[LexiDog]

I can’t say anything about the seizures either.

My personal favorite kibbles are Acana Regionals and Orijen. These are expensive but I feel we’ll worth it. I have an active 38 # dog and she was getting 1 1/4 cups of food a day on these kibbles. These can be found at Pet Supplies Plus stores and local specialty boutiques. I was actually surprised to see how many specialty shops were around when I started looking for them.

Other favorites include Wellness Core (found at Petsmart and Petco) and Fromm Four Star (Pet Supplies Plus and boutiques). A lot of people like Dr. Tim’s and Victor grain free but I can not find these in the local stores, so I haven’t tried them. I would have to order them online. I have had great experiences ordering food and other stuff from Chewy.com.

If I had to pick a kibble on a budget, I would probably try Whole Earth Farms Grain Free. This can be found at Petco and Pet Supplies Plus. I’m not sure if Petsmart carries it or not because I haven’t been there in a while.

Just remember that not all foods are made for all dogs. Just because my dog does great on certain foods doesn’t mean that yours will. You have to find one that works for you and your dog.

You may want to look at feeding a 4 star kibble before jumping right to a 5. Moose will be going from a plant based diet to a meat based diet and that can cause some upsets. Just remember to transition him very slowly. You can also add some pumpkin while switching. If you buy it from the grocery store just make sure that it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Fruitables makes a digestive supplement with pumpkin to help with switching.

As for species appropriate food. Kibble is not one of them because kibble does not contain the amount of moisture needed for a species appropriate diet. The ideal moisture would be a food that containes around 70% moisture. For example canned is better than kibble and frozen raw is better than canned. Google Dr. Karen Becker best to worst foods. There is a video and a list that is super helpful.

Right now I am feeding my girl Primal frozen raw and The Honest Kitchen dehydrated. There are a ton of great foods out there, just need to know where to look. You should keep an open mind about ordering online. I’ve never had a bad experience with Chewy.com.

This is probably way more info than you want but this is only a little bit. Trust me. There is so much info out there it will make your head spin for a while. You can also get into feeding a homemade diet too. Others will have to help with that.

[betsyofss]

Elizabeth, great question. I’ve got one of these too. Great suggestions as well.

My neighbor uses Honest Kitchen basic and mixes in cooked chicken. I’m trying to break her in but the mix is a little green for Hannah girl….. She also has allergies so the vet has her on single source protein.

We have two dogs so I’m trying to find something that will work well for both. Ranger’s issue is borderline obesity. He can and does eat anything.

Also trying to keep this side of $100 per month for the cat and dogs.

Let me know what works for yours!

[betsyofss]

Hannah is 2+ and has chronic intermittent diarrhea. She also sometimes gets skin rashes. My vet has her down to one protein source and her rashes have subsided but now we need to get the diarrhea under control. She’s been checked for parasites, etc. I read the post about loose stools and will look for something with less protein, as she has always been sensitive to grain free formulas. So now searching for a five star brand with a single protein source that is reasonably priced and well tolerated.

My neighbor’s dog has a sensitive stomach and she eats Honest Kitchen greens mix and cooked chicken. The dog has a gorgeous coat. Hannah girl, however, does not like vegetables and wouldn’t touch the Honest Kitchen mix.

Any suggestions?

[Carol G]

Nature’s Logic and The Honest Kitchen

[Bobby dog]

Akari, I almost forgot. On the “The HK for $3.99” thread cindy q posted a question to you about your use of honey. I replied to her question and also wrote you would probably be back to explain how and why you use honey for Bentley. Did you see it? It’s on page five.

/forums/topic/the-honest-kitchen-for-3-99-a-box/page/5/

[aquariangt]

I would try some raw and see if that gets her going. Nature’s Variety Instinct, Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, if you have a place you can get something like bravo or primal (ive never used them, but people seem to like them) or even maybe freshpet chubs or bags of food. Try just that to start, and if she goes for it, mix in some kibble

[InkedMarie]

The Honest Kitchen, Natures Logic.

