Honest Kitchen
Leerburg is proud to be an authorized reseller of the Honest Kitchen's Dehydrated Raw Dog Food! We use Honest Kitchen in our kennel in conjunction with our home-made raw diet.
Ed and Cindy use the Honest Kitchen dehydrated raw dog food exclusively when traveling with their dogs.
The Types of Honest Kitchen Dog Food
- Embark - Most Popular. Turkey, Grain-Free. Ideal for active adult dogs, puppies, pregnancy, and lactation.
- Force - Chicken, Grain-Free. Ideal for moderately active adult dogs including those that are intolerant of grains.
- Keen - Turkey, Low Gluten. Keen is formulated for an adult maintenance diet.
- Preference - No Meat, All Vegetables. A grain-free, gluten-free foundation diet for use with added raw meat, meaty bones, or cooked meat.
- Verve - Beef, With Grains. Ideal for moderately to less active adult dogs and seniors or when switching off of kibble.
- Thrive - Chicken, Low-Carb. Ideal for sensitive, active adult dogs, puppies, pregnancy and lactation.
- Zeal - Fish, Grain-Free. Ideal for sensitive, adult maintenance, and moderate activity levels.
- Love - Beef, Grain-Free. Ideal for Puppies and active adult dogs, particularly those with food sensitivities to grains, gluten, eggs and those who need a low carbohydrate diet.
Honest Kitchen Dog Treats & Supplements
- Ice Pup Treats
- Perfect Form Supplement - Helps suppoert the normal functioning of your pet's digestive tract.
- Lithe Tea - Helps support normal joint health, flexion and movement.
- Sparkle Nutritional Pet Supplement -Supplies essential minerals, vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients that support healthy skin and coat.
- Invigor Nutritional Pet Supplement - Helps support normal, healthy function and immune system activity.
- Pro Bloom Instant Goat's Milk
Why Leerburg Sells This Food
After owning and feeding dogs for over 45 years we here at Leerburg feel that the most important decision you can make on the health of your dog is what you intend to feed the dog.
We strongly believe in feeding an all-natural diet, and in our opinion Honest Kitchen is the best all-natural commercial food on the market. If there was a better food available we would sell it. The facts listed below explain why we feel so strongly about the Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Food.
- Verve, Force and Embark are gently dehydrated without extrusion or intense heat processing to remove only the water and preserve the vital nutrients present in the raw ingredients. These are the first ever, prepare-at-home diets to offer complete convenience, nutritional balance and exceptional quality and value.
- These are synergistic blends, bursting with naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients - as well as healthy fats, protein and fiber - all the fuel dogs need to lead a healthy life. Our foods are brightly colored, indicating the presence of numerous valuable phyto-nutrients and antioxidants to quench free radicals.
- Guaranteed 100% human food-grade because they are not produced in a pet food plant. It even says so on the labels! The foods are made in an FDA approved, human-food-producing facility in Southern California, that makes the very same foods you eat.
- The foods contain absolutely no 'Red Flag' ingredients: no by-products, added salt or sugar, chemical preservatives, artificial colors or flavors of any kind and no beet pulp, rice, wheat, corn, or soy. These are common allergens for dogs and can cause GI upset, dry, itchy skin, hair loss or dullness, lack of energy, chronic ear problems and chewing at the feet.
"Fast Food" has never been viewed as a healthy option day after day, for human beings. Sadly, many major pet food conglomerates claim that a "fast food" diet of kibble and canned products, should form the only source of nutrition for our pets. Most also insist that their "fast food" should not be supplemented with real food at all, for fear of "unbalancing" what they have cooked up.
Many manufacturers have even promoted the idea that "people food" is bad for dogs. At the Honest Kitchen, they take a different view. They believe a selection of fresh wholesome, human-grade ingredients is far better than the cooked mixture of by-products, fillers and other processed ingredients that is being served to many unfortunate pets, day after day.
The Honest Kitchen All-natural Dehydrated Dog Foods meet all the nutritional requirements established by AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials), and are tested in an ISO accredited laboratory to validate their nutritional content. The dehydrated dog food can be feed alone, if desired. We also encourage the addition of other fresh foods, raw meat and bones, or cooked meats (never cooked bones), if you wish.
