Congratulations!
We have maltese and rotate between the freeze dried and dehydrated 5 star foods. Good rule of thumb is to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to each patty or brick. These foods are easy to break into smaller pieces, nutrient dense, species appropriate and healthier than canned.
The following are in our rotation.
Primal
Stella and Chewy (and their treats)
Dogs for the Earth (one of their favorites)
Orijen (and treats)
Stewarts Bison
Dr. Harveys
Honest Kitchen (we purchase their sample packets and use in their rotation)
Nutrisca
Northwest Naturals
Chewy.com has a lot of these foods
We also feed Tru Dog, Vital Essentials and Only Natural Niblets but I would avoid feeding to a tiny puppy.
I don’t like regular kibble because it’s so overly processed… plus mine don’t like it. The only dry type food they get is air dried from Real Meat Food Co, Only Natural Max Air Dried or Ziwi Peak. Meats are grass fed, free range, gmo/anti bitotic/hormone free. I keep this under 25% of their diet due to lack of moisture. They love air dried.
http://shop.realmeatpet.com/Introduction-Dog-Cat-Food-Trial-3-Pack-FD3PACK.htm
We also do some home cooking and use Dr. Harveys finely ground premix.
I highly recommend reading Scared Poopless which is specifically for small dogs…excellent info on how to avoid cancer and other diseases.
Also, Dr. Karen Becker’s newsletter is very informative. She offers great nutrition info and I use many of the supplements she suggests. I would definitely think about adding probiotics and enzymes to meals for optimum digestion and immune support, and to avoid stomach upset as you transition and rotate new foods.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/
Good luck.
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This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by
JeffreyT.
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This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by JeffreyT.
Hi TH,
I went to Chewy.com and did a search of foods with fish as the primary protein. There are lots to choose from that are poultry free. Orijen Six Fish, Acana Pacifica, Zignature Trout and Salmon, Wellness Core Ocean, several varieties of Fromm, Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch…, are all brands that are on the first page of the search that I’d use, that a quick glance of the ingredients seems to indicate contain no poultry. There are lots more than that to choose from.
FWIW, I believe strongly in a rotational diet. If you’ve been using fish based foods for a while, maybe it’s time to try a new protein for a while. A variety of proteins is important for a complete amino acid profile. Rotating foods also helps to avoid prolonged exposure to less desirable ingredients.
Good luck finding something new!
Hi Daniel,
After a lot of trial and error, we found our very picky maltese prefer freeze dried and dehydrated, to which water is added. It’s pricier than kibble or canned but much more palatable, and also healthier since it’s not highly processed.
Freeze dried ours will eat:
Primal
Stella and Chewys
Stewarts
Orijen
Nutrisca
Northwest Naturals
Tru Dog
Vital Essentials
Most available from Chewy
http://www.chewy.com/dog/freeze-dried-food-336
They also love Only Natural Niblets Venison and Liver but they’ll eat all the flavors. There’s an excellent sale on the chicken now.
Only Natural Pet RawNibs Freeze Dried Chicken & Liver Meal Topper for Dogs
We buy the smallest bags possible, including sample bags, because the variety keep them interested in meals, plus it’s healthier. We also add probiotics and enzymes to the food to maximize nutrient absorption, strengthen immune system and minimize stomach issues.
Dehydrated foods:
Chewy sells these small sample bags of Dr. Harveys to try:
http://www.chewy.com/dog/freeze-dried-food-336/dr-harveys
Honest Kitchen sells sample bags of their dehydrated food. My pups like this less than Dr. Harveys but some pups really love it.
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=samples
We give Real Meat Food Co. when we’re in a hurry. It’s an air dried food made from grass fed, free range meats…..much less processed than dry and much more palatable. They love it. We buy the sample packs so it’s easy to rotate. Wellness Core has also has an air dried that’s very palatable but not as high quality as Real Meat Food Co.
http://shop.realmeatpet.com/Introduction-Dog-Cat-Food-Trial-3-Pack-FD3PACK.htm
Sometimes we do homemade for variety and add a premix.
Lastly, we always put toppers on food to entice eating….they can include their favorite treats like freeze dried Orijen, Stella and Chewy, Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon or lean meats, egg yolk, a sprinkle of parmesan, goat cheese, etc.
