would be maybe using the “base mixes” like the Honest Kitchen ones and adding the protein to it to start the puppy off and then switch to home cooked only,….if he does well.
No kibble will ever be used in his diet, never have with any of my pets.
I hope I get this right cause I want my new baby to live a long and happy life.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[Alex C]

I have a Dane pup, going on 8 months, allergic to chicken. It’s been rough trying not to break the bank when it comes to a whole grain, chicken-free formula. I came across this forum to see what was here. I checked out the Muenster Ocean Fish one you thought about going with; the ingredients include chicken fat. That’s my issue. If a manufacturer goes to length to make a chicken-free formula, how can they have chicken fat in the ingredients? Why not use pork or beef fat?

The ones I have found (as far as I can see in the ingredients are chicken-free and chicken fat-free):
-Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Organic Turkey or Beef (comes in a 10 lb box and you rehydrate to make 40 lbs total)
-Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Essentials Kibble Grass Fed Beef & Wholesome Grains Recipe
-Fromm Four-Star Whitefish & Potato Formula
-Zealambder™ Recipe Dog Food
-Fromm Four-Star Pork & Applesauce Formula (chicken-free, but contains egg)

Also not an exhaustive list, but hope this helps someone else reading as some of the recommendations here helped point me in the right direction.

[aimee]

Hi Sheila,

0.14 cups is a tad more than 1/8 cup.

If you are striving for weight loss an alternative method to determine amount to feed is to take an honest assessment of everything that crosses her lips over the course of a day, add up all the calories and then decrease by about 20 %. The best way to measure food esp for weight loss is to use a kitchen scale and weigh the food

Individuals vary so much on caloric needs so a calculator can be used as a starting point but typically an individuals needs may vary by 50% from what ever amount is generated.

If your intent is for your dog to lose weight a weight loss food would likely be more appropriate. Does fresh pet have a weight loss food?

[pugmomsandy]

Honest Kitchen Grain Free Limited Ingredient Beef and Honest Kitchen Grain Free Fish dehydrated recipes

thehonestkitchen.com

[pugmomsandy]

KH,

Look into a probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement. 22% protein is considered low considering kibble can contain 18-60%, and the minimum to be dog food is 18% for adult maintenance.

I sprinkle in occasionally some Honest Kitchen goat milk+probiotics into my senior’s food or sometimes he eats raw green tripe.

https://www.chewy.com/s?query=digestive%20health%20%26%20probiotics%20for%20dogs&nav-submit-button=

[Caroline D]

Hello, my experience with my three-year-old German shepherd who has IBD and PLE (Protein Losing Entropy), and we’ve been fighting this horrific autoimmune disease for over three years. We are still fighting this disease. His chronic and intermittent diarrhea has not stopped since we got him at five months old. His current weight is 43 pounds, but he should weigh around 85 pounds. He has a considerable appetite in which he gets five to six cups of food five times a day. We had x-ray’s, ultrasound, blood tests (no EPI), and endoscopy. The endoscopy biopsies of the stomach and duodenum examination showed that he has segmental lymphoplasmacytic gastritis. In other words, moderate lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic duodenitis with mild lymphangiectasia. Unfortunately, this year the diagnosis was changed to severe IBD along with PLE. We tried several grain-free diets over the past three and half years (i.e., Fromm, Taste of Wild, Wellness, Acana, Honest Kitchen, K-9 Natural, and Ziwi Peak), including the prescription diet Royal Canin Hydrolized Protein kibble as well as the formulated home-cooked diet from Just Food For Dogs. We tried antibiotics, Tylan, and Metronidazole. Steroids, Budesonide, and Prednisone. We give him bimonthly B-12 shots since his Albumin levels are low. We’ve attempted herbs under guidance of a holistic vet: slippery elm, psyllium seed husks, chamomile flowers, chia seeds, fennel seed, rosemary leaf, marshmallow root, dandelion root, burdock root, ginger root, ox bile, apple cider vinegar, Plantain, Aloe Vera, colostrum, Tumeric, and pumpkin as well as digestive enzymes, pre-biotics, and probiotics. We tried AnimalBiome Gut Restore supplements. We tried stem cell therapy, which failed because the vet could not extract any fat. My dog has 0% fat as well as 0% muscle. His organs are slowly deteriorating from this horrific disease. We currently have him on a home-cooked diet recommended by a holistic nutritional veterinarian along with supplements and bi-monthly B-12 injections. But to no avail, he still has chronic diarrhea daily and no weight gain. We’ve tried everything medical, scientifically, and holistically. The only hope we have is to try stem-cell therapy again if he can gain fifteen pounds. I genuinely believe that stem cell therapy is the best solution for my dog. Even though it was a little late for my dog to have stem cell therapy because of a lack of knowledge from several of my local vets, I still have a little hope. I will add CLA to his cooked food since this is the only supplement I have not tried that Christi G. recommended; what do I have to lose. I pray for my boy every day to gain 10-15 pounds so that he can get the life-saving stem cell treatment again in Southern California. He is such a happy, tail wagging, playful, energetic, and beautiful boy; I cannot give up on him like the vets in Nevada, they said to euthanize him. I won’t until he stops thriving.

