[pitlove]

Hi Mary-

Congratulations on your new puppy. Sounds like he is going to be a big boy!

In regards to your specific questions, the list from 2013 is her most current list. Hound Dog Mom has been unable to contribute to the forums lately so the list has not been updated. Any company from that list you are considering I would email and ask for a nutrient analysis to confirm that the Ca and Phos levels have not changed. I would then input them into the calcium calculator on this site to double check that it falls within the safe ratios. Not only for the Ca and Phos, but also for the calorie to Ca ratio.

I agree with your vet about waiting to begin a raw diet until after the critical growth phase. And when you do decide to try raw selecting a random recipe from a book or the Internet is not advised. It would be wiser to use a commercial raw diet from a reputable company to ensure proper nutrient levels. Do not buy into the “balance over time” concept. Proponents of this believe that a diet that is not balanced daily can be balanced over time. It is thought that because many humans do not each balanced meals daily, dogs can also do the same. What they forget is that those individuals not eating balanced meals daily often end up with adverse affects later in life. Same is true for our pets.

In regard to Orijen Puppy Large, yes they did reformulate for more appropriate calcium levels.

[Karen C]

Hi all. I’m brand new to the forum part of things. I’ve been following DFA for a couple of years now and decided to join today.

I have read and done tons of research on dog food(s) and know a lot of what to stay away from. One of those brands was Hill Science Diet. Wouldn’t go near it and advised others to not buy it either.

I have a 5 1/2 year old Shihtzu with a bazillion skin issues….and we have been to 3 different vets in 3 different cities. I have tried every premium dog food over the last 4 1/2 years…and even resorted to making it myself using the best organic ingredients. Her skin issues didn’t start until she was a year old. Our current vet had suggested SEVERAL times to try Science Diet Sensitive Skin (and stomach). I kept refusing. The only way to control her skin issues was to be put on steroids with which she has been on for almost 3 years, and yes….I know the dangers of using those too.

Because I was at my wits end and had tried so many other foods from Acana to Orijen and from Blue to Earthborn and EVERYTHING in between, I said wth to the vet and decided to try Science Diet……against my better judgement.

It has been 3 weeks since she was transitioned to a complete SD diet. I cannot believe my eyes. Her skin is 110% healthy…..so beautiful. She is not digging at herself and scratching incessantly. She’s still a licker, which is just habit? But I just can’t believe it. I am in awe, and kicking myself for not trying SD sooner. At this point in Tilly’s and my lives, I don’t CARE what’s in it….because whatever it is can’t be all that bad OR as bad for her as steroids on a daily basis.

I told you up front, I was so against Hills Science Diet and nothing would change my mind. Now, I have to swallow my words and let you know. I (Tilly) may be an exception to the rule, but right now it’s a food that I will keep giving her.

Now for my Boxer pup…….

[Courtney R]

So, I’m considering switching my dogs to a raw diet and I’m inwhat I’d call a “researching” phase. Did anyone else feel totally overwhelmed when starting this process or is that just me? Lol

Short background: I have a 60 lb ACD mix that is roughly 7 (Burke) and a 12 lb Pomchi that is 5 (Miles). They’ve been on Orijen for the past couple of years and so far as stools go it seems to agree with them. However, Burke has started getting lick granulomas roughly 2x per year, Miles chronically seems “yeasty”, they’ve both had UTIs this year and we got fleas for the first time ever this summer which has been an utter nightmare. My vet of course gave antibiotics for the UTIs but seems to not be concerned about the other stuff. But to me it seems their immune systems aren’t up to snuff and diets the easiest way at it.

Currently I have 3 questions which might seem totally unrelated:
#1. Should I have a blood panel done prior to starting raw just to be certain there isn’t any reason why it’d be unhealthy to switch them to raw? Seeing as they’re both having issues I’m doubting that would be the case, but I’m a worrier 😉

#2 Admittedly the bone business freaks me out. I’m sure I’ll get over it as I get more comfortable but I’ve been looking at the (chicken) grinds from Hare Today to start with. However, I wasn’t sure about the organ. From what I’ve read you should stick to muscle and bone in the beginning and work in organs preferably after you’ve transitioned through meat sources. Should I order the ground chicken feet and just supplement with some breast or thigh meat? Or maybe someone has another simple suggestion to avoid actual bones for a bit?

#3. They already get coconut oil, yogurt or kefir, salmon oil and digestive enzymes. Could I continue these through the transition or should I hold off and give their stomachs time to adjust to raw food? Also, any supplements that they absolutely NEED to have or is this kind of just up to me?