Chewy has a nice variety of healthy treats. Mine love the freeze dried type.
http://www.chewy.com/dog/treats-335/freeze-dried-food
I have a female ACD just over 6 months old. I like to feed her a 50/50 mix of Orijen and Purina Savor both puppy. She is (as you are probably aware) hyper and very active. I have a fenced in yard were i run her daily. She just earned her way out of crate training and upped her activity because of this. She just hit the 28# mark and adding. The dog seems to love the food even the cat takes a piece or two. I picked the Orijen cause its 80% protein and low-glycemic. The Proplan provides more carbs for her energy level and activity increases after feeding. She seems to be doing well…..any suggestions are appreciated.
Tnx
Tyy
Hi Craig,
DogFoodie gave you some great suggestions.
We have two very picky maltese, one with a sensitive stomach.
After a lot of trial and error with many types of foods, we found the freeze dried is the most palatable, easily digested and tolerated by our pups. I suggest starting with freeze dried that is pathogen-free (HPP process removes bacteria, salmonella, parasites, etc). Add filtered water and let soak in a few minutes. Rotating foods keeps them excited about mealtime, and is healthier than eating only one type of food. The following are some of the pathogen-free freeze dried mine will eat.
Stella and Chewy
Primal
Northwest Naturals (pretty sure it’s HPP)
Stewarts
Nutrisca
Dogs for the Earth (it’s already lightly cooked using all organic ingredients).
Honest Kitchen makes a great food. I wish mine liked it. You can order sample packs online.
I always add probiotics and enzymes to food which helps strengthen gut, digestion, immune system and vitality….we alternate between Dr. Peter Tobias, Mercola and Animal Essentials….all source non-GMO, pure ingredients. We keep Perfect Form by Honest Kitchen on hand in case of loose stools, but we rarely need to use anymore. I always start any supplement at a much lower dose than suggested and slowly build up.
When your pup gets stronger you may consider adding freeze dried foods that do not go through the HPP process since it’s less processed, like Orijen. Ours are crazy for the crunchy freeze dried like Tru Dog, which uses grass fed, free range meats, Only Natural Niblets and Vital Essentials. The only dry type food we give is an air dried, grass fed, minimally processed food from Real Meat Food Co. We buy the 3 pack sample bags for our rotation. They love this it and it’s easy to serve when in a hurry.
FYI, we use toppers on meals to entice our picky eaters. When feeding cooked food like Dogs for the Earth we add a cooked topper such as Dogs for the Earth liver and parsley treat, egg yolk, a sprinkle of parmesan, some lean meat or Lakse Kronch Wild Salmon Treats, etc. When feeding the raw freeze dried we top it with a few freeze dried treats (Stella and Chewys or Orijen). I try to add cooked toppers to cooked food and raw toppers to raw food to make it easier on digestion.
Hi Craig,
Chicken and rice shouldn’t be fed long-term unless recommended by your vet. This diet lacks vitamins, minerals, amino acids, Omegas, etc. White rice has very little nutritional value.
I would suggest that you consider rotating proteins that you’re adding as toppers. Your dog would benefit a great deal from the addition of tinned sardines a couple of times weekly. Chicken is fine occasionally, but rotate that with the sardines and a red meat protein. Make sure that the extras (including treats) make up no more than 20% of your pup’s daily intake to avoid throwing off the nutritional balance of his diet.
Since you have a smaller dog, and he seems to like homemade (probably warm) food, you could fully investigate making home cooked meals, that are complete and balanced. It must be properly balanced or it’ll do more harm than good when fed long-term. A good book to read would be Dr. Karen Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Cats and Dogs. Dogaware dot com is a great website with lots of information about nutrition and home cooking meals.
If you are looking for commercial diets, you might investigate dehydrated or freeze dried foods. My favorite dehydrated foods are from The Honest Kitchen. Zeal might be a good choice to start. Freeze dried (and canned) foods tend to be higher in fat which is very important in your dog’s diet, but should be fed in moderation. Your dog is eating very little healthy fat currently, so any increase in fat should be done gradually. A good freeze dried food is Orijen, but it’s high in fat. You might also look at a lower fat canned food as an option, such as Wellness Core Reduced Fat.
