Elmo’s Kitchen

About Elmo’s Kitchen

We specialize in formulating National Research Council (NRC) balanced, raw, and cooked homemade dog diets, tailoring them specifically to the individual nutritional needs of the dog we are working with. In addition, we provide guidance on high quality dietary supplements and equip dog owners with techniques to stay on track with their dog’s nutritional plan.

For us, dogs are a big part of our family. That’s why we’re devoted to offering a service dog owners can trust, ensuring they feel confident in choosing us as their partners in dog care.

We have over 13 years of expertise in proactive nutrition and managing health conditions such as:

• Kidney disease
• Pancreatitis
• Arthritis
• Digestive disorders
• Various cancers
• Heart disease
• Arthritis
• Bladder stones
• Skeletal diseases
• Liver diseases, and more.

Our approach is science-based with understanding and flexibility of individual differences, making us a bespoke nutrition service. Both veterinarians and dog owners worldwide continue to support and refer new clients to us, for which we are immensely grateful.

Why does my dog need a personalised nutrition plan from Elmo’s Kitchen, you might ask. Personalised nutrition offers a multitude of benefits. Some of these include:

1. Better management of disease(s): Personalised dog nutrition allows for careful selection of ingredients that can address specific health issues in dogs. For instance, if your dog has a disease such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or kidney disease, a tailored diet can help manage these conditions. This is done by controlling the intake of certain nutrients and including foods known to be beneficial for the disease(s). Moreover, personalised nutrition is particularly beneficial when a dog presents with multiple health concerns.

2. Enhanced gut health and immune function: The gut plays a key role in a dog’s immune response. Customised nutrition can incorporate probiotics, fibre, and other nutrients known to improve gut health, thereby strengthening a dog’s immune function and protecting them from potential infections or diseases.

3. Increased energy levels and overall happiness: Personalised food means your dog gets exactly what their body needs to stay active. This not only increases their energy levels but also contributes to their overall wellbeing. A well-fed dog with a balanced diet tends to be a happier, more content dog.

4. Tastier meals: Personalised dog nutrition will take into account your dog’s individual likes and dislikes, resulting in meals that they will look forward to eating. This could be particularly beneficial for picky eaters or those with reduced appetite due to medical conditions.

5. Reduced allergic reactions: By controlling every ingredient that goes into your dog’s meals, you can eliminate allergens and reduce the chances of allergic reactions. This also helps in diagnosing and managing food intolerances.

6. An overall healthier dog: Ultimately, personalized nutrition means that your dog is getting a well-balanced, nutritious diet tailored to their specific needs. This contributes to better weight management, improved skin and coat health, stronger bones and teeth, and overall longevity. The right diet can have a significant impact on your dog’s quality of life and improves their body’s ability to fight off disease.

Our consultations and how the process works.

At Elmo’s Kitchen we offer consultations for puppies, adult dogs, and dogs with medical conditions.

• Puppies: To give a puppy the best possible start in life, it’s vital that their diet provides the correct amount and the right composition of key essential nutrients. Our puppy consultation is an ideal proactive approach for puppy owners who want to feed a home-prepared diet, aiming to raise an adult dog with adequate vitamin and mineral reserves. This consultation entails a 12-month working relationship with Kristina.

• Healthy Adults: Our healthy adult dog consultation is ideal for dogs without any health concerns or dietary restrictions. It equips the owner with everything they need to start preparing a proactive, balanced, homemade diet to enhance their dog’s overall health.

• Medical conditions: Our health concerns consultation is our most popular service, offering personalized dietary plans for adult dogs with health issues and dietary restrictions. It’s also an ideal choice for those who have consulted with a nutritionist in the past but haven’t achieved the desired results. This consultation involves a 1-2 month working relationship with Kristina as we implement the diet, and ensure it is optimal for the specific needs of the dog.

Upon booking a consultation with Elmo’s Kitchen, our clients complete a comprehensive intake form to help us understand them and their dog better. In the form, we ask questions like:

• The reasons for the consultation and what their aims and goals are.
• The owner’s preferred feeding method. (e.g., raw or cooked)
• Any foods their dog likes or dislikes.
• Foods they wish to avoid giving their dog.
• The dog’s dietary history (e.g., whether they have been on a special diet before)
• Any underlying health issues, etc.

In addition, we may also require access to information from the veterinarian, such as general medical history, blood chemistry and urine analysis test results, and any other relevant information.

Armed with this information, we formulate a bespoke homemade diet tailored to the dog’s nutritional requirements. Before the diet is finalized, we correspond with the owner to ensure all ingredients are readily available and easy for them to source. Once the diet is finalized and emailed to our client, we also outline the nutritional goals of the recipe and explain why these features are appropriate for their dog. We then begin implementing the diet and closely monitor the dog’s response.