Sorry this wasn’t as short as I’d hoped but thanks so much for any help. This forum has already been a big assistance and I can’t wait to learn more from you guys!

[Jackie S]

We attempted to switch our golden retriever to Orijen LBP when she was about 9 weeks old. We went gradually (probably not gradually enough) and she had bad diarrhea. We went to chicken/rice/pumpkin (homemade) which cleared it up. Then, we started to bring in the LBP very gradually. Didn’t work, as she got diarrhea again. Our vet prescribed metronidazole, saying it would clear up the inflammation in her intestines and told us to stick with 100% of the food we wanted her to eat. We did that with the Orijen and she has had pretty perfect poops ever since (7 weeks later). I am not usually one to jump to medication, but I knew our dog needed the nutrition from a balanced food and not just pumpkin/rice/chicken.

I hope this serves as an alternative perspective to the ones above. I don’t think ours has an intolerance, I think her gut bacteria was not suited to digest the LBP, maybe.

Good luck!

[pitlove]

Hi Dana-

This is the link you are looking for /dog-food-reviews/orijen-dog-food-usa/

[Dana D]

Does anyone know when (or if) Dog Food Advisor will be reviewing the new Orijen formula now made in the US??

I am in the process of transitioning my 3.5 year old black Lab from Orijen’s Canadian Adult formula to the new Orijen Original formula out of Kentucky. She’s now eating 50/50–old and new–and here’s what I see happening.

My Lab has always had allergies but it looks like she may be scratching and licking a little more than usual. I have increased her Zyrtec to twice a day (AM & PM) so we’ll see how that goes.

The one big thing I’ve noticed is that her stool is much firmer. She’s always eaten Orijen kibble and her stool has always been a little on the loose side–sometimes more than a little. Not with this US formula, though. Her stool is a lot firmer–completely normal actually–so I can definitely see how a dog that has had normal stools could now be somewhat constipated.

Orijen Customer Service [877-939-0006 if you want to call them] told me before I ordered the new formula that the only difference in the two is that there’s been an increase in the % of protein and also in the % of raw ingredients vs. dehydrated. Now that I can compare the two bags, as others have mentioned, it doesn’t look like that’s exactly true.

I have two 25-lb. bags of the US formula and 3/4 of a bag of the Canadian formula. I’m going to finish the transition and see how she does on the new formula alone. If the scratching get any worse or if she becomes constipated, we’re definitely leaving Orijen. Between their recent big price increase, now another smaller increase (when you calculate the cost /oz. for the smaller bag) and a new and possibly inferior formula, they may no longer be worth it.

[only1aileen]

Have you tried adding 100% pumpkin? Not the fortified kind at the pet store, but regular 100% canned pumpkin found in the baking aisle at your grocery store? If you haven’t, and she likes the food that is making her run to the corner, try adding a spoonful of pumpkin to her meal (they LOVE pumpkin) and it should help regulate her. I got this advice from my vet, the people I trust at my local pet store, and from other more experienced dog owners. I had similar issues with my Lab when she was a puppy–and that was on Canidae All Life Stages in 2014. I then transitioned her to Canine Caviar’s puppy formula, which was great until I realized that I needed to have her on a large breed puppy food and I discovered Orijen. My go-to’s since then have been Orijen and Acana, she loves both. I will keep her on them as long as the quality continues to be consistent.

[only1aileen]

Like @texasniteowl (original poster – “OP”), for over a year without any complaints I’ve had my Lab on a diet of Acana Singles, alternating between Duck and Lamb and she loved it. Once I learned that there weren’t anymore Canadian bags, I decided to buy a smaller bag to test it out and slowly transition her from the last Canadian Duck to the American Duck recipe–like you would if switching brands. She suddenly was having a harder time pooping (not quite constipated, but more laborious than it should be), then I compared the ingredients (still had the Canadian bag) and saw the changes.

I trust my local Pet Club workers, and they heard mixed results–some were doing alright, and some dogs were having digestion issues from the changed recipe and added ingredients. They suggested that I try the American Lamb version to see how she did; I followed the same transition method with the same result. Plus, she has been scratching around her eyes and ears but I didn’t think much of it because of our season.

I went back to a Canadian recipe for Orijen and will just feed her a little less than I did of the Acana so she doesn’t gain weight. I will stick with the Canadian Orijen recipes until they figure out their American recipes–or until they start to ruin the Orijen recipies in the US.

