The Honest Kitchen Whole Food Clusters Whole Grain Chicken & Oat Dry Dog Food, 5 lb Bag

Our dogs chow done on this. We mix with some warm water to get a bit of gravy.

First of all, I am writing this because after YEARS of searching for the PERFECT food for my sweet girl Luna who was a puppy mill rescue I have found a fantastic food that works and I don’t want other people to be dissuaded from trying this for their pup because they think it is a subpar product. Before I go into the almost immediate transformation I just want to address the reviews about the “dust” at the bottom of the bag and why it is a sign that this is the REAL DEAL amongst many claims of “minimally processed”.foods that aren’t! 1. This is NOT KIBBLE. It is human grade food gently roasted, dehydrated and cold compressed into clusters. In the description it says add warm water to make fresh food (which is easy to feed and dogs love!) a five pound bag of clusters can make approximately TWENTY POUNDS of fresh (just rehydrated) food By NOT creating “kibble” and instead using minimal processing this retains the nutrients from the foods as well as beneficial enzymes etc. The “dust or powder ” at the bottom is not wasted food at all it is just little bits of the dehydrated lightly compressed food - I actually add warm water to even the clusters and make little “meatballs” or patties with them and hand feed them to my dog and she gobbles it up like it is peanut butter and a bit of Manuka honey (her favorite treat). 2. HARD UNIFORM kibble is produced using high heat extrusion which, yes, kills MOST pathogens in the process it also destroys many of the nutrients all enzymes etc. More insidiously, in order to make you okay with serving it, and your dog willing to eat the ingredients that are contained in most kibble** this high heat extrusion (which is what turns what would never be considered food into little hard round uniform balls) ALSO creates AGE’s. 3. Advanced Glycation End products are harmful chemical compounds that form naturally when pet food is cooked using intense, dry heat and high pressure. During the kibble manufacturing process, the high-heat environment triggers the Maillard reaction, which is a chemical binding of proteins (amino acids) and sugars/carbohydrates. While this reaction makes the kibble taste more appealing to animals, it creates high concentrations of toxic AGEs that accumulate in a pet's body over time and are linked to chronic inflammation, arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer. This process is repeated to make the renderings not only palatable to dogs and to the humans feeding them. These renderings are often referred to as “meat meal” on an ingredient list **(renderings are by products like spoiled meats from stores, heads, feathers, animals classified as DDD which is dead, dying or diseased) not suitable for human consumption - and this is the PG description). The "Double Heating" Cumulative Effect: The overall AGE load is made worse because ingredients like meat meals are heavily rendered at high temperatures before arriving at the pet food plant. The mixture is then subjected to a second round of high heat in the extruder barrel, followed by a final thermal blast inside industrial drying ovens. The studies tracking dietary AGEs (dAGEs) have identified specific markers that regularly show up in ultra-processed pet foods at levels up to 100 times higher than what is typically found in human food. 3. Why this food is different. Honest Kitchen ONLY uses human grade food which does not include the renderings etc. They don’t use high heat extrusion or other heat intensive processes that, yes, make uniform hard round pieces with almost no “powder” because it is so processed under such high temperatures it is like a piece of food that has burnt beyond recognition and could be used as a hockey puck. They don’t do this to their food because: 1. They don’t have to use these processes because they are using human grade ingredients that don’t require hiding and turning into a little hard ball, or uniform pâté, or other shape to get dogs to eat it AND for their people to be okay feeding it to their dogs. The ingredients are gently roasted, dehydrated and cold compressed. 2. They know what over processing does to the nutrients and enzymes and fantastic superfoods and are looking to help our furry friends live not only longer but healthier lives not plagued by inflammatory diseases, gut issues, allergies, diabetes and cancer which, even with all the money spent on veterinary care and treatment today many dog breeds lifespans have actually DECREASED! My fresh baked baguettes in France came in a paper bag (perfect for holding and munching on the way home). They were not uniform, crumbled and went “bad” quickly. White bread in a plastic bag will last a looooong time, barely crumbles and is uniform in size. Everyone knows the difference is in all of what is stripped from the bread, how highly it is processed and the chemicals that are added. I used to feed my dogs high end kibble and think it was good for them. As I learned more, I moved to meat meal free baked kibble. Then I remembered about Honest Kitchen which I discovered years ago when my dog was older and what a difference it