[Natalie C]

Hey all,
I have a 2 year old Chihuahua/Pug mix named Charlie. We’ve had him since he was about 9 weeks old and he’s always had a bit of a poo problem. At first we thought it was just terrible 2’s for the baby until he got older, and we moved him over to a crate. He kept having accidents in the crate and that’s when we thought, maybe it’s not potty training that’s the issue, maybe it’s the food. So we took him to the vet, around this time last year, and they said he was perfectly healthy, nothing was wrong and expressed his anal glands. He was okay for 3-4 months and the same problem happened. Went back to the vet, and nothing. After that we decided to take control of things, and he’s gone through SO many dog food brands from Royal Canin, Wellness, Solid Gold, Acana, Orijen, Sojos and Honest Kitchen.. and even home cooked, nothings worked. We took away broccoli because we think that’s one of the main things that causes his diarrhea, but it hasn’t helped much. We just lost our cat to HCM 2 months ago, which raked up quite a bill and we can’t afford to go to the vet again. He had diarrhea in his cage last night and a little poop/diarrhea this morning. He’s only had SOME kibble, water and rice thus far. Is there anything I can do to help him? I feel so bad for Charlie but I don’t know what to do. I don’t want him to keep having an upset stomach. He’s always lifting his bum in the air and I live in an apartment where I can’t let him be out whenever he would like.

****Sorry, please no rude comments about how I should be taking him to the vet. I tried asking Facebook forums and that’s all I got.. I know I should, but I can’t. I tried so hard to save my cat it nearly cost us all our savings.*****

[Susan]

Hi Steve,
the only way to know how these animals died & how the pet food is being made is buy free range organic ethically farmed meat & veggies & make your own pet meals….
If you lived in Australia we have a new ethically farmed pet food called “Frontier Pets”, the pigs, chickens & beef all run free & are feed a healthy diet, they live a pretty good life…Here’s “Frontier Pet Food” web page https://frontierpets.com.au/pages/our-purpose
There must be a few companies like our Frontier pets but in America… send Frontier Pets a email the lady will email you back & answer all your questions, ask does she know of another pet food company like her Frontier Pets but in America or Canada, she has just started & would of done a heap of research, so she may have come across another ethically farmed pet food company in America….

There’s “Ziwi Peak” an New Zealand pet food company who make high quality pet foods your dogs will love their air dried pet food & their wet tin foods, https://www.ziwipets.com/
there’s also “K-9 Natural” another NZ made pet food you add water I buy their Green Lipped Mussels. https://www.k9natural.co.nz/
Ziwi Peak & K-9 Naturals are both sold in America.
There’s “Honest Kitchen” you can use their base formula’s & add your own organic meat or buy the HK formula’s where you just add water….
There’s “Just Food For Dogs” they make pet food for dogs with certain health problems they may make an small breed all life stages formula, send them an email.. https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/vet-support-diets

Do you realise when you read the fat% & protein% on wet raw foods it hasn’t been converted to dry matter basis (kibble) yet, here’s a calculator, save this link so you can convert & know how high the fat % is in wet tin, raw food your feeding…. 5% min-fat when converted to dry matter is around 20-25%max-fat. http://www.k-9kraving.com/resources/calculator.php

Once you have found a few pet foods introduce them & make sure you rotate between 2-3 different brands so your dogs are getting a variety of different pet foods so if one of these pet foods isn’t balanced properly or has toxins etc your dogs aren’t eating the same pet food 24/7 here’s “Clean Label Project” site, this is the first year CLP has tested pet foods for toxin’s, CLP tested the most popular pet foods for lead, arsenic, pesticides, mercury, cadmium, BPA you can see which wet pet foods made the good list & the worst list…..click on “Product Ratings” up the top..
I and Love and You, Dog for Dog, Wellness, SmallBatch Pets & Stella & Chewy got 5 stars in the wet tin foods section…the fish formula’s seem to be worse & turkey & chicken formula’s rate the best. http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/product-ratings/pet-food/

[Jenn H]

Purina (higher end line like Pro Plan) and Science Diet are not as horrible as many think. I was once one of those people. Then I really learned about all the studies they do, the advancements in nutrition that have been made because of these companies and the work they do.
While my experiences are anecdotal, the dogs that I have had to feed Science Diet to have done far better than they did on the 5 star brands. It is because of the science and continued research they do.
They also treat the animals they use in trials very well. Hills keeps the animals for the entirety of their lives and tracks their health and nutrition through all stages. I don’t think there is a company that is so thorough in their research.
My youngest dog is only 2. He’s been on the most expensive foods and always had some sort of issue. Mostly mild when fed really good quality food. He did fantastic on Acana until they started making food in KY. Then his food intolerances were the worst they have ever been. He & his brother do great on Science Diet. (I also feed him The Honest Kitchen too.) His mother is fed Pro Plan. She’s thriving. She has terrible allergies too.
Hills prescription food has kept my girl from having flare ups. It’s no more expensive than the top of the line foods. She is also on FortiFlora which is made by Purina

It’s so important to do your homework. You can’t just go by the label, DFA, documentaries, blogs, etc. Nothing is that simple or black & white. We’re talking about animals. They are not so simple when it comes to their individual needs and differences.

As for Science Diet & Purina paying vet schools. They may pay to hold a seminar, but they are not influencing the course of study. (Much like a comedian or band paying a college to perform.) Students’ attendance is strictly volunteer. They are not credited or penalized.