It’s so bittersweet because I love that they are creating jobs in America, and I’m disappointed that it has to be at the expense of the quality that Champion produces. My dollar goes for quality 100% of the time, whether dog food (especially) or designer shoes.

[Jenn H]

There’s a few brands that add pre & probiotics to their food after it’s processed. Wysong is 1. I think Orijen & Acana do also.

Either way I prefer to add it. My preferred brands are Wysong pet inoculant and Purina Fortiflora. The Purina you have to get at the vet or online.
(I can’t even believe I use and recommend a Purina product. But it really has been great for my dog with IBD.)

[Joseph w]

I have a 4 year old bull terrier names Bodger. He is normally 65lbs but the last year he shot up to 72lbs. We lowered his food intake to 1 cup a day but he wasn’t losing any weight so we took him in for a blood test thinking he had a thyroid issue but it turned out negative and we suspect he has iiatrogenic Cushing’s from off and in use of prednisone for use with his skin issues. Now that we can no longer use prednisone we are trying to figure out a good diet for him. We use to use homemade raw which possibly worked better than what we have him on now but if it did it was slight. Before raw his normal food was Arcana or Orijen. It is now Avaderm which is the best he’s had since raw but we are no longer able to afford raw. One if his main skin problems is yeast infections on his feet constantly, ears somewhat often and around his anus sometimes and very rarely around mouth and eyes. I need a non yeast/starch/sugar/grain/ low carb kibble, with probiotics Which I plan in supplementing with a whole slew of home remedies and iver the counter products I’ve been researching. I was looking at wellness Tru food and it meets almost all the criteria except has about 40% carbs. Any ideas?

[G D]

I had looked at Acana but was told it came out of same plant as Orijen so I chose Canidae

[G D]

I just received a bag of Orijen from chewy 2 weeks ago and when I started feeding my dogs within a couple days they were both scratching and digging at their eyes and head. A visit to the vet she suspects an allergy and asked if I had changed Foods recently. I went to the pet store to find another food to switch to and was told by a worker that Orijen was now coming out of a plant in Kentucky and not out of Canada. The only difference in the ingredients we could find was” natural flavorings”. Well that could be anything. I looked it up I know but was told that they come out of the same plant in Kentucky. I chose canidae duck and pear we will see how it goes. Is anyone else having an issue since the changeover?

[InkedMarie]

This is an updated list of grain & white potato free foods. I included dry food only, no wet, raw, dehydrated or freeze dried. I included no part of white potato. Some foods on the prior list have been discontinued and a couple I can’t find ingredient lists for. I used the foods websites, not a pet food sellers website.

ACANA-Meadowland Regional
Wild Atlantic Regional
Appalachian Ranch Regional
Heritage
Heritage Freshwater Fish
Lamb & apple singles
Pork & squash singles
duck & pear singles
Wild Mackerel singles
Grasslands

AMICUS-small & mini breed adult
small & mini breed senior & weight management
small & mini breed puppy

ANNAMAET-Salcha Poulet

ARTEMIS-Osopure salmon
Osopure bison

AVODERM-senior health
joint health grain free chicken
Revolving Menu-all

BACKWOOD-buffalo & field pea
chicken & field pea
salmon & field pea

BROTHERS COMPLETE-all

BY NATURE-grainfree turkey & sweet potato
grain free ocean whitefish & green peas

CALIFORNIA NATURAL-all grain frees

CANIDAE-PURE Land
Pure Wild

CANINE CAVIAR-grainfree puppy
Leaping Spirit
Open Sky
Wild Ocean

CHICKEN SOUP-grainfree beef
grain free lamb

DAVES-both grain frees

DOG FOR DOG (formerly Freehand) both grainfree’s

DOGSWELL-Live Free salmon
Live Free chicken
Live Free turkey
Live Free lamb

EARTHBORN-Great Plains Feast
Meadow Feast
Large Breed
weight control

EVANGERS-grainfree whitefish & sweet potato
grain free chicken
grain free Meat Lovers Medley

EVO-all

FROMM-4 Star lamb & lentil
4 star pork & peas

GO! Sensitivity & Shine LID Duck
Sensitivity & Sine LID salmon
Sensitivity & Shine LID venison
Sensitivity & Shine grain free turkey

GRANDMA MAE’S COUNTRY NATURALS-grainfree only

GREAT LIFE-Dr E’s LID buffalo
Dr E’s LID duck
buffalo
salmon
chicken

HALO-Vigor turkey, chicken & salmon

HEALTH EXTENSION-grainfree buffalo & whitefish
grain free venison & chickpea
grain free duck & chickpea
grainfre salmon, herring & peas