You’re obviously a very caring pet guardian! I’m sure you enjoy cooking for your dog and you could fix him chicken and rice once a week or so. As long as his diet is balanced the rest of the week, it’ll be fine. I’d probably use brown rice for a little more nutrition and fiber rather than white rice. Good luck and have fun!
I have 2 maltese/pekingese mix 13 yr olds that are on RC Renal Support S and an Italian Greyhound that is on RC Early Cardiac. So far, I have been pleased with the results. They have been on these prescribed foods for over a year. I also mix a small amount of Orijen or Whole Earth to their kibble. Also, I put a tablespoon of ground chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons of purified water and mix all together. (it needs to taste good, too)
Hi everyone, I was wondering whether my Golden Retriever Charlie is underweight. She is just about 9 months and weighs 41 pounds. I can feel her ribs, but it’s not visible. I can feel her hip bones as well, and she looks narrow. She has good appetite, great energy, and always finishes her food. The vet thinks she’s on the skinny side but otherwise healthy. We’ve had her checked for worms and parasites, and all came back negative. I am currently feeding Orijen Puppy Large or Kasik Pacific Fish with a bit of wet food and 1/4 C. of raw goat milk every days. Any suggestions to help her “bulk up” a bit?
Here’s a picture of Charlie from a few days ago: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B49deblV4jyoenk5NTVfOFpnLWM/view?usp=sharing
Thank you
Hi Anja- Wow a pitbull that’s 40lbs at 16 weeks? Sounds like you may have an American Bully. A few foods that you could look into are: Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy, Precise Holistic Complete Large & Giant Breed Puppy, Orijen Puppy Large and even NutriSource Large Breed Adult Chicken and Rice which despite the name is an all life stages formula with safe calcium levels.
Of course, anything that causes diarrhea stop feeding immediately (and to the vet if more than a few days). Your pup can’t have “too much protein” as the body excretes what’s not needed; however, it’s probably one or more of the other long long list of ingredients that’s causing an intolerance (gassy, loose stools). You can pick great food within your budget by reading ingredient lists, isolating proteins to see what helps, less is more and make sure it has vitamins/minerals.
We switched to Zignature Zssentials (4 stars) when they became diarrhetic to Orijen’s after the company tweaked their ingredients. It also states all the bad stuff it DOESN’T contain.
You can read all the ingredients for everything under the sun on Chewy.com. Fast and free shipping for $49 or more. I have not entered any pet store for anything since I discovered their website.
It sure sounds like she has food allergies. I, personally, would try feeding plain old chicken and rice for a while, then consult the list and start on a raw product or any limited ingredient (/?s=limited+ingredient+dog+foods) food. I like the raw because of the lack of additives.
My old (16, 13 and 11 yrs) dogs are getting a combo of Orijen freeze dried, Natures Variety raw and green tripe. We had some skin and coat problems and this seems to be clearing it up. It'[s not an inexpensive way to go, but neither were all the vet bills.
No I didn’t, my son feeds Now also from Canada so I felt good going to Orijen on advice I got from a forum member. I love the way it’s made & shipped with the air sucked out & everything in it sounds good to me & Pnut is very happy with it. Also got some samples of Acana, 3 different types…I give her one little piece as a treat.
Thank you all for your input, I had second thoughts about stopping the Cosequin & will continue till next Vet visit & ask her what she thinks since she recommended it in the first place but was before food was changed. I agree Orijen is pricey but so are vet bills, I paid $81 a month ago when she had mushy poop & vet didn’t know why, other than a food issue, so yeah I will gladly pay for the Orijen senior….I think since it is such a good food you end up feeding way less in the long run & so price evens out. I am feeding Pnut 125 grams per day in addition to 1/4-1/3 can of Newmans Own Turkey & Chicken, split into 4 feedings (yeah she’s spoiled) & she weighs 30 #s so using the chart on back of Orijen bag I added the 2 close weights(22 & 44) & amounts to feed & divided by 2 to get 150 grams, then took away 25 to make up for the canned…close enough.
