(I have this on my kitchen wall for Wes to refer to, if I am away)

Boogie has been eating The Honest Kitchen for about 1 1/2 years now. I alternate between most of the formulas: Force, Embark, Keen, Thrive ... but stick mostly to Keen because:

1. Boogie does better with grains in his food and Keen has oats.
2. Keen is cheaper than the other formulas
3. Keen takes the shortest amount of time to absorb water and firm-up. The other formulas, with the exception of Force, stay “soupy/liquid” for a longer time.
4. Keen produces the least amount of poop (Will elaborate on this, later! )

We have had no issues with The Honest Kitchen at all. He has been doing really well on it  (compared to previous foods that made him throw up) but I am still always on the lookout for other brands that are of the same high quality as THK . I don’t want to become totally dependent on one brand and its limited range of  protein choices. I am also always trying to give Boogie some variety in his diet.

Lately I have been mixing in some HALO’s Spot’s Stew .

I first read about HALO on Tracie Hotchner’s blog.

See THIS post, and Tracie’s reply in the comments:

Halo’s Spot’s Stew is now the only kibble my dogs are going to get because I learned that they use only meat that is fit for human consumption in their dry and canned foods. You can’t get better than that! It is also a high protein kibble at 33% but the vital fact is the origin of that protein. You don’t really know what is being counted as protein in foods with much higher protein levels (EVO being one). Remember that melamine AND the wheat gluten which it polluted were both being counted in a total protein percentage when neither was really bio-available to the dogs digestive system. So don’t be sure of what exactly caused it when your dog has a bad reaction to a food – just avoid it! As for The Honest Kitchen, my dogs have been eating it for years as 1/3 of their meal. As large dogs, I have always given 1/3 of the meal as kibble but now I can feel really good about it! And Halo has joined me as a website sponsor – along with THK – so you’ll be keeping it all “in the family.”

70/30 THK Keen + Halo, with Perfect Form & Ultra Oil

Our local pet store doesn’t sell HALO kibble so I am starting him off with the canned stuff.

I mix it in with THK – maybe 30 – 50%, and Boogie loves it and we have had no problems. So far he has  tried the Chicken, Salmon and Lamb.  One thing I notice is that when I feed mostly Halo (approx. 80%) Boogie’s poop is harder, darker and sometimes  “pebbly” – perhaps a sign of constipation?  I wonder if this is because there is lower water and fiber content in the Halo canned food than in THK?  Boogie doesn’t drink much water to begin with. (He’s a strange dog)

Speaking of poop…

I think most THK people are already aware that this food produces a HUGE amount of poop compared to other brands. Which can be a little scary at first.  For my friend Christa, whose Emma is incontinent and wears a diaper,  the poop issue is more problematic. Here’s a little list that Christa and I came up with after comparing our THK “feeding and pooping” notes.

The Honest Kitchen POOP CHART. Yes, I am a crazy dog person.

If you feed The Honest Kitchen and/or Halo, please share your thoughts!

Sniff this at TheHonestKitchen

$16

Sniff this at TheHonestKitchen

$16

Super Troopers.  Hilarious movie.

Lately, I’ve been reminded of my crazy cat and to be honest, I actually miss him a lot although I really didn’t think I was going to… he’s probably one of the most annoying-est cats to ever live with, but I miss his smothering companionship now.

Let me tell you about Manny… against all logical reasoning, I went out to ‘rescue’ a cat.  I had just volunteered some time at a spay/neuter shuttle and was a little appalled at the cat numbers in rescue/shelters so I thought I should do my part and give one of them a home.  I only looked at descriptions that said “got along with dogs & cats” and ended up adopting him from Pulaski County Humane Society.  His former name was Tinker… but I didn’t think that was a good name for a 13 pound grey tabby.  He came home during the 2004 World Series and I was rooting for the Red Sox thus the name Manny replaced Tinker.  This cat is crazy and for the most part, NOT a normal cat.  Apparently as a kitten, he was found almost to his death in a field when the former family’s little boy found him and they nursed him back to health… orphaned kitten… never learned how to be a real cat.

