@Suzanne’s winning tweet was, “We call Halo frz-dried chicken ‘cookies’. When my cat Montague escaped the way we got him back was to yell ‘cookies’ #MyHaloStory.”

Montague is a 3rd generation Savannah cat, bred from American Shorthair and African Servile. He has giant ears and a triangle shaped face long legs and skinny tail. Suzanne taught him how to shake hands so he sits and shake hands for his reward — Halo freeze dried chicken treats! She says,” when we whisper the word ‘cookie’ he howls and paces till we get the container from the fridge. One cannot go near the fridge without him following and howling.” Then Suzanne’s other three cats come to see if the Savannah cat gets his treat.

On top of that, she mentions a friend who’s cat, Walter, plays the piano for his Halo chicken treats. We’d sure like to see a video of that!

Some of the items that do not belong in your dog’s mouth are poultry skin, bacon, and baked goods full of butter and sugar and fried foods. None of these do a dog any good and in fact just the opposite – they may upset his digestive tract and can even lead to serious illness if there is an ongoing fat-rich diet.

Thanksgiving and other holidays are a great example of the dinner table offering temptation to share – but turkey gravy; skin and even sometimes the meat (if it’s been basted in butter or oil) can set off a big tummy upset. Even though you may want your dog to join in the festivities when you have company and lots of extra food, don’t think you’re doing him any favor by feeding him rich foods.

Foods that are high in fat can cause a dog to throw up or get diarrhea – no fun for him or for you! And there’s the more serious problem that in some dogs, over-indulging in fatty foods can lead to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, which can require hospitalization and can even be fatal.

Tip of the day: you can make your dog just as happy – and much healthier – by offering a Halo Liv-a-Little in any of the delicious flavors of lean, pure protein. Not only are you eliminating any fat in that treat, but Liv-a-Littles are pure dehydrated chicken, salmon or beef so they have absolutely no carbohydrates, which we want to keep low in our dogs’ diets.

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and the Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

Even though we won for top dog treat – many of our reviews come from cat families, who know that felines can get ferociously addicted to Halo Liv-a-Littles!

As Bettina from Roy, Utah’s Buzzillions review states, “Five stars. Great for either cats or dogs. We purchased these treats for our two Pomeranian’s. It was very interesting to see our very aloof cat come running when we called “chicken” after he got a taste of the treat. It is always fun to see which one of our little ones will get to the kitchen first. ”

Susan D from Illinois explained, “We have three cats who absolutely love this product. It is the only treat our 13-year old diabetic boy can have since it doesn’t contain additives, preservatives or anything else that will raise his blood glucose. He doesn’t mind having his blood sugar tested, he knows his favorite treat will follow.”

That reflects my own experience at home, where our cat Sterling runs to the kitchen when our dog Bert gets his injections – so then they each enjoy a treat.

All Halo treats are made with the highest quality ingredients. Spot’s Stew Dry Dog Food is part of Halo’s Natural Dry Dog Food that is highly digestible, high in protein and quality ingredients, low in carbs and always created with your pet’s entire well-being in mind. Halo never uses chicken meal or other rendered meats.

“This recognition for our pet food is especially important to all of us at Halo because it comes straight from the consumer,” said Steve Marton, CEO of Halo. “Halo wins awards like this only because consumers are demanding great ingredients. Every Halo ingredient is a real, natural ingredient that consumers recognize and understand. Every meat we use can also be sent to make human food products. That’s what consumers are demanding, and that’s what Halo has delivered for over 20 years.”

Click over to our News page to see the Buzzillions reviews and our press release.

Halo recipes also combine that centuries-old wisdom – in the form of real, natural ingredients – with contemporary health wisdom pointing us to the importance of essential fatty acids. She writes, “These biscuits are made with a blend of six botanical oils and essential fatty acids, which help prevent skin inflammation and hair loss.” It’s true!

At home, our boxer boy Bert gobbles these treats with his twice-daily medicine. We add a regular dose of Halo Dream Coat, and no more dry skin!

Click over to our News page for a link to the story.

Click over to our News page for the link, or if you haven’t yet, sign up for our newsletter 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.