Karen
I just looked up Orijen. Wow, expensive! I’ll stick with my Nutrsica Salmon and Chickpea 🙂
Thanks to this forum I am happy with this new food & so is Pnut, no more messy poops, I noticed this food contains Glucosamine & Chondroitin, should I stop giving her the chewable joint supplements or cut back?
Thanks,
Karen
I completely forgot to come back with an update on this – it’s been a rough year. The vet that did her surgery confirmed that they were, in fact, struvite crystals. The surgery was a success in that it cleared out her poor lil bladder, and it also helped clear up her lingering UTI. We’ve taken a few steps to try to keep this from happening again by switching to Orijen (for a little while – we’re in the process of switching to something with a little lower protein right now), adding warm water to one of her meals each day, and topping another meal with plain yogurt (they get fed 3 times a day). I recently brought a urine sample in for testing because I was afraid she had another UTI, but it came back clear. It’s a relief to know she’s healthy and not in pain anymore!
Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions and support!
Hi all, my dog currently has a mild vaginitis issue as I noticed she was having a discharge. I don’t know the direct cause of this although she does have a recessed vulva. However, she is 9 years and never had this before and now has had it twice in the past 3 – 4 months. The first time, I took her to the vet and they just seemed to brush it off and told me to clean the area fairly often with baby wipes. The second time, I went to a different vet and they gave her some antibiotics. This vet mentioned that a food change could cause this. Has anyone ever had a similar issue and suspected it was from the food? I did change her food about 3 – 4 months ago to Acana Duck and Pear. The first time I noticed the issue was actually before the food switch, but I did have some Orijen (same parent company) duck treats that I was giving her at the time. Thanks for your help.
I used the online calc I found posted on this site….this is the result & thanks to the poster.
Orijen vs Newmans
42% Protein vs 36.6%
16% Fat vs 25%…..Newmans surprised me
8.8 % Fiber vs 4.5 %
How do I figure out the fat, protein etc……the Orijen package says 38% protein min. & Newmans Canned Turkey & Chicken says 8% min. Fat 15% vs 5.5%???I’m lost.
Glad you found something that stress with your dog. Orijen is great.
It should be OK to mix the canned with the new food if it agrees with his belly and you figure out the fat, protein, etc of mixing both so he doesn’t get too much of this or that.
Another option would be to donate the cans to a shelter. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
Hey everyone!
I know this is mainly a forum for dog nutrition but I am branching out looking for information. I will try to make this as short as possible. About a month ago, Reese (our 4 & a half year old Golden) was outside playing with a stick and came back to me crying. I examined her mouth and didn’t find anything. For the next few days she was very sore when opening her mouth too wide. Took her to the vet and they sedated her and checked her mouth and did X-rays with everything returning normal. She was put on meloxicam and the doctor warned me about MMM. She quickly got better and wasn’t as sore but I noticed she still wouldn’t open her mouth all the way when yawning and seemed to be careful when picking up balls. Another vet said it could be TMJ and to continue the nsaid for another week. Other than not being able to fully yawn, she seemed to be completely fine. Eating fine, no drool, no whining, etc. I talked to the vet and they recommended sending out the 2M antibody test and starting prednisone. I did some of my own research and decided to get a 2nd opinion from the holistic vet first. Only thing is, she was booked out 3 weeks. In the meantime, we were careful with her jaw. No bones or chewing and no ball playing. She didn’t get any worse and I once again only noticed her yawn being off. Fast forward, Reese had her initial appointment last week and the doctor there agreed with MMM. Said the muscles around her jaw bone felt almost non-existing. She also commented on how her cheek muscles looked like they were slightly sunken in. We sent out the 2M antibody test and it came back as a borderline antibody titer and they recommend a muscle biopsy to confirm. Vet agrees with me that since her symptoms aren’t terrible that we will wait to do this since it is an invasive procedure. The holistic vet decided to put her on chinese herbs and supplements. We are also doing acupuncture weekly (for now). She said at this point since her only symptom seems to be her yawning and muscle atrophy that we don’t need to put her on prednisone, or NSAIDs. If it gets worse, we may have to. I will do anything before turning to the steroids. We are reluctant that we caught it before it progressed but doc says no vaccines or toxins that can trigger a reaction since it’s an auto immune disease. We already had been feeding partially raw and Orijen kibble which we will continue to do. She has had two acupuncture sessions and has been on the supplements for one week and I haven’t noticed improvement, but she’s also not doing worse. Anyone have any recommendations or have been through this? I read it is common in the breed but I had never heard of this disease until now. Any advice is much appreciated from me and my girl. Thanks from the both of us!
