[Julia T]

Our 1 yr old lab has a super sensitive stomach plus skin allergies. He is allergic to corn, peas, alfalfa and poultry. We’ve had him on prescription sensitive stomach/HA dog food in the past which gave him terrible diarrhea. Right now, he’s eating Honest Kitchen Zeal (Fish Grain-Free) Formula along with probiotic and digest enzymes. His poops are formed but not solid + a lot gas + a lot of poops (at least 5-6 times per day). Any recommendations on food that will help his sensitive stomach + allergies?

[charisse]

Best dry dog food: “Human Grade Dog food”.

Best Human Grade Dog food according the munch zone:
Canidae…https://www.munch.zone/human-grade-dog-food/

So I nominate Canidae #1 and Honest Kitchen for #2 best Human Grade Dry dog food

….and what is Human Grade Dog Food:

The Only true Pet FOOD, Human Grade

[charisse]

Best dry dog food: “Human Grade Dog food”.

Best Human Grade Dog food according the munch zone:
Canidae…https://www.munch.zone/human-grade-dog-food/

So I nominate Canidae #1 and Honest Kitchen for #2 best Human Grade Dry dog food

….and what is Human Grade Dog Food:

The Only true Pet FOOD, Human Grade

[MK S]

Can also check out “My Perfect Pet” and Honest Kitchen Limited ingredient diets. It sure would be helpful to search based on exclusion. Many dogs have allergies and I would love to search foods that don’t contain certain ingredients.

[ray q]

My favorite food is Honest Kitchen dehydrated base mix. You add your own protein so choose whatever kind of meat you want you can even go raw. So since it sounds like you have a working dog I recommend a lot of meat. But before you do check with your vet in regards to how much protein you should add.

[ray q]

You have several options they are listed on this site. I recommend wysong optimal performance Or the orginal growth kibble. I also recommend Honest kitchen dehydrated base mix. you add your own choice of protein. so you get to decide what type of meat you want to put in.

[ray q]

I found a dehydrated food from Honest kitchen it is on this site it is rated 5 stars no flaxseed , I am not sure what barleykelp is but it does have sea kelp maybe that is what you were trying to type. I will keep looking but you may have to start home cooking for your pet. If you look on you tube there are many recipes and people showing you how to cook for your dog. I would also ask a veterinarian.

[JOHN B]

Linda, It sounds like we are very much on the same page. After the weeks of research I “ALMOST” am not even concerned with price anymore. I really can’t see serving something like honest kitchen though $$. I feel there has to be a great kibble to feed my kids. I have to add a very important fact…. My dogs do not have huge allergies even though I have been told one of them has colitis.

I use to feed Orijen but it is too rich for her tummy. I have tried a few other limited ingredient foods that seemed to work for them but there always seems to be a reason to keep looking.Company gets bought out or company relocates and quality of food is in question.

After all my research I am leaning towards Zignature.I am now getting ready to break down ingredients so I can determine if any type of supplementation is needed. Such as splitting a pouch of salmon for breakfast. I feel I am trying to do the right thing for my girls without going overboard. I just want them to get the correct amounts of what they need in the purest and cleanest forum.Then I don’t want it to CHANGE. Is that asking to much…=)

Thanks everyone for the help it is very much appreciated. GREAT SITE FOR SURE…

[ray q]

I don’t know of a 5* dry dog food with limited ingredient( I am not really sure how limited you want to go) I do recommend Orijen dog food as it is one of highest quality dog food) but it cost more than your regular cheap brand name trash. If you really love your dog child I personally don’t mind spending extra money. I want my pets to live as long as is possible. I highly recommend The Honest Kitchen dehydrated dog food or Wysong’s freeze dried products but unless your pet has allergy issues or stomach problems. I would stick with the chicken and beef, don’t try the other exotic foods unless your dog is having allergy problems and of course check with your vet first.