[a c]

I have a 10 years old miniature Schnauzer with pancreatitis history. I tried to switched her to raw diet. I went to an independent pet shop. The employees there told me raw diet is the best. So I tried Stella and Chewy’s duck frozen patties, Primal’s lamb frozen chucks, and Honest Kitchen Love. Since I switched her to raw diet, her poops have always been greasy with some yellow. I have my vet ran a blood work on her. Her level was above the normal range, and my vet was also really against the idea of raw diet. They put her on Science Diet ID wet food. Now, her poops are back to normal. Thank goodness. I think the fat content on those raw diet is too high for dogs with pancreatitis.

[Susan]

Hi Tammy, Sweetie is nilly the same age my boy, he’s turning 9 in November they both will be turning 63yrs old….I’m going thru something similar at the moment with my boy who has IBD, skin allergies & food intolerances…The Hills & Royal Canine vet diets for Kidney Care & dissolving crystals are too high in fat for my boy & have ingredients that Patch can’t eat, he gets yeasty smelly skin, paws & ears when he eats, chicken, corn starch, wheat, corn gluten meal, barley & carrots…
Are you feeding the wet tin c/d or the dry c/d kibble? I’ve noticed the Wet tin vet diets have better ingredients & may not have the ingredients Sweetie is sensitive too, go on face book there’s 2 groups “Canine Kidney Disease” & Canine Kidney Disease Support group” a few people are feeding “Dave’s” pet food, Restricted diet protein low Phosphorus farmland blend in sauce wet tin, Honest Kitchen Keen, some are feeding raw or cooked diets &
a few people have been recommending Dr Harvey, he’s a Nutritionist that must do special diets for dogs with a few health problems, I haven’t had time to check out his site yet, join the f/b groups & read thru the post, you’ll probably get more info from people going thru the same health problems with their dogs…a lot are feeding the Hills K/D or C/d Multicare wet tin food..
I’m still waiting on test results from sterile urine that was taken the other day, I feel so sorry for my boy, he never seems to get a break, he starts doing really well then we have another health problem…. Good-Luck working out the best diet….. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1422252261408967/

[Stacy L]

This post seems to be getting active again, so I thought I’d follow up and let y’all know what I ended up doing with our sweet Daisy. We lost her in January of 2015, but for her last few months we fed her Honest Kitchen Preference with cooked, ground turkey mixed in. This was the lowest-fat but highest-protein concoction I could come up with. She LOVED it. Didn’t end up really gaining any weight, but she ate and that was all I could ask for at that point in time.

It was expensive and time-consuming, but when I remember how excited Daisy used to get when I was cooking up the ground turkey (I’d rinse it to get rid of any residual fat), I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. We actually kept our other dog Callie (mini poodle, 6 1/2 yo now) on the Honest Kitchen food and when we added our newest dog Tess (terrier mix, 2 1/2 yo) to the family a couple years ago started her in it as well. We have no complaints about any of their products, and I love that it’s real food.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Stacy L.

[a c]

Hi, I am new here. I feel very frustrated and don’t know what to feed my girl.

I have a 10 years old miniature schnauzer who had an episode of acute pancreatitis back in end of April. Miniature Schnauzer are pron to pancreatitis. She was on antibiotics and fluid therapy for 3 days. The vet put her on Science diet ID can food for few days and told me to transition back to her normal diet after that. The lab report from end of May suggested she level was back to normal.

She has been on Science Diet food since she was a puppy. I thought Science Diet was the best dog food out there. How dumb am I? I thought about switching her to something else.

I went to a local pet store in mid May. I was told the best dog kibble food for my girl is Orijen senior. They also sold me the idea of raw diet. I purchased Stella and Chewy’s duck frozen patties. I feed my girl half Orijen and half raw with additional blue berries, zucchini, or pumpkin. Her stool was firm but every so often with a little greasy look.

Once I finished the bag of Stella and Chewy’s duck. They told me to try Primal lamb frozen nuggets. I also brought a bag of Primal freeze dried nuggets in turkey & sardine for easy travel. I have also tried Honest Kitchen Force. Then, I noticed the fat level on Orijen senior is high, so I cut back on the kibbles. This is where problems begun. I noticed her stools are more greasy and even looser.

To make long story short. I put her on plain chicken and rice with a little pumpkin starting yesterday. I noticed she is not passing stool during our twice a day walk. She has been doing it very regularly for the past month and half after the pancreatitis. She just had a yellow, greasy, loose stool about a hour ago.

I am very frustrated right now. I don’t know what to feed her. I made a call to my vet’s office. I was told they will put her on Science Diet ID or Purina EN which I knew both of those are full of carbs, fillers, and by-products. What should I do? Can anyone help?

[crazy4cats]

Hi Melissa K-
Have you taken another stool sample in? Parasites and worms can be intermittent and are hard to detect on fecal tests. I’d also continue to give him the Forti Flora or Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form to help his digestive tract heal.

Is your pup going to be a large dog? I know that goldennoodles can range in size quite a bit depending on size of the poodle.

I hope you get this figured out. I know it’s stressful. My pups had Giardia and it took a while for me to realize it wasn’t the food and to get it treated. Good luck!

[Ashley H]

I know I’m a lot late for this post, but was hoping to help incase anyone needed it! We try and use a minimalist diet for our dog with allergies. It isn’t a kibble, but works well! Great company and human grade ingredients. It’s called Honest Kitchen. They have a couple types of protein sources and limited ingredient diets. We have also used Open Farm and my sensitive guy does great on the fish formula. I’ve also heard ziwi peak and Timberwolf are excellent. Good luck to all!