The dehydrated raw ingredients are clearly recognizable as real foods. There is no longer a need to have to trust the label to tell you what is in your dog's food. Now you can choose the products, where what you see is what you get. All grains in Honest Kitchen food are certified organic. The meats are hormone, antibiotic free and the fruits and vegetables are guaranteed non GMO. Honest Kitchen's Quinoa is certified fair-trade.
The difference you will see in your dog is clear after just a few weeks of feeding a minimally processed diet. You will see brighter eyes, better skin and coat quality, higher energy levels, and reduced incidence of chronic food-allergy related problems, such as itching, scratching, foot chewing and debris buildup in the ears.
All of the meats used are USDA approved, US Origin. Our fruits and vegetables are guaranteed non-GMP and our grains, kelp and flax are certified organic.
Storage, Hydration, Feeding, and Health
Dehydrated foods should be stored in a cool, dry place. Our products have a shelf life of 12 months or more, depending upon ambient temperature and humidity. The containers should be closed tightly between meals.
One cup of dehydrated food will make about 1 lb of fresh food. A 4 lb size holds about 17 cups and makes about 17 lbs of fresh food. A 10 lb size holds about 40 dry cups and makes about 40 lbs of fresh food.
After re-hydration, a process that takes just five minutes, these foods should be consumed right away. Any left over food should be treated like fresh food, and refrigerated or discarded.
All foods, except Preference can be fed as a stand-alone diet. Additional foods can be added to the suggested serving sizes if desired. We suggest adding about half a cup of home-prepared ingredients for each dry-measured cup of food. For convenience, all our feeding guidelines are based on dry-measured cups.
The most obvious visual difference between Honest Kitchen's dehydrated food and canned or extruded foods, is the vibrant colors that remain intact, through the gentle process of dehydration. Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of the bright pigments that exist in fresh fruits and vegetables. These vivid substances are potent phytonutrients - antioxidants, which are highly beneficial for total health and well-being. The enzyme content of dehydrated food is also much higher than conventional pet food.
Advantages of Dehydration
Dehydration, or drying, is one of the oldest and gentlest methods of food preservation. Food dehydration works by removing only the water. All other nutrients remain - and become highly concentrated. Dried foods are highly nutritious, easy to prepare and store, and light-weight to ship.
The removal of moisture prevents enzymatic activity (which can lead to browning and decomposition of foods) and also prevents the growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds. Dehydration does not destroy or kill the food enzymes, as occurs in cooking and freezing or high pressure processing such as extrusion. Enzyme activity in dehydrated foods is simply suspended until the food is re-hydrated.
The raw fruit and vegetable ingredients are harvested at the peak of their ripeness, cleaned and trimmed and then gently dried. Once re-hydrated, dried foods resemble fresh food in terms of appearance, palatability and nutritional value.
The food dehydration process takes place at moderate temperatures (below 104 degrees F) so the ingredients are still considered raw. The only exceptions are the meat and egg ingredients, which dehydrated at a higher temperature (above 120 degrees F) to kill any pathogenic bacteria that may be present. This is required to maintain their human-edible status and allow the meats into the human-food manufacturing facility where our products are made.
Introducing Your Pet to Dehydrated Foods
These foods can be fed alone, or as an accompaniment to a raw food or other home-prepared diet. Dehydrated raw food is considerably different from conventional cooked or processed foods and you pet should be given sufficient time to adjust.
- For dogs already consuming some raw or home made (unprocessed) food, our foods can usually be re-hydrated and mixed directly with your own ingredients right away.
- For dogs transitioning from a processed diet of kibble or canned food, these foods should be introduced more gradually, over a period of four to seven days depending on your dog's sensitivity.
- Re-hydrate following the guidelines on the label, and mix a small amount of our food with the regular kibble or canned food for the first couple of days. Gradually increase the ration to half and half for a few days, and then completely remove the old food. This will allow time for the natural 'friendly' gut flora in the intestines to become accustomed to the new diet and become more efficient at assimilating the re-hydrated food.
- Most dogs will enjoy some additional cooked meat or raw meat and bones, (please never cooked bones) being added to these foods. The formulas are designed carefully balanced levels of calcium, phosphorus and other vital nutrients, which allow additional ingredients to be added without disrupting important ratios.