[Susan]

Hi Tracey,
Why does he need low protein diet?? are you on facebook go onto “Judy Morgan DVM” F/B page https://www.facebook.com/JudyMorganDVM/ click on her “Videos” there’s a few, she has very easy to make meals & you can also send her a msg if you have any questions…
Judy & her Husband who you’ll see cooking in her video’s has a few dogs & most of them have health problems, she makes a special meals for her 16yr old dog named Scout, he has Pancreatitis & I think Kidney problems.. Have you gone onto “Honest Kitchen” site? Honest Kitchen has base formula’s & you just add your own meat & it has the rest & is balanced, I’d be using Chicken & Turkey as these meats are lower in fat & easy to digest meat proteins….
Also look up “Balance It” they have recipes for certain health problems & sell Balance It to Balance the meals, Judy Morgan also has a site & sells supplements to baKibble is very hard to digest even when its pre soaked in water, at the end of the day it’s still proccess crap in a bag no matter how much money you pay….

You’re on the right track cooking for your dog & dont stress about balancing meals, when my boy was real ill with his IBD his vet said to me Susan Patch will be OK if his meals aren’t balance for 2 months, I was stressing cause he was just eating lean turkey mince with 1 whisked egg some chopped parsley made into 1/2 cup size rissole balls baked in the oven & I was boiling Sweet Potato & adding about 2 spoons sweet potato & you can freeze the meals as well it ends up being real easy & healthier cooking meals, it’s just like cooking for yourself & we don’t balance every single meal….
Sometimes these supplements vitamins/minerals etc can make the dog sick, I believe you get all your nutrition from eating healthy foods, I don’t balance any of Patches meals & he has a beautiful shinny coat & looks very healthy for a 9yr old dog, I do feed the can Tuna or Salmon is Spring water maybe 2 to 3 times a week with boiled potato then he gets other lean meats….

[ray q]

I highly recommend The Honest Kitchen dehydrated dog food it is rated on this site, They have both a base mix (you add the protein) and also mixes with protein already mixed in. This food is excellent for dogs with allergies and it has been approved by the FDA as human grade food, which means you can eat it yourself if so inclined.

[ray q]

#1 I don’t believe there are very many if any good kibble for dogs. I highly recommend for those dogs with weight problems and food allergies is The Honest Kitchen dehydrated dog food base mix(you add your own protein) It once hydrated looks like a full bowl of food and yes it is fda approved for humans, so you can eat it also, if you want. It is a little higher in cost than kible but that is the point. They use quality grade products to make their food, not all the sugars and other horrible products in their food. You can find the ratings on this site.

[Fanette R]

Thanks you so much for all those info Susan, it really helps.
We have felt very lost and alone since Furby got diagnosed, everything is getting so confusing. I’ll for sure check ou the IBD groups you’re talking about!

Ok so I’m definitely not gonna put him on the Royal Canin diet. I was very concerned already, when my vet said “well, those kibbles are actually high in fat so, because furby suffered from pancreatitis in the past, we should do a blood test right now and one in 3 weeks to see if it is ok for him”… This is again something that would cost me a lot of money and that would be painful for Furby…

Ok so I’ve just spent an hour looking through a few brands.
I was actually considering “Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain” ’cause I heard good things for dogs with IBD. I just have two concerns, maybe you can help me out with this.
1. I see there is lentils il the ingredients, but you said I should stay away from lentils for Furby, right?
2. I’m seeing that the protein for those kibbles are “lamb”. Furby was on frain free, lamb hypoallergenic protein for 3 years, we just took him out of it a few months ago, as he got diagnoste for IBD. I must say I’m not sure that this protein affected him and caused him IBD because he got IBD 3 years after starting those kibbles, but I’m still wondering if I shouldn’t go maybe for another protein?

Beside Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain, I’ve found this :
– California Natural : Herring & Sweet Potaoe recipe : http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/1201
– Natural Balance Limited Ingredients :
Sweet Potatoe & Bison : https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/sweet-potato-and-bison
Sweet Potatoe & Fish : https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/sweet-potato-and-fish
Sweet Potatoe & Venison : https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/dry/limited-ingredient-diets/sweet-potato-and-venison
– The Honest Kitchen : Limited Ingredient Turkey & Parsnip : https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/marvel

What do you think of those? Is there one that could feet better a dog with IBD?
Also, Is that ok if, in the natural balance recipes, sweet potatoe is the first ingredient? I always heard that meat should be the first ingredient.