HI TEK NATURALS-lamb, sweet potato & herring
chicken & sweet potato
Alaskan fish

HOLISTIC BLEND-Marine 5

HOLISTIC SELECT-grainfree adult health

HORIZON-Pulsar: fish
chicken
turkey
Legacy: salmon
adult
puppy

I AND LOVE AND YOU-salmon & trout
Nude: Simply Sea
Poultry Palooza
Red meat medley
Naked Essentials-lamb & bison
chicken & duck

KASIKS-Wild Pacific Ocean
Free Range lamb
Free Run Chicken

LOTUS-oven baked grain free turkey

MERRICK-grainfree rabbit & chickpea
grain free venison & chickpea

MUENSTER-grainfree all life stages

NATURAL BALANCE-Wild Pursuit: Trout/Salmon/Tuna
chicken/turkey/quail
lamb/chicken/guinea fowl
LID: legume & duck
legume & Wagyu Beef

NATURAL PLANET-rabbit & salmon
duck & whitefish

NATURAL PLANET ORGANICS-all grain frees

NATURES RECIPE-grainfree chicken, sweet potato & pumpkin

NATURES VARIETY-Instinct: all

NRG-Optimum line

NULO-all

NUTRISCA-all grainfree

NUTRISOURCE-grainfree chicken & pea
grain free seafood select
grain free lamb & pea
grain free small breed chicken
grain free Prairie Select

ORIJEN-all

PET BOTANICS-Healthy Omega chicken
Healthy Omega salmon
Healthy Omega lamb

PET KIND-all

PINNACLE-grainfree trout & sweet potato
grain free duck & sweet potato
grain free chicken & sweet potato

PIONEER NATURALS-all grain free

PRECISE-both grain frees

SOLID GOLD-Mighty Mini
Lil Boss
high protein with duck

SPORT DOG FOOD-Elite Beef
Elite whitefish
Elite chicken
Elite venison

TASTE OF THE WILD-Appalachian Valley
Pine Forest
Southwest Canyon

TUSCAN NATURALS-Ocean

UNDER THE SUN-All grain frees

VICTOR-grainfree active dog & puppy
Yukon River
lamb
chicken
Ultra Pro
Hero

WELLNESS-Core Wild Game
adult chicken
Tru Food: adult salmon & turkey
adult lamb
adult chicken
puppy

WILD CALLING-Rocky Mountain Medley-all
Western Plains Stampede all
Xotic Essentials-all

WYSONG-Epigen 90

ZIGNATURE-LID trout & salmon
LID kangaroo
LID turkey
LID lamb
LID duck
LID whitefish
Essential multi protein

ZOIC-all

4 HEALTH-puppy
small breed adult

[Liz D]

Just a quick follow up: after a visit to my vet our older GSD is on Science Diet RX. Cost is the same as Orijen so not a big deal. What is a big deal is our 1 year old GSD is now chewing herself on the new Kentucky formula. I spoke with Champion and they said the only change only in the new formula was more meat. Really?

Old list of ingredients from our dog food:

INGREDIENTS
Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, chicken liver*, whole herring*, boneless turkey*, turkey meal, turkey liver*, whole eggs*, boneless walleye*, whole salmon*, chicken heart*, chicken cartilage*, herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, pea fiber, chickpeas, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

All ingredients marked with a * are fresh and preservative free.

New list of ingredients from Kentucky plant:

INGREDIENTS
Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, yellowtail flounder, whole eggs, whole atlantic mackerel, chicken liver, turkey liver, chicken heart, turkey heart, whole atlantic herring, dehydrated chicken, dehydrated turkey, dehydrated mackerel, dehydrated chicken liver, dehydrated turkey liver, whole green peas, whole navy beans, red lentils, chicken necks, chicken kidney, pinto beans, chickpeas, green lentils, alfalfa, chicken fat, natural chicken flavor, herring oil, ground chicken bone, chicken cartilage, turkey cartilage, dried kelp, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried turkey liver, whole pumpkin, whole butternut squash, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, whole carrots, apples, pears, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product.

This is taken directly from both the Canada and USA websites and the difference is dramatic in apparently nothing is “fresh and preservative free” anymore. In my opinion this is not the same food. I will be switching our baby to something different. Sadly I cannot purchase the Canadian product directly here in the US.

[Liz D]

Thanks for the suggestion! The Nutrisca looks good as far as triggers go but it says its isn’t “complete and balanced.” I will run it by my vet as well. I may end up cooking for him in the interim. Sad that cooking his food is cheaper than Orijen! I just need to find something to take when we board them in November. Cooking isn’t an option then!

