I rescued an Australian Cattle Dog back in early August. She had some issues with her digestive track and acid reflux (puppy mill rescue), I researched all the dog foods out there and found Orijen Regional Red. She thrived on this food, no acid reflux, great stools, and she loved it! Then my last bag she would not touch, this is a rescue dog that wolves down anything snowballs, rabbit poop etc. I have to say no all the time don’t eat that. This is not a picky dog it has been a week now and she will not eat it. I tried switching to the Origen Tundra and she got sick off it. I am so disapointed in Origen. Words cannot say. That was before reading about the reader above who lost their pet to this food!
My pet food store recomended a dog food called N&D from Italy, it is non GMO no grain 60% protein, 40% veggies and food. My dog hasn’t tried it yet, I am going to switch her to chicken and rice for a few days first after reading about this. NO MORE ORIGEN!
Again, I can’t stress enough to those of you with sick pets how sorry I am to hear that! Take care.
I was going to get the Puppy Orijen formula for my soon to be puppy, I have been researching for awhile. With all this new plant change, I think I will abandon this plan and look for another high quality alternative.
I don’t want to have to deal with changing puppy food twice.
Hello all –
I am new to the board so please forgive me if I am not in the right place for this. I just got off the phone with Orijens to get the carb count for my diabetic dog. They don’t list ash on their website to calculate into the carb count. These numbers would be accurate for their senior and original formula. I hope this helps you update your numbers or if I am misunderstanding something, please do let me know. This information is critical for a diabetic dog.
Crude protein (min.) 38
Crude fat (min.) 15
Crude fiber (max.) 8
Moisture (max.) 12
Ash 8
100 – 81 = 19% carbs.
Many Thanks!
cabindream
Oceandog: I prefer Primal because it is locally sourced (according to the regional salesperson, still need to validate myself though), but that is also why it doesn’t have the same meat ratio as Stella and Chewy’s due to limitations in quantity.
NOMINATE: Timberwolf Organics (good price point, quality, similar to Orijen Canada Dry), Zignature (limited ingredient brand that helps many dogs with very sensitive stomachs that come through our store when other brands aren’t working)
I totally agree with crazy4cats. But, for a very sensitive stomach, I would like to add onto zcRiley suggestion.
Where I work, Zignature is one of the main options we would recommend when dogs have:
(a) unknown allergens but consistent allergic reactions to other brands (even the best such as Orijen Single-Protein diet), and
(b) stomach problems that aren’t clearing up with other single-protein/limited ingredient diets (possibly unrelated to allergies, just sensitive).
They specialize in limited ingredient diets that try to eliminate as many possible allergens and sensitives from their product while still being as nutritious as possible (note: probably because of this it is not a meat-based kibble like Orijen, unfortunately). I always recommend starting with Turkey or Duck (lean meats are easiest to digest) because it is the most economical and easy to find treats for if your dog has great success with it. I would recommend waiting on anything with Venison or Kangaroo as these are not only more expensive but useful if your dog has problems with everything else (i.e. last resort). You can also try pairing any new food with unpasteurized goats milk for the added digestive track probiotics (especially since its a puppy).
Note that any changes in diet will take a few weeks before noticeable effects may be seen with more time needed the bigger the dog (although your dog will probably see improvement after a week or so if its helping). Once you find what the problem is, you can transition them to a product that closely matches your dogs needs or stay on it.
Hope this helps! Wish you and your puppy much luck!
Just started my close to one year old (Xmas day) puppy, Nick, on the Answers Beef. He was previously on Orijen Puppy for 8 months. I have brushed his teeth daily since I got him at 3 months old. Even with that he has some yellowing of a few teeth. I have to believe that is partially from eating kibble. I am hoping that the Answers will help in this regard. Nick loves their Goat’s milk and so far after two meals he loves the Answers Beef. I will be doing a slow transition over the next 7-10 days. He eats the Answers before touching his kibble which he has always seemed happy with.