Hopefully you can help me out a little bit more 🙂
And no I haven’t tried boiled potato with Furby’s wet food, I’ll try that and see if it helps! Thanks!

[Cannoli]

I use Honest kitchens minimalist chicken and duck foods as a base when I don’t always feel like making everything from scratch or during the cold fall/winter months. But like most people I do end up topping this food with additional home made meat on top of it. I too don’t see the meat.

Also my pup won’t touch his honest kitchen meals unless I soak it with my homemade chicken or turkey broth which adds even more nutrients to this controversial food.

[Sandra C]

Hi
I have been using Pinto Canyon Grain-Free Recipe With Sweet Potato & Salmon for Dogs for over a year now and am pretty happy with it.
I mix it with some Acana and Sojos, Honest kitchen and other stuff.

Is someone thinking about reviewing this dog food?
Regards
Sandy

[GSDsForever]

Hmmm. I think DFA is having a hiccup/glitch.

I posted to Leslie/OP last night and my post never appeared after a submit/edit-submit. Seeing this, when I tried to re-post (via copy & paste, using browser back button), I received an error message of the system recognizing a duplicate post being submitted.

As the post is still not showing, let’s see if inserting it here works:

Leslie,

Food allergies to barley and peas are not common allergens for dogs.

Aside from home prepared, where you select and control the ingredients, a few commercial diets that don’t include peas or barley are these:

Honest Kitchen — several, either with grain or without (e.g. Fish & Coconut)
California Natural LID — Lamb & Rice, Chicken & Rice
Pure Vita — Duck & Lentils, Venison & Lentils, Beef & Lentils
Canine Caviar — Special Needs, Chicken & Millet/Free Spirit, Lamb & Millet, Duck & Chickpea

But you should be aware that many OTC commercial diets lack adequate cross-contamination quality control, some brands of which have been documented in veterinary literature in testing (e.g. Natural Balance). Checking ingredient lists is not sufficient.

Before you rule out most diets based on these two ingredients, you might wish to have a look at a few links (scroll down to diagnosis) all from veterinary specialists:

What every pet owner should know about food allergies

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/diagnosing-food-allergies-dogs-and-cats-bring-your-case-trial
http://www.vin.com/apputil/project/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=17256&SAId=1&catid=93445&id=4951526

As Susan noted, it is critical to have an accurate diagnosis of food allergy. Most food allergy “tests” are known to be inaccurate and therefore do not meet the current standard of veterinary care.

It’s certainly possible to be allergic to any protein. But in dogs with food allergies (inhalant/environmental allergies being more common than food), the most common allergens are chicken, beef, dairy, egg, wheat, & soy — and now fish and lamb (which used to be alternatives), although less likely.

As a homemade diet can easily be formulated without either of these 2 ingredients, barley and peas, I would recommend you consider this.

[CockalierMom]

Merrick and Castor and Pollux are definitely high protein foods. If your mom is having good results with Dr. Harvey’s, you may want to try that first, rather than Honest Kitchen. (My girl does better without flaxseed so that is why I use Honest Kitchen rather than Dr. Harvey’s.) Ask your mom how much meat and oil she adds to the mix and start there. If I remember correctly, the recommended amount of meat to add is double the amount of base mix and that would be a high protein diet.

When I first started feeding base mixes, I got on BalanceIt.com and played around with the free recipes to see approximately how much protein their mid-range recipes called for my 20 lb dog, and it worked out to be around 4 oz. Honest Kitchen recommends equal amounts of dry mix and protein for normal activity level–equal amounts turned out to be about 4 oz of protein. Depending on the protein, calories will vary so I focus on calories a day my girl needs and not the weight of the protein.

One thing I should mention about Honest Kitchen complete mixes is they are ground very fine and if you mix with the recommended amount of water, it is a soupy mix. The base mixes are a chunkier mix and not soupy.

[CockalierMom]

What canned food and how much are you currently feeding? I will look up the GA so we will know for sure what amount of protein and calories she is currently eating.

I feed Honest Kitchen base mix and have tried Grandma Lucy and Dr. Harvey-there are also other brands out there. Any of the dehydrated foods are going to be a big change to her current diet, and you would probably need to go with a very slow transition. Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy both have sample sizes. I would suggest that you give Honest Kitchen a call and see if they will send you some samples. On the website, they are a $1 each, but I have heard they sometimes send samples free. I have one girl that loves Honest Kitchen and the other eats kibble and canned food because she does not care for it and it does not agree with her.

