[zcRiley]

Yes, please let us all know Nef’s biopsy results. You’ll get sound advice from the forum folks.

I have two pit mixes that had a slew of issues over a two year period. My recommendations come from not wanting to spend too much time second guessing ingredients when I needed to make a change fast. I needed clean results with a clean food. If your dog doesn’t eat it, it can’t affect her, can it? So I subtracted a lot of iffy ingredients with the following:

For budget: Zignature Zssentials

For raw without the thawing/mixing: ZiwiPeak air dried

It was the best risk I ever took. I said goodbye to Orijen.

[Barbara W]

I wanted to stay with Orijens so I’ll try Tundra. I’m adding Wild Calling which they love as a rotational component. Still scratching so I don’t know how long it takes to see if chicken was problem. Since I found this review sight I have always looked for 5 star ratings but may have to lower my expectations. They all are on Benedryl twice daily but it hasn’t helped. I can’t afford allergy testing on all 3. The one that scratches the most is the one that has been on Orijens puppy since birth for a year. I have to assume there is something in it that is the problem but hopefully not in the adult recipes. Fingers crossed.

[James S]

Hello All. My still active, not over weight, 10 and a half year old Pit/Boxer, Nefertiti, is going through some changes & I am Hoping to get some advice on what to feed her. She was on Wellness Lamb & Barley until I discovered DFA, & I have since changed her to Wellness Core Original because of it having a Five Star Rating, however, she doesn’t seem to like it as much/that much, & I would like to change it. I thought that maybe she wasn’t eating as much/as often because she was getting more nutrients from the Core, but I think that we can find a food that she enjoys & can get all the needed nutrition as well. Decisions. . . Decisions.
Recent Happenings. . .Upon taking Nef to the vet, we fear that the swollen lymph nodes under both sides of her chin, & her hind legs may be lymphoma. She had a biopsy on Friday, May 8th & we are expecting the results soon-Possibly today.
Now, I have no basis, proof, or reason to believe (really) that the swelling (whatever it may be) is a result of switching her to the Wellness Core, but in the thread of what I interpret DFA to be at it’s core, I am mentioning that the swelling occurred only AFTER doing so. Again, I don’t want to sound like I am blaming it on Wellness, I am merely stating the timeline in which these events happened.
After a lot of research, I am leaning toward a kibble that is HIGH IN PROTEINS (that are easily bio-available), but is also LOW IN CARBS, possibly supplemented by some Home prepared meals. Orijen is my first choice, but faced with the daunting reality that costly treatments (such as chemotherapy) may be in the future, I am Hoping to find something that doesn’t exceed the price range of Wellness, but will also achieve a balance of her Health & Happiness.
These are some foods that I am considering & I would Appreciate & Value any insight into this uncharted ground of mine & Nefertiti’s continuing Journey>>>
Thank You For Your Time,
-James
-Evo Grain Free Senior
-Merrick Grain Free
-Castor & Pollux Natural Ultramix Grain Free

[InkedMarie]

Sheryl, not sure why you’re having trouble finding ingredients. I googled Orijen dog food, clicked the first link (Orijen.com.ca I think), I chose dog food, clicked the first one which I think was Tundra. Scroll down til you see “fresh and regional ingredients” and click those words.

[jella]

Dear LT, I emailed Orijen this morning asking for them to tell me where to go to find all the ingredients in both their dog foods and treats. I haven’t heard back yet but it has just been a day. Is it the freeze dried Orijen Tundra that you said doesn’t contain anything on his allergy list and also no barley so I guess this is grain free then and gluten free right? Did you say a cup of freeze dried twice a day? I was trying to get a copy of all the ingredients so I could email to his vet but couldn’t find ingredients listed for all their products on their website. Also I suspect you know what you can substitute for (milk) ice cream that I used to give him in the summer a lot. I got fooled by his blood test results. The vet said he guessed it was ok for Hoss to have milk unless it gave him messy stools. It didn’t so I assumed ice cream and cheese were ok for him. He can’t have any of his Baconology treats anymore. They contain corn and corn gluten. I guess Pup-Peroni is ok didn’t look like any of his allergies. But not sure what they meant by meat by products. ??

[jella]

Dear LT,
it seems that alfalfa is not gluten but it does trigger autoimmune disorders in humans and animals. So I guess the Orijen Tundra is maybe out. But thanks for helping I might have to use it after all. But I will go on and google the other suggestions also. I am afraid since he is so allergic the alfalfa might trigger some autoimmune disorders for him. But thanks.

[jella]

Dear LT,
Thanks for telling me about Orijen Tundra. Well I might be wrong then about alfalfa. Maybe it is gluten free. Why do you think they would want to put alfalfa in their receipe? I am just curious. Everything else seemed great so I was wondering why they needed it. I didn’t know dogs liked alfalfa. I guess I can call the company. You said your labs liked it and haven’t ever had any problems so far. Sounds good.