[Jennifer D]

so much good info! My other dog is on Honest Kitchen and does really well. I am thinking of moving them to a raw diet to see if that helps, and getting her on tripe and other stuff to help with the gut. I am emailing my vet right now and just tracking her food intake and bowl movements to make sure she is moving food through her digestive system. It seems kind of random so I am actually starting to track it in my calendar to make sure I have a clear understanding of what is going on.

Thank you for your response – I am going to have to read it a few times to absorb it all!

jen

[Susan]

Hi
here’s Dr Judy Morgan DVM video where she use’s the Honest Kitchen Preference base mix to make “Pup Loaf” its easy & you can cut the loaf & freeze all the meals as well, Dr Judy Morgan has a few easy videos on YouTube how to make her healthy balanced meals, her chef minces & grinds some of the meats that’s added to make meals, for some of her sick dogs, she has about 8 dogs, this is what my vet has told me to do with Patch after I bought his lean pork mince packet from a different place & the fat was higher then stated on packet of lean pork mince ….Patch had a Pancreas attack in March, vet said to buy your meat like pork loins lean beef steaks etc & trim off any fat & then grind & mince the steaks into mince meat, this way I’ll know the fat % & what I’m feeding Patch…

Your on the right track, your home cooked meals will be heathier then any kibble…. Patches Nutritionist/Naturopath said to me when Patch was being put on a raw diet for his IBD if I seen & smelt the kibble & the pet pre made raw mince being made, it would make me sick/vomit, she said the smell is awful, you’ll never feed kibble to your dog again….no matter how dear the kibble is, it’s still over processed dry kibble….

I’m always getting asked what does Patch eat his coat is soooo shinny, it looks like he’s wearing silk jacket a man told me today at the park…. My secret & what most Australian do, we add either tin sardines, a few sardines to 1 of the dogs meal or tin salmon in spring water to the dogs diet….just drain the spring water…. I make tin pink Salmon Potato Cakes, Patch & the cat love them, you add 1 x whisked egg & the crushed egg shell, boiled potatoes, chopped parsley & chopped kale….

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan Pup Loaf video-

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan’s “Naturally Healthy Pets” site & “How To Make Pup Loaf” ingredient list without adding the Honest kitchen Base Mix & balancing the meal naturally yourself, it will probably be heathier & cheaper then buying the Honest Kitchen dehydrated Base mix..
http://www.drjudymorgan.com/how-to-make-homemade-puploaf/

I’ve read a few people’s post on here DFA & Face Book & they say cause THK veggies are dehydrated they don’t swell up properly or form & some dogs poo the veggies straight out, some dogs do very sloppy poos when eating THK mixes maybe that’s the THK meals where you just add the water???

[Susan]

Hi Mon C
here’s Dr Judy Morgan DVM video where she use’s the Honest Kitchen Preference base mix to make “Pup Loaf” its easy & you can cut the loaf & freeze all the meals as well, Dr Judy Morgan has a few easy videos on YouTube how to make her healthy balanced meals, her chef minces & grinds some of the meats that’s added to make meals, for some of her sick dogs, she has about 8 dogs, this is what my vet has told me to do with Patch after I bought his lean pork mince packet from a different place & the fat was higher then stated on packet of lean pork mince ….Patch had a Pancreas attack in March, vet said to buy your meat like pork loins lean beef steaks etc & trim off any fat & then grind & mince the steaks into mince meat, this way I’ll know the fat % & what I’m feeding Patch…

Your on the right track, your home cooked meals will be heathier then any kibble…. Patches Nutritionist/Naturopath said to me when Patch was being put on a raw diet for his IBD if I seen & smelt the kibble & the pet pre made raw mince being made, it would make me sick/vomit, she said the smell is awful, you’ll never feed kibble to your dog again….no matter how dear the kibble is, it’s still over processed dry kibble….

I’m always getting asked what does Patch eat his coat is soooo shinny, it looks like he’s wearing silk jacket a man told me today at the park…. My secret & what most Australian do, we add either tin sardines, a few sardines to 1 of the dogs meal or tin salmon in spring water to the dogs diet….just drain the spring water…. I make tin pink Salmon Potato Cakes, Patch & the cat love them, you add 1 x whisked egg & the crushed egg shell, boiled potatoes, chopped parsley & chopped kale….

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan Pup Loaf video-

Here’s Dr Judy Morgan’s “Naturally Healthy Pets” site & “How To Make Pup Loaf” ingredient list without adding the Honest kitchen Base Mix & balancing the meal naturally yourself, it will probably be heathier & cheaper then buying the Honest Kitchen dehydrated Base mix..
http://www.drjudymorgan.com/how-to-make-homemade-puploaf/

I’ve read a few people’s post on here DFA & Face Book & they say cause THK veggies are dehydrated they don’t swell up properly or form & some dogs poo the veggies straight out, some dogs do very sloppy poos when eating THK mixes maybe that’s the THK meals where you just add the water???

[aimee]

Hi Mon C,

I’m like Rachel.. I shred the meat post cooking to mix in better and as anon said I don’t serve as chunks as mine are gulpers I worry about choking. When using Honest Kitchen bases mixes keep in mind that according to the nutritional information the company posts the mixes plus protein don’t make a complete and balanced diet. The only premix I’ve found to make complete and balanced meals are the ones from balanceit dot com.

When I fed Preference to my dog the food components came out looking exactly as they went in. I think this is because the dehydrated components of some sources are not digestible. If I cooked the food after rehydrating them the food appeared digested.

