# Question about switching to The Honest Kitchen



## Bella Luna (Jan 15, 2010)

Do I need to gradually switch their food?? I know you have to with kibble, but insince the food is not kibble, do you still have to??

Thanks!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

You can and probably should do a gradual switch to The Honest Kitchen mixing it with kibble. THK actually advises that you do switch gradually over a period of 5-10 days. My dogs have done so great with THK though that I have switched them cold turkey and seen instantly better results immediately. My neighbor just switched her two chihuahuas to THK cold turkey and she is amazed by how much better their stools were immediately and her dogs now go bonkers for their dinner where before on kibble they were kinda complacent about dinner time.

For sensitive dogs I would recommend doing a gradual switch. For stronger stomachs it would be up to you whether you want to do gradual or cold turkey.

Edit to add: If you do mix THK with kibble, you should first rehydrate THK with water and wait the 5-10 minutes for it to rehydrate and then mix in the kibble just before serving.


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## Bella Luna (Jan 15, 2010)

Okay, thanks
Also, what formula do you suggest?


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

That really depends a lot on your dogs. Do they have any food preferences or allergies (like chicken, turkey, beef)? Are either of your girls have sensitive tummies? I feed Keen (turkey) mainly because it's the cheapest, it does have grain in it though (oats). I will be switching to Verve (beef) next to have a different protein source. Faith gets Thrive (grain free, chicken, few ingredients) because she has a sensitive stomach.

To quote the information that THK has shared with me on recommendations they shared this:
_"As a general rule of thumb – puppies and very active dogs get Embark + Thrive, picky pets get Force + Keen, seniors get Force and Verve, and dogs with grain allergies get Embark + Force"_

Hope that helps!

FWIW, my dogs will eat any flavor they are not picky at all! lol My neighbor who's tried THK with her two chihuahuas says that hers LOVE the Keen formula but they don't like the Verve.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I found out I can actually buy THK here, now I just have to figure out what it would actually cost to feed my 4. I'm tempted to stick with quality kibble b'c I do want to breed someday and I want to have something "good" to send home with people that your average joe can afford. $$ really isn't an issue in the switch so much as that consideration for me, but I do know it'd be more expensive to feed THK. So...yeah. Figuring this one out slowly. Amber let us know how your switch goes and how yours do!

I hate wasting food more than anything and we just bought like 4 bags of Fromm which they all seem to like =)


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Just thought I'd share these pics in case anyone else is interested in seeing what THK foods look like before and after mixing. 

Sorry about the low quality pics, I used my cell phone to take the pics since someone is borrowing my camera at the moment. The two formulas I made tonight were Keen and Embark and I made 1/4 cup of each which ended up making 1/4 lb of each formula. The 1/4 lb bowl of Keen was enough to feed both of my chi girls.

Before mixing, this is what the powder mix looks like right out of the bag.









This is immediately after adding warm water to the mix and stirring it up.









This is the final product, ready to feed, after letting it rehydrate for about 8 minutes.









Another night I might do the same thing with Force and Thrive to show off the differences with those two as well. The Keen is much more solid in the above pics because it contains oats (grain) which absorbs more water than the grain free Embark on the right in the pics.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Great pics, thank you for sharing =) We'll let you know if we decide to try it.


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## YoQuiero (Apr 17, 2010)

That looks so gross.. LOL. The bags I notice don't come with a lot, like 10lbs at the most. How long does that last a chi?


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Hmm.. I may consider this. Thanks for sharing the info and the pics.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

YoQuiero said:


> That looks so gross.. LOL. The bags I notice don't come with a lot, like 10lbs at the most. How long does that last a chi?


Yes, it does look a bit different but not really any worse than canned food or soup truthfully.

The 10 lb box of THK foods actually make 40-43 lbs of food once rehydrated so that will last a chihuahua quite a while! My chi girls eat 1/4 cup of THK food a day but that is for BOTH of them so it's actually about 1/8 cup per chi per day. So, if I feed my two chi girls (who are 6.5 lbs and 7.5 lbs) 1/4 cup of THK per day combined then the 10 lb box will last me approximately 160 days which translates into over 5 months! Since I feed my husky this food as well it doesn't last me quite that long but if it were just my chis then it would last a very long time. I buy the 10 lb boxes and separate it into several smaller ziploc bags upon opening it to keep it fresh.



foggy said:


> Hmm.. I may consider this. Thanks for sharing the info and the pics.


Glad to help. If you are interested in trying it I can email you coupons for THK foods. Just send me a PM if you want me to email you the coupons/coupon codes. 

THK backs their products 100% so if your dog(s) don't like or don't do well on their foods you can return it for a full refund.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

What does it smell like? I nearly threw up the first time I smelled babyfood as an adult LOL. I got over it, but...it looks like it might have a strong smell?