- You may also wish to add your own additional vegetables, fruits or other ingredients such as yogurt or cottage cheese.
Hydration Amounts
The Honest Kitchen's dehydrated foods must be hydrated with warm water, before serving. Each box of food will make just over 4 times its weight in fresh food, when hydrated.
Our foods hydrate as follows:
| Size | Dry Food Amount (cups) | Fresh Food Amount (pounds) |
|---|---|---|
| 4oz | Holds about 1 cup of dry food | Makes about 1 lb fresh food |
| 4lbs | Holds about 16-17 cups of dry food | Makes about 16-17 lbs fresh food |
| 10lbs | Holds about 40-43 cups of dry food | Makes about 40-43 lbs fresh food |
Feeding Guidelines
The following daily amounts (DRY quantity) should be adjusted to suit your individual dog's requirements, which vary according to age, breed and level of daily activity.
| Dog Weight | Amount to Feed |
|---|---|
| 10lbs. | 1/2 cup |
| 30lbs. | 1 cup |
| 50lbs. | 2 cup |
| 70lbs. | 2 1/4 cup |
| 90lbs. | 2 3/4 cup |
Helpful Hints
Adding Extras
All our foods are formulated to meet the AAFCO Nutrient profiles and can be feed as stand-alone diets without any extra ingredients needed to make them 'complete'. Extra ingredients can also be added if you wish, according to your own dog's preferences, rotated every few days for variety and chosen from what you have available or are eating yourself. We advocate and encourage daily variety! Many of our customers like to switch between our three foods for even more variation. The water used to cook your own vegetables is ideal for re-hydrating the food, it is packed with vitamins!
All three foods contain meat, and have balanced Calcium:Phosphorus ratios to allow extra meat to be mixed in if you wish.
We suggest about 1/2 cup of extra meat, raw meaty bones or other extras, for each dry-measured cup of food.
Some ingredients such as root vegetables are better steamed than raw. Fruits and vegetables should generally be diced or pulped to break down the cellulose and make them easier to digest. Choose fresh organic produce if available. We don't recommend adding onions, grapes, raisins, or chocolate; these are bad for dogs!
Digestive Upset
This may occur in more sensitive dogs when a new food is introduced, as the digestive system adapts. Soaking the food for longer or even cooking it, can help for the first few weeks. Any variations in added ingredients should also be more gradual. Some dogs are intolerant of some ingredients. It may be helpful to keep a note book of what you add to each meal to determine if an ingredient intolerance (food allergy) is present. One of our other recipes may suit your dog better than your initial choice.
If feeding raw meat with these foods, be sure to buy only from reputable sources and handle the raw meat properly to avoid contamination.
If desired, raw meat and bones can be doused with grapefruit seed extract before serving.
Drinking Water
Filtered or bottled water is preferable if the tap water in your area is questionable. As with a fresh raw diet, dogs who eat these foods may drink less water than those fed a commercial kibble, because part of their daily fluid requirement is being met with the water used to re-hydrate the ingredients.
More Useful Notes
Preparation in Advance
This is helpful if time is short or someone else is caring for your dog. Our foods may be re-hydrated in larger batches ahead of time, with or without additional meat mixed in. Remember to refrigerate the re-hydrated food and use within three to four days. Alternatively, freeze in individual portions and defrost as required.
Another option is to re-hydrate a quantity of food with slightly less water than usual, and combine with some ground meat (no bones for this one) and an egg to bind the mixture. Some grated cheese, pate or other treats can be mixed in if you wish. Shape into individual 'cakes' and bake on a greased tray at 350F for 30 minutes or until firm and browned. Be sure to cool before serving! The cakes can then be refrigerated or frozen for future use and are perfect for hiking, travel or boarding at a kennel that does not accept raw foods. Smaller bite sized 'cookies' of this mix also make good treats. Honey or molasses, liver, cream cheese or other ingredients can also be added - let your imagination run wild!
Bones
Meaty Bones are a great addition to a home-prepared diet for many dogs, and must always be fed raw. The molecular structure is altered when bones are cooked, so they cannot be properly digested and may splinter, causing a serious potential health risk.