I don’t mind the expense of the Goat’s milk and Raw food if it will help have a better, longer life. My last dog had horrible teeth and I know it contributed to his declining health and eventual cancer. I have started Nick on the recreational frozen bones from Primal since all he has had is Antlers. Not a heavy chewer. This is the easiest way for me to feed raw I think. Love to hear opinions.
Hi gmcbogger-
Victor does not make any formulas safe for large breed puppies. Another poster on here a while back got all the calcium and phos values from the company for their puppy and ALS formulas. None were appropriate.
Just because the front of the bag says “large breed puppy” does not always mean it’s safe. Holistic Select and Nutro Max are excellent examples of that. Also at one point Orijen was guilty of the same.
pitluv, Holy cow, now I am confused. What does the calculator work off of, if not as fed, or dry matter??? I understand getting the max numbers, but they are given as either “as fed max, or dry matter max”, at least that is my experience in checking with the companies. And, I am sure I remember reading somewhere in this thread that it doesn’t matter which one you use (as fed or dry matter) as long as you are consistent with the Ca and P measurements.
Anyway, Raido, I am having good results with Fromm LBP food, the Heartland Gold. I have an Irish Setter, and at least for the setters, the Orijen must be too rich…..they get loose poop from that food.
Best of luck,
But as I understand for the Acana food, 4.1g per 1000kcal is already quite bad, so even if the average or maximum is higher, the resulting ratios will also be even worse? So this food should be out of the question?
I will try and ask for the max % values from Orijen then.
Hello
After reading through half of this website and the forum posts I’m still a bit confused. I am currently choosing between Acana or Orijen for a large breed puppy (swiss shepherd, 4months). I read that Acana has updated their LBP food to meet a better calcium ratio, but on the website it already says calc min 1.4, phosphor min 1.0 and the ME being only 3375/kg. This showed results from the calculator as:
Calcium = 4.1 g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio = 1.4 to 1
Orijens minimum claims are 1.3 calc, 1.0 phosphor and ME at 4080/kg. resulting a
Calcium = 3.2 g per 1000 kcal
Ca to P ratio = 1.3 to 1
Can this be accurate as they are both supposed to be premium foods and belonging to the same company? And those are just the minimum ratios.
As a side note, would anyone happen to know anything about a “Tundra” brand?
I just took my dog in today and the vet said she has a UTI and that she does have crystals in her urine and her urine also has a ph of 8. She has been eating Orijen Original for about 5 months now. Is there any evidence to prove that grain free diets cause utis and crystals??? Y vet suggested PURINA!! There is no way I am feeding my dog that garbage.
Hello,
I’m new to any sort of forum, and I’m the owner or a 2 year old adopted chihuahua. I currently feed my dog Taste of the Wild, but was researching for food with possible intentions of either making my own or buying freeze dried. In any event, I noticed Orijen Adult formula made in Canada has been a HUGELY popular and loved dog food, and I was so excited to try to switch my dog food to until I noticed so many unhappy dogs and customers now that it is made in Kentucky.
What will people switch to now since the manufacture is now in USA? Is there anything comparable or just as good as the original formula? And does anyone have any suggestions, especially for my Chihuahua?
Go by the Bristol Stool Chart. Buy a small bag of Orijens puppy. If that doesn’t work, Zignature kibble is #1 for food intolerances. Stop the Hill’s asap. And no slow feeder, it’s frustrating for the dog, eating should be a relaxed and fun time. Try hand feeding for awhile.
I agree with you, I think rotating brands is great for almost any healthy dog. Have you heard of Orijen? They only have 20% starch. My dog has done well on this food, I think it’s great. The Acana lines are also great. They have about 25-30% carbs. I think no food should have more then 50% carbs and preferably lower (about 35% max) I like Fromm a lot too! There are many great brands out there.
Just wondering if anyone has an opinion on a dog food called First Mate. It’s made in Canada and wonder if it’s being produced here in the states like Orijen.