We find TWO bedroom apartments specifically to house the cat in one of the bedrooms.  Spoiled cat — that’s his little domain.  He gets locked up at night and gets locked up when no one’s home because he is more destructive than all 3 of our dogs put together.  Yes, I declawed his ass.  Call me cruel, I don’t care, but he was shredding the carpet that we did NOT own AND our dog’s noses AND for his own safety because one day I feared that Oscar would lose his OTHER eye and then I’d have to kill him or that one of the other dogs would eat him instead. 

Anyway… he’s also a meow-er.  Big time talker — especially when it comes to food.  I’m pretty sure this goes back to the orphaned cat/almost dead thing so when there’s food, he’s going to eat it all… we tried the free feeding when we went away for a day or two and he gorged himself and threw it all up.

Despite all of his insanities… he’s also a lover.  He’s all about sitting in your lap, rubbing his fur all over your face, licking your eyelids — which is weird & hurts, btw, comes when you call him and he does like the dogs.  Maybe he thinks he’s a dog.  Sometimes when I take him to my mom’s house and I lock him in my room at night, he’ll sleep in bed with me all curled up against my legs.  It’s really cute because he’s usually in his room at night.

One day we’ll get the RTs their own room and he’ll be able to roam free, if we can find a way to block off the kitchen, too… Poor RTs, he used their enclosure as a litter box a few times — that’s why he has his own room, poor cat.  I’ll have to tell you guys about his litter box one day, it’s awesome.

Also, just in case you weren’t wondering but do now, I feed him The Honest Kitchen’s Prowl.  I was all about feeding the cat crap food and the dogs good food but then realized this food has a lot of benefits to it and I think is keeping him sufficiently hydrated so that we may avoid future blockages, etc.  He used to drink a ton of water when he was just getting kibble.  Plus he’s always on the verge of being a fatty so I give this food 5 stars, just in case you were wondering.

Chillin' on the bar

Simon the puppy playing with his human brother! Photo courtesy of Alexandra Holt.

 When Simon the puppy became part of the family this year I knew that he’d join the kitties and the humans in eating a human grade whole foods diet.  I set off into the kitchen and whipped up my first batch of homemade dog food.  Simon loved it and I loved making it for him, but I wondered if I should be feeding him a raw food diet.  After all, in the wild, dogs certainly don’t cook their food! But my food, and Simon’s too, comes from the grocery store.  What if the chicken or beef I was buying him was contaminated with some sort of bacteria or parasite?  I just didn’t have enough control over the ingredients to ensure that Simon was going to avoid illness, so I cooked it and reassured myself that he was eating a fabulous diet that most dogs could only dream of.  Then I heard about The Honest Kitchen and discovered the answer to my raw food conundrum!  I really can offer Simon a safe raw food diet without moving to a farm!

About The Honest Kitchen

     The Honest Kitchen is a private, family owned company located in San Diego, California.  Lucy Postins started cooking for her Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy back in 2000.  By 2001 she had developed a recipe using all human grade raw ingredients that used dehydration as the method to preserve the food safely without removing any of the nutritional value.  In 2002, The Honest Kitchen was officially born after they located a human food manufacturer who could produce their food on a large scale.  They are a company committed to quality canine and feline nutrition.

Whole Dog Journal - 2007 Editor

• All products and ingredients are 100% human food grade.
• All products are produced in an FDA approved human food producing facility.
• All meats are hormone and antibiotic free.
• All fruits and vegetables are GMO free.
• All grains are certified organic.
• No chemical preservatives, no by-products, no added salt or sugar, no chemical preservatives, no artificial colors.
• Great for dogs and cats with allergies – no beet pulp, rice, wheat, corn or soy (common allergens that cause dry, itchy skin, hair loss/dullness, lack of energy, chronic ear problems, chewing at feet, etc.).

The Honest Kitchen  knows that eating the exact same meal day after day isn’t good for people and it isn’t good for our pets either.  They offer a wide range of products with quality, nutritious, human quality foods.  It is easy to incorporate these products as a base for homemade whole pet food diets or BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diets, or the product can be used as a stand alone meal (with the exception of the Preference product – you have to add your own protein).

About The Honest Kitchen’s Dehydration Process

Muggs, the bull terrier, shows off The Pet Pantry delivery van! Photo courtesy of Alexandra Holt.