Our poor guy has so many allergies he has 2 vials of serum. He’s even allergic to us and himself (dog and human dander)!

Hopefully this will work out.

Thanks!

[anonymously]

My dog with environmental allergies (receives Allergen Specific Immunotherapy) does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base. See Chewy.com for reviews.

PS: She can’t tolerate Orijen, my terrier likes it, however with the changes coming up and the price increase he may go back to Nutrisca, he does well on that also, including the Chicken dry.

[Liz D]

Hello!

My 8 year old GSD also has extreme allergies. We had him tested so we know food and environmental triggers. He takes injections for the environmental.

We had been using Orijen for the past 2 years however, with the formula change, it is triggering a reaction again. While I’m not seeing anything odd on the ingredient list, something with the new formula isn’t working.

His major trigger is Brewer’s Yeast followed by beef, lamb, grains, venison, rice, potato, milk, kangaroo and rabbit. The fish mix (63) was below the standard for marking it an allergy but marked higher than chicken (36) or turkey (33). Pork was a zero followed by duck which is 12. (90 being the benchmark to make it an allergy)

I thought the Annamaet would work until I saw Selenium Yeast which is another name for Brewer’s Yeast. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

[Jenn H]

If Orijen is not budget friendly try Acana. Same company.
I have been happy with Acana and find that I don’t spend more per meal than I did with less expensive brands. With other foods I had to feed more and had dogs that still seemed hungry. Now they seem satiated being fed less.
It’s a dense food so transition slowly to avoid stomach upset.

[InkedMarie]

Nutro is a lower quality food & Blue isn’t one we recommend much around here.
Look at either Annamaet lean or Wellness Core reduced fat. You don’t need a senior food; with the exception of Orijen senior, most are too low in protein.

[pitlove]

Hi Chris-

The main reason vet’s recommend Purina is because they believe in the food. It is formulated by nutritionists, veterinarians, and other specialists. Many vet’s feel this is important when choosing a food. They are also one of the leading researchers (aside from Hill’s) in large and giant breed puppy growth and nutrition. I personally feed Pro Plan and after trying many of the “better”(including Orijen and Acana) dog foods, find that Pro Plan works the best for my allergy dog and my food intolerant cat.

Of course the vet’s who sell Purina make money off of it, just like the independant pet store that sells Orijen makes money off that too. I’m unaware of vet’s actually getting kickbacks for selling food and I have worked at a vet’s office. They get discounts on food, but so do I working at an independant pet store and so do the workers at Petco and PetSmart. I personally don’t see the difference, but that’s just me.

Most people do not like Blue Buffalo because of the lack of integrity on the companies part and their dishonesty during the recent law suit. Also they are quite overpriced for what you are actually getting.

[pitlove]

As far as I know about Orijen, their large breed puppy formula is safe since they reformulated it a few years ago

[InkedMarie]

Acana & Orijen are Canadian, pretty sure Go! And Now! Are too but not positive.

[Chris S]

pitluv,

Thank you for your quick reply.
Your response on Bully Max and that it was so new was the exact reason why I was asking for everyone’s thoughts on it.

Another reason I was leaning towards Orijen is it has both the min and max calcium/phosphorus values on their package, at least from the photo on chewy.com. It shows calcium max/min 1.5/1.2 and phosphorus max/min being 1.3/1, so it never exceeded the 1.5:1 ratio even if phosphorus was at min and calcium at max.

I must have missed the part of 3g/1000, and according to the calculator and the info from the picture it looks like it can range from 3.2-3.9/1000.

So should I dismiss Orijen and begin a hunt for another.

[Chris S]

Hey, new here and new to larger breed dogs. I just got an American Bully, she is 8 weeks. Will probably be about 60lbs full size, maybe a little more. I really want to stay with a 5-star brand. I know a lot of people ask what the best for my (dog breed here) and there isnt a clear cut answer as all dogs are different, but would like maybe 3 recommendations to try out before just picking and buying at these price tags.

I’ve seen a few good things about Bully Max High Performance, but mostly from their website and (what I assume) affiliated sites. It also is pretty new and is an “all-stage” type of food. Maybe its just my misconception but I would think a true “puppy” blend and even better “large puppy” blend would be best depending on the brand.

I have also seen great things about Orijen which they have a “large puppy” blend and am leaning towards it as of now, partially for that reason.

Any other suggestions and also am I truly just wrong, about the “all-stages” vs “puppy” blends.