First post here.
I feed my 6 months German Shepherd Orijens Puppy Large.
I am very happy with it as the dog is healthy energetic and has a beautiful coat. The problem is the amount. I am already giving him above the recommended amount and he is generally stressed out in hunger. His vet also says he seems a little thin…
Should I feed him more or should I complement with some homemade food, and what would be the best feeding options?
Thanks.
I am working on a similar issue, with a new dog 6 years old. Sled dog to pet dog.
The professional at the pet food store I go to who I find to be quite knowledgeable in the dog food arena suggested Orijen was too rich, went to Acana, still to rich am now trying Taste of the Wild at his recommendation. And the foods with Lamb have been always recommended to me as easiest on the tummy. So if even if you stick with your brand try the one that is lamb based.
My American Staffordshire Terriers are part Chinook, we did a DNA test, they have the black around the eyes & snout!
You’re doing fine, puppies eat a lot, withholding type or quantity in food is a myth. You wouldn’t control a human baby on how many times he/she should poop into their diaper, you know?
Caution is for large breed pups that are prone to hip dysplasia and cruciate tears (like my dogs). They had eating and growth spurts until after 3 yrs of age, stopping at 77 lbs each. I don’t free feed or force them to eat more or less. As long as the poops are healthy and there are no food intolerances, you can start rotating different kibble to introduce new protein. Follow the Bristol stool scale.
I fed Orijen puppy food and now they thrive on Zignature dog food.
Hi T.G
I feel there is an obvious solution here which does not involve moving your 6 month old large breed to an adult maintenance diet like Orjien Senior… Choosing another brand that is not Orijen.
Growing puppies have a protein requirement of between 22-25% protein. Orijen is in far excess of that and for many dogs Orijens fat and protein levels are far too high. I would recommend highly considering a switch in brands. A few suggestions are: Dr. Tim’s Kinesis, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy and Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy.
Your two dogs are at very different stages of life and unfortunetly both of their needs can not be met with the same food within Orijen. An adult maintenance diet aside from usually being too calorically dense for a puppy, does not have the correct vitamin and mineral levels to sustain a growing pup.
Hi T.G has your girl only ever eaten just Orijen kibble have you tried any other kibbles cause of her poos are soft?
you need to try a lower protein & a lower fat kibble some dogs just do not do well on high protein high fat kibbles, I have to stay under 28% for protein & stay under 15% for fat & need a lower Kcal/per cup ME kibble, under 380 Kcals/per cup….
I would not feed a senior kibble to a large breed puppy the senior kibbles have more Glucosamine, Chondroitin & Phosphorus, supplements for older dogs joints & you have a large breed you don’t want her bones to grow too quick…maybe someone else may know more…
I’ve emailed kibble companies cause I’ve seen large breed kibbles that have ingredients that my boy can eat & the fat & protein is what Patch does well on, I’ve asked them can I feed a large breed formula to my medium size dog & they have all yes its Ok to feed my boy a large breed kibble but I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed a senior formula to a large breed growing pup…
My boy is turning 8 in a few days & I don’t feed him a senior kibble some are too high in fiber for him & all the supplements they add don’t survive or aren’t as strong as when you add your own supplement to their diet & add a healthy fresh whole food to their diet…
You have to be careful with your dog doing sloppy poos everyday that she doesn’t get thickening of the bowel as she gets older. My boy is a rescue & has IBD, his vet was very worried that Patch may have thickening of the bowel & I didn’t want Patch opened up to find out so Patch had an Ultra Scan of the bowel, pancreas, stomach etc & from what the vet could see it didn’t look like Patch had thickening of the bowel….after rotating cooked foods & different kibbles he can just be put straight onto another brand of kibble that he has eatin before I don’t have to re introduce the kibble like I use too 3 yrs ago, but I stick with kibbles that are lower in fat & lower in protein cause he just can’t handle the higher Kcal formulas.. I also fed a home cooked meal for breakfast or swap around & feed cooked meal for dinner…
I’d start rotating between different brands & proteins this way if 1 kibble isn’t balanced properly, or something else is wrong with the kibble like the omega 6 is too high & the omega 3 is real low causing health problems this way they are not eating the same kibble for too long to cause any serious health problems…
I’d start looking at other large breed formula’s where the protein fat is lower then what she’s eating at the moment also change the protein get a different protein…
There’s Earthborn Holistic, they have never had a recall, there’s “Victor” or “Sport Dog Food Elite” Sport Dog Food has similar ingredients as Victor kibble but is cheaper, there’s Ziwi Peak is air dried raw & has wet tin foods as well my cat loves Ziwi Peak…There’s Canidae there’s a few really good kibbles around, they all don’t have to be 5 stars kibble…start adding fresh whole foods to the kibble…I follow Rodney Habib on face Book he’s got a really good video this week about chicken kibbles being high in omega 6 & very low in omega 3….
