Honest Kitchen- Food for my Picky Eater

[Me and Dupree]

This is my first post but I just had to share... my little guy goes through phases where he will like a certain food for about 3 weeks and then he wants nothing to do with it. I've tried everything- oh the pet store loves me!! The salesman told me about Honest Kitchen months before I decided to try it because I did not think Dupree would like it. But after trying a few different samples, he LOVED it!!

It is the easiest thing ever!! They have several different flavors and I probably paid $30 for a box which lasted me probably 2 months or more. It's dehydrated... just add water and wait a few minutes and it's ready. It smells yummy to me too so no wonder he loves it. Not sure if anyone else has had any experience with it but I'm so excited that I had to share. **Before you take the plunge of the big box, they have smaller boxes for like $5 or maybe you can request a sample.***

Hope this helps someone else... I'm always reading this board to get advice so now I want to share my great find.

[gracielove]

I have never heard of that type of food but I will look into it. My dog hates d-o-g food. I have been making her food myself and she has even decided to reject that. I have tried all kinds of brands and sometimes she won't touch it at all and other brands she seems to love the first two times and then won't go near it. She actually will run away when I try to get her to just smell it. I have tried canned and dry. I had wanted to get her on a high quality puppy food made for small breeds but that didn't work. She will be a year old May 25. I give her chewable vitamins that she seems to like but that is the only thing d-o-g-i-s-h she accepts.

[tjdmom]

Originally Posted by gracielove

I have never heard of that type of food but I will look into it. My dog hates d-o-g food. I have been making her food myself and she has even decided to reject that. I have tried all kinds of brands and sometimes she won't touch it at all and other brands she seems to love the first two times and then won't go near it. She actually will run away when I try to get her to just smell it. I have tried canned and dry. I had wanted to get her on a high quality puppy food made for small breeds but that didn't work. She will be a year old May 25. I give her chewable vitamins that she seems to like but that is the only thing d-o-g-i-s-h she accepts.

Have you ever tried raw?
To the OP, thanks for posting this. I was thinking of trying this too. Which flavors have you tried?

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

Have you ever tried raw?
To the OP, thanks for posting this. I was thinking of trying this too. Which flavors have you tried?

No I haven't tried raw as yet. I don't know enough about it but have been reading on a thread that some people swear by it. I just want her to be healthy. I know most store brands are full of fillers that dogs don't need and are actually not good for them. What do you feed your dog?

[tjdmom]

Originally Posted by gracielove

No I haven't tried raw as yet. I don't know enough about it but have been reading on a thread that some people swear by it. I just want her to be healthy. I know most store brands are full of fillers that dogs don't need and are actually not good for them. What do you feed your dog?

I actually usually feed Prey Model Raw but Primal is a pretty good premade raw you can purchase at petstores although not petsmart or petco at least not in my area. Primal is my favorite but Nature's Variety is very popular too. You should give that a try and see how she does.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

I actually usually feed Prey Model Raw but Primal is a pretty good premade raw you can purchase at petstores although not petsmart or petco at least not in my area. Primal is my favorite but Nature's Variety is very popular too. You should give that a try and see how she does.

So your dog likes this type of food? My dog actually acts like I am trying to poison her when I offer her dog food. She wants people food but does not like what I cook for her. Honestly, how does she know?

[Me and Dupree]

@gracielove I was very skeptical at first because it looks like a soup (but if you wait about 5 mins, it thickens up) but the salesman gave me a sample of every flavor to try. Dupree liked everything but because of price- I started with a box of Keen. Normally, he gets bored but surprisingly, he ate it twice daily for weeks without any variety & that's a rare feat. Recently, I bought smaller boxes of the other flavors for $3.50 each. I went online to their website and see that they have all of the flavors and you can order sample bags for $1.00.

While I love the raw diet, this has been so much easier for my lifestyle as I work 12hrs a day and travel often so he's on the road with me.

FYI- Dupree's stool when from being small and soft to firm and A LOT more lol. Now on our walks, he goes poo twice on one walk. *Sorry for being graphic*

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Originally Posted by Me and Dupree

@gracielove I was very skeptical at first because it looks like a soup (but if you wait about 5 mins, it thickens up) but the salesman gave me a sample of every flavor to try. Dupree liked everything but because of price- I started with a box of Keen. Normally, he gets bored but surprisingly, he ate it twice daily for weeks without any variety & that's a rare feat. Recently, I bought smaller boxes of the other flavors for $3.50 each. I went online to their website and see that they have all of the flavors and you can order sample bags for $1.00.

While I love the raw diet, this has been so much easier for my lifestyle as I work 12hrs a day and travel often so he's on the road with me.

FYI- Dupree's stool when from being small and soft to firm and A LOT more lol. Now on our walks, he goes poo twice on one walk. *Sorry for being graphic*

I have tried The Honest Kitchen food for Taycie in the past but had poor results. It just didn't work for her super sensitive stomach. I loved the company but I have never seen so much poop come out of a tiny 6 pound dog. Embark really messed up her gut and she pooped 8 times a day.