[cindy q]

Rosie is only 7 mos almost 8 so we don’t really have favorites yet, but she has eaten Blue Buffalo wilderness her stools were very loose on it so we switched to Merrick grain free dry and topped with Merrick canned. I really wanted her to like The Honest Kitchen, but she didn’t.

[RescueDaneMom]

I just wanted to get a sense of what people are using and what they like. My top 5 would be:
The Honest Kitchen
Primal
Stella & Chewy’s
Tucker’s Raw
Orijen

Max is getting tired of The Honest Kitchen and doesn’t really want to eat it anymore regardless of the variety. I started giving him kibble again even though I don’t really want to. Right now he is eating Orijen with his raw (Primal, S&C, Tucker’s, and Vital Essentials). I was looking in to other kibble brands but I want to try going grain-free AND potato-free for Max’s arthritis to see if it helps any.

[LexiDog]

In no particular order:
Primal
Orijen
Acana
Grandma Lucy’s
Stella & Chewys

I also have been using the Honest Kitchen and my girl is loving it! He sits there and whines for it when it is rehydrating.

[RescueDaneMom]

When our rottie had cancer I used The Honest Kitchen Embark, Thrive, and Preference. I also used Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance. Both foods are dehydrated. We also used low carb kibbles such has Horizon Legacy, Pulsar, Orijen, and Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural. I would also make homecooked food too for variety. He had lymphoma and battled it with chemo for 10 months.

[LexiDog]

Just another thought…look at The Honest Kitchen Keen. It is a dehydrated food. Recently I have been giving my dog their Embark formula and she literally sits there and whines while it is rehydrating because she likes it so much.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Nicole-
The vet once prescribed this food for my pups also. It is so expensive for what is in the bag. My dogs were having loose stools as well. Turns out they had a terrible long lasting case of giardia. I assume that you have had a fecal test checking for parasites. If the high fiber helps your dog, you could always add it to another high quality food. You could add a little psyllium, chia seed or pumpkin to add fiber. If you decide to do this, please transition very slowly. I am currently feeding Victor grain free kibble. It contains montmorillonite clay which is known to help with loose stools. I have used different supplements that also help. I often use Gastriplex made by Thorne, Fruitables digestive supplement, Perfect Form made by the Honest Kitchen and probiotics that also help. There is a lot of information on dogaware.com for dogs with loose stools and intermittent diarrhea. Please let me know what you decide to do and how it goes. Good luck!

[DogFoodie]

Hi Nicole,

I can understand your wanting to look for an alternate low residue food.

What is the fiber in the Royal Canin?

Have you ever tried adding digestive enzymes? Swanson has good human ones that are very budget friendly. I’ve used BioCore Optimum Complete Ultimate Full Spectrum Enzymes, Soil-Based Organisms, and Mercola Digestive Enzymes for pets.

I was looking to see if I could find some grain free, low fat foods that also had lower fiber. Annamaet GF Lean is listed as having 9% fat maximum and 3.5% fiber maximum. Nature’s Logic Sardine has 10% fat and 5% fiber. The Honest Kitchen Zeal has 8.5% fat and 5.8% fiber. Wysong Fundamentals and Wysong Epigen both have 15% fat and 4% fiber. Farmina’s GF Wild Herring has 18% fat minimum, which is likely higher than you want, with 2.6% fiber maximum. Nature’s Variety Instinct Healthy Weight Chicken has 12% fat and 5.5% fiber.

Do any of those foods sound like possibilities?

[Naturella]

Christina, sounds like you are off to a good start! 🙂 For the diet, you can just use canned salmon in water, and some other fish (mackerel, sardine) to test him out (or use raw and either feed it like that or cook it up). Doesn’t have to be in the form of fish meal. And do try him with rice, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas (frozen or canned), tomatoes, and, if you desire – other meats and grains. Or you can just go grain-free and not worry about trying him on other grains, but it is good to switch up the proteins every once in a while. So after the fish session, when he’s fully healed, you could try him on lamb, or bison/beef, or venison, or rabbit, etc., or chicken, if he’s good on it.

