I ordered your book today from Amazon. My Boston’s name is Madison for the autographed bookplate. Thanks for that.
Let me see if I understand what you suggest I do:
- I am taking her to the vet Tuesday. I expect he will give her antibiotics.
- I’ll start the elimination diet that same day. I believe you suggested 2 weeks to clean her out. Does this mean no milk bones, bullies or other treats during this time?
- If I wish to purchase food, rather than cook constantly, is there a brand you recommend? Sounds like you are satisfied with the THE HONEST KITCHEN’s food. Please send me the sample you offered. If not, can I cook a few weeks worth and freeze it in 2 day packages? I assume the rice you use is the whole grain brown rice??? Also, the carrots I mix (chopped), do they cook with the meat or serve them raw, mixed in?
- I believe Platinum Performance™ CJ, is the correct one you suggest and not their other choices? Sounds so good, I might try it for myself!!
- Lastly ( I thank you for your patience), since the Platinum Performance has the Omega-3 oils. Do I still need to supplement with the Nordic Naturals. This seems redundant to use both sources.
Thanks again. I look forward to getting to know you and your website better.
I appreciate your desire to get this right! As far as the actual brand Milk Bones, that is not something I’d like to see in her diet ever. Biscuits and treats should be used sparingly – otherwise a dog just fills up and bulks up on empty calories – but I feel differently about WAGATHA’S – the organic kosher human-edible biscuits you’ll see linked on my website. You can buy at many pet stores or order directly from them for a very reasonable shipping fee. That should be Madison’s treat for life.
If you read some of the other Q&A’s and BLOGS on my website – which I really encourage everyone to do, it is chockful of information about how I feed. My dogs get a scoop of The Honest Kitchen in every meal, plus a small scoop of high quality kibble (not for Madison right now) and then a cooked vegetable and healthy starch like sweet and/or white potato, rice (brown or white), oatmeal, pasta, etc. If she’ll eat raw carrots as a snack that is fantastic – the ones in the vegetable stew can be grated in a food processor or chopped and then cooked in the pot with all the other vegetables.
If there are no joint issues, then I recommend the regular Platinum Performance to protect the joints and balance the diet. If there are some lameness or joint pain issues, then I suggest Platinum Performance Plus. If a dog has a chronic lameness then the CJ (which is stronger, newer technology and also more expensive) can do wonders.
As for the Omega-3 fish oil from Nordic Naturals, dogs need it in the pure concentrated form in the capsules or bottle, to aid in joint issues but it is also an overall health tonic that helps in many visible and invisible ways. Platinum has a good dose of omega-3′s against joint inflammation, but getting the oil directly protects so many bodily functions and organs. We are all deficient in these omega-3′s, as scientists and doctors are only now realizing, so it’s actually a really good idea for you to take the human version of Nordic Naturals (the only truly reliable bottler of the fish oils). I do – and I take the human version of Platinum, too, and haven’t had to use Advil for a year now.
Tracie
Hi Tracie
I came across your blog when googling dog food. I also feed my dog THE HONEST KITCHEN and occasionally add in cooked meat, veggies, rice, or sardines to give him some variety. You mention feeding a “high quality kibble”. Which kibble do you recommend?
P.S. My dog did not do well on EVO – too high protein levels made him vomit & he has a sensitive tummy. I am not in any hurry to switch food but am just curious what you would consider a high quality kibble that I could add to THK food.
Halo’s Spot’s Stew is now the only kibble my dogs are going to get because I learned that they use only meat that is fit for human consumption in their dry and canned foods. You can’t get better than that! It is also a high protein kibble at 33% but the vital fact is the origin of that protein. You don’t really know what is being counted as protein in foods with much higher protein levels (EVO being one). Remember that melamine AND the wheat gluten which it polluted were both being counted in a total protein percentage when neither was really bio-available to the dogs digestive system. So don’t be sure of what exactly caused it when your dog has a bad reaction to a food – just avoid it! As for The Honest Kitchen, my dogs have been eating it for years as 1/3 of their meal. As large dogs, I have always given 1/3 of the meal as kibble but now I can feel really good about it! And Halo has joined me as a website sponsor – along with THK – so you’ll be keeping it all “in the family.”
P.S. I now have started adding Dr. Harvey’s veg-to-bowl – freeze dried human grade veggies that come to life with warm water as real pieces of vegetable. Heavenly no-cook minestrone! And his Barkotti biscuits and freeze dried tripe Power Patties treats are outrageous. I have samples to send to anyone who writes asking for a signed bookplate to put in their copy of THE DOG BIBLE – so get a copy, send your address and I’ll ship you out some tastes of heaven for your boy.