[Carly H]

Hello I know this is a few years old but can you possibly update it? My opinion is it’s the food! Science diet is poison and it’s killing dogs and has been! Big time. All the foods your vet will recommend – same.
Stella and chewy was bought out by a Chinese company last year and they have to crap too! Science diet is owned by I believe Nestle ! As in the candy company ! Mars as in Mars bars also own a lot of pet food companies and now a ton of vet offices are owned by them as well. They have no business being in pet food and anything related !
More recently though a ton of pet food brands are making dogs sick and exactly how your dog was/is sick is how these dogs are , same symptoms to the t! My exes moms dog recently was on science diet i/d like your dog and almost died on it . Same symptoms ! I told her to stop feeding SD and pray it didn’t do too much damage and her dog is recovering!
It’s likely a pesticide from an ingredient that all these different dog food companies use and outsource from the same source ! These companies will use the same sources for certain things.
None of them are agreeing to recall even though the cases are in high numbers and dogs are still getting sick and dying daily. They don’t care about our dogs and only about money . Candy bar companies shouldn’t be making dog food but even so there are a ton of other companies not owned by them that are making dogs sick right now. Purina , SD and Royal Canin being the top ones.
Stella and Chewys used to a great food until they were bought out, Acana and Orijen were also sold and bought by Mars and went to crap and there are many more!
Please if you haven’t already stop feeding these foods and best to stop kibble all together most of them use very high heat to cook the pathogens from the 4D meat they use in their foods meat that’s from other same spieces animal that the foods made for , and they have been euthanized! The proof is in the fact that dogs foods were testing high levels of phenobarbital in it something they obviously don’t put in dog food unless they are putting euthanized dogs in it since that’s one of the meds used in vets offices to put dogs down! Sick and diseased cattle are being used in dog food and finally plain old road kill! So i get why they heat up the kibble so high to kill all that comes with using this kind of meat source! However the high heat may kill all the pathogens but it also kills any nutrients in the meat and yes this kind of horrible meat does have some !
Once they kill it all they gotta add it back using synthetic vitamin mixes which they are fining to cause cancer and speaking of cancer the carcinogens caused by cooking the kibble to the point of burning it gives your pet a good dose of cancer causing carcinogens !
Don’t use kibble it’s so and as is but right now with this mystery issues going on that’s these pet Food companies are sweeping under the rug you can’t take the risk!
You mentioned your dogs doesn’t tolerate raw meat? Could you try a gently cooked premade ? Or possibly a synthetic free raw premade as opposed to raw from the store ? Keep in mind the detoxing period that there is with raw but after typically is all good. If your dog isn’t tolerating raw meat maybe it’s that particular protein that’s an allergy or too rich . Try rabbit meat it’s good for allergic and sensitive dogs . If you must use a “kibble” try an alternative like Carna4 though it may be a bit rich for your dog especially if it has pancreatic issues but if not carna is not kibble and it’s made safer . I use partial raw and a freeze dried raw called Simple Food Project and they make combo proteins and single protein formulas and my dog loves it. It can be rehydrated with water, raw goats milk or broth or eaten dry with a continuous water source available .
I hope this finds you and your pup living your best lives ever! If this isn’t applicable to your situation any longer I apologize and hope someone else on here can use the info!
Xoxo

[Clover O]

I have been feeding my seven-year-old Norwegian elkhound ACANA dog food. It wasn’t until I came on here that I saw all the negative reviews, and warnings related to it. I purchased a small bag of dog food on March 7 of this year, and soon after started to give it to my pup. Within the last four days, he has been gagging, walking around with his tail down, extremely fatigued. Sleeping all day and night, and has limited stamina which is unlike him. I took him to the vet yesterday, mentioned that I switched his food. They didn’t pay any mind of it, I emailed them today about it.

I’m really concerned has anybody else been in this predicament? It’s been two weeks since the switch in four days since he was showing symptoms. I don’t know if I should ask for further treatment related things at the vet.

[Joy R]

This happened to a new puppy of ours.
We’re giving him the recommended amount for his weight. But he eats Ravenously & a few hours later is sniffing everywhere & trying to get into everything with food. He seems to be getting thinner & anxious too.. I heard acana changed the formula a while ago. So maybe they didn’t adjust the feeding amount to the new ..
but were probably going to switch him to something different .. because he’s Definable hungry. & showing signs of being thin now..
the feeding to weight scale seems off ..

[Nick D]

Important forum.
We tried Acana on our three bulldogs with a similar resulting story to earlier respondents – on the SECOND bag all three dogs got sick; In particular, our 4 year old male required a one day emergency visit due to repeated bouts of vomiting, distress, and subsequent dehydration. Cerenia (anti-nausea), Omprazole (antacid), and metclopromide (anti-nausea) were prescribed, along with canned ‘low fat’ Royal Canin gastro food for him.
All three had been switched over from Royal Canin to Acana Lamb and Apple.
One week later and he continues to improve, but it has been a terrible ordeal for the poor fellow, and he is still on medication!

[Wendy H]

I myself have eaten “Keto” for the past 7 years and very happy with it. I wanted to get my dogs, who are currently fed on free range organic chicken if possible and occasional Acana Wild Prairie food. I have used Dog Food Advisor for years and know what they eat is good but not perfect. While healthy, one is chunky and I feel I would prefer to use a real Keto brand and so I came here to see if Visionary Keto Pet Foods has been reviewed. I see not which is a shame. I cant find any other brands on here that follow the low card diet the same way. No grain is not really what they need. Does anyone know if there any other brands that are closer to a keto diet?

[MARCIA H]

Hi, First off, thank you for providing this forum and your recall system. That in particular is invaluable.

I have studied dog food, nutrition, and health as an admin on a popular dog food group for nine years but stepped down and away from the group in January. I’ve worked in the medical field my entire life.

I have problems with some of the foods you listed in your Top Dry Dog Foods. First up, Blue Buffalo. They have had several recalls in the past. Listed ingredients include: Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal, etc. First off, I noticed several foods, including Wellness Core, which you rate highly, use brown rice as a second or third ingredient. All U.S. rice, brown, white, or organic, is naturally contaminated with arsenic in the hulls, so I refuse to feed my dog anything with rice in it. Rice is only a cheap filler anyway, so you’re losing zero nutrition when you cut it out.