Once you know what to avoid, you can find a suitable food for him among the brands we mentioned above and others.

I got my THK Beams from http://www.petexpertise.com but I think you can fond them at the THK website as well: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com . Also at local pet boutiques or specialty stores near you. This website has a Store Locator tab somewhere, just go to the homepage and type store in the search box, it should pop up. Then you just enter your zip code and go from there.

[InkedMarie]

I’m not sure what you’re asking for help with….is it because Bravo just had a raw food recall? There are many treats out there that are great: The Honest Kitchen makes various types/sizes of treats from their Itty Bitties up to fish skins. Charlee Bear, Buddy Biscuits and SoJos are other treats I like.

[Christina K]

I might have to try that elimination diet. He’s just on Dog Chow right now, because he was living with my parents and their 3 other dogs. I really want to get him on a healthier diet. I started pouring a multivitamin on top of this food the other day. I thought he was going to take off my hands to get more of it.

I also got Chance some fruit based treats, but I’ll definitely be picking up those Honest Kitchen’s Beams. I saw the worst case of fleas on him too. He was far more affected by the fleas than the other 3 dogs. Hopefully the fish and coconut oils will help rid him of his remaining wounds.

Thank you so much for the advice. At least now I can narrow down to fish-based foods. I think that will help him a lot. My goal now is to get him out of that cone.

[Naturella]

The best thing for you to do is to see what you feed him now (maybe let us know), and then do an elimination diet – I think it’s something like cooking a basic homemade chicken and rice diet and slowly adding other ingredients from the food he is currently on to see if he reacts to one or more of them. But some of the pros on here could maybe able to better explain how to do an elimination diet.

Some more common allergens are various grains, corn, sometimes chicken or another protein, sometimes peas or tomatoes (or tomato pomace), sometimes yeast. So doing an elimination will help you know what to avoid in a food and it will make it easier for us to know what to recommend.

As for skin/coat issues, fish oil and coconut oil do some miracles. Also fish-based foods and treats. For my dog who had the worst case the vet has seen of fleas and wounds and hair falling out when he was found and taken to a vet, The Honest Kitchen’s Beams (dried fish skins to be given as chews/treats) did some miracles and then a teaspoon of coconut oil every other day continually enhances this miracle and his skin is nice and healthy and his coat is as soft and shiny as ever, I love it. No trace of wounds or missing hair – he is double-coated and his coat is very thick, soft, shiny on top and healthy. 🙂 He is also on mostly a fish-based food now so that probably helps too.

But as for pet dander – sometimes the above measures may help, sometimes not – the dog may just be genetically predisposed to extra dander. But it’s worth a shot to see if you can help it some too.

[crazy4cats]

I know the feeling! This site is making me crazy too! Lol! Do you know how many calories that you feed per day? I feed mostly by calories. Most of the toppers I use are balanced and I can compute the calories, so it isn’t too bad. I use mostly canned, dehydrated, eggs, sardines and some raw nuggets. They do get a turkey neck about once amonth and a raw marrow bone once a week. I just count that as their snacks as I subtract a couple hundred calories from each to account for daily snacks as I have big dogs. I’d like to add more fresh as well, but like you not sure how much to add. I’ve been adding toppers for so long now that I could probably eye ball it though. They hardly have ever had just plain kibble. I actually have a chart on the wall in the garage on how much kibble to use depending on what topper is being fed that meal. I’m trying really hard to keep them lean as I’ve learned my lesson on other pets. Anyway, if you can compute total calories fed. Just are sure 80% is kibble because it sounds like you will be mostly using unbalanced toppers except for Honest Kitchen. BTW, you can buy raw nuggets add that are balanced also. Good luck!