[Rusty T]

I switched from Blue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Red Meat for Large Breeds to Orijen Red Regional about 3 months ago. My GSD was fine with it, but my Husky/Shepard/Border Mix wasn’t thrilled. I switched to the Orijen Tundra. Mr. Picky loves it. (There’s no chicken.) When we first brought the GSD home from the animal shelter, I did notice loose stools the first couple of months which I figured was from the change to the Blue Wilderness and better quality diet. (We also feed each a half can of Holistic Select Beef and Duck Pate mixed with a cup of kibble). Both my dogs are now doing well on the Orijen Tundra. I never had problems with the Blue Wilderness Rocky Moutain Red Meat, but had always wanted to switch it up. My black lab who passed away last year however, refused anything but the Blue Wilderness for Large Breeds.

[anonymously]

In my opinion, it depends on the dog.
I know my poodle mix doesn’t tolerate changes well, so she gets Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea as a base, sometimes I get a small bag of Nutrisca Chicken for in between.
My terrier does well on the Nutrisca (fish or chicken) but he also likes Orijen, so I alternate for him. The poodle doesn’t like Orijen, I think it’s too rich for her, she tends to vomit when I change her diet, so I stick with Nutrisca for her.
However, I change the toppers frequently.

[Christine M]

Hi,

My poor Bear is not quite 4 and has suffered from bad teeth his whole life. Any suggestions on what to do besides frequent dentals and tooth brushing? He is an American Eskimo, and at 6 months old required his first dental. We got another dental done in december and he lost a tooth… And it looks like he will lose at least two more on the top that have bad cavities near the base of the tooth… My poor baby. He’s going for a dental checkup on Saturday, but wanted to get some info on other steps before then.

We are currently feeding him Orijen Adult dry dog food (we are in Canada). He won’t eat the vet dental food and I’m not a fan of the ingredients anyways. I’m not really into raw feeding due to the possibility of bacteria, etc., and Bear doesn’t seem to care much for many of the pre-made raw foods out there anyways.

He likes the CET chews and they helped him a lot but they are hard to find now, so we got the Enzadent ones but they don’t do as much for him. He gets bully sticks to chew too (they always have a few to chew on).

We probably still aren’t brushing his teeth enough, but he tolerates it quite well. We use the CET toothpaste from the vet and a normal toothbrush… We tried one of the powered toothbrushes for pets but he hated it and he doesn’t like the ones which go around the whole tooth.

Any other recommendations for water additives, etc.? We also have a 4 mo old puppy but his teeth are fine.

[InkedMarie]

With the exception of Orijen senior, I think most senior foods are too low in protein. They need a higher protein quality food.

[Alicia S]

I have a Great Dane, my second one, and they eat more and more food until they reach a certain age and weight then yes they start to eat less and less because they are not growing any more. I fed her Orijen Puppy Large breed and use the chart on the back of the bag to help determine how much to feed her based on her current weight, current age, and what she should weigh in the future.

[D S]

My 3 10-lb dogs eat a variety of kibble including Taste of the Wild, Orijen, and Acana. Usually, I’ll mix in a small amount of mashed yam/sweet potato, and they inhale their food. They also love Honest Kitchen dehydrated food, which I’ll sometimes sprinkle on top of kibble (without yam) and add some water. Once in a while, I’ll feed just Honest Kitchen with no kibble. I like to give them a variety.

I’ve heard many times that kibble is heated/baked and loses much of its nutritional value, and that a raw or dehydrated diet is a much better choice. Is this true? The top kibble brands obviously put a lot of research into their products and I assume they’re pretty well engineered, but I can’t help but think that I’m doing my dogs a disservice by not keeping to a more raw or dehydrated diet.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Josh H]

I have a 12 week old puppy and I use to feed him Blue Buffalo Large Puppy Life Protection formula by itself… then he started sticking his nose up at it. I would take it away and give it to him at the next meal time and he would eat a bit and then do the same thing. I didn’t think it was a health issue, just that he didn’t like his food. I bought Wellness CORE puppy and when compared to Blue Buffalo’s food it smells a lot better (Blue Buffalo doesn’t smell like much). For the last week I have been mixing Wellness CORE into his Blue Buffalo food and he eats nearly everything except for a couple of Blue Buffalo kibbles. I have heard similar stories with Orijen with the food smelling really good and I am assuming that if the food smells good that a puppy / dog will find it more appealing.

[InkedMarie]

Debbie,
I suggest you go to the dog food calculator here at DFA. You will need to know how many calories per cup in the Orijen puppy food.