Also, you have many foods in your Top Dry Dog Foods that rely heavily on grains. Look at Blue above: Brown rice (see above), barley, oatmeal, and the list goes on. Our dogs don’t need grains. They’re carnivores, not chickens. There are many dog foods who use cheaper grains like corn (that would be moldy hog corn), soy, wheat, etc. NONE of these are good for your dogs. Grain-free foods are best.

Orijen and Acana were wonderful foods when they were all made in Canada. Since they built a factory in Kentucky, the food’s quality has greatly declined and, before I left the group I referenced above, I saw many. many dogs get very sick or worse from eating Acana, Orijen, Blue Buffalo, Wellness & Wellness Core, and several more of the foods you have listed in your Top Ten.

I’m not trying to cause trouble or be picky, I’m trying to share what I’ve learned about dog foods over the past nine years. Oh, and Diamond food and anything made by Diamond (like Taste of the Wild) — awful foods. Diamond has had several recalls and lots and lots of production issues. I wouldn’t recommend TOTW, Diamond, or anything else they produce.

I could go on and on but wanted to shed some light on what I’ve already read. I hope this information will help at least one person.

[Tia H]

Hello. I’m from Finland and I’ve been giving my dog Acana for a few years now. After finding this forum and thread I got a bit scared. I had no idea that Acana had a factory outside Canada. Is the Canadien version of Acana still good and save dog food? If not, I will definitely change the brand then. I know this thread is bit old but I would be extremely grateful for an answer.

[crazy4cats]

This sight judges food by its ingredient label. Board- Certified veterinarian nutritionists recommend judging pet food by a different criteria. They suggest checking out the company who sells it!

Stop reading your pet food ingredient list!

Unfortunately, Orijen and Acana which are both made by Champion are highly correlated with the increasing amount of dogs with nutritionally mediated DCM.

[Heather D]

Thanks for this feedback; much appreciated. And again, I would like to offer a suggestion in terms of the reviews for Acana dog foods (both Canada & the U.S., I believe) Acana has brought out a new dry food product line, which I expect was meant to address dog owners’ concerns about continuing to feed a grain-free diet. The new line “Healthy Grains” (four different formulations) looks to also be a superior product, and would, I think be worthy of assessment/review by DFA. (I switched one of my dogs to this line, and have been entirely pleased to note that her poops are now Very consistent–not firm one day, and sloppy the next–as they were on the Acana grain-free formulations…)

[Dawn K]

New-ish to the forums, so hello everyone!

I would like to request a review of the Acana & Orijen grain-free wet/canned dog foods that have recently shown up in my local PetCo. Both can be easily found by searching the PetCo site for “Acana wet” & “Orijen wet.” (I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to include hyperlinks here or not.)

I’ve been using them for a few weeks at the recommendation of PetCo staff (also known as my son’s girlfriend) & I know they’re a popular name in the industry, but I’d feel safer feeding them to my large-breed puppy (GSD/Hound mix; 13 months; 80+ pounds) & dog (Rottie/Pit/Boxer/Lab mix; 2 years; 70+ pounds) if this site gave them a good rating.

Our dogs are normally fed Wellness Complete dry (large breed puppy & large breed adult) with wet as a topper. I do not use the Acana/Orijen exclusively & offer my pups a select variety of wet toppers (usually Merrick, Canidae, Wellness, & WholeHearted), both with & without grain. I prefer with grain, but am sometimes at the mercy of what the store has in-stock.

We’ve tried most flavors & varieties of the Acana/Orijen canned offerings with mostly positive reviews from our canine taste-testers. I will say that my puppy was not a fan of either puppy option & generally refused to eat both.

Also, is it odd they they also seem to be exclusively available at PetCo? PetCo seems to be really pushing these two wet foods & they have always been in stock for the past month or so, even when other popular brands were unavailable.

Thank you in advance.

[Heather D]

I find it puzzling that in this most recent warning about the dangers of aflatoxin poisoning in dog food, we are quite specifically advised that corn may be the most likely ingredient to be contaminated with aflatoxin. Yet, in your site’s recommendations on ‘Best Dog Foods with Grain’, a number of the ones listed contain corn as one of the grain ingredients! Wouldn’t it be prudent to recommend a grain-inclusive food that does not contain corn?

And now my suggestion: I expect you have a number of Canadian subscribers (such as myself) who would appreciate more recommendations for Best dog foods that we can actually purchase in Canada? Even your recommendations for brands such as Acana that are sold in both countries, I believe are based on the American-manufactured formulations only, which are not the same as the Canadian formulations. Perhaps you could consider doing something like what “Consumer Reports” does, where they produce a short ‘Canadian supplement’ or section appended to their monthly publications containing specific ratings and information relevant to Canada. I know I would appreciate it!

[Wendy K]

Has anyone here transitioned their dog from dry or canned food, to Farmers Dog/Honest Kitchen, and noticed a vast difference in the recommended calories per day?

It’s by almost half! I’m trying to understand why. Maybe it’s possible there is a reason, but despite a week of trying to google research on my own, I can’t find an answer.

For instance, my dog has been on Acana, and then after a major dental surgery, on Merrick dry and canned, and I’m trying to switch him onto a healthier wet/fresh option.

He’s a 5 y/o, neutered, active male…weighs about 35lbs, is a mixed breed.

Acana states he needs 776 calories a day (1 cup dry, twice a day)
Merrick states he needs 875 calories a day (1 cup dry or 1 can, twice a day)
Farmers Dog states he needs 402 calories a day (6oz, twice a day)
Honest Kitchen states he needs 892 calories a day ( 1cup, twice a day)
Ollies Fresh states he needs 496 calories a day (not sure what each serving size weighs)

When I use the VetCalculator website, it states he needs 858 calories for his MER.

I’m worried I will be under feeding my dog, by switching to a fresh or dehydrated food.

[Anonymous]

Hello, my dog is a maltese, 10 years old and lately she has allergies. I’ve been feeding her from day 1 with Orijen (red, but now Senior). I am looking information for Acana Lamb & Apple, and if it is suitable for a 10 years old dog.
Thank you!

[Holly O]

Has any of the Acana Wholesome Grains dry dog food been reviewed yet?

