# Making Homemade Kibble with Honest Kitchen



## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

*Update*

This didn't work. After eating my homemade HK kibble on the first day she never ate it again, whether cold from refrigeration or lightly heated up in the oven a few minutes. I tried to other dog kibble brands and might as well have tossed that money out the window.

Bella refuses raw, but continues to eat well, some which I think of as heart attack foods: 

bacon, 
link sausages, 
hamburger, 
baked fish, 
eggs, 
milk with a couple slices of banana left over from my cereal,
and a little cat kibble which she never turns down. I mix it in with the dog kibble but she picks through it. And yes, I know about the association of cat kibble with pancreatitis, and _really_ hope I'll soon find a dog kibble she likes, so don't get mad.

Veggies:
broccoli with cheese, 
spinach with cheese, 
carrots and sweet potatoes. 

I'm not a big meat eater, but began buying the maple bacon and link sausages for her. I had forgotten how good those taste! Glad she's a tpoo and doesn't require a lot of food. 

Bella looks great, has gained weight and had a growth spurt in the past two weeks since I gave up the food fight issues where she'd eat barely enough to survive, and her coat has a beautiful sheen. Other than the cat kibble, I guess I'm feeding her what dogs-as-pets ate before the invention of kibble or canned dog foods of dubious ingredients. 

It's true, I supposed, that a dog won't starve itself to death. I just couldn't bring myself to eat dinner with skinny self dying for some and barely eating enough of what she hates to stay alive. 

If you have a dog kibble brand that your picky poo goes crazy about, please let me know. I've tried HK, Holistic Grain Free, Evolve, Instinct, Royal Canine, Crave, and a few others I can't remember their names. 

I've been thinking about trying Blue Buffalo and Merrick Grain Free - does your dog love this or is only ho-hum about it? Thanks.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Your spoiling your girl, like my mom did her Gracie who is 6 pounds.

A lot of people here say healthy dog won't starve. Only dogs I catered to were my elderly or sick dogs, Flower got whatever she wanted to eat wet food, or kibble the last three years of her life she was toothless and lived to 16.

It's true, I know the worry of having a toy dog and hypoglycemia, but once they reach a certain age and size is less of a concern. the 15 minute rule is a good one, food goes up after that. 

The picky eater is Gracie, she will go sometimes a day and a half without eating, she will come find me when she gets hungry and I will feed her, it took me a long time to get her stop expecting people food. I inherited Grace when my mom died in Aug 2015.

Kibble size matters, Beatrice has a hard time with bigger kibble, Leonard had trouble with his puppy kibble until a mashed it into smaller bits.

Right now most of the pups eat Health Extension Little bites Grain free White Fish and Buffalo but I am seriously considering home cooking for everyone.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Sorry to hear about your mom passing away, Twyla. Been through it 14 years ago and I never stop missing her. What does Gracie look like? I see pics of your three poodles a lot, and remember another little one couple times.

About the kibble and your mashing it up to a smaller size for Leonard. I'm wondering now if this is part of the reason why Bella prefers the cat kibble, which is always smaller than even the small dog kibble. I'll try that. Thanks.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

This is Gracie right now, she will be 13 in July.

Oh I used a meat tenderizer to mash up Leonard's food


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

She's so pretty, I like her coat; it looks like it would feel soft. I'd never guess from that pic that she's 13.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Vita, my Asta would not eat HK either. I ended up giving it to my SIL for her beagles. Now Asta just eats his kibble with a yummy topping.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Even though I have Molly on a half raw, half kibble diet, and she is not a picky eater there ARE things she does not LIKE! Kibble size is one....she has incomplete dentation with having very few premolars (inherited ) and the premolars are what are used to tear up food! So kibble has to be very small. Texture is another thing she is 'picky' about..she does not like food that is runny or stew like (HK was a big fail here too,unless it was made with less water and I added a pate type canned dog food LOL!) As long as I follow these two no-nos she will eat just about any kibble or canned food I give her. She also has a liking for dehydrated food that you don't rehydrate and one of the best is 'Only Natural Pet Grain Free MaxMeat Air Dryed' dog food in the Lamb & Cod flavor...she eats this like she thinks it's dog candy! I bet your girl would like this too! I've taste tested this on 5 different dogs and ALL of them had the same 'dog candy' reaction! Amazing food!


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Molly, thanks for the recommendation! I googled and they have that brand and flavor at a nearby Petsmart.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Zignature has some nice food, even picky Gracie liked it and you can get free samples. It is a bigger kibble but it crunchy and not as hard as other brands.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Thanks Twyla. I discovered there's a boutique pet store about 2 miles from me that carries it. I wonder if they have the kangaroo flavor, lol! Hope they have the free samples, it's expensive!


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

If not you can go to their website and ask them to send you samples


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