[CockalierMom]

If you are feeding a canned food that says 7% to 8% in the GA on the can, you are actually feeding closer to 40% to 45% protein which is considered high protein. You need to remove the moisture from the equation and use a dry matter basis to determine actual protein. A low protein food would be 20% and less.

Dr. Harvey’s Veg to Bowl is a little over 2% protein on a dry matter batter basis. You need to add meat and oil to this mix. Yes, you would need to look up the grams or protein in the meat you are feeding plus convert the percentages of the Veg to Bowl to grams. Dogs need at least 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight. If you do not want to do the conversion, Dr. Harvey’s has a recommended amount of meat and oil to add to their mix, and it would be comparable to the 40 to 45 percent you are currently feeding.

Honest Kitchen has base mixes that you add your own meat, or the complete mixes with meat already included. The majority of the complete mixes are going to be less protein than you are currently feeding. They are mostly in the mid range of protein-mid to upper 20’s to low 30’s.

[GSDsForever]

Chris,

I’m just seeing this. But I thought I’d throw in a few more suggestions, as they’re not mentioned above.

My vet recommends green beans as a treat or added ingredient to food — including for weight loss, satiety filling up on low calories (raw or cooked). Many people here buy the giant organic frozen bag Costco sells — such a deal!

If you are able to afford it, Zeal from Honest Kitchen is a food I’d strongly explore using, try. VERY low fat, high protein. Excellent ingredients, quality sourcing & quality control, from a great company. Caveat: Yes, higher calories — but you would just feed less of it, and add in healthy veggies/fruit (low cal, low fat, non-sugary/starchy) for desired bulk/satiety.

“Fat Dogs” by Natural Balance is a dry food some good vet practices — ones that otherwise promote & sell higher end “health food” commercial brands of dog food — prescribe to clients with overweight dogs and get compliance and excellent results quickly. Extremely low calorie (250 cal/Cup), very low fat (7.5%), pretty good to decent ingredients. Well worth considering, trying — esp. for short term, quick weight loss.

Anything you feed, remember that you will have the best results from monitoring & tightly controlling overall calories in a day, feeding (w/vet advice, supervision) UNDER what is recommended for your dog’s weight, and increased regular EXERCISING your dog with you.

[Ronald B]

Thanks, ray g, I hadn’t heard of The Honest Kitchen and I’ll give it a look.

[ray q]

Ok here is my recommendation and it is listed on this site. I had a client 10yr old dog, I suggested The Honest Kitchen dog food. It is dehydrated you can add warm water or broth, you can get the food with the protein already added or you can get the base mix and add your own protein.

[Mary V]

Keep in mind honest kitchen is almost all plant. Even the mixes with meat in them are plant based. Not much meat in them. And you see no chunks. Why? It’s ground into powder. Now, maybe it’s so you get the same amnt of meat in each portion. Or…so you don’t see how little meat is in it?
I got this for my cats (prowl) and my dogs as one of my mastiffs has tons of allergies after losing a chunk of stomach and intestines.
Problem is none of my animals will eat honest kitchen. Wasted about $300 bucks.
They LOVE sojos. Which…chunks of actual meat! Also they preferred Stella and cheweys. Both are meat based. Not plant based.

[weezerweeks]

Anon he’s under a vets care. Susan thank u so much for your suggestions. Bailey is a 7 lb 9 year old rescued yorkie. I’ve had him for 7 years. I give him preference pre mix by THK and veg to bowl premix by Dr. Harvey. I rotate these 2 and I add the protein. I change the protein every week. Turkey, chicken, ground round, version, salmon, tuna etc. for treats he gets freeze dried tripe, the honest kitchen treats. One of these a day.I rotate them. I also add yogurt to his meal at night and a teaspoon of kefir at night. I add a joint supplement because he has luxating pettalar(not bad a 1) I was also giving him foriflora probiotic when he got sick. I also rotate them springtime, mercolas. He also gets Nordic natural fish oil and 3 times a week coconut oil.I also give him a digestive enzyme(prozyme) This is the first time he’s had direahea. He usually has nausea. My vet at this time does not want to do a scope but if needed he will send me to UGA vet school.He also walks a mile every morning with my husband and at night I walk around the block with him. He loves to walk and sniff. I know that he’s 9 1/2 now but that’s not old for a yorkie. Thanks for ur input. I will ask Dr. Mac about the losec and Zantac.