[Debbie G]

How come the Orijen puppy feeding guideline says to feed your puppy less when they get to 44lbs (1 3/4 C) and 33lbs its 2 1/3 C? I thought you’d feed a puppy more when they’re 10 lbs bigger!

[Maria K]

I think that you could probably find something better than Taste of the Wild’s High Prairie Puppy formula. They have some other formulas that are great, but some are subpar. You get the same kind of spectrum as Fromm and Orijen though. You have to be careful which formula you feed. I would see if you could find a better quality formula with one of the brands you are already considering.

[goldenstar]

I actually have my Golden on Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy right now. I had to take her off of Orijen due to potty problems. I wasn’t sure what was causing the problem, but decided to try something without chicken. I had to find a different food fast and found this at my local pet store.
I know this company has had issues, but she is doing really good on the food. I used the calculator and the numbers looked good.
I was thinking of gradually switching her over to Fromm, but she seems to be doing so well on this food, I may keep her on it. Unless anyone has information that I should know about.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by goldenstar.

[Eric C]

Thank you so much. I tried really hard to take in all the information and use the calculator that was provided on the page. I could not afford Orijen, but think this is a good choice. I love the new pup and want to do all I can. Thanks for all you do!!!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Eric C.

[pitlove]

You’re very welcome. Just goes to show you never trust the bag. Orijen large breed puppy was the same way until they reformulated it.

[anonymously]

Oh, I get it. but, once you make it to 2-3 years old and you listen to the homeopathic vets, all common sense goes out the window.

That is why the shelters/rescues lean on the side of safety and spay/neuter prior to adoption.
Have you ever witnessed a female under the age of 2 go through a pseudo pregnancy?
I have, and it is not pretty. Have you ever witnessed a male dog ejaculate nonstop for over 72 hours nonstop and collapse from exhaustion ( they won’t stop to eat or drink water) because they smelled a female dog in heat within a 5 mile radius? I have, and again. it’s not pretty. It’s inhumane to allow this to go on without intervening (imo).

If a pet owner is concerned about these things, why not find a veterinarian that you like and trust and go by his recommendations?
BTW: Orijen is a good food but it is fattening, my dog with a sensitive stomach can’t tolerate it (vomits). She does well on Nutrisca. Check chewy.com.

[pitlove]

Thanks goldenstar!

That picture was from the Fourth of July. They had a good time playing in the kiddie pool while we grilled.

Could be a lot of reasons that Orijen isn’t agreeing with her. Could be an intolerance, could be wrong kinds or amounts of fiber. I do however think that switching to a food with less ingredients will be helpful because if it is a food intolerance, you will not have to sift through tons of ingredients to figure out which is the offending one.

[goldenstar]

pitluv…Thanks about the avatar…she is changing so fast. She is now in her dumbo faze. Her ears and nose are bigger in proportion to her body. BTW…I adore yours.
Thanks for the info….I have been feeding her Orijen Puppy Large, and I think she has developed an intolorence for it. She had done well on it. But in the last week….Major potty problems. Everytime I reintroduce in small quantities, she again has major potty problems until it is out of her system. At this stage of her development, not being able to give her all the valuable nutrients she needs is so bad. So I am searching for a replacement and fast.
I had a fecal sample tested and it was clean. The vet gave me something to help, but it has not really worked. She is already slim. I don’t want her to lose any weight.
Thanks for all of your information.

[Karigan P]

Hello all, I have a 12 week old Great Dane puppy who has been through it all in his short time (parvo & severe demodex) He is well now and we are focusing on nutrition for him. It has been about a month post parvo. My issue is he is now knuckling over or, bowing at the leg on his front.
It is so bad he can’t walk very well. It seemed to start healing and then I took him out for a long walk and it worsened. Should I just keep him on bed rest? I thought exercise would help.

Here is the food he has been on so far: Orijen Puppy (1 1/2 weeks) then switched to Zignature Zssential formula (2 days – this is when he started losing his hair), Then Orijen Large Breed Puppy (only 1/2 a week). When I noticed his knuckling over I did some research and he is now on the Precise Holistic large and giant breed puppy.

I have unfortunately switched foods TOO many times b/c I thought the demodex was a food allergy and I’m scared to switch again but he is having runny diarrhea on this food – he has been on it for 4 days now. I can possibly wait it out but I have read that this is a common issue on this brand and I don’t want him to lose any more weight than he has already.

Any suggestions?