[Anna B]

My dog has those exact symptoms with a food he can’t tolerate and he also has environmental issues. We’ve had luck with Petcurean’s Go! Sensitivity + Shine Limited Ingredient Diets. He specifically does well on the duck but I know they have salmon, turkey, duck, and venison formulas in their limited ingredient line. It doesn’t have potatoes but does have peas/lentils. If you aren’t certain that peas are a problem, I would recommend giving it a try! The Honest Kitchen Zeal is fish and sweet potatoes, so that might work for him. Finding a dry dog food that only has sweet potatoes as the binder in the kibble is difficult. Have you considered trying a commercial raw food?

[Susan]

Hi Jessica, my boy has IBD Skin Allergies, Food Intolerances & Pancreatitis….he needs a diet high in Omega 3…When I have feed any vet diets for his IBD & Skin problems that had fish, oil, soybean oil, coconut oil he got bad acid reflux, same with premium kibbles, if they had fish or salmon oil, he’d get acid reflux, he grinds his teeth when he gets his acid reflux….. I’m the same I cant take any fish oil supplements, I get acid reflux…

The other day I won $100 to spend at the Chemist, I asked the lady pharmacist what can I take for my arthritis, I need Omega 3 but every time I’ve taken fish Oil capsules I keep burping up the fish taste & get acid reflux, same as my dog, she told me Krill Oil capsules are more milder & are easier on the stomach, good for people with digestive issues like yourself, so that’s something to remember..

I follow “Rodney Habib” on his facebook page & I’ve learnt a lot about healthy foods
to add to Patches diet, I’ve also be adding them to my diet as well lol
Almonds are very high in Omega 3 fatty acid, a dog can have 3 Almonds a day but I bite 1/2 of the almond & I give Patch the other 1/2 of the almond this way it’s the size as a small kibble & I tell him to chew it, I started with just giving him 1 almond a day then after 5 days, I gave him 2 x 1/2 almonds a day, till we got too 3 almonds a day….
K-9 Natural, freezed Dried Green Lipped Mussels are very healthy & not greezy….
Sardines, Salmon & Tuna in spring water or Olive Oil, not brine, I give Patch small tin salmon, all water drained, I add some boiled sweet potato & broccoli as a small meal…. Patch has a beautiful shinny coat but I do feed “Canidae” Pure Wild Boar kibble for a few of his meals, I rotate between a few different things & have made his gut healthier & stronger, when I rescued him he couldn’t eat anything without having sloppy, bloody poos or up 2am having diarrhea it was awful, now 4 yrs on & he can eat pretty much anything as long as it isn’t any food’s he’s sensitive too….
I’ve read a few dogs haven’t done well on the Honest Kitchen formula’s, I think it’s the freeze dried pieces of veggies & meat, they stay small, hard & don’t reconstitute back to bigger, softer veggies & can’t be digested properly causing intestinal problems……
Dogs can’t chew their foods like we do & don’t have salivary amylase (digestive enzymes in their salvia) so they can’t break down the Cellulase walls in the vegetable, fruit or grass,
Cellulase digests plant matter, that’s why when you feed a raw diet you have to blend & break down the veggies, fruit & make them into a pulp liquid…Same when a dog eats grass it either comes back up vomit or comes out in their poo undigested, the Chlorophyll in the grass settles their stomach…. I let Patch eat a little bit of grass no longer then 1 minute, it can cause diarrhea, it cleans him out…
*Foods High in Omega 3 fatty acids are
Spinach
Chia Seeds
Flax Seed Oil cold pressed
Canola Oil Patch does best when the kibble has Canola oil, Flax Seed Oil (No Acid Reflux)
Almonds
Walnuts
Green Lipped Mussels
Sardines, Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna
Soybeans
Tofu

[Karyn S]

Hello,
I originally posted a similar message to the Large Breed Puppy forum and am re-posting to this forum hoping to gain more feedback.

I will be welcoming a German Shepherd puppy in about a month and have been trying to determine the best dehydrated, freeze-dried or raw diet to start her on. (I do not have the capacity to do an entirely raw diet, but could add raw toppers to meals.)

I’ve read through all pages (in the Large Breed Puppy forum) and just when I feel I have a direction, something changes it.

I started with Hound Dog Mom’s latest list, which includes some Raw and a couple of The Honest Kitchen dehydrated options for large breed puppies. Since the list is a bit older, I reached out to a couple of the companies (for far, Stella and Chewy’s and THK) specific to average/maximum calcium and received conflicting information, which leads me to believe formulas have changed since list was compiled.

Does anyone have recommendations for a dehydrated, freeze-dried and/or raw option(s) that would have safe calcium/phosphorous levels for a large breed puppy?

Thank you in advance!

[Shela E]

Do you have a suggestion as to ordering any of these online? I live in a very rural area, I must drive 140 miles round trip for raw food. I have a BC and an Aussie and feed mostly primal, OC, and Vital Essentials, my raw food bill is very high. One dog has food triggers, so really have to watch ingredients. Also use Honest Kitchen.

[CockalierMom]

Hi Rich,

I have a different viewpoint and experience from anon101. Based on the experiences that I have had, your initial instinct of going with a limited ingredient diet would be the best to start. The Acana you were feeding had lentils, beans, chickpeas and peas. Any one of those ingredients are a candidate to cause poo issues and I would limit as many of those ingredients as possible. My girl that had problems with soft and runny poos when she was a puppy now does fine as long as I stay away from grains and a limited amount of chickpeas–green peas do not bother her. She eats Wellness Simple Turkey or Salmon, and I sometimes add a little Wellness Complete Grain Free, with Honest Kitchen Preference and my own cooked meat as a topper. My other girl that had serious food issues eats mostly Honest Kitchen and a few Wellness kibbles. As you and I both know, Honest Kitchen is not a supplement or a scam.