[Caroline D]

Hello, my experience with my three-year-old German shepherd who has IBD and PLE (Protein Losing Entropy), and we’ve been fighting this horrific autoimmune disease for over three years. We are still fighting this disease. His chronic and intermittent diarrhea has not stopped since we got him at five months old. His current weight is 43 pounds, but he should weigh around 85 pounds. He has a considerable appetite in which he gets five to six cups of food five times a day. We had x-ray’s, ultrasound, blood tests (no EPI), and endoscopy. The endoscopy biopsies of the stomach and duodenum examination showed that he has segmental lymphoplasmacytic gastritis. In other words, moderate lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic duodenitis with mild lymphangiectasia. Unfortunately, this year the diagnosis was changed to severe IBD along with PLE. We tried several grain-free diets over the past three and half years (i.e., Fromm, Taste of Wild, Wellness, Acana, Honest Kitchen, K-9 Natural, and Ziwi Peak), including the prescription diet Royal Canin Hydrolized Protein kibble as well as the formulated home-cooked diet from Just Food For Dogs. We tried antibiotics, Tylan, and Metronidazole. Steroids, Budesonide, and Prednisone. We give him bimonthly B-12 shots since his Albumin levels are low. We’ve attempted herbs under guidance of a holistic vet: slippery elm, psyllium seed husks, chamomile flowers, chia seeds, fennel seed, rosemary leaf, marshmallow root, dandelion root, burdock root, ginger root, ox bile, apple cider vinegar, Plantain, Aloe Vera, colostrum, Tumeric, and pumpkin as well as digestive enzymes, pre-biotics, and probiotics. We tried AnimalBiome Gut Restore supplements. We tried stem cell therapy, which failed because the vet could not extract any fat. My dog has 0% fat as well as 0% muscle. His organs are slowly deteriorating from this horrific disease. We currently have him on a home-cooked diet recommended by a holistic nutritional veterinarian along with supplements and bi-monthly B-12 injections. But to no avail, he still has chronic diarrhea daily and no weight gain. We’ve tried everything medical, scientifically, and holistically. The only hope we have is to try stem-cell therapy again if he can gain fifteen pounds. I genuinely believe that stem cell therapy is the best solution for my dog. Even though it was a little late for my dog to have stem cell therapy because of a lack of knowledge from several of my local vets, I still have a little hope. I will add CLA to his cooked food since this is the only supplement I have not tried that Christi G. recommended; what do I have to lose. I pray for my boy every day to gain 10-15 pounds so that he can get the life-saving stem cell treatment again in Southern California. He is such a happy, tail wagging, playful, energetic, and beautiful boy; I cannot give up on him like the vets in Nevada, they said to euthanize him. I won’t until he stops thriving.

[Mike B]

No Orijen or Acana??? Interesting

[Marisa J]

Hi I work at a pet store and have a hand full of customers with Shih Tzu’s.

If your dog has a sensitive stomach I would recommend adding goat’s milk (a universal milk) into your dogs diet. This will not only aid in digestion but also add hydration too! Some brands even added spices into the goat milk for added benefits.

If not goat’s milk I would encourage you to find a good probiotic powder for your dog. This will help with the sensitivity of your dogs stomach.

Merrick is good brand and Duck is a cooling protein (this will help with any inflammation). I would recommend after 2 months switching through Merrick’s formulas to help your dog become accustomed to other proteins and amino acids.

Other brands that are high in protein and low in carb (easier to digest) are Zignature, Orijen, Farmina, Acana, and Essence.

If your dog has a sensitive stomach I would also try introducing freeze dried treats. These treats are a lot easier to digest than biscuit treats. I only give my dogs freeze-dried raw treats.

[Yianna S]

Hello, my dog is a maltese, 10 years old and lately she has allergies. I’ve been feeding her from day 1 with Orijen (red, but now Senior). I am looking information for Acana Lamb & Apple, and if it is suitable for a 10 years old dog.
Thank you!

[Donna H]

I have Australian Shepherds. They have been on Fromm Acana, Orijen, and are now on Farmina Ancestral Grain. One of my boys was diagnosed last year with very mild DCM. I switched all of the dogs off of grain free in light of this. On the Ancestral Grain, a couple of them are having G.I. issues (specifically gas). I want my dogs to be on a high quality dog food that is not grain free. At this point I am not interested in getting into the discussion regarding DCM and grain free foods. Veterinarians will recommend science diet which I am not necessarily in favor of. I’m looking for a healthy grain kibble that does not produce G.I. issues.

[Sarah Y]

I have a beagle that I rescued a year ago. He was in really poor shape and since being with us his coat and body look great. He is soft and shiny :-). However, we are having problems with his anal glands being full. He does not scoot, but he has leaked and even when having him checked by the vet, they always say his glands are full, especially on the left side. (I mention that because the last two times they tell me, “his glands are full on the left and not the right”)

It seemed his poops have been formed, but not solid. I assume this is why he doesn’t express his glands well?

We talked to the vet about trying a higher fiber diet and if that doesn’t work, trying limited ingredient diets. He has been on the original wellness core since being with us. I tried switching him a couple of weeks ago to the Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Healthy weight food and we are having the same issues. In fact, perhaps not quite as formed as he was on the CORE. We gradually changed him over to NV over a week and he’s been on the full NV diet for about 8 days now.

We also tried him on Glandex the fiber supplement for about 4 months and there really wasn’t any change. We are sort of wondering if it’s ingredient related.

I’m thinking maybe trying another high fiber, different protein diet to see if that helps and I wondered if there were some suggestions. I will admit, I’m afraid of TOTW, Earthborn, and some of the other foods on the DCM food list. NV is on the list, but I didn’t realize it until I bought it. I know nothing is proven, but Acana, TOTW, Earthborn are pretty high on that list too. I wouldn’t mind trying another wellness food since it’s not on the list if one is recommended for anal gland problems.

Any suggestions for another protein that may work for anal gland problems that’s higher in fiber? Or should we go straight to limited ingredients?

Thanks in advance!

Edited to add: it seems Wellness Core Lamb and Wellness Core Wild Game (6% fiber), Wellness core ocean (7% fiber). Are any of these better for digestion? for anal glands?

• This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Sarah Y. Reason: added wellness core foods
• This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Sarah Y.

[Sandy S]

My neighbor told me about this “”study”” , that was published in our local paper, back in July 2019.

Almost all the dog food brands in this “”study”” . Almost all. Are of excellent quality.

Specifically, Champion Brands. Origin and Acana.. Are high quality dog food. Available in Italy.

Look at the bio availability of any of the ingredients. Meat/grain/legumes..

You will see that your dog is eating a better bio available ration. Then you are..

Thats why a vast majority of the dogs, that eat these high quality ration’s, thrive. The vast majority.

