Our local "big box" petstore (it's a small chain that has better standards when it comes to the animals they sell and the foods they carry) just got in Honest Kitchen Food....I'd like to try it (grabbed a few free samples). I'm interested in it since it would seem to travel well but my dog doesn't do well on such soft food alone (he'll chew kibble, he'll chew meat, he'll inhale anything soft and has perfected slurping it even out of those slow down bowls)

I'm currently feeding their "store brand" food which actually a pretty good food (especially the canned, which is a 95% meat food comparable to the top companies). It's also very affordable and easy to travel with. I'd like to keep it in his diet. I saw there's an honest kitchen food for raw feeders, can anyone recommend one to add to kibble?

This is an active dog who's out training almost daily (he gets a day off a week from all movement apart from a walk and a few frisbee throws to keep him sane). He's in ideal weight now (lean), he's only in okay shape as far as muscle goes (winter was a bit rough getting outside and working for more than a few minutes).

Any suggestions?

I am not familiar with adding HK to kibble. I think it should be ok. But if there is a doubt, you could try feeding one in the morning and then do HK for the evening.


I would give Embark a try, as it is good for active dogs.
But that said, if you want to try changing up protein profiles,
their new Zeal is a great one too.
Since they can be expensive it is good to try the samples to make sure Ryuk likes it before buying a bigger size.

Our local store had samples for each type (I think, I have 6-7 samples). I know raw and kibble is a no-no (though I do let my dog have "kibble free" days to partake in our local grocery stores incredible meat sales (buy 1 local cut for $3 a lb, get 2 of the same size for free) the honest kitchen seemed like a possible alternative...

HK is definitely a great alternative for feeding raw, and it's great to have some days that are kibble free.
I just mean that it is good to change it up now and then.
As long as you aren't seeing any digestive issues, with changes, that is great.

My dogs like Embark a lot. I have one that is really picky and doesn't like any veggies, but will eat Embark.
I had trouble getting my picky male to like Thrive.
I do like to add RMB's to HK, but you can feed it all by itself or with meat add ins, just as the box suggests.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

I am not familiar with adding HK to kibble. I think it should be ok....

Me too.

It's dehydrated at very low temps, true, but any food pathogens are still destroyed.

So I just mixed him up the "Embark" sample...

first of all, this smell and looks like a nicer quality version of the store bought seasoning I mix into my burgers...

Ryuk seems to like it, doesn't know what to think, I put it over some kibble so he's having a little easier time with it (he couldn't decided what he wanted to do with it at first, I think the mushy texture is sort of weird to him, I was testing to see if he even would eat it)....


smells wonderful though, I actually don't mind this stinking up my room XD do they make a human version?

The first time I got samples from THK my dog wouldn't eat it. She smelled it, gave it a taste and walked away.

Oddly, when I started feeding raw I tried it again and she loved it.

Its probably like if you were fed cookies your whole life and then someone put a salad in front of you. Its so different that you wouldn't know what to think about it.

Once I added the kibble he was sold, he's been licking his bowl for the last few minutes to make sure he's got EVERY little speck. I'll be trying him on the others since they're free samples and I should use them XD but I've at least got one he's sold on.

I'm lucky he's never really been a picky eater as long as it's a nicer kibble, he'll always try at least a bite, after that he'll keep eating only if he's starving or likes it. I already gave him a small meal today since I wanted to see if he'd like it. When he was younger when I got him he was on what I swear was corn and sawdust (one meat ingredient, something like 20 ingredients down called "meat byproduct meal") I found wood chips in the bag they gave me....it was also moldy...he was trying eat it only because he was a skeleton....

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

The first time I got samples from THK my dog wouldn't eat it. She smelled it, gave it a taste and walked away.

Oddly, when I started feeding raw I tried it again and she loved it.

Its probably like if you were fed cookies your whole life and then someone put a salad in front of you. Its so different that you wouldn't know what to think about it.

Two of mine too were very suspicious of THK at first.

Now they drool while they wait for it to rehydrate.

That stuff -- I think that it's a fine product. It smells like food, it looks like (fresh!) food, all vibrant colors like real food ....

Just the colors compared to the color of kibble is an eye-opener. You can see the chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments; you can see the flavonoids.

I have no compunctions about using THK with added RMBs (even without, if necessary) when I have to travel or when I just have nothing in the house.

One of the reasons I like HK so well, besides the fact that it is dehydrated raw, is the fact of all the good veggies being in there.

I think the best thing any of us can do is rotate foods and different proteins over time to make sure you get variety in there.
HK just makes it a whole lot easier to do. I don't feed it all the time, but do have it in my rotation.