Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl dog food makes homemade dog food super easy!
It’s how I personally made the switch from kibble to raw dog food back in 2015.
Now, Dr. Harvey’s is a wonderful company dedicated to bringing their dog, cat, horse, and bird clients all-natural and organic foods, treats and supplements.
The great thing is that they’re using only 100% human grade ingredients.
Overall, they make it very easy to feed healthier dog food.
Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in 2023. It contains affiliate links I may earn compensation through at no additional cost to you.
Ingredients Are Everything For Dr. Harvey’s!
30 years ago, Dr. Harvey started to teach people about feeding real food to companion animals.
To this day, providing only the very best, truly healthy products made with only the finest ingredients remains Dr. Harvey’s mission!
I myself am constantly on the lookout for the best dog foods, especially now that my girl Missy is recovering from her cancer treatment.
For now, I’ve been feeding high quality kibble mixed with high-quality wet food & organic pumpkin puree.
However, I had yet to take the next step towards an even healthier feeding approach: Homemade dog food.
Over the years, I’ve become much more knowledgeable in dog nutrition than I was when I adopted the pups in 2011.
That said, I’m aware of the fact that the B.A.R.F. (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet & homemade foods in general have many supporters.
Not only do they believe in their way of feeding, but they also have healthy & happy dogs as proof that homemade nutrition really works wonders.
I have to admit that my only hesitation in going the homemade dog food route has been the loss of the convenience factor.
It IS incredibly easy to just open a bag of kibble & scoop out however much your particular dog eats.
HOWEVER!
Enter Dr. Harvey!
They provide a holistic, all-natural dog food pre-mix you add to your dog’s raw or cooked diet.
It’s that easy, AND you can really feel confident about feeding fresh dog food because you know you’re adding everything your pup needs.
Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl Dog Food Pre-Mix
Veg-to-Bowl is Dr. Harvey’s newest food pre-mix and provides a balanced and ultra-healthy way to feed a fresh, grain-free diet to your favorite K9 companion.
Veg-to-Bowl makes a fresh homemade dog food for your dog in minutes:
Just add hot water or bone broth, let the vegetables rehydrate for 8-10 minutes, then finish the meal with your choice of raw or cooked protein and oil ~ and it’s done!
Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl Feeding Instructions: How Much Protein Do I Have To Add?
The one question I had while anticipating the arrival of Dr. Harvey’s products, was: “How do I know how much protein to add to Missy’s & Buzz’s Veg-to-Bowl mix?”
The answer was provided in the detailed, yet easy to follow instruction sheet which is included in the Veg-to-Bowl bag.
Bonus: It also comes with a measuring scoop.
Buzz weighs 74 lbs, so his daily allowance of protein is 24 ounces.
Missy weighs 54 lbs, and can have 18 ounces of protein per day.
I started adding 1/4 of the pups’ respective daily allowance of the Veg-to-Bowl & the ground turkey to half of their usual kibble allowance.
Then I slowly decreased the amount of kibble and increased the Veg-to-Bowl.
How Do You Mix Dr. Harvey’s Dog Food: Step-by-Step Feeding Instructions
1. Select a healthy protein source
2. Go protein shopping for your pup(s)
3. Prepare the protein
4. Measure out the amount of protein
5. Add hot water & oil to the pre-mix
6. Mix everything together
Rotate the protein
Dr. Harvey’s suggests to rotate the protein you add to your dog(s)’ meals on a weekly basis.
That’s because different protein sources like:
- Beef
- Poultry
- Lamb or
- Salmon
have different compositions of amino acids, as well as different levels of fats, nutrients, and vitamins.
By rotating them, your dog(s) will receive the nutritional benefits of all these essential nutrients.
I’ve been rotating between lamb, salmon and bison flavors when feeding kibble, as Missy & Buzz enjoy variety at meal time ~ specifically Buzz.
Dogs crave variety at mealtime
When he was just a few months old, he refused to continue eating his kibble he had been eating ever since he was a tiny pup ~ and he had a point!
After all, it must have been incredibly boring to eat the same food day in and day out.