High Quality = (Protein) Meat.Meat & more meat. Macro & micro minerals. Vitamin’s. Fat & fibre.
Low or no grain (carbohydrates) / peas / bean’s lentil’s..

Most dogs do better on meat. Cause A Dog. IS mostly a Carnivore.

You don’t trust the considerable science that went into your dogs ration? Your dog is one of the few, that responds poorly to a high quality, bio available ration?

Concerned about what meat (protein) your dog digest, & thrives on ? And or what carbohydrates (legumes/grain), your dog digest,best?

Feed 1 protein at a time..Feed 1 carbohydrate at a time One. Example: 75gm’s Lamb (as is) with 25gm’s boiled Brown Rice..Total 100gms.

WaLa! You’ve just made a good , bland, digestible,limited ingredient dog food. Try Whatever protein’s (meat). You want to.

Your dog is one of the minority of dogs, that is having problem’s on a commercial dog food?

If need be? Figuring out which basic ingredients, your dog does best on.. Will allow you to, see results from your own hands making your dog’s ration. Going in and going out..

Then go match what you learned, with a commercial dog food..

Dogs do best on meat.. You can add meat. For less cost then commercial dog food.

You can easily add carbohydrates ( brown rice). For much less cost then dog food..

The number one problem with all dog feed is > People feed their dogs way too much..

That “”study””. Does not seem to be able to take into account market share of a dog breed (popularity). Nor the market share of the dog food brands.. Nor nothing specific about the ingredients? Something vague about the amount or digestibility of legumes? WTF? Just that some breeds seem to be more prone to heart problems..

Then is not that whole FDA “”investigation””. Just bunk science? An “investigation” as a reaction to dog owner hysteria?

What did i miss ?

My dog is 8 years young & 33lbs of solid muscle.

I feed 100 gram’s of dry dog food, like Origin or Keto ….. Not the manufactures recommended “200 grams” .

NOT. 200 .. 100 gram’s ..of high quality meat, commercial dry dog food.

Then I add 100 gram’s of “raw” meat & carbs. More Or less. I like to use 2/3 horse meat and 1/3 brown rice.. Your choice . Depending on what work’s best for your dog and your wallet.

The cost of the above mixture , works out to about $1.50 per day ..

Depending on how much I am running her. More when she work’s long and hard. Less when she is less active ..

My dog (33lbs) requires at least 200 gram’s of dry dog food OR it’s equivalent per day ..

6kg per month ..

Many of these high quality dog feeds cost more then $1.50 + per gram !

Thats a lot of coin for dog food . A whole lot !

If need be. Figure out what meat your dog thrives on.. Then match up a commercial dog food…

One protein . One carbohydrate.. Work it out from there..

[crazy4cats]

Hi Alberto!
Congratulations to you! A beautiful bloodhound, huh? How awesome.

You definitely feed a food that is formulated specifically for a large breed puppy. This will help ensure her joints to grow at a healthy pace.

In my opinion, I would feed either Purina ProPlan or One, Royal Canin, Eukanuba or Hill’s Large Breed Puppy food. Royal Canin might even have a formula specific for bloodhound puppies.

These companies all have done feeding trials on their foods.

I would not feed Acana. It has been associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy in dogs. Especially larger dogs.

Good luck to you!

[Alberto A]

Hi, i’m Alberto from Italy.
At the end of the month i’ll become father and friend of a beautiful bloodhound (large breed) puppy.
I’m searching for a very good for her. I ordered Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain but after i read conflicting opinions.
For you what is the best food for a large breed puppy? I’m thinking also about Acana Large Bred Puppy but i can’t find a review.

Thanks

Alberto

[Daniel S]

Hi there, I’m the founder of KetoNatural Pet Foods.

On the issue of ingredient commonality, chicken is BY FAR the most prevalent ingredient in our chicken recipe (and salmon is by far the most prevalent ingredient in our salmon recipe). In both cases, the meat products make up 75% or more of the formula. And, unlike most pet food companies (including at least one of the two you’ve mentioned here) when I make that claim I’m making it on a post-dehydration basis. We add our chicken to our formula AFTER it has been dehydrated, so the percentage of the formula that is chicken is not skewed by the presence of water. Even after dehydration, it’s still the case that more than 75% of our formula is chicken. Your statement that chicken is the “fifth of sixth ingredient” is completely false, I assure you. It’s BY FAR the most common ingredient and I’m not aware of another kibble on the planet that has a higher ratio of animal products to starch than Ketona (and I’ve actually written a book about this subject, so I’m quite familiar with the marketplace!).

(If you want to see this “dehydration issue” for yourself, go check out the website for Orijen by Champion Pet Foods. The company claims that most of its Orijen formulas are at least 90% meat products. But the formulas are also typically at least 25% carbohydrate. Animal products don’t contain carbohydrates. So something doesn’t add up. That “something” is the presence of water in the animal ingredients.)

On this issue of price, it is indeed the case that our food is more expensive than many (but not all) kibbles. But it’s nutritional composition is different too. We have by far the lowest carbohydrate content of any dry pet food on the market today. Carb-heavy ingredients (corn, rice, potatoes, etc.) are the cheapest ingredients. And that’s why most kibbles are insanely cheap (far cheaper than the trashiest fast food on a per-calorie basis). Because our formulas feature more animal-based ingredients and fewer carb-heavy ingredients, they’re more expensive to produce. So we have to charge a bit more. But I’ll note that (1) our prices are only about 20-25% of nutritionally-similar raw diets (the only other types of pet food products that have a nutritional content remotely similar to ours) and (2) on a quantitative basis, switching a 50-pound dog from Acana to Ketona is only likely to add $0.50 to $1.00 per day to your dog food budget. Hardly a massive change.

Regards,

Daniel Schulof
KetoNatural Pet Foods

[Linda R]

My dog is a 5 year old German Shepherd. She has had bad food allergies all her life. I have had her on Orijen dog food when she was young. She has been on Acana Singles for about 4 years now. Had her at the Vet he said she is doing fine and he see no reason to change her food.

[Alice B]

I was talking with a lady on our walk, about her dogs & dog food
Her last dog was fed Orijen, Wellness, Acana, all very high protein foods, & died of cancer at age 5 years old!

Now with her new pup, she is feeding Pro plan as her Vet has suggested & hopes the pup has a much longer lifespan

[Charles H]

Our dog (older female GSD) is food sensitive and we settled on Acana Singles. She has well controlled medical issues and is under regular veterinary care including annual blood/urine/stool analysis. Her lab results have been consistently excellent for the last 3 years.