[a c]

After losing my 10 years old to lymphoma earlier this year, I really started to take a close look at the dog food. I have been feeding them primarily Hill’s Science Diet since they were puppies because that’s what vet has recommended.

I went to a local pet store, I was told Orijen is the best out there in addition to the raw diet. I bought Origen and small bags of Stella and Chewy, Primal, and Honest Kitchen to try. My the other 10 year old end up with pancreatitis. She was put on IV therapy, metronidazole, and Science Diet ID can food. Then, I was told to put her on low fat Purina One Smartblend Weight management kibbles.

It has been a struggle to find low fat, good ingredients, and no/low toxin dog food. It shouldn’t be this hard.

[Susie]

I hope your doggy feels better soon. My 11 year old chihuahua was restless for a while at night. He would awake from a deep sleep during the night and sit up. He would get water, hack, and go back to sleep. His abdomen was tight and he hacked. He never had bowel issues nor did he vomit. He was diagnosed with IBD and collapsed trachea. I feel like most of his issues were IBD related. He was critically low on b12 and folate. He was treated with a few antibiotics and finally got better. We did have to put him on a very simple diet for a month to calm is GI down. We boiled yams and lean turkey and he had turkey yam mash. Now he eats The Honest Kitchen Zeal. We try to keep his fat and fiber low. I’m telling you all of this in case you can relate and apply anything to help your dog. I am sad that our dogs have to age and heir health declines. I have four seniors but I’m hoping they live to be 20 and yours can too. ❤️

[Susie]

No changes. Don’t worry, I am not wanting people here to diagnose my precious girl. If it happens again I will be at the vet asap. I’m just looking for information so I can perhaps piece it together and figure out what hers could be. If anything. She did start eating the Honest Kitchen Seal about 3 weeks ago and had a couple of their new treats, Cuddles. But she’s been on THK for a year now and her transition to the fish type was slow. She has been tolerating it well. The only other thing was she had 2 new treats yesterday. They are human grade and we’re made of fish and coconut.

[Lori J]

Hello,
I am wondering if anyone could recommend a lower sodium dog food that is good for a dog w yeast on the paws. 10 yr old Ted a poodle/mix has a enlarged heart/murmur and also a yeast problem on the 2 front paws where he can lick.The vet did a slide to confirm ~ he also has some staining under the eyes and some of skin appears to be black but he does not itch/scratch.Not sure if he has eviromental allergies or is allergic to chicken etc. He was also on antibotics a few months ago due to a ruptured cyst so that could be the reason for the yeast overgrowth. He currently eats Wellness heathly weight,I was also mixing in a lil Honest Kitchen in but stopped a couple of months ago b/c it was getting a litte expensive for 2 dogs.Anyhow I am confused what food to try that it not chicken, w/o potatoes etc as I would like to get this yeast under control w/o adding too much soduim. Thank you so much for any adviceas its so confusing!

[Susie]

I wonder too. I use 3 varieties of Honest Kitchen but don’t change brands

[Kathryn W]

The Honest Kitchen!

[suztzu]

Hello, does anyone use The Honest kitchen base mix Preference and how does it work for you ? I am thinking of switching my dogs over and adding my own meats anyones experience with this would be welcome thanks. I have a senior shih tzu with cushings and a overweight pom they are eating Fromm chicken ala veg with Weruva canned now Thanks again Susan

[Susan]

Hi Sue,
gee your doing a really good job rescuing & helping all these sick dogs, I just have 1 sick boy & some days he does my head in when he has his pain & I can’t help him & relieve his IBD pain….
alot of people just dump their sick dying cats & dogs at pounds when they’re really sick & owner doesnt want to deal with it or owner doesn’t have the money, in Australia we have “Golden Oldies rescue”, go onto F/B & up top in the search bar put “Golden Oldies Animal Rescue” Gina saves all the old sick dogs in pounds all over Australia, they’re mainly small dogs, the pounds ring up Gina when a dog comes in, in very bad condition, she takes them out under duty of care post a post on her F/b page asking for urgent foster carer if the pound is on the other side of Australia & raises money to pay the vet bills or air flight she gets the dogs & cats better some just needed meds, or teeth removed, the real sick dogs go into palliative foster care & she makes sure their last days, weeks, months comfortable & shows them love they have never had & holds them when they need to be put to sleep she calls them all her heart beats..