[anonymously]

Regarding kibble size:
Orijen is big, Nutrisca is small, Fromm is medium sized. They are all quality brands (imo)Check reviews on chewy.com

[anonymously]

Orijen. Check chewy.com for reviews. Or, Nutrisca for a limited ingredient food…I actually mix the two for one of my dogs, with good results.
Don’t free feed, feed twice a day, measured amounts. Pick up and store in the fridg if not eaten within 10 minutes and offer at the next mealtime.

Are you sure you are not overfeeding? Try smaller amounts. Sometimes, less is more.
Add a splash of water to the kibble. Most dogs don’t drink enough water.

[anonymously]

Why are you feeding him puppy kibble at 2 years old? It sounds like you may be overfeeding him. What breed of dog is he?
Is he getting enough exercise? A 1 hour walk a day?
How many bowel movements a day is he having? More than 2 per day could be an indication that he is consuming more food than he needs.

Also, Orijen is a wonderful food, however it is higher in calories than Nutrisca which works for my small breed. If the dog is not active……maybe you should consider a less rich food.

I don’t use freeze dried foods or fattening treats so I can’t offer an opinion. Just use a little of the kibble or a bite of lean cooked chicken breast or something if I offer a treat.

[Cameron j]

Hey all,
My local petstore recently recommended Valens to me. It’s a small Canadian company. They told me it’s on the same level as Orijen, and Natures Variety in terms of quality.

I’m just wondering if anyone has any experience or knowledge with this company? I’ve never heard of them until now.

[Renee K]

My sister did considerable research on what to feed her Boxer, she likes Solid Gold Leaping Waters Salmon. So she recommended that I feed my 12 week old Golden Retriever puppy Solid Gold Wolf Cub. I wrote in with some questions and they responded (see below.) I am wondering why Solid Gold is not recommended on your site, is it an oversight or on purpose? By the way I came up with the questions from your wonderful site, thank you. When I asked about AAFCO it seems like they don’t have their approval?…(see below.) Also, is there one puppy food on your editor list that would be specifically better than the others for a Golden Retriever 13 week old puppy? I am still having trouble narrowing it down. Orijen puppy large seemed perfect but too costly.

Thanks for reaching out to us, and congratulations on your new addition! Wolf Cub is 1.3% calcium and 1 % phosphorus. Hundchen Flocken is 1.8% calcium and 1.14% phosphorus. We have searched the world for the most reputable sources for our ingredients. We do not use any ingredients from China. None of our products contain artificial preservatives, corn, wheat, or soy, artificial colors or flavors, or meat by-product meal.

AAFCO does not actually approve foods. It’s a body made up mostly of State Department of Agriculture officials that recommend guidelines for animal food labeling as well as nutritional requirements based upon FDA-CVM requirements.

The only statement you will find on a bag of food referencing AAFCO is the nutritional statement that most states require to be on a pet food label. This statement is similar to “X dog food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for maintenance of adult dogs”.

All Solid Gold foods have a nutritional guarantee statement like the one above.

I would recommend Wolf Cub for a Golden puppy, as it is specially formulated with a reduced level of calcium, phosphorus, and calories to promote a healthy growth rate.

Let me know if you have any further questions!

Customer Service

P 800.364.4863

[anonymously]

Consider Orijen, check chewy.com for reviews. If she is an active dog she can handle the calories, maybe add a topper (a spoonful of scrambled egg or cooked lean meat/chicken mixed in) and a splash of water. You use less with this product because it is solid food.

[Jeff L]

Its been about 3 weeks since starting Orijen and Nick has been doing great. No undigested kibble in his stool. Not eating his poop anymore at all even when left alone in parents or friends backyard. He gets 1 TBSP of coconut oil a day and his coat looks awesome.

[Salz]

Triet- the biggest difference (IMO) between raw frozen and dehydrated raw is that all of the moisture has been removed from the dehydrated. There is some heat used in the dehydration process so some consider it to be of less nutritional value. Dehydrated raw is easier to store ; all that is required for feeding is to add water and allow the moisture to seep back in. Frozen raw is just that; frozen raw meat that is usually thawed before being fed. I prefer frozen because it is less processed. Both are excellent choices.

As far as kibble, Orijen is great IMO for adult dogs only. All of the adults I’ve had have thrived on it, though I agree that there are other quality kibbles for a fraction of the price. If you are keen on feeding kibble, I recommend Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy.

[Wabi S]

Triet, I was considering Orijen too, but ended up going with Fromm since it’s nearly half the cost and still very good quality. My pup loves it. She’s a 3 month old Saint Bernard.