Start rotating one of these brands in your rotation that is lower in fat & protein with different ingredients also look at the Kcals per cup, pick a kibble that is lower in Kcals per cup then the Orijen she is eating at the moment…I can not feed any kibbles that are over 400Kcals per cup to my IBD dog, it’s just too much for him to digest & he does sloppy big poos about 3-4 a day…
I like kibbles where he only does 2 poos a day, “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & Canidae Life Stages, All Life Stages formula, he only does 2 firm poos a day & poo’s are small….
Home Page
http://www.sportdogfood.com/grain-free-large-breed-large-bites-30-14/
http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
http://ziwipeak.com/
I have a 6 month old Golden who has been on Orijen large breed puppy since I brought her home at 8 weeks. Her stool has always been like soft serve ice cream – sometimes a bit better. I’ve given her probiotics, rice, pumpkin and it helps a little. I want to switch her to a great food that will firm up her poo. And from what I’ve read, she is probably old enough to go to an adult food soon. I’m just not happy with the potato and legumes I’m seeing in even Acana foods.
I also have an 8 year old German Shepherd mix on Orijen Senior. He had the same issue as the Golden on Orijen Adult, but does GREAT and looks amazing on Orijen Senior. It would be super convenient to feed them both the same food, but like I said, I really like the Orijen ingredients better than any other food I’ve seen.
I’ve been doing a side by side comparison of the Orijen adult to Orijen senior. It really isn’t that different except less fat, more fiber. Acana is quite far off in comparison – more calcium than I’d like too.
So, if the food is good, the nutrients are there, and the calcium levels are not too high (they aren’t I checked using the calcium/phosporus calculator on this site) would there be any harm in trying Orijen senior for my 6 month old? What do I need to consider?
Here’s the comparison. Sorry the formatting is wonky.
. Orijen adult , orijen senior, acana
Crude protein (min.) 38% 38% 29 %
Crude fat (min.) 18% 15% 17 %
Crude fiber (max.) 5% 8% 6 %
Moisture (max.) 10% 10% 12 %
Calcium (min./max) 1.3 / 1.6 % 1.2 / 1.5 % 1.70%
Phosphorus (min./max) 1 / 1.3 % 0.9 / 1.2 % 1 %
Omega-6 (min.) 3% 2.50% 2.10%
Omega-3 (min.) 1.10% 1% 0.8 %
DHA (min.) 0.60% 0.60% 0.15%
EPA (min.) 0.30% 0.30% 0.15%
Ash (max.) 8% 8% 9 %
Glucosamine (min.) 1400 mg/kg 1400 mg/kg 600 mg/kg
Chondroitin (min.) 1200 mg/kg 1200 mg/kg 800 mg/kg
Microorganisms (min.) 120M cfu/kg 120M cfu/kg
pH 5.5 5.5
Vitamin A 30 kIU/kg 16 kIU/kg 50
Vitamin D 3 2 kIU/kg 1 kIU/kg 3500
Vitamin E 470 IU/kg 400 IU/kg 250
Vitamin B12 0.5 mg/kg 0.5 mg/kg 0.15
Thiamine 70 mg/kg 50 mg/kg
Riboflavin 55 mg/kg 45 mg/kg
Niacin 390 mg/kg 450 mg/kg
Pan. Acid (B5) 64 mg/kg 50 mg/kg
Pyridoxine (B6) 52 mg/kg 38 mg/kg
Folic Acid 4.7 mg/kg 5.2 mg/kg 1.3
Choline 2400 mg/kg 2700 mg/kg 1900
Sodium 0.30% 0.40% 0.3
Chloride 0.60% 0.64% 0.5
Potassium 1.00% 0.77% 0.8