I agree with Orijen Senior. That or any all life stages food with high protein would be good.
Hi Mark,
You don’t need a senior food. Most of them are too low in protein, with Orijen senior being the exception. The food you’re using is a good food but if you want something else, Orijen senior would be good to try.
Thank you so much Pitlove, I bought a sample of the Orijen Senior & Peanut adores it, poops are getting better too, so ordered a 15# bag from Vetinternet. I spoke to soon about the Honest Kitchen Perfect Form, it worked the first 3 times then back to mushy poop. I am mixing the Orijen with her canned Newmans at present & probably will continue as I have several cases stockpiled…..is that ok to do?
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This reply was modified 9 years ago by
Karen D.
Blue Buffalo was a disaster for my dog too. Went right through her. I tried Orijen, great food, but soft poop. So I found Petcurean NOW Fresh Large Breed and I’m all set now, dog is perfect on the food. I tried to switch to Fromm, but again soft poop…so I hope Pstcurean stays in business and continues to make the same food or I’m screwed! 😉
I feed Orijen and my cats love it and it has a low glycemic index too. I also feed Fromm 4 star line of food. I think the top rated variety is the Surf and Turf, however my cats prefer the Beef (I think it’s called Beef Fritata?)
Orijen Makes an excellent cat food, low glycemic index, quality protein without frivolous fillers. My cats enjoy the cat & kitten and six fish varieties. The were not fond of the regional red.
My cats also eat Fromm beef flavor 4star line food. They like it a lot and it’s healthy too, but not low glycemic.
as for wet food I have had very little luck. My cats are finicky and they snub most the healthy foods. They loved BFF foods, but they developed explosive poop from it, bummer. They will eat Tiki cat canned tuna or tuna/chix, depending on their mood.
My GSD has done very well on Petcurean NOW Fresh large breed, both puppy and adult. The adult kibble is very big too so no inhaling of food!
I tried Fromm, Orijen, Halo and blue buffalo – she could not tolerate.
I also add flaxseed and coconut daily, pumpkin about 4x a week, scrambled eggs about 3x a week and/or Stella and chewy freeze dried patties…I stay away from chicken, that protein source has had the most recalls. I use the beef, lamb or surf and turf.
Good luck!
My GSD had GI issues on Orijen and I tried Fromm Large Breed and it was even worse, then found NOW Fresh Large Breed and I have been feeding my GSD the kibble for over 2yrs with some fresh food daily. It is not inexpensive but solid poop is priceless 😉
Orijen has the most impressive ingredient list and purported fresh farming/ cooking methods of any kibble. It is very high in protein which some dogs are fine with, some are not. My Highly active GSD cannot tolerate being on the food completely, my sister’s golden-doodle and my cousin’s golden retriever both do very well on the food.
I went to another Canadian company, Petcurean and feed Now Fresh Large Breed, and I mix in Orijen (less than 25% of meal) Regional Red often.
I feed Now Fresh Large Breed Adult – the kibble is big so my GSD has to chew her food. I fed her the puppy version too, kibble is smaller but not as small as most adult dog foods. My dog does extremely well digesting NOW Fresh. She could not digest Orijen or Fromm. Good luck!
So far so good feeding Petcurean Now Fresh Large Breed. I think Orijen has been free of controversy except for an issue exporting to Australia, but that was a unique situation. Ideally I’d love to feed fresh food, but I won’t feed raw (disgusts me, not the dog) and cooking a balanced meal for a dog is somewhat challenging. So I supplement the kibble with fresh foods as a compromise.
My German Shepherd, Ziva, also could not tolerate Fromm Large Breed.