[Jennifer N]

My Pumpkin is a 45 lb Shepherd/Shibu Mix, super active. He was abandoned at 1 month, and had GI/Giaradia/Recurring Pancreatis from about 2 to 10 months. Finally, I transitioned him off Puppy food and switched him over to a diet of 1/2 cooked ground chicken and 1/2 Honest Kitchen Whole Grain Dried Chicken. Which he tolerates VERY well (except for the big poops due to all the veggies, but they are perfectly consistent and perfectly formed…so I’m okay with this).

My question is, as long as I freeze the chicken, is there much risk to moving him to uncooked chicken? I know I’d have to do the transition gradually, but I figured since his stomach is already accustomed to the diet overall, moving from cooked chicken to raw would be a minor change. Would be great if I didn’t have to cook 60 lbs of chicken every month!

Thanks

• This topic was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Jennifer N.

[Birdie30]

My dog also had bad diarrhea and runs (she was transitioning to a new diet), and the stuff I used did help over the course of a week. I tried Olewo carrots, Honest Kitchen’s Herbal Digestive supplement and the dog version of Kaopectate…basically, it’s kaolin and pectate and there are alot of manufacturers that make a dog version of this liquid. All of these, sometimes a combination of them (in like 1/2 to 1 tbps portions) mixed together with food, helped alot.

[Hav mom]

Try the dehydrated food by The Honest Kitchen, Grain or Grain Free Turkey. Easy on tummy, good food. Turkey usually
preferred for sensitive allergic dogs and sensitive tummies.

[pugmomsandy]

American Natural Premium and Nature’s Logic Distinction have legume-free recipes. Honest Kitchen grain free Fish (Zeal) recipe, Limited Ingredient Chicken (Thrive) recipe.

[Hav mom]

Have you tried any Dehydrated food? Ex: The Honest Kitchen or I and Love and You etc. Some are expensive but if
you buy the 2# box of THK to try him on it, it lasts quite a while. depending on his weight. Our 2# box lasts a month with 2x daily feeding and my dog is a havanese, but 20#. We rescued him at 16 lbs. 8 years ago. He was fed the dehydrated foods since we rescued him. Tried the all one time or another. He ate them all, liked the moistness I think. Anyway, you can
add meat, veggies etc. ON OCCASION for a change. Hope this suggestion helps.

[Sara M]

You need to switch to Easy Raw. Their new formula is fantastic! Whole chunks of freeze dried meat and veggies. Organ meat and bone broth and 32 percent protein. My dogs wouldn’t eat Honest Kitchen Soup. They gobble this up. You can see the meat! Tons of it! Not so honest Kitchen hides how much meat is really in there by grinding it into powder. Easy Raw keeps it in whole dehydrated chunks, so you can see exactly what your dog is eating!

[Sara M]

I would say none of the above. Easy Raw is the best, with their new recipes. Not only do they have dehydrated and freeze dried meat, but also organs now like liver and bone broth. Every recipe has at least 32 percent protein now and the price is far better than grain free honest kitchen or grandma Lucy’s. It has also got whole chunks of meat and whole chunks of superfoods, veggies and fruits….like pumpkin, kale and cranberries. Honest Kitchen is soup and so is Grandma Lucy’s. My dogs never cared for either. Easy Raw is the first and only freeze dried, dehydrated food I have been able to get them to eat.