Magnesium 0.12% 0.10% 0.13
Manganese 25 mg/kg 27 mg/kg
Selenium 1.2 mg/kg 0.9 mg/kg
Iron 230 mg/kg 240 mg/kg 180
Zinc 240 mg/kg 200 mg/kg 255
Copper 26 mg/kg 26 mg/kg 20
Iodine 3.6 mg/kg 1.8 mg/kg 2.7
Lysine 2.40% 2.45% 2.08
Tryptophan 0.40% 0.38% 1.2
Threonine 1.60% 1.50% 0.46
Tyrosine 0.98% 0.98%
Methionine 0.80% 0.80%
Isoleucine 1.50% 1.50% 1.15
Leucine 2.90% 2.90% 2.2
Valine 1.90% 1.85% 1.5
Arginine 2.50% 2.20% 2.15
Phenylalanine 1.60% 1.60% 1.38
Histidine 0.90% 0.80% 0.71
Cystine 0.40% 0.35% 0.32
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This topic was modified 8 years ago by
T. G..
I was also feeding my German Shepherd Acana and Orijen for the past 4 years. With the new formula change in Kentucky, She is no longer able to eat it. Extreme itching and inflamed ears with the new formula. I am now searching for another food.
My 10 year old has been eating Orijen senior. I was happy with the food. Then we got a bag of Senior formula made in the USA. My dog is not picky so she ate it without issue, however, it gave her the nastiest smelling gas. It would clear the room and make me want to gag. Unbelievably bad. I had to switch her food.
My two younger dogs have done great on the Orijen Regional Red Canada formula. Anyway, I switched them all to Timberwolf Organics. I am very happy with the food. It is also a bit more economical which is always good. I have been happy with Orijen over the years and I hope that they work out whatever issues there are with the new US formulas.
Carnilove at par with Orijen .
Since Orijen is a high protein kibble your pup may be able to handle raw. I like for online services Miami Raw, Hare Today Gone Tomorrow, and Real Raw since their beef and bison are grass fed and organic.
good luck
My pup liked Orijen but I switched him to half raw half home cooked about 6 months ago.
I gave up on kibble. At the end of the day Orijen is expensive stale kibble that has sat on shelf for weeks. At the price you pay for Orijen you can make your own dog food
I only feed my pup raw organic meat or bison or tripe every other protein source I cook for him. Raw Chicken, pork, and fish scare me so I cook those. If you do the research there are plenty of organic supplements that you can provide to balance your meal. Heck you can even make your own organic supplements if you have a good blender.
Good luck
Hey all! I’ve got a 4 year old king charles spaniel. He is currently on orijen dog food. Orijen is the ONLY kibble he will eat. When I say only, I mean only. I’ve tried many other brands but he is reluctant to eat them. But with Orijen, he literally waits by his bowl each morning waiting for it. So, I was debating about putting him on a raw diet. Kinda weighing out the pros and cons. But if he is eating orijen, and likes it, I don’t know if I should or not. I’d like to hear some feedback from people who have had their dogs on the raw diet, before I dive in. Also is it even worth switching to raw if he likes Orijen. Thanks!
5 month old puppy. I’m having trouble with consistent stool. Please help!