Although Natural Balance LID diets are lower protein, they truly are limited ingredients with only one protein and one carb source. I use to feed their Kangaroo and Potato formula before it was discontinued. My personal opinion though is to try Wellness Simple first.

[anonymous]

I have never added pumpkin anything to anything. And I stay away from honest kitchen anything. Just doesn’t make any sense to me. Most supplements are scams (in my opinion).

[Rich H]

We were adding pumpkin and honest kitchen protein topper to the previous food. Not sure if we plan to do that with what we choose now.

The grain free part is least important to me compared to the no chicken and limited ingredients/sensitive stomach

[C C]

It has been about 6 months now from our original posts here and since we lost our Sheltie, and the complaints just keep coming. It is so disgusting that they are still making excuses for anything and everything from this Kentucky manufacturing plant and blaming anyone and everyone else. It is absolutely an abomination. Lesson learned. I am so very thankful that I cook my own fresh meat and vegetables now for my new Sheltie puppy, adding it to Honest Kitchen, and she is doing great. No chemicals, no “hair”, no metal contamination, no pieces of plastic wrapping, road kill, or “slime” from being rancid, etc. It is amazing to me that the dog food industry is interested purely in profit and not animal lives. Once upon a time canned dog food used to be human grade as a regular product, but no more. So very sad, and I have not heard back from my report to the FDA either.

[Hav mom]

Wondering if any one has tried the new Mussel Green lipped freeze dried natural
treats for Dogs from The Honest Kitchen? Am considering it for my dog who loves treats and he will still get his Omega 3! (I now give him Dr.Mercola Krill Oil in his food, but treats
are nicer 🙂 )Also, I Just heard about a new food Human Grade Dog Food at cheweys called Tylee’s.
Anyone know anything about it??

[Acroyali]

As far as shampoo goes, I love Dr. Goodpet’s hypoallergenic line. The Honest Kitchen sells a shampoo (in bar form) that contains nothing but goats milk and essential oils (you might want to order a bar for yourself, that stuff is amazing!) Burt’s Bee’s has a nice hypo line too.

I don’t care for oatmeal shampoos, personally. My dogs have never felt nice after bathing with oatmeal shampoo, and for any dog who could possibly have an allergy or intolerance to oats (or grains), it might not be the best choice to pour it over their porous skin but that’s JMO.

[Amy S]

Yes, I know Honest Kitchen is a mix and you add protein to it. I just wanted to know if anyone had any comments about it.

[Karen D]

Hi, I was going through the same thing with my 15 yr. old Cocker, one Vet said food allergies, but restricting her at her old age was not in her best interest. I tried the Honest Kitchen Turkey, still runny poop, I tried the Honest Kitchen poop firmer powder which worked for a short while. I tried Orijen Senior, she didn’t like it. Then she was diagnosed with a heart murmur & while adjusting to that I bought Acana Duck & Pear, she loves it but the runny poop issue returned, back in forth to vet, prescription dog food, dry & canned, she wouldn’t eat most of it. So I started cooking whole turkey breast for her along with veggies, rice, pasta etc added to the Acana….but what really has solved the problem is….1/4 Metronidazole tab twice a day everyday…no runny poop since last Oct. It’s a bitter pill so I put it inside a gelatin capsule & wrap in turkey. Vet is happy with the regimen & when asked if it was Colitis she said “probably”. Now she can eat a variety of things without the tummy noise.

[Amy S]

On further research, I’m now looking at either Honest Kitchen Preference or Dr Harvey’s Canine Health for my dog’s PLN. Has anyone had experience with either in relation to a lower protein diet? thx!

[C C]

Susan B: Take your baby off Acana, Orijen or any from that Kentucky plant. He probably is lethargic and has bad breath due to what possibly rancid contents is doing to his insides, which can’t be handled with the best dental health. There are many quality dog foods available like Honest Kitchen and/or cooking your own for him or use as a mix like we do. I will never let another dog suffer from what was supposed to be the best dog food and willing to pay the best as well, again. It was one of the worst experiences of our lives. Now we can only pray it is a testimony to others to safe them grief on many levels. Blessings to you!

[Jessica W]

After trying many. many types of food for my dog, all of which resulted in digestive issues, I’ve decided to start researching a homemade diet for him. He was last on The Honest Kitchen Force formula, which is grain fee and has fish as the only protein. He originally was getting their grain free Beef recipe, but he’s been low energy and always acting hungry, so I tried Force. After about a week we noticed that he was gulping a lot after eating as if he had acid reflux. He was also moping and seemed miserable. Finally, he had a little, shall we say, some highly smelly leakage, while asleep on the couch. The vet had us put him on a bland diet for a couple of days and said that a diet high in fish can cause problems like this sometimes.

This led me to decide that I need to have more control over what he eats. What gives me pause about home cooking is that every source I’ve looked at suggests fish oil as a necessary supplement, but I’m afraid that taking it regularly will make him sick. EPA and DHA are especially important in his case because he has toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that lives on the brain stem and causes swelling, which results in seizures. I’ve noticed that diets high in EPA and DHA really help to control seizure activity.

I’m already pretty overwhelmed by all of the information about supplements. Does anyone know of something I could use in place of fish oil for my dog? Thanks!

[Oliver V]

Hi everyone! I’d appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.

I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix that’s 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchen’s beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.

Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?

Thanks in advance!