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Hmm, I'm not really sensitive as far as smells go but it doesn't bother me at all. It kinda smells...hmm, earthy or plant like maybe...not really sure how to describe it since I don't think I've smelled anything quite like it. It certainly doesn't smell bad...to me anyway, but then again I have no problem with baby food smell either. I don't think it is strong either, I don't really smell it unless I put my face right done by their bowls, but again I'm not very sensitive. My hubby is better at describing things so I might ask him tonight what he would describe THK as smelling like. lol I can tell you that he actually likes the smell of the Keen formula but he doesn't like the smell of the Embark formula.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

This is a very helpful and informative post Val! Thanks for writing it and for taking the pictures. Very interesting!!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Glad I can help, I know it's so hard finding a great food that works for both us and our dogs and even harder when we don't have much info on new and different types of food. I try to share the kind of info that I would be looking for if I was looking into trying a new food. 

Btw, I asked my hubby tonight what he though Keen smelled like and he didn't know what to describe it as. lol I guess after paying more attention tonight I would say it smells a lot like vegetables truthfully. It reminds me of when I make up a pot of gumbo and am cutting up all the bell peppers, celery, onions, etc and the room smells like a mixture of all those ingredients...that's the best I can think of to describe it.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Okay guys, as promised I got more pics of two different formulas. It's the same deal as before, 1/4 cup of each formula and the two formulas I mixed this time are Thrive and Force.

The powdery mix right out of the bag:









Immediately after adding warm water to the mix and stirring it up:









And the final product, ready to feed, after letting it rehydrate for about 8 minutes:









As you can see the different formulas do have a different consistency despite my adding the exact same amount of mix and water to each bowl. You can of course add more or less water to get it to your desired consistency but I stick with 1/4 cup mix with 1/4 cup water for the purpose of making equal comparisons for this thread.


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## pawsntails (May 31, 2010)

Great thread 

Thanks Huskyluv for posting those pictures!!!! I am thinking about THK, but I am a little concerned that there food is not really raw.....
_
"The dehydration process for our meats and eggs takes place at temperatures above 120 degrees, which technically ‘cooks’ them very gently, to ensure that any pathogens present, are destroyed" _

I really wanted to go raw with my chi, so I am thinking of freeze dried raw, a company Brodysmom posted for me. I looked into them and they look great! 

But if they dont ship to Canada I may still choose THK  Because I could still always add my own little pieces of raw chicken in the THK.

Huskyluv do you ad any of your own raw meat to your THK???


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

pawsntails said:


> Great thread
> 
> Thanks Huskyluv for posting those pictures!!!! I am thinking about THK, but I am a little concerned that there food is not really raw.....
> _
> ...


You are correct that the meat is dehydrated at a high enough temperature that it kills off any pathogens and also makes the meat technically not raw. The veggies in THK are dehydrated at a lower temperature which preserves them in their raw state though. THK is a great stepping stone for transitioning from kibble to raw or doing a combination diet of THK mixed with raw meat.

One of the big advantages of THK is that it sort of bridges a gap that many people feel uncomfortable about when they are looking for a diet better than kibble but having concerns about switching to a raw diet. The biggest concerns I hear that hold a lot of people back from switching to a raw diet are concerns about pathogens in the raw food/cleanliness, missing key vitamins and minerals, and what to do about feeding raw while traveling. THK foods really fit the bill with all those concerns because the dehydration of the meats kills any pathogens (this is why it is consider safe for human consumption as well), it is a complete food so there is less concern over missing vitamins/minerals, and it is extremely easy to travel with.

Ziwipeak (not sure if that is the other you were looking into) is an excellent food and believe me I would feed it in a heartbeat if it wasn't so expensive. Maybe if I only had chihuahuas but with a 60 lb husky to feed the Ziwipeak would put us in financial ruin in no time. lol The Honest Kitchen is a very well priced alternative that I absolutely love.

Yes I do add raw meat to my dogs' food on a regular basis. I feed THK formulas alone but also mix in a variety of different things several times a week. I rotate between adding canned dog food, raw meat, and even cooked meat to THK in addition to rotating between different Honest Kitchen formulas too.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

I am wondering about the fact that it looks like the consistency of oatmeal, and there's no "crunch" like with kibble. I wonder if that is as good for their teeth as say eating crunchy kibble is.
Just wondering if this would cause any problems.


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## pawsntails (May 31, 2010)

huskyluv said:


> You are correct that the meat is dehydrated at a high enough temperature that it kills off any pathogens and also makes the meat technically not raw. The veggies in THK are dehydrated at a lower temperature which preserves them in their raw state though. THK is a great stepping stone for transitioning from kibble to raw or doing a combination diet of THK mixed with raw meat.
> 
> One of the big advantages of THK is that it sort of bridges a gap that many people feel uncomfortable about when they are looking for a diet better than kibble but having concerns about switching to a raw diet. The biggest concerns I hear that hold a lot of people back from switching to a raw diet are concerns about pathogens in the raw food/cleanliness, missing key vitamins and minerals, and what to do about feeding raw while traveling. THK foods really fit the bill with all those concerns because the dehydration of the meats kills any pathogens (this is why it is consider safe for human consumption as well), it is a complete food so there is less concern over missing vitamins/minerals, and it is extremely easy to travel with.
> 
> ...