While reading your post it reminded me of Dr Judy Morgan in one of her videos she’s making different meals, then she has all their bowls on the kitchen bench top & adds all their different supplements & their medications to all the meals, she has about 8-9 Cavaliar dogs a few are rescues cause when she’s making the Pup loaf she has her dog Miss Madison with her…Judy uses the “Honest Kitchen” base mix Preference when making Miss Madisons meals for a month…. here’s the Pup Loaf video & Miss Madison

Here’s Monica Segals F/B group K-9 Kitchen
https://www.facebook.com/groups/K9kitchen/

[sho_me_skin_pets]

natural balance limited ingredients lamb contains neither also
honest kitchen also has several varieties w/o either fooods
would you be happy to pm you links; good luck

[Dave R]

Okay, after reading the testing for heavy metals for dog food i.e purity, I’m even more concerned. Honest Kitchen, except for their fish formula rates great but Acana and Orijen all rate 1 star with a few rating 3 which is average. Nulo also rates 1 in wet food and three in dry, which saddens me.

Has any tried that ‘I and Love and You’ brand?? Zig looks great but it has yet to grt tested. The tests also could be bunk.

[Dave R]

So, my three dry options are;

Orijen – Seens great, filler free, high protein

Acana – Looks great ingredient wise, high protein; however, there’s some horrid negative reviews on kidney failure, not sure if theyre recent or due to the new kentucky plant. And they contain catfish meal, are they not bottom dwellers?

Nulo – Not many reviews, USA Made, looks great, no negative reviews

Honest Kitchen – Already Have it. I’ll probably just add this to his dry and wet foods on occasion.
________

Wet foods;

Nulo
Koha
Natures Logic – Possible raw frozen as well
________

So man to choose from it can be overwhelming.

[Dave R]

Lots of people have said their Acana dry has caused Kidney problems once they moved to Kentucky. I am wondering what others think of Acana grasslands formula and its use of catfish meal. Are they not bottom dwellers and suck up PCB’s and all kinds of crap in the silt at the bottom.

Other than that it’s regional, not outsourcing from China an looks great! I have a medium sized poodle mix.

My other choices are dry orijen which also looks great but has a lot of protein, Koha for wet food or natures logic wet food or Nulo which seems like a great dry food, and a honest kitchen topper.

So confusing and hard to choose.

[Mary L]

The vast majority of dog food manufacturers use GMO ingredients. Most corn, sugar beets, soy and alfalfa grown in the US is now GMO. A very few companies are in the process of trying to get to 100% GMO free as a goal. Even companies listed here as non GMO, if you write to the manufacturer, they say they are not actually GMO free. They may protest that they only have a small percentage. I suppose that’s better than a higher percentage. You can look at foods such as Petcurean “Gather”, Organix, The Honest Kitchen among others. Anything organic is non-GMO, but non-GMO is not necessarily organic.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Mary L.

[Susan]