[Oliver V]

Hi everyone! I’d appreciate your thoughts on alternating dehydrated food (The Honest Kitchen Beef Recipe) with a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet.

I have a chihuahua/tibetan spaniel mix that’s 8 month-old and 10 pounds. I rescued him 3 months ago and started out feeding him Taste of the Wild dry food. He was getting cheap/unhealthy supermarket kibble at the shelter. A few weeks ago I switched him over to The Honest Kitchen’s beef dehydrated food realizing it is more species appropriate than kibble and just as convenient. That said, I still think a homemade nutritionally balanced raw diet is the optimal option, but I want my dog to adapt to more than one form of food and make it more manageable from a time investment perspective as feeding raw one meal per day would allow the supply to last much longer.

Any thoughts? Is this a good idea?

Thanks in advance!

[Elaine C]

I always recommend the honest kitchen. They will make a custom food for you if needed. I live their no grain dog food. You can get it with meat or without to add your own to. They may have dry food alsi, I’m not sure. I don’t and wouldn’t feed dry.

[C C]

I’ve very sad (and disgusted) that after all this time from my very first post and reporting this to the FDA, that nothing has been done with Acana and Origen from the new Kentucky plant. Since we lost our Katie and now have a new girl, I have learned a ton. First, dog food is big business and the main goal with most is money, not pet health. The things that are done out there should be criminal, but they’re not in most cases. So it is up to pet parents to protect our dogs. First, please don’t buy dog food that has fish oil in it if at all possible because it will get rancid within days of opening. This is why vitamin stores sell fish oils to humans in small pills, dark bottles, and with a packet in the bottle for freshness. And if a liquid, instructions to refrigerate. Second, I know it is even more expensive with a quality food and larger animal, but it is best to buy smaller bags and keep the food in the bag and then in an air tight container. This protects ingredients (think about how you handle your own food). We have settled on Grain Free Merrick turkey and varying it with Grain Free Honest Kitchen (which is human grade food) and we make our own cooked chicken. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t once in the rhythm of it and gives your dog a variety. The Honest Kitchen can be made for 3 days and kept refrigerated and our girl is thriving on this combination. Much better than vet bills or loss of a pet in the long run, which is the worst heartache ever. I wish everyone the very best in discerning what is best for their precious family member.

[Elaine C]

I nominate The Honest Kitchen grain free with dehydrated meat (all kinds) and their Preference & Kindly Base mixes you add your own meat to. All are human quality ingredients.

I also recommend Weruva canned dog food. An excellant food with limited, quality ingredients.

Thanks for all you do for our beloved pets. I am so sorry you lost Penny.

[Susie]

Thanks Jessica and Susan! Susan, I guess fish oil can cause heartburn. Is that why it’s not always good?
Jessica, I have been experimenting with handfeeding Max versus letting him gobble food down and he is way better when I make him eat slowly out of a spoon or my fingers. It definitely can cause gi troubles. I’ve been dealing with max and his inflammatory bowel disease for a while now and hand feeding helps. While I’m scared of drugs, I am giving Max the lowest dose Pepcid (per vets) every 24 hours. Wow if I don’t give it to him he coughs and regurgitates. The reflux is real. With the Honest kitchen I’ve also found it is better for max if I don’t make it too soupy. It comes back up the esophagus too easily. Just telling you these random things in case it can help you. Also I grind it in a coffee grinder before making it and let it sit over night in the fridge. The ladies from THk told me to do this for better digestion. I don’t like to give mine peanutbutter because of the sugar. I wouldn’t but a lot of people do. Just think it can feed the bacteria in their gut. Also consider a probiotic. I guess I’m off track. Maybe your kiddo just really loves the food and wants more! I’m kinda a psycho dog momma and I soak my dogs’ paws in a large Rubber bin after walks. I use diluted vinegar or diluted providing iodine to clean their feet. I am hoping it is why they don’t really have paw issues. And I agree that mine stopped ictching on THK but it is probably because we stopped chicken at the same time.

[Susan]

Hi my Patch keep waiting in kitchen near the food cupboard to be feed again when he had his acid reflux… he was put on Losec an ant acid reducer & his diet was changed (no grains) & touch wood he’s all good again until I feed a something that causes him to get his acid reflux…Have you tried feeding something else & see does this continue? have a look at the Zeal (fish) the protein is a bit higher, the fat is lower at 8.5% & the fiber is 5.8% isn’t as high as the Love is & feed 4 smaller meals a day & feed the same time everyday….. can you cook? peel & boil sweet potatoes & buy 1kg (2lbs) of lean grounded beef mince, I make beef rissoles baked in the oven, I add 1 whisk egg, finally cut up about 1/2 cup broccoli no stems, peel & grate 1 small carrot, 1 teaspoon finally cut up parsley mix all together & make 1 cup size rissoles, put on a foil lined baking tray & bake in oven then about 15mins when 1/2 cooked take them out rissoles & drain any excess water/fat & turn them all over then bake till cooked, boil some peeled & cut up sweet potatoes cool & freeze the rissoles & sweet potatoes then take out the day before & thaw in fridge & feed the next day, do this for 3 days & see is he still acting hungry….
I was feeding Sunday Pets, a New Zealand dehydrated dry big biscuits, Patch loved them but I think cause they were higher in fat & I was adding water cause they were dehydrated they swelled up when water was added, then it was causing his acid reflux to come back again, something wasn’t agreeing with him but he kept eating & wanting them, the nut……
It’s hard to tell when they get acid reflux, they can’t talk & tell us, some dogs start licking & licking their lips & swallowing, Patch grinds his teeth & makes weird mouth expressions & he gets his toys/balls & bites & bites & shakes them… the only way to know is feed something else that’s lower in fat for a few days & stop the Honest Kitchen & see does he stop doing what he’s doing….