Ziva hands down does the best on NOW Fresh Large Breed by Petcurean
It’s the only food that does not cause GI issues for her.
I also add coconut and ground flaxseed daily in her meals. Sometimes eggs, parmesean cheese, salmon, Stella and Chewy patty, pumpkin, sweet potato,etc just to mix things up since I cannot rotate her kibble. I tried Orijen and she cannot tolerate more than a 1/2 cup in her meal of any flavor. It’s a bummer.
I highly recommend trying NOW Fresh Large Breed. It was a lifesaver.
If it’s within your budget have a look at Orijen Senior. Chewy.com offers the frequent buyer program for Orijen even though its not advertised on their site and you get free shipping at 49$, plus they have excellent customer service as others mentioned.
Found this via google… Anyone know what’s happened? They always were the best tax free solution for my orijen orders.. Now they gone 🙁
Allison- Senior dogs have an increased requirement for protein as they do not metabolize it as well as their adult counterparts. Is Petco the only place available for you to shop or do you have a small up-scale pet store near you or can you shop online? If so, I’d look at Orijen Senior. It’s argued as the best Senior kibble on the market, but you will not find it at Petco or PetSmart.
My soon to be 6 month old GSD puppy has been on Orijen and while my adult male handles it fine she is just having pudding poo, I think it might be too rich for her.. she’s currently 42lbs and I’m feeding her 2 cups a day so I don’t think it’s that I’m overfeeding her. I’m trying her on a lower protein kibble now, pine forest TOTW.. I swear I’d never feed a diamond food but I’m not as much as a food snob as I used to be I guess lol. I’d prefer to feed raw but with some recent health issues I’ve had to move to a kibble/raw blend.. they get mostly kibble but with some raw added in for teeth cleaning along with raw eggs a few times a week, fish oil and probiotics/digestive enzymes.
I really like the taste of the wild lineup being able to rotate differing proteins along with the price point. Helps me be able to add more raw in! I know their reputation isn’t great though.. Is there a similar food? I’m on the editor’s choice list and don’t understand many of the foods on there as most of them I haven’t and wouldn’t chose to feed. I’m at a loss and so confused!
I like Acana and really like the look of their new products coming in 2016, it’s just so pricey.. I have 5 dogs! I’ve tried Victor and just didn’t like the results I got with that, both my GSD’s got really nasty dirty ears on that food even the fish and sweet potato one… their coats also weren’t as nice. So what I’m considering right now is TOTW, Fromm and Earthborn. My big issue is my male is allergic to a lot and seems to get most itchy on chicken and pork. He looks absolutely amazing on Orijen six fish but at almost $100 a bag it’s hard to justify long term. So just looking for foods similar to TOTW but with a better reputation and ingredient sourcing, I also have zero issues with grain inclusive foods as I don’t think they are any better than all the potatoes and lentils in grain free foods.
TIA!
Budget friendly is a pretty subjective term. Personally, I would consider $65 for 44 pounds affordable. An expensive food, such as Orijen at $110 for 28 pounds would be a bit of a stretch and require a bit of sacrifice on my part. I don’t know if Dr. Mike had an actual dollar per pound price in mind when he defined budget friendly foods on his site.
I do have this older Google document (you’ll need to verify current prices and availability) that breaks down foods by rating and cost per pound, that might help shed some light on different brands for you.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=0
The ratio is between calcium and phosphorus, right? I’m only reading cal percentages. I’m having trouble with gas and stinky poop with Orijen lg breed puppy?
Champion Foods, manufacturer of both Acana and Orijen, is already on the Editor’s Choice list.
I’ve said it before and say it again, I credit Canada’s Champion Foods’ Orijen for the excellent health of my two big rescue dogs, one turning 13 on Dec. 31 and the other turning 14 in March 2016. Love the food and the video showing the locals who provide the ingredients for their one processing facility. Check it out.
I would nominate Orijen. Made in Canada. I read nothing but good about this brand and the
man who owns and runs this business. My dog loves it. She is chihuahua and papillon. I
also have a 15 year old chihuahua that can’t chew hard food anymore. I always take several chunks and chop them up to mix in his wet food. He loves it.