His behavior was the starting point of my interest in dog nutrition, by the way!
I familiarized myself with the art of dog-food-label-reading, learned a lot from the Dog Food Advisor.
Also from a wonderful, locally owned pet food store in Ashburn, VA (DogGone Natural).
I really like the fact that I’m in control of the quantity AND of the quality of the protein I’m feeding our dogs with Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl!
I chose to start with all natural ground turkey that has been family farmed without the addition of any antibiotics, growth hormones or stimulants, containing no artificial ingredients.
Rotate the oils
Just as you’ll be rotating between different sources of protein, you should also rotate the different oils you use.
For example, salmon oil one week, olive oil the following week, sesame oil the next week, and so on.
I’ve been adding Dr. Harvey’s Health & Shine salmon oil capsules to the pups’ meals, and let me tell you, the pups love the taste of salmon oil!!
Update 2023: Dr. Harvey’s Health & Shine fish oil now features a mix of oil from wild-caught mackerel, herring, anchovies, and sardines.
Learn about the differences in mackerel and herring here.
Other options are flax oil, borage oil, hemp oil, or any healthy oil of your choice, really.
Pre-Cook Your Dog’s Weekly Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl Allowance!
As mentioned before, the one disadvantage of preparing your dog’s homemade meal is that you can’t just scoop it out of a bag, such as kibble.
HOWEVER, it only takes a little bit of planning to achieve the convenience of reaching inside your fridge (and/or freezer) instead of inside the bag of kibble and preparing your best friend’s meal.
For instance, what you can do is pre-cook several days worth of the protein and store it in your fridge.
Or keep a sufficient amount of the raw protein handy in case you’re opting not to cook it.
You can do the same with the Veg-to-Bowl because you can keep the pre-made mix of Veg-to-Bowl & water in the fridge for 3 days, and you can even freeze it!
Don’t add any oil to it yet if you’re planning on freezing it.
Keep Cancer At Bay & Increase Your Dog’s Longevity
I’ve come across several testimonials of happy Dr. Harvey’s customers who report fantastic health in their best friends after they made the switch to a healthier, homemade diet.
Several customers even reported the food’s healing powers in dogs battling cancer!
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for Missy as she ended up passing from a second cancer diagnosis in 2018.
But if nothing else, keeping your pup at a healthy weight and making the switch from kibble to homemade dog food can add several years to your pooch’s life expectancy.
I’ll take that.
Picky Eaters Love Dr. Harvey’s Food!
The homemade Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl diet also seems to be the food of choice of the pickiest K9 eaters.
That’s something to keep in mind if your pup is not overly excited about his or her current food.
While Missy is known to be a little piggy and loves all food in general, her brother Buzz can be a bit more selective with his food preferences.
Let me just tell you that they BOTH polished their new food off in no time, and left their food bowls spotless.
Actually, don’t take my word for it, but watch for yourselves.
Spoiler alert: It includes Missy burping…
Quick Facts About Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl Dog Food
- Natural with vitamins and minerals and uses the finest dehydrated and freeze-dried vegetables.
- Allows total control of protein amounts because you add the protein.
- Veg-to-Bowl can be used daily to make a fresh, homemade meal.
- Free of all preservatives and additives, coloring agents and dyes.
- When used as directed can assist with weight management.
- Contains no fillers, no corn, no wheat, no soy.
- Provides vitamins and minerals.
- Contains organic herbs.
- Free of sugar and salt.
- Perfect for raw diets.
Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl comes in a 6.5 oz trial size as well as in 3 lb bags (makes 28 one lb meals) and 5 lb bags (makes 46 one lb meals).
I’ve ordered several 5 lb bags of the Veg-to-Bowl after I witnessed the pups’ excitement over their new food.
They just love it so much!
Tell me a little about your feeding routine ~ are you scooping kibble, or do you feed your pooch homemade meals?
Please leave your comment in the comment section below this blog post.
Related Reading
- Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm Dog Food: How To Feed & Recipes
- Grandma Lucy’s Freeze-Dried Dog Food Delivered In Style
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