[Jessica W]

Hello. I’ve been on this site before for the dog food reviews, but this is my first time posting. My dog has a condition called toxoplasmosis. For those of you who are unfamiliar with toxoplasmosis, it is a parasite that lives on the brainstem and causes swelling which result in seizures or seizure like symtoms (shaking, twitching, ect). After hearing about how The Honest Kitchen has helped reduce seizure activity in dogs with epilepsy, I decided to try it out for my dog. I started feeding it to my dog in November and not only is he having less seizure symptoms, but he no longer suffers from chronic itching and soft stools/gas, plus he’s shedding way less.

So it sounds like he should be doing awesome now, right? One difference I’ve noticed that has me concerned is that he’s constantly wanting to be fed. Now don’t get me wrong, he has always begged for food pretty often, even when no one is in the kitchen or eating. But now it seems like he begs way more. He even stops playing after just a few minutes to go sit by the spot where we put his food bowl for meals. He’s a Jack Russell/Rat terrier mix and normally has all the energy Jack Russells are know for having- he’s a total adrenaline junkie and will play for long periods of time before losing interest or getting tiered. Now I can’t decide if his energy level is off, or if he’s just feeling really hungry. He isn’t as playful and goofy as usual. Could it be that The Honest Kitchen isn’t filling him up enough? He is eating the grain free beef recipe called Love. It’s high in fiber, but lower in protein so perhaps it doesn’t give him the fuel he needs to get through the day? Has anyone else who has fed this food had a similar experience?

This is the first food that has helped his digestion problems and chronic itching, but it still doesn’t seems to be right for him. Does anyone have suggestions for alternative foods? Thank you!

[Stephanie S]

My lab/golden has IBD. We’ve been trying for a year and a half to find a food that doesn’t cause vomiting or diarrhea. Through trial and error we’ve figured out she needs very low fat, very low fiber, no white or sweet potatoes, and no kibble. Our latest experiment has been with Sojo’s original pre-mix with cooked chicken breast (I’m afraid to feed raw meat to a dog with a compromised immune system.) The first three days she loved it and her stools were firm. Then she threw up but it looked like just the chicken so we wrote it off as a fluke and persevered. Now she doesn’t want to eat the Sojo’s – she tries to pick the chicken out. She hasn’t thrown up in two days and her stools are still excellent. She behaved the same way with Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy’s. Meanwhile we’ve tried several canned foods that she will eat enthusiastically despite the gas and cow patty stools they cause. Does anyone have any idea why these mixes might not sit right with her, despite the good output? I’m soaking the Sojo’s overnight. Our vet has no idea why she stops eating it. Also wondering if the oats, etc., in the Sojo’s are cooked – they don’t look it, so might it be causing bloat

[Susan]

Hi,
if you can afford it, contact a Animal Nutritionist & have a few freshly balanced homemade meal made up for him, it will be better then feeding the dry Hills W/d food, the Hills W/d is very very high in fiber, maybe that’s could be why he’s drinking & drinking water or try feeding the wet tin Hill W/d food instead of the W/d dry kibble… What has the vet said??
I just posted this link on another post, google Dr Judy Morgan DMV she has a few dogs with Cushing’s, go to her F/B page & ask does she have a video recipe on You-tube for a dog with Cushing’s… I’ve seen Judy making a recipe & adding a supplement for her 2 girls with Cushing’s….she also used the Honest Kitchen base meal to balance one of her meals, I think that was the meal for her girls with Cushing’s…. also have you joined the Cushing F/B group??

[Susan]

Hi,
the best foods to feed any dog is fresh whole healthy foods, try & replace 1 kibble meal with a healthy balance cooked meal or start adding 2 tables spoons of fresh foods to the kibble, they have proven by adding 2 tablespoon of fresh foods to kibble reduces the chances of your dog getting cancer, add whatever your eating for dinner add to the kibble as long as it’s not a hot curry & onions.. or make a little bit extra & don’t feed any kibble for dinner….

Look up Dr Judy Morgan DMV on You-Tube she has balanced easy to cook meals, she uses The Honest Kitchen base meals in some of her recipes..
3 simple recipes, go to 2.24mins if you want to skip the intro…

[Susie]

I am interested in this as well. I have a 10 yr old Chi also. I’ve been feeding him The Honest Kitchen Kindly base mix and adding boiled turkey. I have Zeal (fish) on order because I want to try variety. Mine has IBD (not sure which one as we haven’t done major testing) so I wanted something with good ingredients and nothing funky. It is really high in fiber which is why I’m wanting to try Thr fish. High fiber isn’t the best for IBD. Anyway, you may look into THK. I’ve fed several brands of frozen raw which they did well on but the canned foods we have tried didn’t go over so well. We hated Weruva and Zignature. Looking forward to what others recommended. As far as yours lacking energy, you may want to check her b12 level. Mine had a very low level and since supplementing he’s so much perkier and playful.

[Cara H]

Have you tried honest kitchen or sojo? Also there is one online called sportdogfood i found with limited ingredients.

[Nesil N]

Thank you so much CC. I will check Honest Kitchen. I like the idea you are using the combination. I really appreciate the feedback very helpful. So wonderful hearing about the improvement of your baby..

