I bought 2 rolls of Freshpet Vital last night in the Bison & Beef Recipe for Nicky & Hayden to try. They seemed to enjoy it a lot! No problems at all up until 5:30 this morning when I woke up to Nicky throwing up on my back & hair (yuck!!! lovely morning wake up call). It was huge pieces of the food. I found it odd that she would throw up that large of portion several hours later. I tried it again with them this morning and made sure to cut it up in small cubed pieces and so far no problems.

Has anyone ever tried this brand before? Good or bad experiences?

I've fed it and loved it. Had great results with it and all my dogs loved it.

It isn't raw right? Just refrigerated cooked food? I've seen it, personally think its a ripoff.

Yep, it's refrigerated cooked food. It's expensive but I like to offer a lot of variety not just from a nutrition standpoint but also for flavor. Fresh Pet is something I routinely rotate into my dogs' diets. Expensive or not, it's really good food. If price and availability are not a concern I definitely recommend it. I buy the 4 lb rolls for $6 I think, maybe it's a 6 lb roll for $8, I can't remember, then cut it up and freeze it into smaller portions.

I went to a natural pet store today and picked up The Honest Kitchen preference Natural dehydrated food base mix. It's fruits and veggies and you add water to it, so it can hydrate and you add meat. Looked pretty cool!

Anyone ever tried this?

Hayden_69 wrote:

I went to a natural pet store today and picked up The Honest Kitchen preference Natural dehydrated food base mix. It's fruits and veggies and you add water to it, so it can hydrate and you add meat. Looked pretty cool!

Anyone ever tried this?

We used to feed THK, it's a great food. We always fed the premixed food.

Many of us have used various THK formulas. I've tried all of them and have been very happy with the results. I always added meat to mine regardless of formula, although I do prefer the complete formulas so that my dogs get more meat in their diet. Preference wasn't too appealing as far as smell.

Good to know!

I've been doing a ton more research recently on nutrition, vitamins, and supplements and find it all the be very interesting! So, we're experimenting with new products. I didn't want to try too many too soon, so it doesn't upset their tummy's, which is why I wanted input from you guys

I'm not a huge fan of THK for my dogs. It just doesn't have enough meat in it for my preference. Ours loved Grandma Lucy's though.

I, also, was not a fan of THK. Stool volume increased dramatically and quite honestly looked a lot like it did on the way in as it did on the way out. I have tried 3 large boxes in total with my dogs and I don't think I would purchase ever again. To me, the price point is rediculous and I felt as though I was paying to add filler to my dogs food.

However, I feed PMR and have done so for the past 3-4 years. So my expectations for a dog food are very high. If you are a raw feeder- there are better "alternatives" out there.

I was feeding PMR until I spoke with a lady yesterday. She was telling me that feeding my dog's just meat alone is not a balanced meal. That in the wild, wolves eat the stomach of their prey (which are usually vegetarians) and that's berries, grass, and whatever other vegetation they eat is in the stomach that the wolves eat. She was basically saying my dog's need veggies/fruit's to be balanced and it was mostly important because they are growing puppies for joints and things like that. Do you agree with this? I'm relatively new to raw feeding and still have a lot to learn! I know everyone has their own take of raw, so I respect you're opinion.

That is the barf mentality of things. In small prey animals (such as rabbits or quail) usually the carcass is eaten whole. Simply because the stomach is too small to remove and most will just eat it whole without a 2nd thought. In larger game animals the stomach and it's contents are usually left untouched.

In the end feed what you feel most comfortable with. I have fed PMR which is just meat, bones, and organs for quite some time and my dogs are fine. Sure- they will eat a carrot or whatever if I give it to them but I truly feel its not needed. If it makes you feel more comfortable then go for it! However I would advocate grinding or blending any veggie mixes because if you inspect poo you'll see it just comes out as it goes in. They don't break down the veggies. Any nutritional value would be better achieved by making it easier to break down and digest.

That being said- I feel that's better accomplished by doing so at home rather than buying something like THK just from my own experience with the food.

That makes sense. I feel comfortable feeding only meat, bone, and organs, but the lady I spoke with made me feel like I wasn't feeding them correctly. I feel better now knowing I'm not hurting my dogs!

WHo was the lady? If she was a member of the pet food industry (mind you ALL people are who work at pet stores) she doesn't know any better and does what she is told.

Remember, all of us have you and your dogs best interest in mind

She's been in the vitamin/supplement industry for over 20 years she said. Super nice lady!