The Honest Kitchen Dog Food Review

I really enjoy reviewing and researching dog foods, after all part of loving our dogs (and families) is feeding them.  Not feeding them just anything, but filling their bellies with foods that will meet their true nutritional needs.  Most commercial dog foods do not fall into this category, so if your dog is on such a diet, proper supplementation is not an option, it's a necessity!

I received an invitation to review dog food from 'The Honest Kitchen'.  I was not familiar with their product and was surprised to find when I received it, that it is dehydrated! Ok...something new.
Before I get in to my food review, I'd like for my readers to know all the wonderful products they carry for your dog, such as tea...yes...tea.  I have read in the past about using herbal teas for dogs, but I've not tried it, so this is definitely something I am looking forward to.

They have one for calmness, their 'Quiet Tea' with of course, contains chamomile and many other beneficial herbs; a mobility tea, 'Lithe Tea', which contains alfalfa...a very, very wonderful herb useful for many health ailments in our canine companions; and a urinary tract tea, 'Easy Peesy Tea' (gotta love that name!).  I'm very anxious to get some of these and try them! What a great addition to a home cooked diet! And also, they have supplements for digestion, skin & coat, and an antioxidant.  Of course, as always, I have blogged to not start numerous supplements at one time.  You need to determine what your dog is lacking, what issues there are, and find out what supplements help in those areas.  Try one, at least for several months to determine the results before adding another.  By trying different supplements over a period of time, you can see what is of best benefit to your pooch, as not everything will work for everypawdy!

The Honest Kitchen also has some gourmet treats you can give your dog, pure meat ones....what dog wouldn't like that?  And cookies? Yup. And even a product called 'Ice pups', which is a grain-free mix of dehydrated free-range chicken and turkey that you mix with water and freeze or can serve as a warm drink!

What I like about their food is they start with human-grade whole-foods, they're gently dehydrated (commercial dog foods are cooked at temperatures ranging from 176-392 degrees Fahrenheit...note that vitamins are inactivated at 117-118 degrees Fahrenheit).  Their product is made right here in the United States (yay!) in a human food facility on the same equipment that produces 'people foods'.  There are no artificial ingredients or preservatives, it expands 4 times its original weight when hydrated, and is gentle on sensitive stomachs. And...no corn, wheat or soy, which can be allergins to many dogs.

Out of the four samples they sent me, I have used two so far, the 'Keen' which contains dehydrated turkey, organic oats, potatoes, organic flaxseed, carrots, cabbage, organic alfalfa, organic kelp, apples, honey, garlic, rosemary, and then some vitamin and mineral supplements.  The Chaplin pups have also tried the 'Verve' which contains dehydrated beef, organic oats, organic rye, organic flaxseed, potatoes, carrots, organic alfalfa, eggs, apples, parsley, cranberries, spinach, chicory, rosemary and some vitamin and mineral supplements.  Do you see anything in this ingredient list that you can't pronounce? It's food....whole foods!  Wow, isn't that great? If you examine the product label of a commercial dog food, you won't see that!

This is a very versatile food that can be used by itself, with a home-cooked diet, raw diet...and is even great to take with you on-the-go.  When I poured the dehydrated powder into a bowl for preparation, the smell was typical of the whole foods that are put into it, and then I added the warm water and stirred (see pictures below)...ok...I admit, the appearance wasn't appealing to me....but I had to tell myself...this isn't food for me...it's for the furkids.  Us humans tend to think it's all about appearance...it's not.  Your dogs do not care what color the food is or how 'fancy' it looks in the bowl.  They don't even know they need to care about nutrition...they just know what they like! And yes, my doggies liked The Honest Kitchen Food, even my picky eater, little Maebelle.  So I'm the one with the obstacles to overcome, not them! (hmmm...what can I learn from that?)

There is certainly a lot of information in the pamphlets they sent with the food, too much to cover in a single blog.  I invite you to check into this for yourself...hopefully you will want to try some of it for your furry babies.  Their website is: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com.  They are also on Face Book: fb.com/thehonestkitchen and Twitter @honestkitchen and pinterest.com/honestkitchen.  You can send questions to: questions@thehonestkitchen.com or call them at: 866.437.9729. 

I believe every dog owner (and they carry some cat foods too) can benefit from the use of The Honest Kitchen products.  Anyone who has read my blogs know I'm very snooty when it comes to what my dogs eat.  Nutrition is their first line of defense against disease, and we all want our dogs to be healthy and live for as long as possible.  As a responsible pet owner, it is imperative you make this a priority in their lives.  Thumbs up to The Honest Kitchen for a great product!