[C C]

I’m so sorry to hear this, Nesil N, and pray your boy is good now and will be fine going forward. We have chosen to use a combination of home cooked chicken and some vegetables added to both Honest Kitchen grain free chicken or Merrick grain free turkey…all for a little variety as well as safety. We would do all home cooked, but research as told us that all human food does not provide the total necessary nutrients dogs need. Our baby is thriving now! Best wishes to you!

[virginia R]

Hi Stephanie – there is a good facebook group called “home cooked diets for dogs” which has a lot of information – the files are excellent and only well researched and scientifically supported data is included. I had tried with one canine nutritional specialist but her formula did not work for my dogs (exceptionally high in starches). I’m now “cheating” with The Honest Kitchen Preference Base Mix. It’s freeze dried vegetables and fruit and essential vitamins and minerals. This product requires you to add the meat/protein – so you know what your dog is eating. It’s a lot easier than making the meals completely from scratch, and might be a nice way to start the home cooking process. My dogs are both doing very well on this diet. One is youngster with pancreatitis and joint issues – we’ve almost totally transitioned her off prescription diet.

[Denise C]

Matt,

You might try one of the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet formulas. I’m a pet sitter so I see how dogs do on different foods on a daily basis. Whenever dogs have issues with loose stool, I recommend they switch over to natural balance potato and duck formula. I almost always see immediate improvement after they switch over.

If you’re willing to go the dehydrated food
route, Honest Kitchen will likely do the trick as
well. Dogs on on Honest Kitchen always have solid poop from what I’ve seen

Other brands that are good for sensitive stomAchs are Orijen, Acana, and Nutro.

You can also try adding some canned pumpkin (no sugar) or cooked yams to the food to help bull up the stool.

[Krista B]

Try fruitables, it’s a digestive supplement. Also perfect form by honest kitchen is a good one. Sometimes adding some calcium will firm up loose stools. For example in canned whole sardines there are soft bones that provide calcium. Also RMB’s (raw meaty bones) will work.

[C C]

It is good that your dog refused to eat, Emmett B., since as we can all see the various sicknesses suffered. We have a new puppy now after the Acana mess and we are feeding her a combination of Honest Kitchen and Merrick grain free turkey. Honest Kitchen especially is human grade and very quality food. Best wishes with your boy and remember to gradually transition him to whatever you choose.

[Bea K]

I honestly do believe that the company isn’t purposely and knowingly wanting to put any pet in danger. Like any new formula or changes to what we are use to in feeding our 4 legged loved ones, there should be more testing of the product to reassure the customers it’s as safe or more safe than before. After doing more research I was able to find out some answers on why they built a new plant in Kentucky. The resources in Canada are limited, like eggs, poultry and the ingredients in general since they (Champion) supply to at least 80 countries and an ever growing USA market. They are very aware of the issues and are continuing to work on the concerns the consumers have. I’m a person who comes down very hard on companies off the bat then do more research which is the wrong way or approach. What needs to be done is to notify the FDA as CC has done, for mostly one purpose, not to shut them down but to make sure the pet food is safe and we don’t pay the price by our pets getting sick. My concerns about the plant in the USA is because of the GMO food chain we have in the U.S. as well as all the chemicals we put in the ground for insect and weed control, antibiotics and hormones in animals added to the pet food. Animals are much more susceptible to it but aren’t able to communicate before it’s too late in some cases. We also have the fears of past recalls where massive amounts of animals have died before the FDA was able to respond. I ask anyone who suspects its the pet food, to set aside a measurable amount to be tested should there be an issue. For me, I’m going to take out a half cup from each bag with its expiration date and batch that’s stamped on every bag should something go awry later. Not just for Orijen but for any dog food of any brand in the future. Believe it or not, Canada has much less restrictions for pet food than we have in the USA. Partially relieved but not completely given my issues stated above. On a side note; A year or so ago the FDA removed dog treats from shelves with ingredients from China that were killing pets but couldn’t find anything detectable so they were put back on the shelves. Just because they couldn’t find anything doesn’t mean there wasn’t some sort of new chemical added that the FDA doesn’t know to test for. To shorten the time for you, I’ve listed what I think are important for notification.
Please call Champion Canada at 780 784 0300 with your questions, issues or concerns,
By State FDA Phone Numbers http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm Orijen Kentucky Plant website https://www.orijen.ca/dogstar-kitchens/?lang=us&lang=us Like everyone else, I don’t want to have to worry about what I’m feeding my pet kid wondering if what he’s eating is safe. Sorry for being so long winded…

[Krista B]

Hi,

For anal gland issues try adding produce like canned pumpkin, other veggies and small amounts of fruits. Have you heard of olewo.com? They have dehydrated beets and carrots that you rehydrate and add to your dogs meals. These foods have fiber so this will be beneficial for the anal glands. There’s also a supplement called perfect form by the honest kitchen that can be used for fiber and to regulate stools. Fruitables has a digestive supplement that can be used as well which also has pumpkin as it’s main ingredient. Probiotics are good for helping firm up stool. You can but probiotic powder or use foods that naturally have probiotics in them such as yogurt, Keifer, or fermented vegetables. Also just ground bone from sardines will naturally firm up the stool. There’s many different ways to add fiber. You can pick one or a few and you will be good to go. Good luck!

[crazy4cats]

Hi SummerRainAussi-

I often use The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form when I’m rotating to a new kibble. It works very well, IMO, to help thru the transition and firm up the stools. Also FortiFlora is a probiotic that works great as well. Perfect Form should just be used short term, but you can use the FortiFlora long term if needed.

I’ve had very good luck with Whole Earth Farms, NutriSource and Taste of the Wild kibble too.

Good luck!