Honest kitchen causing urinary irritation??

It's allergy season.  I would strongly recommend you go to a simple recipe for the duration of the season, just through whenever your trees and grasses settle down (Oklahoma right?  Probably about June-ish).  

You have two courses.  One, just go ahead and do something super simple (like chicken and sweet potato or oatmeal or whatever) - use 1/4 tsp of eggshell per pound or the equivalent calcium supp to balance the meat, and use a children's multivitamin, particularly if you use chicken as your base.  That will be fine for the couple months we are talking about.  I'd also use a good fish oil supplement and a probiotic to support skin and immune health during this challenge.

Two, do a consult for a similar diet with someone like Sabine at Better Dog Care or Monica. I don't know about Monica but I know what Sabine charges and I can guarantee you that you'll find it very cost effective compared to having to depend on the Honest Kitchen for balance. 

I'm getting ready to do a consult for my new puppy - I'm excited!  I'll have my old girl and my new young boy's results about the same time probably.

Consults take a little while so you can actually pursue the first course while you are waiting for your diet plan.  Again, no harm will come to most dogs short term.  It's MOST important that you stop the cascade of allergic response NOW while it's very mild.

Oh, it's not the food's fault by the way.  If you like HK you can go back to it after seasonal allegies are over.  It's just that he probably has a very, very mild sensitivity to the alfalfa (it's a common allergen in dogs with seasonal allergies - when I get back from the store I'll look up that information for you on other things to avoid - the list may surprise you).  Add in the seasonal allergies and you just filled his bucket. 

You'll also need to wash him down frequently (his feet and belly) - keep a towel and bucket of clean water by the door - and wash his bedding and keep the house nice and clean and vacuumed.   Lay off any chemical exposure - watch his play areas and consider cleaning your home with vinegar or other natural rinses rather than chemically stuff. 

You can give him Benedryl (get the dose from your vet) until the flare is over and you've got things under control via adjusting his food and contact allergens.  Every flare that happens makes him MORE sensitive and it will be harder to control things - so it's okay to go for the Benedryl temporarily to give his body a chance to recover.

Brook - it just dawned on me, I've been mixing in about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast into their batch of food for 2-3 days at a time; I'm wondering, incredibly, if it could be this??

Also, yes, I've seriously thought about stopping HK for a while; it's quite pricey in the long run.

You mentioned that it was ok for me to give leg quarters to Rivers before (50# very active), how *many* would I give in a day?  I have no idea how much one weighs, and have no way to weigh them in general.

You also mentioned that if he were to eat a diet of mostly chicken, that I would need to add beef heart for the Iron, and you mentioned something else, I could research the previous threads, but you probably have the answer off the top of your head.

If the majority of his calories came from chicken quarters, you'd give him probably close to a couple pounds most likely.  How many that actually is would depend on how much the quarters weigh.    I've seen them weighing from 8 ounces to almost two pounds for ONE, so that's a big difference!  You really need a scale.

You can get a kitchen scale pretty cheap at Walmart - the springy kind are only a few dollars, while you might spend $25 on an electronic kind (much easier to use and if you are serious about home prepared you really need one). 

I wouldn't use nutritional yeast on a dog that has a history of allergic problems. 

Chicken is low in iron, copper, zinc and a couple of other minerals (like potassium).  If you add in something like beef heart (high in iron and copper) and pork kidney (high in selenium and b vitamins without adding still more copper like beef kidney or liver would) - you'll be close to a good balance of nutrients for a dog his size.

Note - that's raw, bone in.

My dogs also get fish, eggs, cottage cheese, a yellow veggie, and an herb (parsley usually).  They also get potatoes for low-ash energy - white potato for potassium, or sweet potato for those who don't eat as much of the poultry.

But, forgive me for putting it this way - it's like you want the best of both worlds - good balance but you don't want to spend the time and money?  I can't tell you EXACTLY what's right for your dog - heck, I can't even tell you how much chicken to give him with any accuracy.  Part of the home prepared equation is being willing to go the extra distance - research, and sometimes expense (though the more you know and the more confident you get, the better you get at cutting corners where it won't hurt your dogs). 

Consider cutting back all the bells and whistles and trying new stuff until the allergic flareup is under control, and then try to find a comfort zone for you and your lifestyle, and what works for your dog.   

It's funny...I guess most of it comes from uncertainty in trusting myself.

Believe me, I've been researching raw diets since around 2000 or so; so somewhere around 9-10yrs now. I have like 10 k-9 nutritional books, I simply ask the questions for extra confidence, and fear, I reckon.

My Grandma told me for years and years before she passed away that there really never was any 100% science to any of it; heck all of her dogs lived to the ripe ages of nearly 20yrs or so....she never had a single book or forum to resort to.

I guess my fear overrides my better judgment; thus the questions get asked. Much of it comes from reading too many differences of opinions, and being damned if you do, damned if you don't....sorta speak. Basically what I'm trying to say, is so many people suggest to do it this way, then suddenly you visit another board, or thread, and someone tells you you're doing it all wrong...not you, Brookcove, I'm just rambling in general about the course of researching for the last 10yrs. Thus the reason I never 100% took that extra step and dove in completely.

I have no problems getting a scale. But honestly, at this time, yes money is VERY tight; we're in the homebuilding industry, and as obvious as it is, we're not making good progress right now. It's to the point that I'm not really sure what to do with anything.....we've gotten the mortgage issue hopefully on a good level now, they've reduced our interest; but we're barely hanging on by a thread...all because nobody's building houses cause no one's buying.

So.....yes, I have been bouncing around on all levels, trying to keep the fires out on everything; but my dogs are my kids, and they are getting fed good, probably too good.

Nutritional yeast is definitely out. He was fine before I started adding that. I am slowly weaning these guys off of HK; I don't have much of it left anyways. And no, Rivers main source of meat will not only be chicken; he'll still get the same variety of meats he gets now, which includes beef, beef heart, turkey, and organ meats in very small rations; he also gets a fair share of eggs, yogurt (except we ran out), and all kinds of veggies.

I completely understand what you're saying though...as my G-ma used to put it, either pi$$ or get off the pot

Thanks for your help, I do appreciate it.