There is no good answer to your question as to the best product. That really depends on your dogs needs.

You need to do a lot of work in researching your dogs specific dietary requirements. Hopefully your vet is very diet aware and if so he/she can be a real help in finding the right food. We are lucky as our vet does a lot of work with local police departments for their K-9 animals and is considered an expert on these breeds (GSD, Belgian Malinois, etc).

[KENNETH O]

Joanne, I’m reserving those techniques for the future if I still cannot get him to eat as I transition to the next food. I agree in that I believe the food is the root of most of his problems. Boston terriers have a history of excessive allergies, so I’m sticking with limited ingredient. My other boston is incredibly healthy on Acana, and I’m slowly moving into feeding him that. He seems to like it more at least. I chose Nulo due to it having a senior blend.

He is on bravecto now and flea free, and the vets all were quick to brush off all my concerns. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time trusting any available vets any longer. I’ve always had good ones before, but in my current location they dont seem to care.

[Jennifer M]

I used to feed my dogs Purina Proplan 20 yrs ago and when I noticed my Cocker Spaniel started to itch around the time that grain-free food b/c popular, I switched her over to them. In 2013, she was 11 and we had a new lab puppy and I did research and fed them them, the best food I thought at the time which was Orijen and Acana. Because it was so high protein, I then switched my Cocker over to Fromm. My Cocker did develop a heart murmur in the last 2 yrs of her life, so not sure if it was from having been fed grain free or of her age, but I have read the studies and there definitely is something going on. For me, having had a Dane with DCM, I don’t wish that on any dog, so I switched my lab and new Cocker puppy off grain free completely. Ironically, thinking of going back to Purina Proplan. What I do notice is that chicken usually causes itchiness, while fish based does not in many dog foods. Lamb i usually a good choice as well, but many dogs don’t always like it.

[Robert B]

Thanks…I know nothing about this brand, its track record other than it is owned by Pets Global Inc who makes Zignature which has been implicated second to Acana. Many of their “original” recipes are legume rich. These new formulas almost feel like a tactic in response to the recent news.While the ingredients do look promising, I will stick with the three that I am rotating on now.

[GSDsForever]

Jeff,

Glad to hear your dogs are off the Acana and doing better with regard to the symptoms you mentioned (vomiting).

If you are concerned about the DCM-diet connection, I would still caution to avoid other grain-free/high legumes especially or potatoes formulas in other brands, along with other unusual/more exotic ingredients. It wasn’t just Acana, but many brands implicated including Health Extension’s grain-free formula.

I agree that Orijen & Acana (Champion Pet Foods) have been heavily over promoted as the most wonderful & perfect foods on the planet — for many recent years. They have great advertising.

Whatever brand(s) you choose, ask a lot of questions and do your research on the company, manufacturing, and formula — just to be on the safe side.

[joanne l]

Thank goodness you stopped Acana, it seems like bad news, Health Extension is a good dog food. It just goes to show you even if the ingredients look great it doesn’t matter.

[Jeff E]

Sickness to the point of hospitalization; Same experience as yours. I have 1 Red Heeler/Pointer mix, and 5 Dachshunds. Heeler and Dachshunds all vomiting. Saying that weeks or months to adjust doesn’t make any sense. This happened with a blended approach. Just like for people, I constantly vary the diet among a brand for the dogs sake and interest. This is not possible with Acana. My first purchase came at recommendation by feed store employee. It wasn’t the first bag that made them sick, it was the second bag…. What does that tell you? It was the Muscovy duck mix. I’ve since moved to Health Extension, and move from flavor to flavor with NO problems at all. Acana is also now suspect of contributing to heart disease in dogs. No thanks… My dogs are healthy and happy on Health Extension. Acana is way over-promoted.

[Emma L]

Hi everyone!

New to the forum here. After scouring the site for hours, I still am at a loss at where to start with picking a new dog food.

I have one VERY picky dog. Changes his tastes at the tip of a hat. He’s healthy, nothing wrong according to the vet (I did start there as he used to gobble his food and I had to use a slow feeder bowl)

When I first got him from the shelter, he was on raw nuggets because he was severely underweight and needed a lot of protein. Once he got to a healthy weight, I switched him over to Fromm. My two dogs were on that for a very long time (GF formula) and the only reason I stopped buying it was because it was incredibly hard to get in my area. I switched over to Acana for a few years, and then not only did he completely detest the stuff after a while, they had the lawsuit. I’m a worrier, and I didn’t want my dogs anywhere near the stuff if there’s was even a small chance of an issue.

We went to Stella and Chewys Raw Coated Kibble, which I thought he’d love because those were the raw nuggets he had, but no. Ate it once, wouldn’t eat it again. I decided to go back to Fromm since we never had an issues, and a store opened near me where I could get it. Ate it for a few days, and now both of my dogs turn their nose up at it, which is strange because my other dog could will eat legitimately anything. Which leads me here. Absolutely confused and in information overload with the amount of best dog food lists, articles, and google searches.

For reference, my dog is a chihuahua/corgi/mix of some sort. He’s around 13 pounds, and has no allergies. He’s been on grain free, but I’m not opposed to not grain free at this point because I just want him to eat without having to mix yucky wet food in there. Anyone have any top/tried and true brands they can suggest?

[sonha n]

We had an 8 year old akc Doberman … the breeder told us to keep her on orijen/acana which we have done for the past 8 years with no problems. She was a beautiful and healthy Doberman. She started having problems … wet diarrhea poop, weakness a month or so ago. It took her a week to bounce back. she is an indoor pet and only would go outside for a walk or to use the bathroom. Then, two weeks ago, she started vomiting and would not touch her Acana food at all. We switched to a different type of Acana and still she refused to eat. We then gave her boiled chicken, rice and boiled potatoes mashed up and she ate this for a day or two but then she gave up eating entirely. Now, Eva, our Doberman, never has been sick for this long in her life. We tried some wet puppy formula and hunger stimulant through a syringe. She suddenly passed away last night. We took too long to investigate all the trouble Acana has been going through lately and if we had known earlier, we would have switched her food. What we have been reading lately with Acana food has really gotten us upset … the last 2 bags of Acana food did come from Kentucky plant

she passed away last night

[Robert B]

In light of the most recent update issued regarding FDA CVM’s Investigation between the relationship between diet and canine heart disease (DVM), I decided to review the 500+ case reports from the 5-year period studied. The published incidence rate including breeds with a genetic propensity for DCM is estimated to be between 0.1-0.2%.