[Adrianne L]

Hi, when we got our puppy, she was on a raw diet. We decided to continue that, and also introduce kibble. I didn’t like the idea of feeding my pup raw food so I decided to explore other options so I can slowly phase out raw food. Decided to try The Honest Kitchen when I heard about it. The shop owner recommended Embark for puppies as it’s highest on the protein scale for their product range. She loves it! But overtime, we noticed she started playing and eating her poop. She’ll even bring it to her bed to eat. We thought it was a behavioural change or a phase initially. Then we spoke to a trainer who suggested it could be a diet issue. So we did the elimination method, and once we stopped feeding her THK, she left her poop alone. Anyone else faces this issue/ knows what’s the issue? I’m just wondering if THK doesn’t give her the required nutrients she needs resulting in her eating her poop, or THK is so tasty that even after pooping she wants a second go at it. I still have about 3lbs left of it don’t know what to do with it.

[Owen J]

3-4 times a day, the puppy should be offered several pellets of dry food soaked in warm water to make it easier to eat. New foods should be offered before breastfeeding. In the early days of complementary foods it is especially important that the portions are small – this way the food is easier to digest by the digestive system. Complete transition to ready-made rations is completed at the age of 6-8 weeks.
https://herepup.com/honest-kitchen-dog-food-reviews/

[Anonymous]

To be “honest”, I like the concept of the Honest Kitchen dehydrated foods, but I’ve been less than impressed with how my dogs dogs digest the food and also with the company’s lack of ability to answer my questions. They told me they get back to me when they had an answer and it’s been since 1/2018.

The website says this food was “Created with a veterinary nutritionist”, but I wonder then why this “grain free”, “boutique” food has potatoes (#2), peas (#3), and lentils (#5) as main ingredients. I don’t know why any veterinary nutritionist would design a food like this given the recent diet-related DCM FDA warnings, unless the food was already designed and paid for before the FDA warning.

It’d be nice if a company that supposedly cares about ingredient quality actually cared about the health and safety of our animals.

[malinda r]

Our dog is a 5 year old mix who had frequent loose stools that in the past led to more severe diarrhea and then late stage vomiting.

When I first adopted him 4 years ago this happened twice in six months, where he had to go to the vet for an injection to stop the vomiting, and then antibiotics. Over time I realized the kibbles seemed to be hardest on him, and also after some reading felt like he might have colitis.

In the past three years he has not had to visit the vet for illness, or take antibiotics. He does still get occasional diarrhea, but I treat it very quickly/early and it seems to halt the course of being more severely sick.

His diet:

In the am I do a little kibble and a lot of topper, kibbles I purchase are Stella and Chewy raw baked, Fromm pork and applesauce. I use the Stella and Chewy topper. I have tried some others, such as Nature’s Instinct, but it didn’t agree with him.

In the evening I give him canned with a little kibble on top. Currently we are using Health Extension lamb, but he has done well with their turkey also. So overall, not too much kibble.

I add in a probiotic from Mercola at times, herbal digestive supplement from the honest kitchen sometimes, a couple squirts of ultra oil for pets. I have purchased all this from chewy online. I try to not give these things every day, and let his body have a chance to do its own work, but when he seems a little off I add supplements to his food.

When his stool is looser, more frequent I start feeding cooked ground turkey or boiled chicken breasts. I may add in a sweet potato or some plain oatmeal. Usually if I do that for two days and then gradually add topper to the turkey and then topper and kibble to the turkey he is good by day 4 or 5.

When sick they need the antibiotics of course, but over time the antibiotics are so hard on their natural gut flora, so better to catch issues early and treat with the probiotics and other supplements before things get to a point where vet assistance is needed.

I have found when looking at food labels that foods with chicory and also beef flavors are hard on my dog. Also the monthly heartworm has caused some severe diarrhea as well!

It is really rough trying to monitor, theres me or my husband at 3am with a flashlight letting the dog out and then checking out his stool. haha. But monitoring and treating fast has been the best preventative for our dog, it seemed like once he got to a certain stage of sick no home treatment helped.