I was looking over the ingredients again and then it hit me. Embark is 9.6% fiber. That is super high! Which would explain why it cleaned her system out!
I also tried other formulas but they just made her poop just as much and they were giant! Not to mention I could hear her little stomach churning all the time.

I also have a friend who feeds The Honest Kitchen and to keep the poop down she has incorporated Kibble for one meal. I think it is pretty common to see alot of poop while feeding this food.

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by gracielove

So your dog likes this type of food? My dog actually acts like I am trying to poison her when I offer her dog food. She wants people food but does not like what I cook for her. Honestly, how does she know?

I second the suggestion to try raw. Alice was the same way, basically doesn't want dog food (dry or even most canned) and if she would eat it, it would only be for maybe 3 meals tops before she turned her nose. She also has 0 interest in cooked chicken. I gave her some raw venison for the first time a few days ago and she gobbled it in like 30 seconds! Then promptly liked her lips, looked at me, and trotted into the livingroom LOL It was like, wow, you finaly gave me real food LOL. Try the premade first like Primal or Nature's Variety or Stella and Chewys, then you can research how to feed "prey model" to see if going that route is for you. I'm doing a combinating pre made and prey model (homemade) and Alice is eating every single meal like a champ You do have to get the meat/bone/organ ratio right with prey model, but the pre-packaged brands already do that for you which makes it easier but more expensive. LOL They do know, it's so funny

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by LuvTaycieGirl

I have tried The Honest Kitchen food for Taycie in the past but had poor results. It just didn't work for her super sensitive stomach. I loved the company but I have never seen so much poop come out of a tiny 6 pound dog. Embark really messed up her gut and she pooped 8 times a day.

I was looking over the ingredients again and then it hit me. Embark is 9.6% fiber. That is super high! Which would explain why it cleaned her system out!
I also tried other formulas but they just made her poop just as much and they were giant! Not to mention I could hear her little stomach churning all the time.

I also have a friend who feeds The Honest Kitchen and to keep the poop down she has incorporated Kibble for one meal. I think it is pretty common to see alot of poop while feeding this food.

That's intersting about the pooping alot (not a good sign, means they're not "using" enough of the nutrients in the food). I just looked at their site for the first time and one of the formulas has less ingredients (no potatoes or fruit) so I wonder if that would make a difference? It seems like a really terrific idea as an alternative to frozen raw pet food that I was thinking about adding into my rotation of raw, but idk why some of those ingredients are in there, they should just stick with the meat, some veggies and fruits and the minerals, and it would probably be better. You're supposed to have less poop on a raw diet. Hmmm, well since they have really cheap samples maybe I'll order the lesser ingredient one (Thrive?) and see how it goes. I bet my cats would love the cat formula, but once again, what's up with the potatos in there?

[AlicetheYorkie]

Ahhhh, I was just looking at THK website and they have a "breed spotlight" on Yorkies

[LDMomma]

We feed Honest Kitchen and love it! We use all of the varieties except Verve- my girls don't like it. I feed a different flavor at breakfast and dinner.

For those who would like to try it, e-mail the company and they will send you a couple free samples.

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by LDMomma

We feed Honest Kitchen and love it! We use all of the varieties except Verve- my girls don't like it. I feed a different flavor at breakfast and dinner.

For those who would like to try it, e-mail the company and they will send you a couple free samples.

Do you feed it exclusivly? I saw a raw feeding site where the people use Honest Kitchen, but they add some raw meat and raw meaty bones to the grain free formulas which is what I was thinking of doing.

Do you notice your girls having alot of poops like others said?

I ordered one of each of the grain free in the $3.50 trial size, so we'll see I've heard of this food, but didn't realize it was all dehydrated raw ingredients If they like it, that will be perfect for camping.

[LuvTaycieGirl]

Originally Posted by AlicetheYorkie

That's intersting about the pooping alot (not a good sign, means they're not "using" enough of the nutrients in the food). I just looked at their site for the first time and one of the formulas has less ingredients (no potatoes or fruit) so I wonder if that would make a difference? It seems like a really terrific idea as an alternative to frozen raw pet food that I was thinking about adding into my rotation of raw, but idk why some of those ingredients are in there, they should just stick with the meat, some veggies and fruits and the minerals, and it would probably be better. You're supposed to have less poop on a raw diet. Hmmm, well since they have really cheap samples maybe I'll order the lesser ingredient one (Thrive?) and see how it goes. I bet my cats would love the cat formula, but once again, what's up with the potatos in there?

When I talked with a Honest Kitchen Rep they said, some dogs seem to have issues with the flax in the food. Basically it cleaned her out. Not to mention when she is on this food not only does she poop ALOT but they are giant and are super smelly... like sickness smelly. I don't know.. it just doesn't work for her.

[AlicetheYorkie]

Originally Posted by LuvTaycieGirl

When I talked with a Honest Kitchen Rep they said, some dogs seem to have issues with the flax in the food. Basically it cleaned her out. Not to mention when she is on this food not only does she poop ALOT but they are giant and are super smelly... like sickness smelly. I don't know.. it just doesn't work for her.

It looks like the Zeal formula is the only one without flax, so if they like the samples, that's probably the one I'll try and see how they do in the poop department lol. Thanks for the info I wouldn't have figured that out if I get the same problem.