This food has 4 stars on this forum and on the label it says 1.1% calcium and 0.8% phosphorus. The manufacturer says that as fed percentage for Calcium is 2.21% and the Phosphorous is 1.25%. And l haven’t seen any labels from other manufacturers that have less calcium and phosphorus than this one which means that the % per sercing is higher than stated everywhere. I was going with Acana or Orijen but their protein is about 40% give or take and also the stated cal/p % is not different than Holistic.
So I chose Holistic Select Large Breed Puppy Lamb and Oatmeal Formula. Was going to go with Orijen but they have really high protein of 38%, that’s why I chose Holistic, their protein is 23% and 1.1% phosphorus.
I would like to nominate Natures Variety Instinct with raw bites. My GSD has always been fed Acana and Orijen until the formula change. Now I have switched to Instinct and she is doing better.
Most senior dog foods are too low in protein (Orijen senior being the exception, off the top of my head). Healthy dogs need a higher protein food.
Dr. Tim’s Pursuit Active Dog Formula Dry Dog Food or Orijens Puppy Formula.
The standard is when the loss exceeds ten percent of normal body weight (and when it is not due to fluid loss).
ALSO CHECK FOR:
Fecal studies to look for chronic intestinal parasites
Complete blood count (CBC) to look for infection, inflammation, leukemia, anemia, and other blood disorders
A biochemical profile that will evaluate kidney, liver, and pancreas function, and the status of blood proteins, blood sugar, and electrolytes
Hello, our boykin spaniel puppy came to us on Hill’s Science dry puppy food. After having researched this dog food we decided to upgrade his food to a higher quality product. We have now attempted to transition him FIVE times. Each and every time results with bad diarrhea that just won’t stop and this is only giving him a very small amount. So far we have tried Orijen, Fromm’s, Victor Grain Free, Taste of the Wild and Acana.
Does anyone have any suggestions? We think he may be allergic to chicken and we really prefer a grain-free diet for his breed.
Hi Erin
My lab was 14 lbs at 8 weeks and big in the litter and she is 90 lbs now at 2.5 years . I have fed her grain free fish with a switch once in a while to duck and turkey. For the first year I spent money on the high cost foods such as Orijen Large Breed Puppy. I now feed Horizon Pulsar.
I chose Grain Free to avoid hot spots and because my last lab had cancer at 12 and the recommendation was to remove grains. I had fed her lamb and rice.
I never feed milk as its another source of hot spots.
My lab is healthy vibrant and strong.
Hi golden
This is actually one of the issues I take up with Orijen’s formulas. I personally dislike how many different proteins they use because if your dog does in fact have some type of a GI reaction to the food, it’s almost damn near impossible to know what ingredient or what about the food is causing it.
I’m not sure why a lot of puppies do not do well on Orijen, but you are not the first person who has had that complaint. As far as Taste of the Wild goes, if your pup is doing well on it then perhaps that is the best food for her. Just watch recall alerts if you live on the east coast since the South Carolina Diamond plant is where most of their issues have come from.
I have my 8 month old Golden Retriever on TOTW High Prairie Puppy food. I too think there may be better choices, but I am trying to keep her away from chicken meal. There are just a few LBP puppy foods that don’t have chicken meal. I was feeding her Orijen. She did fine for a while and then she would not tolerate it. She had serious potty problems. I tried to slowly get her back on it, but each time, the potty problems came back. Within a few days of giving her TOTW the potty problems went away and has not had a problem since. I don’t know for sure if she had a reaction to chicken meal or something else that was in the food. I was told that sometimes chicken meal can cause an intolorance. Maybe it was just too rich for her. But now, I hesitate to try anything with chicken meal. I don’t want her to go through another bad time with diarrhea.
She is doing fine on TOTW.
I am open to suggestions for another LBP food that does not have chicken meal. Or if anyone knows about chicken meal in tolerance, let me know. Thanks.
I had a similar situation when my dog (half lab mutt) was a puppy and I switched him from a less protein rich food to Orijen Large Puppy. He loved the food but had loose poop.