Despite the fact that TOTW is now being copacked by Diamond I was this close to putting them back in the rotation for my GSD. There’s so few appropriate LBP choices. Even when they say they are for LBPs. Since not having heard any recent bad news about them I was going to contact for calcium amounts.
Thanks for doing the leg work & sharing.
I’m probably going to end up biting the bullet and spending the big bucks on Orijen or Acana also. It’s only for a couple months. Then I’ll switch to something else.
Hi, some dogs cant handle the higher fat & higher protein & need a diet that’s lower in fat & lower in protein…which Hills vet diet was she put on?? she should be doing nice firm poos now, she must not be on the right vet diet, all vet diets are money back & you can change over the vet diet for a different formula or brand but some vets just sell the 1 brand of vet diets….. if she was doing nice firm poos now, I always look at the fat % Protein % & Fiber % & then look for a limited ingredient kibble that’s around the same percent, have a look at “Canine Caviar” Special needs the fat is lower & so is the protein, probably the fat & protein was too high in Orijen ….
Special Needs
Also have a look at “The Honest Kitchen” ZEAL
http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/zeal
you can also try their sample I think they’re 2 for $1
If you want to stay with a vet diet, so you have a diet to fall back onto when a food isn’t working & something happens (Diarrhea) I have found Royal Canine vet diets to be the best for Intestinal problems, my boy eats the Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat on & off……..Most of Hills intestinal & food allergies vet diets are higher in in-soluble fiber & some dogs don’t do too well on high in-soluble fiber diets, the Z/d Ultra & I/d Gastro made my boy poo yellow slop, just one big cow patties, & I couldn’t pick it up..
I feed a kibble for breakfast & I feed a cooked meal for dinner, Chicken breast & Sweet Potato sometimes mashed carrot & broccoli.. I cook & make up sections 1 cup & freeze the chicken breast…. I’ve been buying the Aldis baby food Organic Monkey Sweet potatoes & Carrots there’s a few different ones, I add a couple of spoons of the Sweet Potato to 1 cup of chicken breast then put in a blender & blender for a 5-7 seconds ……Cooked meals are fresher & are heaps better then any over processed kibble… even wet tin foods are good if you buy a good brand, I’m going to try the Wellness Complete Health wet tin foods or the Wellness toppers, but be careful with the fat %, as its different to kibble fat %, if it say’s 5% fat then when converted 5% fat is about 22% fat if it was a kibble, so I stick with 4% & under for wet tin foods, Wellness also have their Small Breed wet tin & kibble, Patch was eating the Wellness Small Breed Healthy Weight then it was discontinued at my Pet Shop….Now he’s eating the Wellness Complete Health White Fish & Sweet Potato kibble & sometimes he loves his vet Diet Royal Canine Intestinal Low Fat, I let him pick what kibble he wants to eat in the morning…
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/index.aspx
My 11 year old mini dachshund has been fed Orijen for her whole life, with no problems whatsoever. A month or two ago she began having really bad diarrhea. Over the course of 3 weeks we took her to an emergency vet 3 times, and each time they gave us some antibiotics and plain wet food. Although it helped, her poop was still not back to normal. Throughout all of this my dog was acting perfectly fine, no change in energy or behavior, just diarrhea.
I was finally able to make it in to my normal vet, who explained to me that, as weird as it seemed, a dogs system can indeed change pretty radically in a short period of time, so it isn’t super unusual that a food which she had been fine with for years and years would suddenly upset her stomach. She prescribed me Hill’s dry kibble for sensitive stomachs and another round of antibiotics.
The antibiotics finished up long ago and she’s been eating Hill’s ever since. Her poop still is not back to the way it was, it’s definitely goopier and softer than it used to be, but whatever. However, I just don’t feel right going from a super high quality food like Orijen to Hill’s. Besides the nutritional content, Orijen is just more reliable in terms of not having to worry about recalls, etc.
Is there a high quality, more reliable brand that makes kibble for sensitive stomachs, prescription or otherwise? Am I worrying too much over nothing?