[jakes mom]

I’d like some advice on managing the “add ins”, toppers, occasional RMBs I’m trying to incorporate into my dog’s meals. Jake was always fed kibble, period. Since finding this site I’ve been reading so much and getting a bit overwhelmed. I’m not ready to do completely raw but have added some RMBs as well as liver, hearts and gizzards, turkey necks. I’ve read about Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, have a small box of that to use as a topper. I’ve read the ABC diet from the See Spot Live Longer site and think that’s an appealing compromise. I’m concerned that I don’t know exactly how to balance it all. How do I balance the extra calories of the add ins? If I decrease the kibble I’m afraid he won’t get the basic nutrients he needs. If I don’t, he’s going to get chubby. I read that 20% of the diet could be unbalanced before issues arise but I’m not sure how to figure that out. Adding a bit of fresh meat/veg and decreasing the kibble might balance out the volume but still be extra calories. How many calories in a 4 inch piece of turkey neck, for Pete’s sake? Do I just give him extras some days with a little less kibble and other days just give him his basic kibble ration with no extras and hope it all evens out in the end? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[DogFoodie]

I have Natural Planet Organics GF Turkey on deck to try for my fish intolerant pup, as it’s a fish free formula, as is Zignature Turkey.

Wellness Simple makes a Turkey & Potato, Whole Earth Farms has a GF Turkey. Nature’s Variety Instinct makes a LID that’s straight up Turkey and then they also offer Duck & Turkey in their regular Instinct line-up. Back to Basics also offers a GF Turkey. The Honest Kitchen offers Embark, which is their GF Turkey product offering. And Brothers Complete has a Turkey Meal & Egg formula.

As far as being China free, I’m not certain of that for any of those that I mention. I would feel comfortable using any of the products that I listed, but I am not particularly fearful of those companies who choose to add synthetic vitamins and minerals that use a premix sourced from China.

Edit: That word up there that always gets ********’d out, is the word that is synonymous with a male sibling, he’s not your sister, but he’s your brother. KWIM?

[Naturella]

I currently feed Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch but I have the Primitive Natural (the poultry one) lined up to feed next. I have not checked personally if the ingredients come from China but so far so good – I trust the company and my Bruno is doing fabulously on the Coastal Catch. You could send them an email or call and ask though!

Also, if you’re down for feeding something besides kibble – The Honest Kitchen has a grain-free dehydrated turkey formula – Embark – which looks like canned when mixed with water. THK is a very reputable company. No China sourcing I think.

[aimee]

I too asked Honest Kitchen about the potato issue. I asked to what temperature they are brought to and they never specifically answered that question. They told me they are flash heated and “gently cooked” before dehydration. i didn’t know if that is enough to make them digestible or not as I don’t know how they define cooked as they say their foods are never cooked.

I also wonder if the same processing is used across all potatoes or if they ever use what would be the equivalent of “instant mashed potato” The potato in another companies dehydrated diet looks like instant potato.

I figured I’d ask my dog. I bought some Preference, hydrated it, counted the potato and pumpkin pieces and fed her a meal. I put 20 hydrated sweet potato pieces in and got 20 out virtually unchanged. I may have identified a pumpkin piece too. It was hard to tell but I think the pumpkin was digested. I’ll post the pics on the Honest Kitchen thread.

[Naturella]

Bobby dog, I think I deciphered what you meant in the previous comment, lol!

Anyway, yes! I can’t wait till 9am tomorrow to go to the leasing office and grab my lovely Honest Kitchen!!! EEK!!! And I wish I could give you some shopping justification advice besides “Man those deals may be awesome!”, but that wouldn’t fly at my house anymore. Still I just got a free Nutro Ultra (one of the new entrees too) canned for free with a PetCo coupon. So that was nice! I have 2 more free cans to get too and then I need to catch the awesome deals (PetCo had some awesome cans for like 30c/50c each but the shelves were cleared!!!!

[cindy q]

After Mike’s comment about the potatoes should be cooked in dehydrated food I was curious to see if Honest Kitchen does cook them first. I contacted them and they said no they do not cook them first. They said dehydrating them “technically” cooks them.

[Mike Sagman]

I am not aware of any changes with the way Honest Kitchen is making their food. And everything appears to be the same as when they first made the list. Hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Mike Sagman.