Then I switched from Orijen Large Puppy to Acana Wild Prairie. That’s was made by the same company (Champion). Now that they have changed their formulas and relocated production to Kentucky, I believe the equivalent food is Acana Meadowlands.
Honestly, I think he preferred the Orijen to any other food, but he just wasn’t tolerating it well. The Acana fixed the problem and he liked it fine.
Once he matured (I know that’s an iffy word with any lab lab/based dog), I wanted to see if I could ramp up the protein again. After going through a series of other brands (Merrick and Evo before both were bought out), I ended up with Orijen Adult which he was now able to tolerate very well.
Maybe not completely relevant, but the new version of “Adult” is Orijen “Original.”
It has less fiber and it was just not enough for my dog. So now I’m transitioning him to Wellness Core Wild Game (another poultry based food) and he seems to be doing well.
I like Champion Foods – especially Orijen – but it looks out of the picture for me now.
The company did suggest Acana Meadowlands as an alternative to Orijen Original. It’s the Acana chicken based food. Haven’t tried it. They’re mailing me samples.
My pups were on Orijen for the first two years of their lives. Then they became severely allergic to chicken. This sometimes happens if a protein is fed for long periods of time and there’s no rotation of different foods (which I didn’t know at the time). Otherwise, both brands are excellent with rave reviews. If I could, I’d switch back in a heartbeat.
My wife and I are getting a new Cavapoo pup on November 1st. The pup is on Diamond Natural, which has a 4.5 rating, but I want to start switching slowly over to Acana or Orijen for the longer hall. Is there anyone that has had problems with either?
My dogs used to love Orijen. But now they refuse the Kentucky made brand. It gave them terrible diarrhea.
Mary…My Golden is almost 8 months old, but I had some problems with her foods giving her very loose stool. I was giving her Orijen Large Breed Puppy food and had to transition her on to another because she was sensitive to something in the food. It was a stressful time so I understand your concerns.
I had her on THK for a short period of time and her stool was always pretty soft. I also found out that though it states it is ok for large breed puppies, it is lacking for meeting the nutritional needs for a large breed puppy due to its calcium to calorie ratio.
Pitluv… brought this to my attention, so check into some posts a few pages back.
It can also be confusing with all of the info available to us now. This is just my opinion, and I am no expert, but the skepvet is to the extreme opposite of holistic health. It is important to research all information, but some of the critical advice of the skeptvet is harsh and frightening. Again this is just my opinion.
It can be overwhelming with all of the info we have available today. I am glad your puppy is better.
I don’t understand why DogFoodAdviser gave new Champion Dog Food made in US one of the highest rating in spite of so many complaints.
I went to my pet store few days ago to pick up the dog food and since I know the owner, we chatted for like an hour, she told me she used to order Orijen and Acana every single week by truck load and it would be gone within a week. She didn’t order new for the last 3 weeks and still have on the shelf the ones she ordered a month ago. She told me she never had to hear so many complaints in such a short time for a single company. Main complain is dog scratching, something in new formula cause allergies. Few vomiting and diarrhea. I’m so happy that I didn’t take the chance to try the food made in US and transitioned my dog to the different brand while I had Canada made Acana.
C C, your case is the worst I’ve heard so far and kind of similar what my dog went through few years ago when Canidae changed their formula, in addition to your dog symptoms my border collie also was pooping blood. Vet visits with all the tests cost me a lot. He was on rice and chicken for over a month. What really helped my dog was my veterinarian advise to get heavy on probiotic in addition to chicken and rice. I started my dog on Wholistic Pet Organics Acidophilus, double of recommended dosage for the first week, then went with regular recommended dosage for his size. My vet was right, I saw the difference within the first few days. Now my dog getting probiotic daily and it does wonder to his sensitive stomach.
I hope your dog will feel better soon.
