Is your food raw?
Our recipes are made from dehydrated whole food ingredients, but they’re not quite the same as raw. Dehydration is a slow, gentle method of preserving food. It helps to keep many of the natural nutrients in the raw ingredients in tact. On the other hand, cooking denatures many of these nutrients including delicate enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids (making for a less nutritious finished product).
What exactly does “Human Grade” mean?
Human Grade means ‘food grade’ or fit for human consumption. For us, it’s a line in the sand about the quality and integrity of the finished products we send out the door.We blend our healthy pet food in a human food facility that makes things like breakfast cereal and bakery mixes. So, we abide by the same strict standards for safety, cleanliness, record-keeping and overall quality as the place that whips up your favorite cookie dough.
I can see bits of food in my dog’s stool, are they not absorbing the nutrients?
When dogs eat a high moisture, whole food diet such as ours, the stool will not look the same as it did when consuming a dry kibble or raw food. The stool will reflect the colorful ingredients going in. It’s not abnormal to see pieces of carrots, spinach, etc. present in the stool. The nutrients, phyto-nutrients and antioxidants from the foods are still being absorbed.
Why is my dog pooping more often after changing its diet to Honest Kitchen?
Since the food is high in moisture and fiber it’s also common for the stool to be more voluminous. Our office dogs go 3-4 times a day.
It can get quite messy when my dog feed on Honest Kitchen as the food tend to stain on its fur around the mouth, which turns brown overtime. What can I do?
The brown stain is actually caused by water. When bacteria comes in contact with water, oxidation occur and turn the fur into brown colour. If the stain is there for a prolonged period of time, it cannot be removed even after shaving/trimming. The best way is to prevent it by keeping the under chin fur as short as possible and keep it dry. Try to wipe away any food stains as soon as possible after every meal.Alternatively, you may add lesser water to the food so it will have a thicker consistency and thus easier for your pets to pick it up without staining their fur.
Once I’ve added water to your dehydrated recipe, can I refrigerate or freeze the food?
Once the dehydrated food has been re-hydrated with warm water, you may cover and refrigerate any uneaten portions for 2-3 days. Frozen leftovers will keep for even longer. We suggest adding a little bit of warm water to the mix and stirring before serving.
How do I store your dehydrated food?
Our dehydrated recipes are naturally shelf stable and should be stored in a cool, dry place – out of sunlight. We don’t recommend refrigerating our food when it’s dry, because this can introduce moisture. If you want to freeze the food, you should hydrate it first (some of our customers like to freeze in individual pre-made portions). If you do choose to place the dry food in the freezer, we recommend keeping the box in the freezer for the remainder of its use.
Why can't I feed my puppy the Base Mix recipes?
Puppies have slightly different mineral needs. Of particular interest are calcium and phosphorus, which our bases mixes do not support the levels and ratios necessary for puppies. We have several diets that are designed to support puppies during their rapid growth months.
Recipes formulated for puppies:
Dehydrated Grain Free Turkey Recipe (Embark)
Dehydrated Limited Ingredient Chicken Recipe (Thrive)
Dehydrated Limited Ingredient Fish Recipe (Brave)
Dehydrated Limited Ingredient Duck Recipe (Spruce)