[Beth C]

Any new ideas? I have an senior 8 pound dog who had all his teeth removed. I’m trying cooked ground turkey which I then grate mixed with The Honest Kitchen fruit and vegetables based mix. I also grate the THK base mix so there will be no chunks. He doesn’t really like the base mix that much but eats some blended with the turkey. He is not getting enough base mix yet. I haven’t tried the FreshPet refrigerated food that someone mentioned above. I think I might give that a try. The canned dog foods all seem to be the wrong texture for my toothless doggy. He spends so much time trying to eat without his teeth. It is a very slow and hard process for him., no matter what I try. But canned dog foods seem to have no appeal and their textures all seem difficult for him and he just walks away from them.

[Hav mom]

Well, THK entered the “kibble” food with their new “chicken Clusters” a very interesting food I think. Very small in size,
looks like a quality “kibble” but as they advertise, much better than a “kibble”. Using dehydrated food now and am a
bit apprehensive to transition my dog to a kibble, after all I read how terrible any kibble is to feed our dogs.
If any one has information about this food, appreciate all inputs. cost is a consideration that is why I am asking, getting
expensive, keep raising the prices on the dehydrated foods aa well.

[Lilli S]

Hello everyone! I am new to this website, but I see so much good information here so I was hoping you could help me!

I have scoured the internet (with all different search terms) to try and figure out how much I should be feeding my pup (my “Pup” who’s 12!)? We rescued him last year, and he was an owner surrender (she had to move and they wouldn’t allow pets – breaks my heart because he was 11 at the time, and he was definitely treated very well).
I’m sorry I digressed!! He has never liked his kibble – and I have tried EVERYTHING. The vet isn’t concerned about his weight – and as long as he’s doing well, she wasn’t concerned about the kibble.

I decided to cook for him and so far, he loves everything! But I dont know if I’m giving him the proper amounts of food (trust me, I searched and searched). Right now his proteins are chicken, ground lean beef (or a little steak if we have it for dinner), brown rice, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed up fresh carrots, some spinach. I’m sure you all have experience with other food that you can suggest. AND what I really want to know about are these supplements I see that are pretty much whole foods and you just add a protein.

This is all so confusing for me. I was at the point where I was going to buy kibble and grind it up to sprinkle on his food, but then I saw these products (ie. The Honest Kitchen dehydrated food). I’m sorry I’m all over the place, but any of you can decipher my book, I’d be so appreciative!

Just a note – He’s a maltese, 12 years old – very spunky! He just can’t go for long (or even semi short) walks etc. because he has disc issues in his back, and needs to be on rimadyl or he can’t go up the stairs 🙁 .

Thank you so much! Looking forward to any and all suggestions!

[Mia F]

@pugmomsandy, thanks for replying! They both look like great brands. I like that honest kitchen is human grade, but I’m wary of dehydrated foods. I would prefer if it was freeze-dried and cooked. Grandma Lucy’s looks good, but I’m nervous about grain-free because of this article (https://slate.com/technology/2019/01/stop-buying-grain-free-food-for-your-pets.html).

[joanne l]

Dr. Harvey’s is another good one. Very nice customer service and great quality. All their food is human grade so it is expensive but worth it. I like it better than the honest kitchen.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by joanne l.

[pugmomsandy]

Foods like The Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy’s are cooked and then dehydrated/freeze dried. A lot of dehydrated or freeze-dried products are cooked first.

[joanne l]

Tom, I did hear some negative reviews on Earthborn, I don’t mean to discourage you but that is what I heard. Honest Kitchen seems to be good. Do you need grain free? Only b/c the FDA warning was on grain free diets and DCM in dogs. Is your dog doing good on what he is on? I forget to mention I am transitioning my dog to Health Extensions it seems like a good food. Also they do have grain free and it doesn’t have a lot of legumes in it also I don’t think is has peas or potatoes, which is good. Take a look on chewy’s website and read the reviews and the ingredients.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by joanne l.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by joanne l.

[Tom S]

Joanne, thank you for your reply. My dog is on Nutro Ultra Weight Management canned. He really likes it, and it does have a lot of antioxidents and multiple protein sources, but it is not grain free. I was thinking of trying The Honest Kitchen or Earthborn. Have you heard of any negatives on either of these?

[pugmomsandy]

There are several brands with Limited Ingredients recipes. Earthborn Holistic’s Venture line, Wellness Simple, Nutro, Rawz, and Honest Kitchen, Addiction and Grandma Lucy’s to name a few.