[cindy q]

I think if you could just tell us nothing has changed with the way Honest Kitchen is making their food, that everything is the same as when they did make the list then we would feel better. I think we are all here for the same reason, we want the best for our babies. I very much appreciate this forum and I am still trying to figure out what to feed my Standard Poodle puppy, my toy will eat anything (except kibble) the Standard was a good eater but suddenly has gotten quite picky. So I have been checking all the 5 star foods on here trying to find something she will eat. Thanks for all the time and work that you put into this.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, I use slippery elm for my dogs. I think it works very well. I’ve never used it by itself, however, always in a supplement. Right now I’m using Gastriplex made by Thorne. Also, ive used Perfect Form made by The Honest KitcheN and Phytomucil by Animal Essentials that also contain it. I think it really helps with loose stools with my two lab mix dogs. I’m not sure if they have leaky guts or IBS due to giardia parasites and many treatments of antibiotics to get rid of them. It’s funny you asked about it because I was thinking of starting a thread about it also. Only becasuse I worry about the long term usage of it. Also, I’ve read that plantain, DGL, and marshmallow root are also helpful. Dogaware.com has much info on the subject.mgood luck!

[Mike Sagman]

As we explain on our FAQ page:

“Members should not be surprised to see some changes to our Editor’s Choice list as new information is discovered or brought to our attention.

“So, in the spirit of keeping the list short enough to be useful to our readers, we may sometimes be compelled to remove one good company to make room for others that are more deserving.

“Of course, there are many reasons a particular brand may or may not be included. And these reasons are typically subtle.

“In any case, to ensure our freedom to make these opinion-based adjustments freely and as needed, we must reserve the right to keep some of the rationale we use to make these decisions private.”

In this particular case, our decision to not include THK in our latest Editor’s Choice list had absolutely nothing to do with any current report of the use of Chinese ingredients in this product. If that were true, our Editor’s Choice analysis would have clearly disclosed which ingredients they were.

Our decision here to not include THK (or many otherwise excellent brands) is not due to anything especially negative about the company or its products but rather our need to make room for others we feel might be more qualified.

By the way, you may also wish to read the thread of comments posted by readers beneath our THK review regarding undigested alfalfa as well as the company’s response. That thread begins with with this comment.

Hope this helps.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi cindy q,

I had to double check that because I refuse to use a food that has ANY ingredients from China. THK has a page that lists where all of their ingredients come from: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/the-benefits/our-ingredients

They have a table on the right hand side of the page that says “where our food is from.” If you click on Asia & Africa, you will see that nothing comes from China (see below, copied and pasted from website). Personally, I am ok with where all of these products come from.

Papaya: Our papaya is grown in plantations in Thailand. Papaya is a rich source of proteolytic enzymes. These are the chemicals that enable the digestion of protein.

Banana: Our bananas are from the Philippines. Bananas contain all 8 essential amino acids and are filled with vitamin B6, C, carotenoids, fiber, magnesium, potassium (electrolytes) and another good source of phytonutrients.

Organic Coconut: Our certified organic coconuts come from Thailand. Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also has many wonderful nutrition benefits including anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Chicory: Our chicory is grown on the plains of India. It is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese.

Organic Basil: Our fragrant basil is from Egypt, and is now certified organic along with several of our other ingredients. Basil is high in vitamins and also possesses anti-bacterial properties.

Parsley: Our flat-leaf parsley is from Egypt. Parsley is high in vitamins, antioxidants and iron.

[cindy q]

I am hoping this isn’t correct, but I just read on dogforums.com that honest kitchen uses some things from China. It was a older post, but the poster said they contacted honest kitchen and they said while they try to get most things from the US they do get some from China, Thailand and I believe some where else.

[crazy4cats]

I read on a previous reply that they do not explain why a food isn’t on the list. Only, that it didn’t meet their criteria at this time. I’m guessing that this is due to legal reasons. Most likely, avoiding any type of legal action from a company. But, again, that is just my guess. Now, to answer the other question. I am using the honest kitchen as a topper a couple times a week. I also think the texture is weird and looks and smells a little weird. But, my dogs eat it just fine. I’m trying to feed a variety of toppers with their kibble. This is a very convenient topper as all you do is scoop, add water and stir. It is a little expensive so I only use occasionally at this time. I’m not worried that it is not on the list at this time. My dogs do well with it. Good luck!