Here’s welcome relief for skyrocketing gas prices – a home delivery service that brings high quality pet supplies right to your door!  The Pet Pantry has been in business for the past 4 years making home deliveries to 6 central Florida counties.  Locally owned and operated by sister-in-laws Ginny Blurton and Inga Mueller, The Pet Pantry offers human quality pet foods at a variety of price points, making it affordable and convenient to feed your furry friends a safe, healthy, and nutritious diet.  You don’t even need to worry about being home when they stop by.  They’ll weather protect your order and leave it at your front door!

The Pet Pantry strives to be environmentally and socially responsible in their business practices: 

• Their employees are able to telecommute and live within 3 miles of their Longwood warehouse.  
• They make 40-50 deliveries a day in their delivery van.  Carefully planned out routes help them drive and work smart – typically they drive less than 3 1/2 miles between stops.  Their customers save on gas expenses and reduce the impact on the environment by having only one vehicle on the road instead of 40-50 customers driving individual cars out to a pet food store.  
• The Pet Pantry makes regular contributions of both money and food to many area animal rescue groups:

Greyhound Pets of America
Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid FL
Gold Coast Greyhounds
Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue
SPCA of Central Florida
Boston Terrier Rescue of FL
Pug Rescue of Florida
Central Florida Pug Rescue
Lab Retriever Rescue of Florida
Compassionate Canines
Greyhound Ranch
Cavalier Rescue USA
Candy’s Cats
Coastal Poodle Rescue
Orlando Pug Rescue & Adoption

 

Some of the product lines offered:

 

The Pet Pantry

Ark Naturals  
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
Diamond Pet Foods
Eagle Pack
Holistic Select
Evanger’s
The Honest Kitchen
Innova
Merrick
Natural Balance
Nutro
Old Mother Hubbard
Orijen
Prism
Premium Edge
Snack 21
Solid Gold
Wellness
Wysong
Zuke’s

Most of the products carried by The Pet Pantry are listed on Whole Dog Journal’s Top Dog Food list!

The Pet Pantry also carries pet litter, toys, treats, grooming supplies, flea control and supplements! If you don’t see an item that you need, let them know! Special requests aren’t a problem!

“Our vision for the Pet Pantry is to someday offer daily delivery in Central Florida – to be a one-stop shop for all your pet’s needs, providing quality products- next-day delivery to your door.” Ginny Blurton, The Pet Pantry

 

Cost of delivery:

Free for orders over $25 within their regular delivery area.  $5 charge applies to orders under $25

Where they deliver:

All of Orange, Seminole, Brevard counties, most of Lake, Osceola, and Volusia counties.

When they deliver:

Each area is geographically divided by zip codes – check out their zip code delivery schedule online or call to find out when they’ll be in your area.

Want to stop by and pick up your supplies instead?

Be sure to give them a call before you head over to their Longwood warehouse – they’re happy to arrange to meet up with you. The phone number is 407-331-7387.

They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, free samples, and they don’t require a contract! Simply place a standing order for regular delivery or place an order by 2:00 pm the day before your area’s scheduled delivery day.

Want another reason to have your pet supplies delivered by The Pet Pantry? You’ll love their Join the Pack Program! Refer a friend and both of you will get 10% off of your next order!

No, nobody threw up into a bowl … we started giving our animals alternative foods after all that melamine nonsense broke last year, and this is a dehydrated raw food that my wife sometimes feeds our dogs. I affectionately refer to it as “green stuff” (only I don’t say “stuff”). Doesn’t it look yummmmmmy? (The little pill is a fatty acid gel-cap for Dennis’s coat.)

My wife would like to state for the record that “green stuff” contains 100% human food grade turkey, organic flaxseed, potatoes, celery, spinach, carrots, coconut, apples, kelp (human-grade kelp???), eggs, sesame seeds, bananas, cranberries, rosemary, vitamins, and minerals, and the dogs just love it.

By the way, the state of Ohio evidently believes its citizens are too stupid to realize that “green stuff” is dog food, as if seeing “human food grade” on the label would make you think it’s a new kind of hot cereal or something. You probably could eat it, actually; but would you?

“Please, sir, I want some more green stuff.” — Oliver Twist, if he lived in Ohio