[jella]

Dear LT,
I just checked the Acana and it had white potatoes. So that is out. But it looked like Orijen Tundra didn’t have any of his bad foods but aren’t you scared of alfalfa? That is for horses and grown in fields with high pesticides. I might consider this one if I have to do so but years ago started getting a little arthritis so they tested me for gluten intolerance and I tested positive. Doctor said then that human and our pets should not have foods with gluten in them. Causes constant inflammation and visits to the doctor. I think Alfalfa has gluten. My vet asked me to strictly abide by her rules for 3 months with only what he is allowed to eat. She found out he also had environment allergies to oak trees, Bahia grass, and palm trees. She wants to avoid allergy shots so she wants to see for three months how he does with the food test. So far so good. Hardly any thick eye discharge in the mornings when he first wakes up. No scratching, itching or red spots so far.

But it seems they just pick one of the company brands to write about and I need to check all the offered ones everything on their label. Do you know how to do this?

[jella]

Not yet. I somehow missed reading about those dog foods. I will go look up Orijen Tundra or Acana. Thank you I was hoping someone would respond. Big Hoss thanks you.! He likes to snack a little during the day so I need something for him between breakfast and dinner.

[L T]

Have you looked at Orijen Tundra. I feed my lab Orijen or Acana both by the same company with no complaints.

[Ryan K]

Thanks everyone!

I will look into the choices. I wish she would go for Orijen but every time I have tried her on it she turns her nose to it. Same with the Acana formulations I have given her in the past. She hates anything with fish in it. That has always been an issue for her despite my wanting to get those extra Omega-3’s in her system for her coat and skin.

The Pork and Sweet Potato might work. I wish there were more LID options for senior dogs with potato sensitivities. I always assumed she had a chicken allergy but I might try a chicken formula to test that theory out. 🙂

[DogFoodie]

Orijen Senior would be a good choice. It offers the higher level of quality protein that seniors need while lowering fat a bit and increasing fiber. While any “all life stages” food would be appropriate, this is just one option. It’s far from the limited ingredient food you were feeding though and occasionally, when you have a dog with one food sensitivity, it’s not unusual to end up with more.

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

Protein – 38 %
Fat – 15 %
Fiber – 8 %

[Pitlove]

you don’t have to only stay with orijen even though it is a great brand. if you do why don’t you try the regional red or the tundra like you said? I was going to suggest six fish but you said they don’t like fish. Have you looked into Nature’s Variety? They have a venison and Lamb formula.

Ya Weruva pretty much always has chicken in it. Maybe try something that is LID with just duck, vension, lamb etc?

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Pitlove.

[Barbara W]

My dogs love orijens and have normal stools etch. No problems. They are scratching a lot and a little coughing. Vet said to elimitate chicken and beef for a few months to see if it stops. They don’t like fish and I want to stay with grain free. I also want to start rotation feeding to stop boredom that happens occasionally. And it has to be a company that does no animal testing. I thought I would try Orijens Tundra. I found wild calling canned but not sure if the best choice.

[zcRiley]

I had the exact same problem. My sensitive pups were born into Orijen and all of a sudden in year two, appetite loss, scratching, and liquid diarrhea. My vet wasn’t helpful, tried to push pills & Science Diet.

I didn’t think I’d find a comparable kibble if I subtracted poultry, potato, egg, high glycemic fillers, you name it. Also, there’s too much weight loss with limited ingredient formulas. But I found it, thanks to this site.

Try Zignature Zssentials. It’s a 5 star formula under the 4 star brand Zignature. Looks & smells very close to Orijen Adult. Read the ingredients & see what it DOESN’T contain. I did a cold turkey change, had award winning stools within 48 hours.

I now change the topper per meal with good stuff like ZiwiPeak dry dehydrated & Weruva soft canned varieties (looks & smells like human grade). They now look & act like different dogs, I swear.

[Barbara W]

My vet says I need to eliminate poultry from my dogs’ diet and try fish or lamb because of possible allergies. I have always fed adult chicken Orijens. What can you recommend?

[Pitlove]

All dogs no matter what breed in order to maintain proper weight and dietary needs as long as they are healthy with no known medical conditions usually do best on a food that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and low in carbs.

I’m sure if you gave us more info as to your situation (e.g income, how much access you have to pet stores, do they have a wide selection, do you prefer to order online) we could help you out a lot better.

Yes, typically canines do better with a grain free food, however, like most people on this site who are regulars will tell you, just because it’s grain free does not mean it’s species appropriate for a dog. A lot of companies that have gotten on the “grain free” bandwagon have replaced the corn, soy, wheat and rice in their foods, with high carbs like potatoes into order to bind the food together. So you need to pay close attention that the protein is not less than the carbs and the fat % is not too high either. Also, you need to pay attention to where the protein source is coming from. For example, a food that has 30% protein but you don’t see a whole meat or meat meal listed as the first second and third ingredients. That means they are using plant based proteins, which are not species appropriate protein sources as dogs are carnivores.