[cindy q]

Anyone that is feeding Honest Kitchen do you only feed that or are you using it as a topper? My one dog loves it and the other doesn’t seem to like the texture of it.

[crazy4cats]

I ordered some chews also to reach the limit for the deal. I’m sure my dogs will love them. They love everything! They really can’t have very many toys because they destroy them and sometimes swallow parts of them. I have been using The Honest Kitchen recently in the evening as a topper because I had an $8’off coupon. It’s very convenient. I just put 1/4 cup on top of kibble and add about 3/4 cup water and stir!

[cindy q]

I got samples of honest kitchen, gave it to my 7mos old puppy yesterday snd she loved it, I was so glad because lately she isn’t really wanting any of her food. Just a few weeks ago she was eating everything and licking her bowl clean. Well today I ordered a box of honest kitchen for her & tonight I gave her another sample of honest kitchen and this time she wouldn’t eat it!

[Leslie R]

Any idea why Honest Kitchen didn’t make the Editor’s Preferred List? I would think that it would rate higher than a kibble?

[Naturella]

Same here, no problems, great selections, and GREAT deals! Just yesterday petflow.com (one of MY favorites, along with the other sites listed above) had a crazy sale on The Honest Kitchen – 4 flavors, 2lbs each, $3.99 each (when they sell for about $22-$30-ish each!!!)!

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi weezerweeks,

Just because your dog doesn’t like Honest Kitchen doesn’t mean he won’t like freeze-dried. HK has a lot of veggies and some dogs just don’t like it. I would try a freeze-dried food that is mostly meat. Orijen, Primal, and Stella & Chewy’s all make freeze-dried foods (in either patties or nuggets). You reconstitute them in warm water.

I agree with GizmoMom. If your dog is doing well on canned only then I wouldn’t add kibble back.

[weezerweeks]

I feed my 6 year old yorkie all canned now. He was on kibble and I’ve tried all the honest kitchen and he will not eat them. Is freeze dried similar to dehydrated because if it is and I order it I’m afraid it will also end up at the shelter. I thought about going back to kibble with the canned. Do u think it’s better for him to do all canned or add kibble with it. I wish I could do raw but I just can’t. I just feel like he would benefit from something besides canned even though I rotate and I do add sardines, eggs, cottage cheese, and fruits to it occasionally.I only have 1 dog now so I have so much to learn.Thinking about getting a yorkie puppy if I can talk my hubby into it.So what do u think should I start adding kibble?

[Akari_32]

Sale at PetFlow! I grabbed mine this morning :p

http://www.petflow.com/explorer/brand/trials

[Wanda F]

Course you wouldn’t eat bones and fat sue66b…you’re not a dog; what a silly thing for a vet to say. I’m truly astounded how little vets. know about canine nutrition. I’ve never seen Brewer jump from the car and run into a corn field for a snack but he does get dangerously close to my daughter’s chicken coop. I’m using chicken hearts for treats and he loves chicken livers; when I can find them fresh. I did some research on See Spot Live Longer and I think it’s reasonably priced and contains all the special xtras Brew needs to balance out his diet. I can do the rest from my kitchen, I think. He’s doing okay on Nutrisca but honestly, he “poops” 4 times a day and he’s back to scratching!!!
Oh, and I agree “CSollers,” I think dog food companies pay/bonus the vets. to push their food. Thanks for all the info.