We recommend introducing bones under the guidance of a holistic veterinarian. Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and are usually able to digest various raw bones and cartilage such as chicken necks and wing tips, with ease. Some people are more comfortable grinding the bones first, rather than feeding them whole. The size of your dog and his familiarity with bones may determine this. Adding raw bones to the diet can help to form harder, more compact stools, as well as maintain peak dental health. Recreational bones are an excellent treat two or three times per week. Raw beef marrow (soup) bones make great recreational bones and will delight most dogs. These are not actually consumed, but gnawed on to remove any attached meat and the marrow within. Both raw meaty bones and recreational bones will help to maintain clean, white sparkling teeth and pink healthy gums.
| preference | verve | love | force | embark | thrive | keen | zeal | |
| Ingredients | ||||||||
| Grain-free vegetable and fruit base-mix | Beef, grains, vegetables, and fruits | Beef, grain-free, vegetables and fruits | Free-range chicken, grain-free, vegetables and fruits | Cage-free turkey, grain-free, vegetables and fruits | Free-range chicken, gluten-free, quinoa and vegetables | Cage-free turkey, organic oats, vegetables and fruits | Wild-caught fish, grain-free, vegetables and fruits | |
| Nutrients | ||||||||
| Calories per cup | 333 | 441 | 514 | 446 | 488 | 516 | 470 | 437 |
| % Protein | 12 | 22.5 | 31 | 21 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 35.5 |
| % Fat | 6 | 8.5 | 18.5 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15.5 | 8.5 |
| % Fiber | 10 | 5.8 | 7 | 6.5 | 9.6 | 6.3 | 5 | 5.8 |
| % Sodium | .62-.66 | .19-.24 | .32-.35 | .24-.42 | .4-.52 | .21-.34 | .17-.24 | .11-.18 |
| % Magnesium | .2-.26 | .15-.17 | .13-.18 | .09-.12 | .18-.21 | .17-.19 | .15-.17 | .12-.19 |
| Lifestage | ||||||||
| Puppies/nursing | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||||
| Adults | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ |
| Less active/senior | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||
| Highly Active | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||||
| Made Without | ||||||||
| Grain | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||
| Gluten | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||
| Chicken | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||
| Poultry | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||||
| Eggs | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||
| Beef | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||
| Fish | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |
| Flaxseed | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||||
| White potatoes | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||||
| Alfalfa | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | |||||
| Other | ||||||||
| Price | $ | $ | $$$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$ | $ | $$$$ |
| Balanced diet | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ |
| For picky eaters | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | ||||
▲ = with added meat
▲= complete and balanced diet
Cost per Day to Feed Honest Kitchen
| keen | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $57.99 | 40 | approx. $1.45 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $0.72 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $1.45 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $2.90 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $3.62 |
| verve | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $62.99 | 40 | approx. $1.57 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $0.79 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $1.57 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $3.15 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $3.94 |
| thrive | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $68.99 | 40 | approx. $1.75 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $0.87 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $1.75 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $3.50 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $4.37 |
| force | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $79.9 | 40 | approx. $2.00 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $1.00 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $2.00 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $4.00 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $5.00 |
| preference | cost/7 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $54.99 | 28 | approx. $1.37 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/4 cup | 0.25 | approx. $0.34 |
| 30 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $0.69 |
| 50 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $1.37 |
| 70 lbs | 1 1/8 cups | 1.25 | approx. $1.55 |
| embark | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $85.99 | 40 | approx. $2.15 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $1.07 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $2.15 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $4.30 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $5.37 |
| love | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $96.99 | 40 | $2.42 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $1.21 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 |
approx. $2.42 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $4.85 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $6.06 |
| zeal | cost/10 lbs | hydrates to (lbs) | cost/cup |
| approx. $107.99 | 40 | approx. $2.07 | |
| weight of pet |
cups to feed per day (dry measure) |
lbs to feed per day (hydrated quantity) |
cost/day |
| 10 lbs | 1/2 cup | 0.5 | approx. $1.35 |
| 30 lbs | 1 cup | 1.0 | approx. $2.70 |
| 50 lbs | 2 cups | 2.0 | approx. $5.40 |
| 70 lbs | 2 1/2 cups | 2.5 | approx. $6.75 |
