# dehydrated raw ingredients what do you think?



## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

There is a new pre-made raw (dehydrated) avail at our pet store...I think it sounds very heavy in the fruit/veggie department but thought I'd see what you guys think...

Free Range Buffalo, Beef,
Chicken, or wild caught
salmon (depending on formula),squash, carrots,
pumpkin, eggs, liver,
grapefruit, wheat germ,
broccoli, cranberries, papaya,
garlic, goat milk yogurt, flax
seed, salmon fillet, apples,
cider vinegar, limes, kelp,
blueberries, eggshell, 
coconut oil.

Also the wheat germ, what is that for?

Here's the nutrient analysis:

Protein 26%
Fat 18%
Fibre 3.5%
Calcium 0.95%
Phosphorus 0.85%
Sodium 0.30%
Potassium 0.84%
Sulphur 0.31%
Magnesium 0.2%
Copper 3mg/kg
Iron 85mg/kg
Zinc 61 mg/kg
Manganese 52mg/kg
7,516 IU Beta Carotene/kg

They state "Not only is meat the first ingredient, it is more than 1/2 the formula" Still I'd like to see it much closer to 80% or even 90%.

And you can read about the company here...supposedly all ingredients are "table grade". index

its not something I'd feed on a regular basis,...but, I like to have variety around.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

hmmmm interesting. It comes in a box just like THK and you rehydrate it. So it would appear they are competing with THK for a share of the market. It also comes in 3 formulas. The Maxim variety is the only one that claims to be 'raw'. The other two varieties are cooked. 

Found this on one of their pages .....

WHY DOES MAXIM CONTAIN WHEAT GERM?
Many dogs today have an intolerance for grains. The trigger for this
intolerance is gluten and wheat germ does not contain any gluten. 
We include wheat germ in all our formulas because it is the most 
digestible natural source of many nutrients.

I would say it looks OK. I might use it in place of one of your THK rotations and see what you think.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Yeah, I mean, I am not jumping up and down about it or anything, but always like to have another option. I like the variety of protein sources as 1st ingredient, THK does not have a read meat 1st ingredient. I always add in fresh raw meat so it might be good to try. They'd only get it 1-2 times a week anyway  We'll see tho! Its less expensive than THK by a good bit, and they don't import any ingredients from asian countries which is another pro. 

I just think it sounds like a lot of fruits/veggies, although it is good they state meat is over 1/2 the ingredients, and I appreciate the inclusion of liver. I don't think meat is 1/2 the ingredients in THK.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

For me personally, THK formulas just don't have enough meat at all. By the time you add fresh meats, it's really pricey for what it is.

Just as a side note, I got an email from Best bully sticks saying they are having free shipping on orders over $69 but they also said that they have their addiction dog food on clearance for half price. I don't really know how it compares to THK or this new one, but it might be worth checking out??? I know these boxed dehydrated foods are pricey.

Bully Sticks - All Natural Dog Treats - Best Bully Stick

This one looks interesting just because of the novel protein content of the brushtail (which is sort of like an opossum). I am a big fan of venison as well.

New Zealand Forest Delicacies | Addiction Dog Food

However, it does have some ingredients I could do without... not a big fan of oats or potatos. Perhaps they need it as a binder. Not sure. Anyway, it's $10.50 for a 2 pound box and that rehydrates to 6 pounds of food. 

It does seem like a good deal considering the same thing from k9cuisine is on sale for $25.

Addiction - New Zealand Forrest Delicacies - Dehydrated Dog Food - Free Shipping


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Yeah, its the biggest reason we don't use it very often (price, for not enough meat!). But in a pinch, its an easy meal to feed. My guys just don't go nuts over the Ziwipeak. 

I'll check out the addiction as well !


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I think it sounds pretty good overall. My biggest hang up with it would be the yogurt, my guys and dairy don't mix well, especially yogurt! It's so far down on the ingredient list though that it may not be an issue. I don't know anything about the company or processing so all I can comment on are ingredients at the moment.

I too do not think THK contains enough meat for my satisfaction but I add my own stuff to it for that very reason, as you know.

Addiction is another dehydrated option with a variety of protein sources. Another good option is Grandma Lucy's if you haven't looked into that yet. Grandma Lucy's offers a decent number of different formulas with a variety of protein sources as well. Grandma Lucy's also appears to be more "chunky" and less "soupy" than THK. They'd all make for a good rotation.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Thanks Val for your post. I always look forward to your ideas and contributions on THK and other dehydrated foods since you have done so much research on them!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Brodysmom said:


> Thanks Val for your post. I always look forward to your ideas and contributions on THK and other dehydrated foods since you have done so much research on them!


Thanks Tracy, the feeling is mutual. I have learned a ton from you and your research, so I thoroughly appreciate your input on such topics as well.  We all bring a little something extra to the table to share, what I love about forums!


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

The only thing I wonder about is what exactly does table grade mean? Is that one of the terms that sounds good but essentially means nothing?

I also add meat to the THK. I think I did a review on the Addiction not to long ago.

My experience was that it is not as high quality as THK and it's (normally) basically the same price. I can't remember exactly what made me think it was of lower quality though. FWIW, my girls did not hesitate to eat it.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

LDMomma said:


> The only thing I wonder about is what exactly does table grade mean? Is that one of the terms that sounds good but essentially means nothing?


I haven't got a clue but would love to know also.


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

huskyluv said:


> I haven't got a clue but would love to know also.


I did some googling.

Here's what THK says on the matter
"A number of pet food companies make claims that their products are ‘human quality’ or ‘table grade’, but these are not actually legally defined terms"
from Human Grade Pet Food | The Honest Kitchen the legally defined term is either human-grade or food grade.

ETA: I also found this
"So while terms like "human grade", "human quality", "table quality" etc. may not be legally defined, they still provide some information about the quality of certain ingredients and the way they are handled before they end up in the food product. If words like "hormone free", "organic" etc. are used, it is not likely that such ingredients are feed grade or low quality." from The Dog Food Project - Dog Food Label Information 101


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for looking it up and sharing, doesn't sound all that reliable.


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

Here's some reviews I found on Addiction and THK

Addiction Dehydrated Dog Food | Review and Rating

The Honest Kitchen Dog Food | Review and Rating

I couldn't find anything for Maxim.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

It's nice to finally see an HK review out there.


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