Hi Mirjana,
you need to take the full course of the Metronidazole other wise the bad bacteria just comes back again, but not as bad as the first time, you need to take the Metronidazole for 21-28 day course other wise it will keep coming back, vets & Dr’s normally say “even thought you see firm poos you must continue take antibiotics until finished” then when antibiotics are finished you give a Probiotic….Purina “Forti Floria” is a very good dog probiotic that has live good bacteria, they tested 10 dog probiotics for live good bacteria & the Forti-Floria came first…I give my boy the “Yakult” probiotic drink, I drink some then give him some as well.
She may have food sensitivities as well, that’s what Patch has “Colitis” I had to do a food elimination diet to work out what foods he’s sensitive too, also when you don’t rotate their foods & just feed the same brand & same ingredients year after year some dogs start to react to the food, this might of happened….
Why I said join the “Canine Pancreatitis Support Group” is they have grain free low fat wet tin foods, the link is in the “Files’, these wet formula’s are grain free….
Even though most low fat Intestinal vet diet don’t have the best ingredients, they have digestive enzymes, all the vitamin B’s which replace lost nutrients, electrolytes, easy to digest ingredients, in their Intestinal Health vet diet formula’s to get the dogs stomach & bowel healthy again, then when your dogs is better you can start introducing another food to the dog diet, then if your dog becomes unwell again you have a vet diet to fall back onto & make her better if needed….
If you want to feed healthy then your better off cooking healthy meals this way you know what she is eating…
Dr Judy morgan has easy to make recipes on her site, http://www.drjudymorgan.com/category/videos/
Judy uses “The Honest Kitchen” base to balance some of her meals, or you can get the normal Honest Kitchen formula’s you just add water, the Verve, Zeal & Preference have the lowest fat, but read what the fiber % is, cause in the Perferance the fiber is higher at 10%…… https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food

[a c]

Thank you for the replies. I guess it must be the different mixture of ingredients in the kibbles that make it harder to transition.

Susan, When you rotate the kibbles, do you give one kibble at a time for a month or so and then move to the next kibble or do you mix the kibbles together?

I have tried the raw diet – Stella & Chewy’s, Primal, and The Honest Kitchen. It triggered pancreatitis on one of my dogs. The fat content is too high. I now use homemade cook of ground turkey and fresh vegetables as a topper.

When I tried to transition a new kibble, the stool is always sloppy and frequency almost double. Is this normal? It’s especially hard since I am trying to toilet train my 14 weeks old puppy. He is like a stool manufacturer. 🙂 Organic pumpkin is great. I also see pumpkin for dogs and cats at the pet store. Are those have the same ingredients?

Anne, What is the steel ball that you put it in his food? Two of my dogs also inhaled their food.

[pitlove]

Yeah maybe. We haven’t sold puppies in 6 years and didn’t carry Honest Kitchen at that time.

You’re probably right that Anon was referring to PetSmart.

[pitlove]

I’m confused… chewy.com sells supplies for fish, reptiles, bunnies etc, they don’t sell live animals.

Also I have no idea about Honest Kitchen not selling to supply shops that sell live animals. We carry Honest Kitchen at my job and also sell live exotic animals.

[InkedMarie]

Makes sense. I wonder when The Honest Kitchen ends their business with Chewy: they only use stores that don’t sell animals (this was a very long time ago; I assume they haven’t changed).

[A]

I feed Grandma Lucy’s if I don’t have any actual raw on hand.
But prior I did feed honest kitchen and sojos.

Grandma Lucy’s is more kcal per cup so you’ll be feeding less.

When you feed by guidelines you want to feed the rehydrated amount.

[Teagsmom]

I have a chi/mix rescue who was fed junk at the shelter. I put her on Acana grasslands and she loved it. I just started using Primal freeze dried. She gets so excited when she smells me adding water, she starts doing circles. You may want to try a good kibble with a topper of raw (I prefer freeze dried due to convienence but you could use raw patties). You could also do one meal kibble and one meal raw.

My dog wouldn’t go near Honest Kitchen. She literally ran away. I was shocked because she’s not a super picky eater. I’ve been obsessing over what dog food to give now that my dog had some teeth extracted. My last dog was diagnosed with Cushings at age 5, was on medication his entire life and lived to 15 1/2 yrs old eating Wellness. So I’m starting to question whether I’m thinking too much into this. Good luck!