[Ena L]

Hi! everybody I am new on this site, it is so hard to find a good food, for dogs, I have a Westie she is 8 yrs old, We done the blood test for food allergies, according to the Dermatologist specialist we started seem it is not accurate, before to the test we feed her boiled chicken and she start itching so much, her feet always so red, so we ask our regular vet and he suggested the blood test, which indicate that she is allergic to poultry mix, soy bean, green peas, oats, kelp, corn, duck.
We feed her now, lean beef, with carrots and potatoes, she eats good for the first day or two and then afterwards it is a battle, we have to beg to eat the food, we had try dry food, don’t even touch it, I order some grain free food from The Honest Kitchen, she doesn’t like that either..
So now after the special trip 3 hrs away 12-14-18 to the dermatologist specialist she give us a special homemade recipe with Venison, we will try this new recipe, she is been suffering with ears infections, red itchy and inflame paws, Dr. says she has Staff infection so now she is taking doxycycline and ketoconazole every 12 hrs to clear the staff infection.
We hope this meds. help her and she gets better.
If anyone have some suggestions I will appreciate it. Have nice day.

[Susan]

Hi Bernice.

“Bilious Vomiting Syndrome in Dogs, aka “Hunger Pukes”

How did your Dr. Hans Gelens diagnose Freddy with bilious vomiting syndrome?
Did Freedy have Biopsies thru a Endoscope?

You wrote
“lip-smacking, drooling, yawning, licking are classic signs of nausea in dogs”

Lip Smacking, licking paws, blankets, floors, grinding teeth, yarning-(stress), swollowing gulping are classic signs of “acid reflux”, my vet said she see’s at least 1-2 dogs a week who are suffering with acid reflux, it’s more common then we think with dogs,
this is why Freddy has been put on Omeprazole (Prilosec) an acid blocker, it’s a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor)… Why didn’t the vet put him on a lower class of acid reducer drugs histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) instead of a PPI??

A diet change would be good idea once Freddy is doing well again & is stable.
He was eating Royal Canin Gastro Low-Fat which seemed to keep his symptoms to a once or twice a year event. “Until this year”. Diet may have contributed to his Bilious Vomiting Syndrome??
Look at eating fresh whole foods, a lean balanced diet, not over processed dry kibble/wet can dog food. Look at feeding diet that’s low in carbs, low fiber especially with Pancreatitis NO sugar in diet, stay away from foods that bring on acid reflux..

You can NOT just stop taken a PPI once you have been taken it more then 14-20 days, a PPI must be slowly reduced & a lower class of drugs called histamine-2 (H2) blockers either Zantac (Rantidine) or Pepcid (Famotidine) are given for 2-3 weeks after the PPI has been stopped but first reduced & give PPI every 2nd day then when you’ve stopped then you give either Zantac or Pepcid 30mins before a meal…
Zantac & Pepcid work differently they dont work like a PPI works (Omeprazole or Pantoprazole)… A PPI is better but you have to work out do you want Freddy on a PPI now for the rest of his life??. if you have tried Zantac & Pepcid & they didn’t work then yes give PPI & diet change, vet diets are very high in Omega oils which is a good thing BUT some dogs who have Pancreactitis, IBD can’t handle high fish Oil, Coconut Oil etc & can get acid reflux my boy is one of those dogs, when eats a vet diet he get his bad acid reflux & yeasty itchy skin due to food sensitivities, I didnt know Fish/Salmon Oils & Coconut Oils could cause acid reflux until I seen Dr Judy Morgan talking about her 18yr old Cavalier charles, he has Pancreatitis & every month he kept having a Pancreas flare so she stoped adding all his supplements & slowly added them back weekly 1 at a time & it was the fish oil causing his monthly pancreas flare….
Follow Dr Judy Morgan DVM on her f/b page also look at her “Videos” she has a really good “Pancreatitis Diet” you make in a Crock pot & add The Honest Kitchen Base
https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/