I contacted Champion foods and they were very responsive but I really couldn’t get an answer as to why the increase in oil. I brought the food back to my local store and they had some other reports of the increase in an oily residue. Maybe the “new” fish formula doesn’t absorb the fish oils as well. Needless to say, I picked up a bag of the Orijen original, from Kentucky, and all is well…
I agree that it might not make sense to indicate price in the rating, but think about this:
Dog food adviser rates nutritional content by weight. If your dog has to eat more of one food to get his/her required calories, then the health and wellness impact on the dog of a particular ingredient can be amplified.
For example, Orijen Adult (that’s the old formula or current Canadian formula) has a bit over 5g of fiber per cup. I looked at Wellness Core and it has 6g per cup. That difference my dog MIGHT tolerate. But because he would have to eat more of the Wellness, he’s going to be eating more like the equivalent of 7g/cup if he was eating the same amount as Orijen.
That’s a little convoluted, but the bottom line is, with lower caloric density foods, the Fiber measure in particular food will be understated if you compare it to a higher density food.
The fiber measure per cup is great for gauging quality of ingredients. But it isn’t useful for gauging whether your dog will be getting more or less fiber with normal feeding.
I thought this suggestions forum was basically read by the guy/person/people who run(s) the site. Not so? Just poking around a little, I don’t see too many Admin responses in the Suggestion Forum threads. Are they being read? Or just not commenting?
Funny I noticed the same thing when I looking at puppy food. My guy was on Wellness Core. As he got bigger he was needing a lot more. Obviously. On Wellness I was up to about 6 or 7 cups/ day. That’s insane. I hate feeding that much kibble anyway. Even after all that food he would still be so hungry.
I tried Solid Gold. He was much more satisfied on that and required less until he grew more. Then it was back to a huge amount.
Orijen was too dense, but he needed less and was finally satisfied. Unfortunately his butt wasn’t.
Acana has been the best for him so far. Not as rich as Orijen, but working out just fine. He’s happy.
While the price/bag is more, the price/meal is less. This is because he doesn’t need to eat as much. I’ve actually been able to cut back 1/2 cup.
It is a pain to do the math, but is so worth it to take the time. Most importantly for his health. Too much kibble will cause bloat.
I think it would be great if you included something like a “price factor” that would be based on the calorie density by weight.
I was just shopping for dog foods of similar quality (5 star here) and I noticed that Wellness Core significantly less calorie dense than the Orijen I’m currently using. I don’t think you currently list calories per Kg. That’d be good too.
I was thinking it would be good as a sort of price factor because if Orijen is 12% more dense than Wellness Core, it’s effectively that much cheaper. I wouldn’t have noticed this at all except for the 4 1/2 cup /day recommendation for Wellness vs 3.75 or so for Orijen for my dog.
Also, another site had a kind of old list of calorie densities for a long list of foods:
It’s remarkable what a good proxy caloric density is for food quality. I think all of the top calorie foods I looked up were 5 star foods on Dog Food Advisor.
Thanks!
Hi Deanna, if your pup is used to pro plan I would not try orijen just yet, is may be too rich for a puppy. if you want something better for right now, I would use eagle pack or holistic select or nutrisource then try acana when he or she is 2 yrs old.
Hi Kellye P,
I just want to say thank you for all of your input. I am going through something very similar with my black lab Layla, right down to the strange weight loss and the Vet handing me crappy food (in this case corn-laden science diet). I feel Layla Orijen, so to me the suggestion of Hills was like being smacked in the face. Anyway, I was so sorry to read about Duffy. Have you ever thought of writing a book about your experience? There’s so much conflicting and limited info out there about diabetic dogs–and I have a feeling your story has helped quite a few people to know they are not alone. Hope all is well. Duffy was a lucky pup to have you by his side.
My pet store recommended Victor as they had researched it. They discontinued Merrick as it had been bought out by purina I believe and replaced it with Victor. So I am using that now with no adverse effects. I am mixing it with Vitapure. Also have used Orijen and taste of the Wild combo.