[suztzu]

Im feeding the hope version for the last couple of days its the minimal version only 7 % fat he seems to be doing ok and his digestion is very good so far the digestive enzymes are helping alot. No bits and pieces yet but I have to say the transition has been very good for both of them. The whole purpose of going to the hope version is because its low fat to avoid possible cushings side effects they are much more predisposed to pancreatitis, diabetes, high cholesterol he already has super high liver enzymes and his kidneys are shrinking a little but holding on. I am just trying to hold off the inevitable end by making his organs work as easily as possible he is 13 yrs old. He’s supposed to be on a high moisture diet low fat,
I think your ideas about home cooking and adding balance it would work really well for him I didnt know there was such a thing, I will check out the Dr Morgan videos too that might help alot.
The Honest kitchen hope is what the lady at my local natural pet market feeds her cushings dog so I thought I would try it. Thanks for your response its been really helpful given me some more areas to look at its much appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi,
it will all depend on your dog how he digests food, I know my IBD/Pancreatitis boy wouldn’t do well on Honest Kitchen, it’s high in calories over 370 Kcals per cup & it’s dehydrated, dehydrated seem harder to digest a few people have said their dogs pooed out the ingredients all un-digested….
What beef formula are you feeding, the Hope or Verve formula?? I wouldn’t feed Chickpeas (Hope) as they are harder to digest & can cause gas, also barley & carots (Verve) are hard to digest as well, maybe these ingredients have been grounded down into a powder, that will help with digesting them..

I think Pugmomsandy gave good advice, soak over night, then when you needed to feed i’d heat in a Micro wave or post a post asking for other brands that are dehydrated & need water added to rehydrate them but are more thicker like a cooked meal or wet tin foods are……
a lady from one of the IBD face book group said the Honest Kitchen was too sloppy, her dog was pooing out un-digested veggies, a few people were feeding the Zeal the ingredients are easier to digest no carrots, chickpeas or barley, but the fat-8.5% in the Zeal, also you’ll have to email Honest Kitchen & ask is the fat& the max fat% ??

Can you home cook instead for 1 of their daily meals & add the “Balance It” powder to balance the meal? https://secure.balanceit.com/
I think home cooked meals & freezing them is better, this way you know what they’re eating, I just hate the cooking part once a fortnight…..

Dr Judy Morgan has excellent easy to make healthy meals on you tube, she has about 8 dogs, a few of them have health problems, here’s one of her video’s a special pup loaf for her sick dog, she uses The Honest Kitchen Base mix Preference, she adds her own fresh ingredients to cook the pup loaves…

[suztzu]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone has used this food ? I just started my 13yr old cushings dog and my 10 yr old fat pom on this food. Hows the digestion going ? Also when rehydrating this food on the recommended 5 mins it still seems soupy is this normal ? Thanks for and advice on feeding this food I have added digestive enzymes as well Thanks

[Hav mom]

Our rescued hav of now 6 years old is a wonderful, healthy dog. However, all he has had to eat for four years is the “superior” food The Honest Kitchen. no chicken, but varying the other flavors. He was 16# when we rescued him and the vet figured 2 years old. He is now
20# and 6 years old.He likes THK food, although lately he has been leaving a small portion
of it. The vet originally told us to feed him 2X per day, so that is what we do, following the
instructions of the daily amount for his weight. Not much, total of 1/2cup dehydrated food
per day..1/4 in am 1/4 in pm with added water for rehydration. He gets his treats,but sparingly. His poop is normal. My thoughts are to change his food..thinking of the Zignature Zssentials canned or maybe kibble ( no chicken it makes him itch) and also under consideration is the Answer Pet Food. I just wonder if changing the food to a different brand may be more filling for him. Someone told me giving a dog the same food for years is not good. Is that true? My vet never said any thing about it. I would like to see if he doesn’t seem like he is hungry after a different food. He is always looking for something to eat, or is that just being a dog? Is there anyone on the forum that can give me an idea if I am on the wrong track ? appreciate any input before I made a decision to change his food. Thanks

[Sue M]

Hi Heather, sorry list my first post, so hopefully this is not a duplicate. Our 8 year old had bouts of diarrhea off and on for many years. We tried white rice, psyllium, Hills Science diet for digestive issues and all we’re temporary fixes. A few years ago we found Honest Kitchen grain-free beef and chicken. Ever since then her stools have been solid and rarely even slippery. I find it cheapest at Chewy. Com. Hope you find some help on your new puppy journey.🐶😊

[a c]

Thank you for your reply. I will try to contact them.

I have contacted Stella and Chewy’s, Primal, Honest Kitchen, and BARF world. The fat contents on raw diet are too high. I need something with fat content around 10%.