My Patch has been on Omeprazole 2 yrs then he went down hill again this time last year he’s 10yrs old, he had another Endoscope & Biospy done in January 2018 to see why he’s got really his bad acid reflux again & he was already taken a PPI so he shouldnt be getting really bad acid reflux but he was, I did diet change but he didnt get better, so we did Endoscope + Biopsies the vet said as he was looking thru camera his wind pipe was inflammed & red, so was his Esophagus, he has lower esophageal sphincter (LES) his flap doesnt close properly & his acid wash back up his esophagus into throat mouth then went down into his wind pipe, por thing this would be very painful… He also suffers with Helicobacter living in his stomach walls, staying on a PPI like Omeprazole or Pantopazole is suppose to help stop the Helicobacter living & thriving in the stomach wall, I wonder if this is what Freedy has?? if after 6months -12months & Freedy goes down hill again try a diet change a lean cooked diet & ask vet can he please do an Endoscope + Biopsies, the Biopsies are a must as they will give vet some answers & the only way to know if the Helicobacter has taken over his stomach, all dogs have Helicobacter but when their immune system is compromised the Helicobacter takes too much bad bacteria, making you feel very unwell, stomach pain, nausea, bad acid reflux & feeling hungry all the time & weight loss..
I asked Patches vet can I PLEASE change his PPI from 20mg Omeprazole to 20mg Pantoprazole, I also take Pantoprazole it seems to work better for people who have GERDS & suffer with bad reflux…
PPI are best given of a morning not night unless he’s taking a PPI twice a day, I wouldnt recommend taking a PPI twice a day for a dog, best to start off on a lower dose, 1 x 20mg tablet take of a morning as soon as he gets up I give Patch his 20mg Pantoprazole tablet & I have a 20ml syringe water so I know the tablet has gone down his throat, you can NOT chew PPI tablets, they are specially coated tablets so they digest past the stomach so dont let Freddy chew his Omeprazole if you can this is why best not to give with food as they chew food, just open his mouth & put tablet on back of his tongue & put down throat, then put the syringe side of his mouth back teeth & slowley squirt water so he swollows tablet & make sure he doesnt spit tablet back out, my Patch was sptting back out after I walked away & I was finding his tablet, cheecky bugger…

My boy has IBD he eats 5 smaller meals a day he eats –
First meal after he has taken his PPI around 6.30-7am then another small meal around 9am, Lunch- 12pm a cooked meal or freezed dried raw dehydrated meal about 1/3 a cup, 5pm-Dinner meal is bigger under 1 cup & 7.30pm small 1/4 a cup & last meal for the night wee & then he goes to bed & I wake him for 2 wee breaks & he gets a Quick-Eze 1/2 a Rapid Chew after his last wee around 10.30-11pm & I always offer him water when Patch wakes up on my bed, he is very weird about drinking water when he has his acid reflux, so Im always offering him fresh water to wash down any acid…
I’ve been freezing Bone Broth in ice cube trays & take out 1-2 ice cubes to thaw & Patch drinks it & loves the Bone Broth, I think The Honest kitchen has a Bone Broth you can buy, there’d be a few places taht have teh Bone Broth.

I hope Freedy recovery continues, but if he has a set back then look into diet change, there’s healthier alternatives for these sick dogs & cats, after seeing sooo many dogs get better on a healthier diet, I really think once dog is stable & has been doing really well start looking into changing dogs diet, fresh lean meats, fresh veggies & fruits, Kefir given or a probiotic best to give on empty stomach or inbetween meals when Hydrochloric acids in stomach are low, make sure diet is balanced properly, there’s a few good foods that are dehydrated & aren’t over processed & over cooked till all ingredients are all brown or black.

[melissa d]

I have to second Honest Kitchen. It has completely eliminated yeast growth on my dog. A work in progress but I notice a big difference in his coat, energy level and inflammation in the ears. Pricy, but worth it.

[melissa d]

I have a 82 pound chocolate lab who had surgery to remove a skin tag that turned into a 2″ wide ulcerated lesion. He currently eats Honest Kitchen which has been great but I am looking for any ideas to nutritionally encourage wound healing?