[Naturella]

I agree that a lot of people seem to have issues with Blue Buffalo, and this is not good. However, there are the few (apparently) whose dogs have done well on it. If I were to be asked to make a recommendation to someone about dog food, I would base it off of personal experience and research, and regarding Blue Buffalo, I can say that Bruno did wonderfully on the Wilderness Puppy for about 4 months, until I decided to rotate him out of it, just because rotating foods is good, not because of issues. I would say that I will keep Wilderness in our rotation because he’s done well on it, and because I know of 3 other dogs (in 2 separate households) who also have been feeding Blue (one constantly, which is not that great, the other in rotation) and their dogs have been ok too. Nonetheless, I can say that I have read about many who experience issues with it, but I really believe that it comes down to individual dogs and their guts for the most part. It is important that everyone closely monitors their dog and watch for reactions, then act accordingly. I have never had to contact the company, so I don’t know how their customer service is.

And I think the above goes for just about any food I have fed, or read a lot about. Still, no matter how much I read about foods, I will have to feed it to my dog personally in order to form my own opinion based on experience. There are many many foods I want to feed based on profile alone (and some forumers’ or friends’ opinions of them) – Wellness Core, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Wysong Epigen or Wysong 90, Victor (feeding a bit of it now, but want a full bag to really test it out), AvoDerm Trout (just that one, lol), Taste of the Wild and Canidae Pure (yes, yes, I know about Diamond and the recalls), Merrick Grain Free, Orijen (drool) and maybe Acana, Back to Basics (got a bag in the cabinet waiting its turn to be opened), Fromm, Darwin’s, The Honest Kitchen (when I’m rich, lol), etc. I don’t even know if Bruno’s lifetime will allow me to rotate through them once, let alone twice, lol.

So yeah, that’s my 2 cents.

[RescueDaneMom]

cindy q,
I love The Honest Kitchen. I’ve been using it for almost 6 years. I think it would be a great alternative for raw for you. I’ve never used Fresh Pet so I don’t have an opinion on that.

[cindy q]

any opinion on Honest Kitchens dehydrated or fresh pet select? Which is better? I would like to feed raw but its so expensive and I really don’t have time to make my own.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Ray C –

I think most of us here would agree that when it comes to feeding dogs the most important thing is feeding a wide variety of species-appropriate foods. Species-appropriate foods will be high in animal-derived protein, high in moisture and minimally processed. For this reason the best option is a balanced raw diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), the next best option is a fresh cooked diet (home prepared or commercially prepared), followed by dehydrated and freeze-dried foods (many commercial raw products – such as Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, etc. – are available in both frozen form as well as freeze-dried form and there are dehydrated products such as The Honest Kitchen and NRG that are great), canned would be the next best option and kibble would come in last as the worst thing to feed. If you do have to feed some kibble for budget or time related reasons don’t fret – there are some decent kibbles one the market and you can always “top” the kibble with a more species-appropriate food form to increase the overall quality of the meal. For a puppy you will want to make sure the food that you feed is either approved for “growth” or for “all life stages” (may also read approved for “growth and maintenance”). Head over to the review section of the site and look through the 4 and 5 star foods to find some you want to try. And remember – don’t pick just one food! Rotating is very important, feeding just one food over time will lead to a weak gut (these are the dogs you hear about that get diarrhea/upset stomachs when their owners try to switch their food – don’t let that be your dog!).

Good luck and congrats on the new puppies! 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[theBCnut]

Because this is not the dog food reviews. It’s rated here. /dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/

[Marti E]

Why is the honest kitchen dog food not discussed or rated here?

[pugmomsandy]

You can do homemade raw by using the Premixes like Grandma Lucy’s, The Honest Kitchen, Dr Harvey’s, Urban Wolf, See Spot Live Longer. You add your own meat and oil. If you’re worried about mixing raw and kibble, then you can feed one meal raw and one meal of kibble. Some dogs might have a problem with mixing foods, but not all. You can also get a grinder at least 3/4 horsepower. That should be able to grind chicken bones so you can buy bulk chicken at a lower cost. Find out if you have any restaurant supply stores near you that you can purchase from. You can buy items by the case. But to answer the question of what’s the next best thing to raw, I would say freeze dried raw, air-dried raw, dehydrated raw, cooked freeze dried or cooked dehydrated and canned food, then kibble.

[theBCnut]

You mean like this?
/dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/

[Philip M]

Has The Honest Kitchen ever been rated?