We own a 9-1/2 year old, neutered Australian Shepherd who we have been feeding Orijen dry foods all of his life. When I look at Orijen (we feed Adult, Regional Red & Senior) I see lugumes and pulses, but well down the ingredient list by weight. That said, there a dozen cases of DCM associated with the brand. I do realize that the incidence rate is influenced on how widely a food is selling.

There were 10 case reports of Australian Shepherds (the summary shows n=13 but I could not find them) and DCM out of the 515 canine cases reported (or about 2%). The observed rate out of the dog’s within the cases is > 10x the general population rate for ALL dogs. This struck me as not happening by “chance”.

I reviewed the listed dog foods fed to the Australian Shepherds and then looked into what their current top 10 ingredients for legumes, pulses and tubers:

Case 1) Nature’s Recipe Easy to Digest Fish meal and Potato recipe dry dog food: Potatoes
Case 2) Zignature Kangaroo and Lentil: Peas, Chickpeas, Pear Flower, Red Lentils, Green Lentils
Case 3) Fromm Pork and Pea: Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flower, Pea Protein, Sweet Potatoes
Case 4) Blue Buffalo wilderness natures evolutionary diet with chicken and lifsource bits: Pea Protein, Peas, Pea Starch, Pea Fiber, Potatoes
Case 5a) Farmina N&D Pumpkin Formula Medium and Maxi: Pea Starch, Dried Pumpkin, Pea Fiber
Case 5b) Kirkland Natures Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato: Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Pea Protein, Potato Fibre
Case 5c) Kirkland Organic Chicken and Pea: Organic Peas, Organic Lentils, Organic Garbanzo Beans, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Potatoes
Cases 6 & 7) Pine Forest Canine Recipe with Venison & Legumes – Taste of the Wild Pet Food: Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, Fava Beans
Case 8) Earthborn grain free (specific variety not declared): Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Starch, Chickpeas
Case 9) Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain Free Chicken and Potato: Potatoes, Yellow Peas, Pea Protein, Potato Starch
Case 10) Acana (all flavors except Chicken or Lamb): Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Green Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas

I see a consistent use of legumes or tubers as ingredients among these foods (including Hills!). I work in R&D and while I agree the root cause may not be fully understood and the rates shown in the pareto chart are biased by how widely used a food is I can see why the Agency sent out the notification. Given the > 90% rate in the reported cases of grain free, legume formulated foods, I have made the decision to move our Australian Shepherd to a new dry food. So I have been trying to identify high quality grain inclusive dry foods to replace Orijen. So far I have identified:

Farmina:
N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Senior Mini & Medium
N&D Ancestral Grains Grains Chicken & Pomegranate Senior Medium & Maxi

Fromm:
Adult Gold
Reduced Activity Senior Gold

Nature’s Logic:
Canine Beef Meal Feasts
Canine Chicken Meal Feasts
Canine Lamb Meal Feasts
Canine Turkey Meal Feasts

NutriSource
Performance
Adult
Lamb Meal & Rice
Beef & Rice

We will begin to titrate him off Orijen onto some of these foods. We will first buy small bags to see how he a) likes them and b) his stool quality and general energy/health.

Do any of you have any experience with these foods or have any other suggestions for me to consider?

[Robert B]

In light of the most recent update issued regarding FDA CVM’s Investigation between the relationship between diet and canine heart disease (DVM), I decided to review the 500+ case reports from the 5-year period studied. The published incidence rate including breeds with a genetic propensity for DCM is estimated to be between 0.1-0.2%.

We own a 9-1/2 year old, neutered Australian Shepherd who we have been feeding Orijen dry foods all of his life. When I look at Orijen (we feed Adult, Regional Red & Senior) I see lugumes and pulses, but well down the ingredient list by weight. That said, there a dozen cases of DCM associated with the brand. I do realize that the incidence rate is influenced on how widely a food is selling.

There were 10 case reports of Australian Shepherds (the summary shows n=13 but I could not find them) and DCM out of the 515 canine cases reported (or about 2%). The observed rate out of the dog’s within the cases is > 10x the general population rate for ALL dogs. This struck me as not happening by “chance”.
I reviewed the listed dog foods fed to the Australian Shepherds and then looked into what their current top 10 ingredients for legumes, pulses and tubers:

Case 1) Nature’s Recipe Easy to Digest Fish meal and Potato recipe dry dog food: Potatoes
Case 2) Zignature Kangaroo and Lentil: Peas, Chickpeas, Pear Flower, Red Lentils, Green Lentils
Case 3) Fromm Pork and Pea: Peas, Chickpeas, Pea Flower, Pea Protein, Sweet Potatoes
Case 4) Blue Buffalo wilderness natures evolutionary diet with chicken and lifsource bits: Pea Protein, Peas, Pea Starch, Pea Fiber, Potatoes
Case 5a) Farmina N&D Pumpkin Formula Medium and Maxi: Pea Starch, Dried Pumpkin, Pea Fiber
Case 5b) Kirkland Natures Domain Salmon and Sweet Potato: Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Pea Protein, Potato Fibre
Case 5c) Kirkland Organic Chicken and Pea: Organic Peas, Organic Lentils, Organic Garbanzo Beans, Organic Sweet Potatoes, Organic Potatoes
Cases 6 & 7) Pine Forest Canine Recipe with Venison & Legumes – Taste of the Wild Pet Food: Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Lentils, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, Fava Beans
Case 8) Earthborn grain free (specific variety not declared): Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Starch, Chickpeas
Case 9) Hill’s Ideal Balance Grain Free Chicken and Potato: Potatoes, Yellow Peas, Pea Protein, Potato Starch
Case 10) Acana (all flavors except Chicken or Lamb): Whole Red Lentils, Whole Pinto Beans, Whole Green Peas, Whole Green Lentils, Whole Chickpeas

I see a consistent use of legumes or tubers as ingredients among these foods (including Hills!). I work in R&D and while I agree the root cause may not be fully understood and the rates shown in the pareto chart are biased by how widely used a food is I can see why the Agency sent out the notification. Given the > 90% rate in the reported cases of grain free, legume formulated foods, I have made the decision to move our Australian Shepherd to a new dry food.