[Susan]

Hi Ana,

No wet can isnt safer then kibble…
Look at Dehydrated Raw instead of dry kibble & wet can foods, Dehydrated Raw isnt raw, raw like you think when you read the word raw, Dehydrated raw is more like frozen hard raw but it isnt, but its dry like dry kibble but hasnt been over processed & cooked & cooked like kibble…
My boy who has IBD he does really well on an Australian made “Frontier Pets” Free Range Dehydrated Raw balls, I just add a little warm water he loves it for lunch, start feeding 1 of your dog meal a dehydrated raw food & let them decide which is best…
Offer the kibble in a bowl & in another bowl some dehydrated raw..
I think dehydrated is best if you want to feed something like kibble..
Honest Kitchen would be better then buying the wet can foods in pet shops & super markets, alot of wet can foods aren’t balanced properly, well the cat wet can foods aren’t & they’re made by the big 3 pet food companies..
Here’s the proof.
A study was done in Australia by “Sydney University junk pet-food research investigated”

8 out of the 20 pet foods that were tested 8 did not meet nutritional standards, the University will not release names now cause Hills + Royal Canine donates heaps of money to the University & the researchers got a bit scared they wont get funds…..

When you cook for yourself & your family you know what your eating & have watched it cook, when you go & get take away or eat in resturant you dont know if some dropped the food on the floor or they just went to toilet never washed hands, or had a smoke etc this is the same when we feed our pets kibble & wet can foods but worse…
Wet can & Dry Kibble are the lowest of quality when it comes to pet foods, they’re quick & easy, then you start getting the better pet foods Air Dired, Dehydrated Raw they also make wet can foods that are good aswell..

These brands are good..
The bottom 3 brands have come 1st, 2nd, 3rd, when tested for Toxins, Heavy Metals & Contaminates…
The 2 top Brands weren’t tested probably cause they’re made in New Zealand.

“Ziwi Peak” – wet can & Air Dried Raw,
send Ziwi Peak email ask for some samples, just say you have fussy dogs.

“K-9 Natural” – wet can raw & freeze dried & frozen raw in freezer & treats.
K-9 Natural Green Lipped Mussels are really good + Healthy to give as a treat daily.

“Buckley Liberty” Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food

“CaniSource Grand Cru” All Life Stages Dehydrated Raw Dry Dog Food

“BIXBI” Rawbble Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food

[Bobby dog]

Hi Sara B:
Your Vet is helping your dog IMO. If you are not comfortable with his advice I would get a second opinion.

Increasing H2O intake is very important along with frequent bathroom breaks. Some OTC supplements can exacerbate the condition. I never used any for that reason alone.

Honest Kitchen recipes are created by a person with an agriculture degree in equine studies. She has no education or credentials in small animal nutrition. To my knowledge she does not employ anyone full or part time with credentials in small animal nutrition. Lots of things can go wrong with a dog’s health when a diet is not formulated properly.

I unfortunately have had a few experiences with UTI’s & stones in my pets over the years. One involved emergency surgery with a positive outcome the other involved a reoccurrence that I blame myself for. I only fed the Rx food for a week or two because I made an executive decision he was doing well and didn’t need it. 🙁

Here’s a site I refer to for up to date info. Your Vet may have even sent your dog’s sample to U of M.
https://www.vetmed.umn.edu/centers-programs/minnesota-urolith-center/recommendations

Good synopsis:

Dietary treatment of bladder stones

For a home made diet option check out Balance IT.com. Your Vet would have to contact the Vet’s there to discuss the lab results so they could formulate a balanced diet that is best for her condition. I have used their OTC vitamins and recipes in the past for my dog, he really enjoys and does well on it. The meals are super easy to make and you can find most if not all ingredients from your local grocery store.

I hope your pup is feeling better, good luck!!

Here’s some more info that you may find helpful:

Why you shouldn’t judge a pet food by its ingredient list

Questions You Should Be Asking About Your Pet’s Food

Much Ado About Therapeutic Diets

http://vet.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/DecipheringFactFromFictionIngredients.pdf

[Sara B]

Hello-

I have done some searching around on the forum for various discussions related to this topic. It is a bit tricky to sort through all of them so I thought I would just put this out there to see what folks have to say or what experiences they have had. I have a 1 year old lab mix who has been diagnosed with struvite crystals. She has had a UTI. I also just had a sample of her urine sent off to a lab for a culture to get more information. She may be going on an antibiotic.
Obviously my concern is that those will turn into stones which would not be good. My other concern though is that vet has prescribed Hills U/D. I asked him if he had any other options for my dog and he said no she would need to be on this for the rest of her life. I went home and looked at the ingredient list and cannot for the life of me understand how this is better than the food I am currently feeding her. I am also concerned about the side affects (weight gain, allergies etc). I have her on Honest Kitchen food right now to help with the increased water intake and have ordered Super Snouts Urniary Berry to help with the PH and hopefully preventing UTIs. Wondering if I should put her on the Hills Science for a time and then once the crystals dissolve go back to her food? Or If I should do a combo of the two? I dont really feel that I can ask my vet for suggestions because he seems unwilling to help in that regard.