“With ingredients like chicken, eggs, chicken liver and salmon in the bag of Spot’s Stew Wholesome Chicken recipe for adult dogs that we received, there was no doubt in my mind that Oscar would love his new food. The ingredients boast a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and trace nutrients that are vital for a healthy pooch, yet often overlooked by pet food manufacturers. The Liv-a-Littles 100% Chicken Breast Protein Treats provide a high-protein, low-carb snack your dog will love — and it’s healthy too! Oscar, our very own Furry Savvy Sampler, loved Halo’s dog food & treats, and we especially loved its clean ingredients.

“It’s clear that Halo’s first priority is the health and well-being of our pets: just read the label of any of their treats or foods and you’ll see a list of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.”

We’re so honored they gave us the “Naturally Savvy Seal of Approval.”

Click over to our News page to read the whole article.

Now that Pet Promise is leaving the market, Plenty of Puppies reviewed Halo Spot’s Stew dry dog food, giving it similar high praise. They explain, “This is a great list of ingredients that I would be proud to give my dog.  Heck, I’m even tempted to have a handful of kibble!”

Here’s some of what they had to say about Halo.

“Upon opening the bag I notice the kibble looks fresh (not all dried up like some dog food), comes in a thin disc sized kibble, which means it will be easily digestible for many sizes of dogs. I also noticed that there is not just kibble in the bag! I can also see bits of dehydrated vegetables and meat. I think having dehydrated bits of food mixed with the kibble is a great idea. I checked the back of the bag to see what those bits are. There is green peas, cranberries, butcher-quality chicken, flax seed and carrots. I guess it’s called Spot’s Stew for a reason!”

Then they ask – and answer, “Why is Spot’s Stew better than other dog foods?”

“Reading on the bag I can see that Halo Spot’s Stew is made with vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients, has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and is made without any rendered meats, and no animal or plant meal (meaning they use whole foods, much more nutritious).”

Thanks, Plenty of Puppies! Click over to our News page to see the whole review.

Hotchner, who feeds her three dogs Halo, will be signing copies of her books and giving away samples of Halo food, Liv-a-Little treats, and our popular supplements Daily Greens and Xtra-C.

“HALO stands out head and shoulders above the rest because there is no dry dog food that has made the commitment HALO has: to use only “meat fit for human consumption” in their kibble,” says Hotchner.

“Since the most worrisome aspect of dry pet food is the origin of the protein content – horror stories abound – I am grateful to be able to choose HALO as the dry portion of my own dogs food because it has no “mystery meat” elements but only meat that a person might eat,” she continues. “Regardless of the quality of he kibble, I still want to always give the message that any dog kibble is a highly-processed food and should make up no more than half of the dog’s meal, which should include quality protein, vegetables and less-processed carbohydrates.”

For more information on Hotchner, go to www.traciehotchner.com.

Dear Halo,

Hi! My name is Beanie. It is actually an 8 word, very long name, shortened to Beanie at my birth, thank goodness. It is much easier for me to respond to my humans with this little name. So, I am writing because I wanted my human to let you know how your product has saved my menu and my pallet.

I was sold to my loving humans, who were looking for a Border Terrier to fulfill their lives. Of coarse they picked me, I mean really, come on, who wouldn’t! Once they got me home and began the proper spoilage of me and mine, they noticed that I had developed food allergies. I spent many sick filled days and scratchy days and nights, until my humans figured out what foods I was allergic too. Needless to say the list was HUGE.

My humans, for 11 years, made my food every month. Rice and Hamburger or Hamburger and Rice. Once in a while they’d throw garlic in, or carrots, or potatoes. Cheese is always welcomed. THEN!!!! my Mom was watching the Ellen Show, as always and she mentioned your WONDERFUL pet food she had become involved with. I saw shining lights from the heavens and music rang in my ears. There was NEW food on my plate!! HALO!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes by itself, most times mixed in with my “usual”, and then, if I am being good, I get cheese sprinkled on top.

My “golden” years are clearly going to be the best years of my life, thanks to Halo. I have new food and new treats and a new lease on life. My humans, Kathy and Harry Hawn, of Coupeville, WA, wish to thank Ellen, first and foremost, for becoming involved with your product, as I don’t think we would have heard of it otherwise, living on an Island as we do, and we would also like to thank HALO! You are wonderful chefs of fine dining for us four-legged beauties, and you taste soooooo good. I am truly blessed.

Thank you so very much and I give you a “high-four” (as I have no thumb)

From me,
Beanie,
and my loving humans, Kathy and Harry Hawn