So I have been trying to identify high quality grain inclusive dry foods to replace Orijen. So far I have identified:

Farmina:
N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Senior Mini & Medium
N&D Ancestral Grains Grains Chicken & Pomegranate Senior Medium & Maxi

Fromm:
Adult Gold
Reduced Activity Senior Gold

Nature’s Logic:
Canine Beef Meal Feasts
Canine Chicken Meal Feasts
Canine Lamb Meal Feasts
Canine Turkey Meal Feasts

NutriSource:
Performance
Adult
Lamb Meal & Rice
Beef & Rice

We will begin to titrate him off Orijen onto some of these foods. We will first buy small bags to see how he a) likes them and b) his stool quality and general energy/health before settling on a new rotation of foods.

Do any of you have any experience with these foods or have any other suggestions for me to consider?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Robert B.

[haleycookie]

Acana and orijen both break down amounts of meat vs protein. So does natures variety instinct. Says right on the back what’s from veggies and what’s from meat. You can also get the carb vs carb %s with just the info on the nutritional analysis.

[Patricia A]

Thank’s Joanne. Makes sense. I wish they broke down let’s say the Acana and tell us what percentage in the kibble actually comes from meat as opposed to peas. That would clear up for me if the ingredient/protein splitting is the problem with the lack of animal protein . But other foods have the legumes high up on ingredient list that are popular brands without being on their list . I give Stella chewys as a very small base and they assured me that a higher percentage of protein is from meat and not the peas.I rotate the kibble and will be using Wellness core for a while. All very confusing . Glad I have small dogs who at this time not high on the DCM list.

[joanne l]

Patricia most dogs eat chicken recipes and exotic meats probably not that many dogs eat it. So chicken is not the problem b/c there are a lot of grain free chicken dog food and that seems to be more popular. So it is the fillers in the chicken grain free diet, example pea and lentils. I would not think it is chicken it is the peas and lentil and pea protein in the chicken grain free diets. Like I mentioned that is more popular than the exotic meats. Not saying that exotic meat is good just saying that it is not as popular. That is why it is lower on the list.
For example Acana is very popular and so is Zignatures.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by joanne l.

[anonymous]

https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fda-center-veterinary-medicines-investigation-possible-connection-between-diet-and

/forums/topic/lawsuits-against-orjien-acana/#post-130652

[Sandy C]

I feed my 3 year lab Acana Duck and Pear as this seems to be the only product that does not affect his allergies, but listed on your sight it is listed as the highest in reports – what are some other food choices in the dry formula that do not have Chicken, chicken meal, or chicken fat in them – this has been my dilemma. And would be nice if this is something I could afford.
Thank you.

[joanne l]

Haleycookie, I see your point and it is getting crazy here. However I guess I will just avoid grain free for now, b/c if it does depend on the dog I don’t know how my dog will do so for now grain in for me. And your right, my fault Orjien is not high on the list and they do have a lot of meat. I think I was thinking about Acana. I think there is not much more to say about it, until it is revealed of what is actually going on.

[haleycookie]

@joanne l orijen is a meat based food. Far more meat than anything Hill’s, purina, or rc will ever offer. They are some of the lowest carb dog foods around. So not sure where you all are getting your into it’s mostly peas. Acana is more but still under 40% of the food is vegetables and fruit.
They’ve been doing feed trials the past year on labs and beagles and have found no instances of heart problems so far. Not to mention most of those on this forum were incorrect on them not working with vets to formulate their foods. They seem to actually fit most of wsava guidelines, which I find comical.
If anyone would actually read the FDA’s article they’ll notice how they recommend to not change foods yet as this is still not a common issue at all. Not only that, the testing they’ve done on the foods have shown nothing conclusive and all foods are showing up balanced and appropriate. I suppose after they start testing the dogs and how the different breeds synthesize taurine in foods with peas we’ll know more, but is suspect it will be a genetic breed issue more than anything else. But til then it’s not a wide spread issue that I’m concerned about. Nor should anyone else be, this mass hysteria going on in this forum is almost comical. To think feeding a carnivore a mostly carb diet is healthy. hahahah. Whatever floats ur boat. I’m done arguing about it. I’ll just be reminding folk whom are concerned that it is a very small unproven issue at this moment and to not feed into the hysteria some of you push so hard.

[aimee]

haleycookie,

I read through Champion’s response and in my opinion it is very reminiscent of and just as unbiased as the response of the tobacco industry when the first link was made between smoking and cancer. : )

In my opinion, very cleverly written to model after the response of the tobacco industry, “our science found no concerns” but as I read it I find that what they are reporting is very vague and appears to be poorly done.

For example what is “long-term feeding trials with enhanced DCM protocols” In regards to length was it 2 days, 2 weeks, a month, 2 months?? Considering it isn’t yet know how long is may take for dietary DCM to become apparent how are they confident that their trial would have been long enough to find any abnormalities.

What are “enhanced DCM protocols”. The only takeaway I got from their response is that perhaps they measured taurine. Considering most cases have normal taurine levels it seems silly to me to sound an “all clear” based on that test.

Champion likes to point out that dietary DCM appears to be uncommon. The true incidence isn’t known. But I think it is fair to say that not every dog/cat consuming a problematic diet becomes ill. In the Melamine crisis huge numbers of dogs and cats that were exposed didn’t become ill. Same with the association between renal disease and chicken jerky or between grapes/raisins and renal disease. So for illustration sake let’s say that for problem “X ” 1 in a thousand becomes ill. Is testing several dogs relevant? I would say it is not. And Champion hasn’t said what number of dogs participated in their trials. Hmmm

Let’s look at this statement…
“In the recipes Champion makes, we emphasize fresh and raw meat with total animal-derived ingredients ranging from 60 to 85 percent of the finished product. Legumes are not a significant feature in Champion’s recipes, and never have been.”

Take the finished product Acana Free Run Poultry chosen at random GA is 29% protein 17% fat and 12 % moisture and I’ll toss in 3 % ash. 100-29-17-12-3= 39% min plant based nutrient.

Looking at the ingredient list and removing the animal based ingredients , and discarding the ingredients after salt leaves us with whole green peas, whole red lentils, whole pinto beans, , chickpeas, whole green lentils, whole yellow peas, lentil fiber,

Those ingredients, except for the fiber, are in addition to being sources of carbohydrate are also sources of protein From USDA nutrient database an average of 1 part protein for every 3 parts carb. So of that 29 % protein 10 grams may be from the legumes.