[crazy4cats]

Hi David A-
I am probably one of the posters that HC is referring to and I’m not afraid to admit it! Here is a link that I think will be helpful to you:
http://taurinedcm.org/taurine-dcm-faq/?fbclid=IwAR0_Dg1_8xYsghSeOXLYeDgIN_YMU_0w8eAHxQXUs4JSTlQ7f4rDdvnd1ck
I believe it is something to take seriously at least until they find out what the actual issue is. I’d certainly rather be safe than sorry. You could always switch back later if whatever your feeding is found out to be safe.

I have been feeding mostly grain free for the last four years and have now switched to Purina Pro Plan. My dogs are doing great. I have joined the taurine-deficient DCM FB group and there are some very informative vets, including one of the cardiologists from UCDavis that is performing the investigation, moderating the group. However, there are over 9,000 members in the group now and the site is getting more messy. But, there is a files section with some good info and a taurine data table where people are volunteering the results of their dogs taurine and echo cardiogram results. If I remember correctly, Honest Kitchen is not one that is doing very well on the table. I personally wouldn’t feed it. There is a very informative poster on this site who has debated that THK does not provide complete and balanced diets.

If you want to feed a balanced homemade diet, check out http://www.balanceit.com.

I have learned a lot in the last couple of months about dog nutrition. It is much more complicated than I realized. Ingredients that look good to humans are not necessarily good for dogs. You can’t look at the ingredients separately. They all need to work together for a complete nutrient package for your dog. DCM is labeled the silent killer. There usually are not any symptoms until it’s too late to be reversed.

I was never one to feed any of the “Big Three or Four” brands, but now will not feed anything but. They all employ veterinarian nutritionists with Phd’s, do research, feeding trials and own their own manufacturing factories.

I hope this helps and I wish you well!

(Please check out the link!)

Edit: I just realized all the documents form the FB page are on this link as well! Good luck!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 1 month ago by crazy4cats.

[anonymous]

If your dog is doing well I would discuss with your vet before making any changes.

I have never used Honest Kitchen so I have no opinion on it.

Grain-free Diets and Heart Disease in Dogs

(excerpt below)
Bottom Line
Nutrition and metabolism are complicated, and the exact relationship between dietary composition, breed genetics, and other factors leading to DCM is not yet clear. It is too early to say with certainty whether the diets are the primary cause of DCM in these dogs or whether other breeds may also be at risk. However, it is clear that the idea behind the health claims for grain-free diets is speculative at best and very likely untrue. Extreme diet fads hardly ever turn out to be a good idea in people, and the same is probably true for pets.
If you are feeding a grain-free diet, there is no need to panic. If you own a golden retriever or other breed that has been shown to be develop DCM in the past, it makes sense to talk to your vet and potentially have taurine levels tested or other diagnostics done depending on the circumstances. The diet you are feeding may be perfectly fine, but it is also probable not any better than any other diet with more conventional ingredients, and there is now some small indication that it may place some dogs at greater risk for this preventable disease.
The links above to the FDA and UC Davis Vet School will provide more information.

More: http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/nutrition/

[David A]

Hi Mike,

I just read this article in the New York Times focusing on the growing skepticism about grain-free foods.
I feed Mack, our rescue Beagle, grain-free Honest Kitchen, and he is doing very well. But now I am worried about him contracting dilated cardiomyopathy.

Have you looked into this issue at all? I now am very concerned.

Please advise.

Thanks so much.

[Susanne S]

@Julie M…you are EXACTLY right. I switched my dogs to The Honest Kitchen (not as good as raw, but better than most commercial foods) a few months ago and for the first time, NO EAR INFECTIONS! I am about to transition to raw feeding because I FINALLY found a raw dealer that comes to my area. What could be better for dogs than raw meat? Commercial kibbles are literally poisoning millions of pets. I am appalled that the pet food industry has brainwashed people (including vets) into thinking that processed crap is better than natural raw food. I was one of those people until recently. Thank goodness my eyes have been opened!