made. Unlike many dogs, my dog does not like hard little pieces. It was discovered when the rescue groups took the dogs in for veterinary care that she and the other 200 plus dogs as they had no food or water to ease the pain of starvation, the dogs had been eating mud, dirt with rocks etc. (many who were thought initially to have masses when they were first examined actually had impactions of dirt etc) she definitely was sick a lot and so hard little pieces make her nervous. The GOOD PART !!!! My fiancé had started cooking for her and would put it in his mouth and then she would eat it but I knew it wasn’t everything she needs so we got some of the fresh packs of food with recognizable pieces of meat and vegetables which she would eat and then I saw these clusters made by Honest Kitchen and was elated! I ordered a 5 lb bag while they were on sale (check -!I think the 1lb and 5lb bags still are) and while I was excited I was unsure if she would eat it. What I noticed in less than 24 hours was truly amazing. In order to get her okay with the cluster texture (as opposed to the fresh food) I mushed the clusters into some of the fresh food after realizing it was okay she ate the mixture with increasing excitement. Normally she is anxious, always looking for more food (even though she has other great baked food available). Many dogs have NO problem with harder foods but I think because this is only dehydrated and compressed she is immediately able to tell that it is not rocks and not going to make her sick (as once it hits her saliva her brain / gut recognize that this is real food). I am not exaggerating when I say that when she ate this within an hour she was barking like a puppy and play nipped at my ankles (as many excited collies play herd when excited) but her face, body and entire being held SO much joy! It was like her gut and brain said THIS is what I was missing thank you! When she went to the bathroom her stools were perfect and there was so much less because her body is able to use what she consumed right away! It was literally like her cells anxiously grabbed the nutrients and whisked them away leaving enough to expel waste. Honest Kitchen uses only human grade foods no rotten spoiled foods here AND these easy to use, odor free clusters include superfoods. We all know healthy eating prevents diseases, the antioxidants actively protect our cells and fight off the nasty stuff we all encounter living our lives and the same goes for our dogs. The difference is that, as their life span is significantly less than ours, every single meal is that much more important. This is why it was so devastating to me that she would really only eat some human foods (and reluctantly some of the best baked dog foods). I know this food is not inexpensive and as I am dealing with spinal injuries (and related hospital bills from surgery, aftercare, therapy etc.) but seeing how her entire being is just transforming, we will do whatever we can to feed as much of this as possible. Not only is it less expensive than the fresh packs (a five pound bag of this make roughly 20 LBS of rehydrated fresh food) but these clusters actually have even MORE fantastic ingredients than some of the fresh foods (not that those aren’t great) but seeing all of the human grade superfoods goes beyond what is in even some of the fresh foods I have found. The ingredient list is fantastic and ALL of the ingredients are human grade. Beyond the human grade meat, eggs, oats and barley (there is also grain free, I just prefer some healthy whole grains) you also have flaxseed, pumpkin, coconut oil (which has MCTs great for humans and dogs), fish oil, broccoli, apples, carrots, eggs, chia seeds, kale, dried kelp, turmeric and on top of that they add taurine and l-carnitine for a multitude of health benefits not least among them is protecting the heart from DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy). I use add ins to try to give my girl what she needs but this formula has a lot of supplements people pay extra to add in their dog’s food already in there. Also, you are working with a company that has been producing human grade food for decades and is expanding their offerings now that more people are realizing that the food they thought was nourishing their dog could be costing them healthy years with their furry family.

My dog loves this stuff! It’s very crumbly but I break it apart as treats and sprinkle the crumbs on his food for extra nutrients

Outstanding Quality & Highly Versatile!My dog absolutely loves these Whole Food Clusters, and they have become the perfect base for her daily meals. The quality of the human-grade ingredients is obvious right out of the bag, but what I love most is how versatile these clusters are for custom feeding.Because the ingredients are so wholesome, they break down wonderfully. I grind the clusters up for her, moisten them with a mix of water and goat's milk, and then finish it off with some fresh, homemade toppers. It creates the perfect, nutrient-dense bowl that she completely devours every single time. It is a fantastic option if you like to customize your dog's meals while ensuring they get premium, clean nutrition. Highly recommend!

The price was a bit high in comparison to other stores.