• What grains does Halo use? Are certain grains better than others?

• Are “grain-free” diets better than those with grains?

• My veterinarian says cats shouldn’t eat carbohydrates and should be on grain-free foods. Why does Halo have grains in their cat food?

• Are Halo foods gluten-free?

See Tracie’s blog post on the topic here.

Told from Gordi’s perspective, Week 1 begins with the 8-year old “former paw model” reflecting:

“I started off this week feeling like I was going to burst with energy. It may just be my imagination, but I think I’ve lost an ounce or two since starting Halo last week. I’ve even started to notice some of the boys sniffing in my direction as I pass by.”

Click to read on!

If you missed the intro post, it’s here.

Please remember, while these products are wonderful, they are not the same as what you can buy at the store. You’ll find earlier formulas, old labels, or short-dating. Short-dating means that the product will reach its “Best if Used By” date within 1-2 months of purchase.

A: Thanks for your nutrition questions Kathy. A few thoughts on Stewart…even though he seems overtly very healthy, I would have your veterinarian check him for the possibility of malabsorption. There is a medical condition called EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) in which the pancreas does not make enough enzymes to properly digest the food and can lead to poor weight gain/lack of weight maintenance in an otherwise healthy dog. Also, it sounds like Stewart is outdoors most of the time. Chronic parasitism with the protozoal organism called Giardia is a common cause of malabsorption in outdoor pets that otherwise feels normal. I would ask your vet to check him for both of these things…just to be sure.

As far as options for a diet for Stewart, it is important to remember that fat has more calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrates. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram. With Stewart’s heavy activity schedule, he is likely better suited to a higher fat diet. When comparing diets, it is critical to do so on a dry matter basis (ask your vet to help you with this calculation if you are unsure). The Kent Native 4 you have had him on has 38.9% protein and 27.8% fat. There are many other diets that offer higher fat percentages.

It is also important that you look at the source of ingredients from a digestibility standpoint. The Kent Native 4 diet has “chicken meal” as the first ingredient. “Chicken meal” is a product made through a process called rendering. This always means it is considered “unfit for human consumption” because of the variability and quality of the end product. Rendered meals have lower digestibility than whole meats so even though the food is relatively high protein, it may not be highly digestible protein. Obviously Stewart needs a highly digestible, high quality food to gain and maintain weight with his active lifestyle.

For more information on reading and understanding pet food labels to choose the best food for Stewart, please see my article Pet Food – What You Need to Know – For Your Pet’s Sake.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Dr. Donna Spector

“…I thought I would give it a try,” she writes. “Once my dog started eating this food, I noticed a big difference right away. He was a healthy and happy dog. He no longer has fatigue, or Tummy troubles, or vomiting. He now has more energy to do his normal daily exercise, and he looks and feels Great!”

Here is the link to the entire blog post.

You’ll even find the recipe for our flagship product, Halo Spot’s Stew, so you can make it at home.

We believe that ideally, pets should eat healthy, homemade foods every day. But if the thought of cooking them a huge meal seems like a chore . . . just open a can of Spot’s Stew! Let our gourmet chefs prepare the healthiest food in the world for your dog or cat. We won’t mind if you take the credit!

“We regularly supplement Davey’s daily diet with things like carrots, berries, apples and other whole foods,” she writes on her blog.

“So having an actual whole food in Davey’s daily meal makes me feel great about what I feed him,” she writes. “The Halo dry food ingredient list reads like a healthy grocery list and not a chemistry experiment.”

Davey, we hope you are enjoying your wholesome, well-rounded meals!!

McKenzie, star of the new NBC cop drama Southland premiering April 9, received a year’s worth of Halo from Ellen last April when he appeared on her show.

Oscar was found by a friend, abandoned in a park. McKenzie said at the time he thought the dog was used as bait for dog fighting because he was so meek. Oscar was named for the character ‘Oscar’ from ‘The Odd Couple’ because he acts like an old man, McKenzie tells Ellen.

Halo does not make any specific “sensitive stomach” dog food formulas, however, we feel our foods are appropriate for all dogs (even those with touchy tummies!) given the high quality ingredients.

Recent research suggests that it may actually be the size or quality of the protein in most commercial pet foods that causes adverse digestive reactions. Many pets are also sensitive to fillers (like corn and rice) and many adverse reactions (such as gas, bloating and diarrhea) have been linked to these sub-standard pet food contents. Halo foods contain no such fillers!

As always, if you have a pet with a sensitive stomach, transition them to Halo slowly–over 1-2 weeks.
day 1, 2, 3 and 4: 75% old food, 25% Halo
day 5, 6, 7 and 8: 50% old food, 50% Halo
day 9, 10, 11 and 12: 25% old food, 75% Halo
day 13 +: 100% Halo

If at any time during this transition your pet has any digestive upset, return to the previous amount being fed and stay there for a few more days before starting the transition again. Good Luck and keep us posted!