During the whole of the implementation phase, we ask our clients to keep us updated on the progress, and will ask for specific information including how the diet is affecting their dog’s:

• Demeanour
• Weight
• Bowel movements
• Coat
• Energy levels, and much more

For dogs with underlying health issues, we will also ask for details surrounding that – for example in dogs with bladder stones, we request regular updates on the urine pH levels. And in dogs with kidney disease, we will ask for updates on blood and urine tests.

Why we stand out in our field.

We put careful thought and precision into creating our diets. Many homemade diets are based on nutrients per 100 calories and focus on the recommended minimum and maximum safe levels of nutrients. We calculate the amount of a nutrient your dog needs based on the weight of your dog and ensure it meets the recommended levels set by The National Research Council (NRC), not just falling within upper and lower guidelines.

What does this mean for your dog? It means we can meet their nutritional needs with a level of detail and precision that exceeds many other options available, which is why we stand out in our field.

Our Background

Elmo’s Kitchen was founded by Kristina Johansen. Her journey into canine nutrition started in 2009 when her 11-year-old foster dog, Elmo, was diagnosed with an advanced stage of malnutrition. Elmo wasn’t responding to traditional prescription foods and medications and due to the severity of the condition, euthanasia was suggested.

Kristina was committed to finding a solution and, by chance, she switched Elmo’s diet to home-cooked meals. This change yielded unexpected results that surprised everyone. Elmo’s recovery was not only instant but also remarkable. He went on to live for an additional four and a half years.

This experience laid the foundation for Elmo’s Kitchen. Driven by his transformation, Kristina pursued further education in pet nutrition and diseases, earning certification in Advanced Canine Nutrition with distinction.

Kristina has extensive experience in nutritional management of healthy dogs to those with complex medical conditions. While she enjoys all aspects of dog nutrition, she has a particular interest in the management of chronic kidney disease.

She provides evidence-based information via her blog page. She also writes articles on canine nutrition and care for Huffington Post and many other publications. She has authored two books, ‘How to Choose the Best Commercial Dog Food‘ and ‘Nutritional Management of Chronic Kidney Disease in Dogs‘.

Our website, elmoskitchen.com

We have meticulously designed a website that is incredibly user-friendly and straightforward to navigate. We’ve organized the content logically and clearly, and included intuitive navigation tools, making it easy for visitors to find the information they’re seeking. Regardless of whether they’re browsing on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, the site’s layout is responsive and adaptable. Our ultimate goal was to create a stress-free online experience for all users, and we’re confident that we’ve achieved that with our intuitive website design.

Our homepage provides users with an easy overview of Elmo’s Kitchen and quick access to the information they need. Whether the user is interested in our consultations, curious about our team, or seeking more information on a specific nutritional subject, they can easily delve deeper into the pages of interest.

Our Consultations page offers comprehensive information about our consultancy services, providing everything a dog owner needs to know in order to book the most suitable consultation for both them and their dog

In the ‘meet the team’ section, the user can find smiling photos of us (including our dogs). This section also provides information about who we are, what we do, and our values and goals.

For anyone searching for information about a specific dog health. Our Health Guide page comprehensively covers the most prevalent health issues, delving into their causes, symptoms, and recommended treatments, along with associated dietary advice.

Our Blog section is the largest and most comprehensive area of our site. It offers objective and evidence-based information on nutrition for dogs. It’s designed to help dog owners understand nutrition, diseases, and everything else related. New blogs are added monthly, and we’ve included a smart search function on our site, to quickly locate the information needed. We encourage everyone to share this section with friends and social media, as it’s packed with invaluable information!

Our Shop page offers a wide range of high-quality supplements. To maintain our commitment to excellence, we routinely review the certificates of analysis for each supplement we stock, guaranteeing that they deliver precisely what their labels promise. Additionally, you can discover two educational eBooks on our shop page, both written by Kristina, serving as valuable resources for our customers.

Our Facebook and Instagram pages are filled with science-based insights and handy tips, all focused on dog nutrition, health, and happiness.

Have any questions? Just navigate to our Contact page to send us an email. We aim to get back to emails within 24 hours.

Our values

At Elmo’s Kitchen, we understand that every dog is unique and deserves a diet that caters to their individual needs.

For us, dogs aren’t just pets – they’re family. This ethos is what drives our dedication to offering a service that dog owners can truly trust. By choosing Elmo’s Kitchen, you’re becoming a part of a family who shares your love for your dog and prioritizes their health. We go the extra mile to ensure they receive the most suitable, nutritionally balanced diet.