Total plant content 39 % + 10% and you get 49% plant based ingredients which I consider a “significant feature”
Total animal based 19% + 17% fat for a total of 36%

In that example I made assumptions as I am using the GA which is just min values therefore the results are not completely accurate but it is very different from the claim of 60-85% animal derived content in the finished product.
Personally, the only thing I can figure that may be 85% animal content finished product would be some of the treats.

Several years ago I asked Champion if they did AAFCO feeding trials. They answered affirmatively. On further inquiry as I recall I asked how long they were for and they replied a few weeks. Hmm more questions and they report they test for palatability, digestibility and stool quality. Most would assume by an AAFCO feeding trial they were talking about a trial for nutritional adequacy but that is not the response I got.

I see this response from Champion as nothing more than a marketing piece . I urge caution whenever looking at any statements made by any food manufacturer in regards to their product.

Perhaps if Champion really wanted to contribute to the knowledge base they should hire veterinary cardiologists and hold free echo screening for DCM for dogs who have eaten their food as their primary source of nutrition. With all the frequent buyer programs it shouldn’t be too hard for retailers to track Champion’s customers.

[Patricia A]

I believe this is the latest on brands at top of list with most DCM cases.

https://whdh.com/news/fda-announces-dog-food-brands-that-could-cause-heart-failure/?fbclid=IwAR1IauGHrj8kUtOTRAyccRpKqvCNRL_rX6Qbx4zZAeMIE5QlFHE_TCdRrgo

Please someone explain how a brand for instance such as Arcana being the top one fed with most DCM cases was for years touted as the BEST of the BEST you could feed in a kibble. My dogs never took to it and I was disappointed . Also are All recipes implemented as a whole? The regional recipe doesn’t have the legumes that far up on the list even as other grain free brands do that are not on the list . Also the recipes I just looked at are not exotic proteins.
Plus their statement checks all the boxes that this food should NOT be a problem.

Q. DOES CHAMPION PETFOODS HAVE A VETERINARY NUTRITIONIST OR OTHER QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES ON STAFF? ARE THEY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION OR QUESTIONS?

Yes, our highly educated and talented team of 20 Research & Innovation scientists lead the development and research of our ACANA and ORIJEN pet foods. These individuals cover a wide variety of education and experience including, but not limited, to: 1 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, 1 PhD in Animal Nutrition, 2 PhD’s in Food Science, 3 Masters of Science in Animal Nutrition (2 in companion animal nutrition), 2 Masters of Science in Food Science, 1 Masters of Science in Meat Hygiene and Food Microbiology, and 17 Bachelors of Science areas such as Animal Science, Biochemistry, and Veterinary Medicine.

Q. WHO FORMULATES YOUR DIETS AND WHAT ARE THEIR CREDENTIALS?

Champion Petfoods’ Research and Innovation team works with a group of animal nutritionists, and consults with Veterinarians who specialize in nutrition, toxicology, and holistic medicine when developing our ACANA and ORIJEN diets.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Patricia A.

[Joseph G]

The FDA has released an update, detailing for the first time the brands with the most problems associated with them. The brands with at least 10 reported cases follow, but many other smaller brands are named in the full report:
1. Acana
2. Zignature
3. Taste of the Wild
4. 4 Health
5. Earthborn Holistic
6. Blue Buffalo
7. Nature’s Domain
8. Fromm
9. Merrick
10. California Natural
11. Natural Balance
12. Orijen
13. Nature’s Variety
14. NatruSource
15. Nutro
16. Rachel Ray Nutrish

91% of cases involved Grain-Free foods. 93% used pulses in their formulation. Most were dry food. More cases were observed in males than females. Animal protein source was from many different sources.

Golden retrievers tens to be prone to taurine deficiency and were the breed most affected, but amino acid profiles in the food were all normal. No other nutrient abnormalities have been found so far.

More information is here, but the cause is still unknown: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Joseph G.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Joseph G.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Joseph G.

[Owen J]

The needs of puppies for their full development have been studied in detail by scientists, so special puppy food has a qualitative composition with a fixed amount of useful substances.

The presence of vitamins and minerals in the diet of a puppy is required. This is a fundamental growth factor for a healthy animal. Lack of essential vitamins leads to problems with the development of the dog, so it is better not to take risks and give the animal ready rations that contain all the elements it needs.

Ready-made puppy food is produced by such manufacturers as Pedigree, Royal Canin, Pro Plan, Acana.

https://herepup.com/abady-dog-food-reviews/

[K K]

Hi. Sorry this is a later post. But my sheltie had surgery last Thanksgiving for bladder stones – biopsy showed struvite – they said her bladder felt like a bean bag. But, no infection! They wanted me to switch her to one of Hill’s prescription diets but I don’t think much of the quality of their foods and they’ve had several recent recalls. The vet also suggested adding “wet food.” Since then, I’ve been soaking her kibble in water before feeding. Her last urinalysis did show crystal formation but again no infection.

My problem now is that the food I’ve been feeding has changed. Ancestry (formerly Sammy Snacks) has been taken over — now “Ancestry Pet Food” and the food has changed. I had been feeding the grain-free Lamb and Sweet Potato which Dog Food Advisory gave 5 stars. I want to switch.

In the past I used Acana when it was still made in Canada, which is no longer the case. I am also wondering if a higher protein diet in grain-free formulas like the Ancestry and in Acana and Orijen may be the cause of the increase in urinary crystals and the formation of struvite stones. Is anyone familiar with this issue.

My pup is only 4 years old, so not a senior dog issue.

Thanks.

K

[crazy4cats]

Fromm is also being implicated with causing DCM (both with and without grain) in Dr. Stern’s peer-reviews study and a group of veterinarians that are keeping track of the foods that are being fed when dogs are diagnosed. Zignature and Acana have the most cases so far. Fromm a pretty close third.

Check out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaurineDCM/

I feed my two Lab/Golden mix dogs Purina ProPlan Large Breed Weight Management with great results. It has 374 calories per cup, but is fairly low in fat and a little higher in fiber. They have several formulas that might work for you. The ProPlan salmon formula is a little higher in calories, but the Purina One Salmon may be a little lower.

Make sure you measure out the food carefully and cut back on treats. Royal Canin has large breed formulas that are lower in calories as well. Good idea to keep his weight down now. It is a lot easier on the joints and could possibly lead to a longer life if there are no other health conditions. Best wishes!