Thank you soooo much for all your advice!!!!  I have decided to order some food from the THK! I am looking into finding a retailer in Canada, Thats my next search tonite on the net! Oh our beloved pets take up so much of our time hehehe! But it really is fun reasearching foods and getting advice on here

Its great to have such great people like yourself willing to share your stories, pictures and advice 

Thanks!




cherper said:


> I am wondering about the fact that it looks like the consistency of oatmeal, and there's no "crunch" like with kibble. I wonder if that is as good for their teeth as say eating crunchy kibble is.
> Just wondering if this would cause any problems.


Hmmm good question... that gets me thinking to!!??? My chi has horrible teeth I dont want to make them worse. Although I think kibble is much worse for there teeth the THK.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

cherper said:


> I am wondering about the fact that it looks like the consistency of oatmeal, and there's no "crunch" like with kibble. I wonder if that is as good for their teeth as say eating crunchy kibble is.
> Just wondering if this would cause any problems.


THK's food does not do any better or worse for your dogs teeth than kibble. Kibble is about as good for cleaning their teeth as chewing on a crunchy cookie would be for ours. Kibble does not clean a dogs teeth at all and likewise whether you feed kibble or wet you will still need to incorporate some plan for dental care. THK can be feed with raw meaty bones and in fact THK company highly recommends giving raw meaty bones once a week to maintain your dogs' clean and healthy teeth. If RMBs are not something you want to give there is always the option of brushing their teeth, either way it's something you'd have to do whether you feed THK or kibble.


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## LDMomma (Mar 28, 2009)

Do you think you could serve THK in addition to kibble?

We currently feed Fromm's grain-free kibble and a little wet food each day (about 1/4 of a Purina Beneful). Both of my pups are at their ideal weight so it's not too much for them. We started feeding the wet food because they were having dehydration issues with kibble alone. I'd like wet food that is healthier than Purina Beneful but the only thing available in stores here is Wellness Core Wet and my girls wouldn't touch it!

I just ordered two of the Force samples (4oz). The total was $2.50 (found a $5.00 coupon).


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

You can absolutely feed THK with kibble. I sometimes give my dogs a mixture of THK with kibble and they do great on it. In fact they do better on a mixture of THK and kibble than they ever did on a mixture of kibble and canned dog food which is what I had always done in the past. THK is one of those foods that you really have a lot of options with in that it can be feed alone or mixed with kibble, canned, raw or cooked meats. I love having the options which is not something that you can do with raw. When feeding a mix of kibble and raw the two should not be fed simultaneously like you can with THK.


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## Bella Luna (Jan 15, 2010)

Well, I have tried this food and Libby usually eats anything, but she will not even touch it..neither will Bella..so, I am going to take it back to the store and find something else


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Bella Luna said:


> Well, I have tried this food and Libby usually eats anything, but she will not even touch it..neither will Bella..so, I am going to take it back to the store and find something else


Aw that's too bad THK didn't work out for them. Have you tried Fromm? (kibble) It's highly rated and my pups just LOVE it. I'm feeding the duck and sweet potato. I know your babies are still young, so not sure which formula for them.


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## Bella Luna (Jan 15, 2010)

foggy said:


> Aw that's too bad THK didn't work out for them. Have you tried Fromm? (kibble) It's highly rated and my pups just LOVE it. I'm feeding the duck and sweet potato. I know your babies are still young, so not sure which formula for them.


Yea, and to be honest, I don't blame them for not liking it..the consistency was really weird and I was so suprised that Libby didn't at least try it..I tried a few times, and they had no interest in it at all. I will have to check out Fromm, I was also thinking about Artemis..is that good food?


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

I tried Artemis but apparently they are affiliated with Diamond so it's a thumbs down for me now. If you can get the Fromm in your area, I would highly recommend it. The kibble is a perfect size for Chis and mine are just crazy for it. It's also very reasonable. I paid 11.00 for a 5 pound bag.

I'm trying my pups on the honest kitchen too, I'm hoping to have them on Fromm and THK after I wean them off their current food. It will be interesting to see if they like it.


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## Bella Luna (Jan 15, 2010)

foggy said:


> I tried Artemis but apparently they are affiliated with Diamond so it's a thumbs down for me now. If you can get the Fromm in your area, I would highly recommend it. The kibble is a perfect size for Chis and mine are just crazy for it. It's also very reasonable. I paid 11.00 for a 5 pound bag.
> 
> I'm trying my pups on the honest kitchen too, I'm hoping to have them on Fromm and THK after I wean them off their current food. It will be interesting to see if they like it.


Well I hope you have better luck with it than I did  I was bummed, but whatever..good thing I can take it back!


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Aww sorry to hear that, but I hope you find something else that they like. All three of mine were hesitant at first to try THK too, but once they actually tried it they loved it. Good luck with your search and sorry THK didn't work out for you.


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