Dog Community

A quick review on Preference

Posted : 9/6/2010 8:51:49 PM

I've been feeding The Honest Kitchen's Preference for a few days now and thought I'd give a little update on how the 3 girls are doing and how I like feeding it- or otherwise.

I got this big idea to feed preference because I got to partake in adding my own ingredients to the food, what fun! Which it is, but I keep forgetting we have a very small frige and even having a decent sized amount of meat thawing takes up too much space for the rest of our people stuff.

Anyway, the dogs like the taste as long as the meat is mixed in a 2:1 meat/pref ratio. Otherwise it's too alfalfa'y and they aren't too sure then.

It doesn't soak all that well. It has large chunks of sweet potatoes and stemmy pieces of alfalfa that end up coming through their stool. This last batch I am trying using HOT water to soak the preference to see if it digests better.

I've been cooking their meat lately instead of raw and they don't seem to care one way or another. DH just can't get past the idea of salmonella or some other thing being a possible risk. I'm ok about it, they don't care. And it keeps the peace...

Echo's coat perked up now too. It was looking dull and dry and she was scratching like the dickens on NDF2. Darby is still chewing her foot, so I am msupposing that she's got some environmental allergies going now, that time of year.

That's pretty much it. I do think I'll finish out this bag and then go back to THK's thrive or Embark or Keen or something with added toppers from time to time. Those ones I don't require large amounts of meat to be thawing in our micro weenie fridge.

Although.... LOL I laugh because I am such a weird person- I've been eyeing Acana Pacifica- becuase it seems to me my breeds are mediteranian and wouldn't it make sense that they'd do well on a fish-based food? But dealing with my "guilt" of doing things "right" would it be right to feed them (much maligned) kibble?

Does it really matter? FIL's old dog lived 15 years soley on cooked meat scraps and ol'roy biscuits.

stardog85

Posted : 9/6/2010 9:51:41 PM

FYI my vet recommends the 2:1 meat:dry mix ratio for the grainfree SoJos, so we do the same with THK Preference.

I find that SoJos has even larger "chunks" than THK, so if you ever think about that food, keep that in mind - we've had much more trouble with things coming out the other end whole with SoJos than THK.

Glad you're already seeing some improvement!

jessies_mom

Posted : 9/9/2010 11:12:32 AM

shamrockmommy
Although.... LOL I laugh because I am such a weird person- I've been eyeing Acana Pacifica- becuase it seems to me my breeds are mediteranian and wouldn't it make sense that they'd do well on a fish-based food? But dealing with my "guilt" of doing things "right" would it be right to feed them (much maligned) kibble?

Jessie has a very sensitive stomach (chronic pancreatitis). She was on a balanced cooked diet last summer but got tired of it last fall, so she has been on kibble, with cooked meat and egg white added to give her enough protein. Her coat looked great and her stools were always solid. I decided to try introducing her cooked diet again because like you, I think a diet based on fresh food is better. I started last week and after 6 days I noticed that her coat was getting dry even though I was adding the correct amount of supplements. She was up to 3/4 cup of the cooked diet yesterday, but this morning there were unmistakable signs it's not going to work; she ate grass and vomited. Sad She had been doing lip licking and swallowing the past few days, so I was getting concerned that it was affecting her stomach. The point is; do whatever is best for your dog, regardless of other's opinions. Your dogs may do better on Acana than on THK. The kibble Jessie has been doing so well on is very much maligned on this forum; it's Nutro Venison and Rice. She was on California Natural Rice and Lamb but kept having ear infections, probably because of the lamb, so I changed her to the Nutro. She had occasional flatulence and her stomach made rumbly noises on the CN, but she doesn't have those problems on the Nutro.

shamrockmommy
It doesn't soak all that well. It has large chunks of sweet potatoes and stemmy pieces of alfalfa that end up coming through their stool. This last batch I am trying using HOT water to soak the preference to see if it digests better.

I hope the hot water helps; maybe you could run the mix through a food processor before before adding water?

shamrockmommy

Posted : 9/9/2010 4:20:33 PM

The hot water does help. I really let it sit a long while- about half an hour before serving and now their poops are looking less 'horsey' and more regular.

I don't know why I have such guilt about feeding animals (well humans too- I fret over what to feed my kids and then you never know if they'll eat it anyway..). I feel like I have to be approved some how.

There wouldn't be anything wrong with just trying a bag of acana or something now and again. I also know plenty of people who do a meal of kibble and a meal of THK each day. Doesn't matter I suppose. But anyway! They all do great on THK anyway.

sl2crmeg

Posted : 9/9/2010 7:25:17 PM

I use boiling water from the microwave, but I make it ahead so it gets cool in the refrigerator again. I use 1:1 meat:Preference but now Erin has me worried! Pirate needs a moderate protein level because of the medicine he's on though.

stardog85

Posted : 9/9/2010 7:36:57 PM

Meg - THK says that 1:1 is fine for Preference, my vet just likes higher meat content for most dogs. Pirate isn't most dogs, so if it works for him, keep it up!

sl2crmeg

Posted : 9/9/2010 7:44:19 PM

stardog85
Pirate isn't most dogs, so if it works for him, keep it up!

He sure isn't :P Thanks Erin!