Hi Debbie- When I first started researching nutrition for my dog, I felt the same way as you did. I thought grains were bad and all dogs were automatically prone to reacting to them, I had to feed a 5 star food or my dog would be unhealthy etc. After taking a deep breath, I realized that while this site is a good jumping off point, you have to find a food that works for you, your budget, and your dog and his/her needs. That may or may not include a 5 star food. I have fed a lot of 5 star foods starting with Blue Wilderness and ending with Orijen. My dog did ok on these 5 star grain free foods, but still had skin issues that I couldn’t seem to resolve. Now, my boy is eating a food that this site gives only 3.5 stars to, but for us its a 10 star food. His hair has grown back, his poop is the best its been and best of all he loves the food (hes picky as can be). It’s grain based and doesn’t have the meat content that some of the 5 star foods have, but it’s working great for us and I couldn’t be happier with the food.
The brand I use is Fromm and they make a great budget friendly Adult food in their Fromm Family Classics line.
http://www.chewy.com/dog/fromm-family-classics-adult-formula/dp/32646
The Primal rep that comes to my work a few Saturdays a month always throws samples of their freeze-dried at me for my cat and dog. Dog loves them, cat used to like them, but did not like the Chicken & Salmon variety I brought home recently. She won’t eat raw either. She eats around the Primal if I put it in with her canned. I am however feeding her Ziwipeak Lamb now for canned food and it’s got a lot of the organ meat and bone in it that raw has. That could be another option for you guys. Shes eating that for breakfast and Orijen dry for dinner.
Thank you both for your thoughtful insight. I checked both labels and the First Mate puppy calcium level is at 1% whereas Orijen Regional Red is at 1.6/1.9%. Based on math my ratio should not exceed ~1.2%. Thank you again, I will be very careful!
My pup Charlie says a “thank you!”
I often feed my dogs combo and change their food every 3-4 months. It’s been great as far as avoiding recalls and it helps them create their own good bacteria. The body gets used to the same food.
Right now I have a 4 month old German Shepherd puppy. And I have been dealing with diarrhea off & on. I found out it could be due to teething. They produce more saliva. That ends up in the stomach and what comes out isn’t pleasant.
I gave him pumpkin, bland diet and probio. It helps.
Now I am giving him raw unpasteurized goat milk. So far so good.
The only thing is I am very careful about his calcium intake. He is not to exceed 1.5% per day. Even that is higher than I like. I try to keep it around 1-1.2% max.
I hate doing the math, but I know how important it is to control his growth. It’s important large breed puppies do not grow too fast.
Orijen is an excellent food. I am changing him to Acana. Orijen is a little out of my price range right now.
I would suggest that if you need to give him rice for diarrhea in the future that it be white rice not brown. The brown can be too much work to digest when their bellies aren’t feeling well. I used to give brown also until I was corrected.
Whatever direction you go in just be sure to keep track of the daily calcium amounts. Stay as close to 1% as possible. I believe the guidelines are .75-1.5%.
Often this mean contacting the dog food companies and asking what the MAX amt is in their food. They often list min amt if at all.
Hi, Omega Adult has Yellow Maize (Corn) then wheat bran then it says fat & oil blend & names 7 oils & fats, no good….next ingredient is Sorghum another grain then maize gluten no good, then chicken digest which is another name for chicken by-products feet, heads, becks, everything we don’t eat…Omega Puppy started off good with Ostrich, ground rice then bad yellow maize, Chicken, Maize Gluten, sorghum, wheat bran, then the fat & oil blend with 7 different oils & fats, I’ve never heard of Salmon Oil powder….
…… if you scroll down you will see Acana, Orijen, Earthborn Holistic or Pro Pac Ultimates they are better quality kibbles then the Omega Adult & Omega Puppy…
Earthborn Holistic & Pro Pac Ultimates are made by the same company & have never had any recalls…… here’s Pro Pac Ultimates Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice & all their kibbles..
http://intl.propacultimates.com/natural-dog-food/puppy-chicken-brown-rice-formula/
Is your puppy a large breed pup cause the Pro Pac Ultimates 12kg is a cheaper kibble with good ingredients or the Pro Pac has a Puppy Kibble Chicken & Brown Rice.. when you click on the link hover over “Natural Dog Food” & all their flavours will come up….
Orijen & Acana are really good kibbles BUT expensive……