A few brands that meet these needs that are not avaliable at a commercial pet store like Petco would be Orijen, Acana, Wysong. Some brands that commercial stores do carry are Merrick, Nature’s Variety and Wellness CORE.

These are just ones I can think off the top of my head and that are apart of my dogs rotation. Most of us also use a canned wet food for the added moisture content and many people on here do raw homemade meals too. However if you think about going that route please do your research on how to create a balanced raw diet for a dog before just slapping together some chicken and veggies and calling that a meal.

edit: here’s the direct link to the google.doc aquariangt was talking about
https://docs.google.com/a/selu.edu/file/d/0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk/edit
these are foods that have the proper calcium levels for large breed puppies

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Pitlove.

[Pitlove]

As the title states are they? I got a free sample of sojos turkey dehyrated raw and I’m wondering if (when rehydrated) these can be fed alone in place of kibble (with or without a canned food as well). I gave my dog the sample tonight mixed with 1/2 cup of warm water and he loved it. He is not a fan of his kibble regardless of how high quality of a kibble I feed him (currently Orijen).

[zcRiley]

Good luck with the Wellness Core! It’s definitely well priced for the quality. I recently switched to Zignature Zssentials for rotational purposes, $59.99/27 lb bag. It’s very very similiar to Orijen but without the pizzazz of chicken, egg, potato. And I love Chewy.com, don’t go anywhere else.

[wolff]

They may have been allergic to the grains etc. in NutriLife All Gold (Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oat Meal, White Rice, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal).

Possibly so, though more likely than if they were from the same litter, they are from two completely different breeders and lines and 2 weeks apart in age, one is short coated and the other is long coated.
I’m not sure how I feel about the brown rice, I know I’ve read that rice in general is often contaminated with trace amounts of arsenic, and that brown rice has a higher level than white.
This might offer some insight into this issue:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/01/how-much-arsenic-is-in-your-rice/index.htm

“How much arsenic is in your rice?
Consumer Reports’ new data and guidelines are important for everyone but especially for gluten avoiders
Published: November 2014
We looked at data released by the Food and Drug Administration in 2013 on the inorganic arsenic content of 656 processed rice-containing products. We found that rice cereal and rice pasta can have much more inorganic arsenic—a carcinogen—than our 2012 data showed. According to the results of our new tests, one serving of either could put kids over the maximum amount of rice we recommend they should have in a week. Rice cakes supply close to a child’s weekly limit in one serving. Rice drinks can also be high in arsenic, and children younger than 5 shouldn’t drink them instead of milk.
Brown rice has 80 percent more inorganic arsenic on average than white rice of the same type. Arsenic accumulates in the grain’s outer layers, which are removed to make white rice.”

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Formula is a great choice. Orijen Puppy Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is outstanding. But as I said, it’s all trial and error until A) you like what you’re buying & B) you see outstanding stools & weight formation that’s appropriate.

I saw the Orijen, but the price was out of my range, if I was feeding a Beagle or small dog it wouldn’t be bad, but the $79 price and the even smaller bag yet than I normally buy that’s a double hit- higher price for less in the bag.

If you’re not already, spread out the meals as evenly as you can during waking hours, small portions equal to the daily amount (or what they’ll consume) 3 to 4 times per day. It’s easier on their tummies.

Jiggs came when he was 6-1/2 weeks old, I fed him 4 times a day until he was 8 weeks and then Hachi came shortly after and he was 8 weeks, and by then both are on 3 feedings a day

[zcRiley]

All puppies’ digestive tracts are a bit different & dietary changes will occur as they age. If you’re able to, give them food for “puppies” (very different nutrient levels from adult food). Then take them off of it after they’re 1 yr. old (since they’re big breed). They may have been allergic to the grains etc. in NutriLife All Gold (Brown Rice, Pearled Barley, Oat Meal, White Rice, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal). Also ask your vet if a full thyroid panel test would be a good idea (increased metabolism with concurrent weight loss issue).

Wellness CORE Grain-Free Puppy Formula is a great choice. Orijen Puppy Large Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is outstanding. But as I said, it’s all trial and error until A) you like what you’re buying & B) you see outstanding stools & weight formation that’s appropriate.

If you’re not already, spread out the meals as evenly as you can during waking hours, small portions equal to the daily amount (or what they’ll consume) 3 to 4 times per day. It’s easier on their tummies.

[Pitlove]

Funny enough the only time my dog really had a problem switching foods was when we went from Blue Wilderness to Nature’s Variety Instinct. I switched him recently from NV to Orijen and I started out transitioning him the normal way and then when I got to 50/50 I just ended up giving him all Orijen and he was fine. I’m thinking about adding The Honest Kitchen Perfect Form supplement to his diet and trying to just switch him to his next brand without transitioning. I would love for him to have the proper flora to switch cold turkey.

Chewy.com actually ended up being cheaper than Petco where I work even with my discount! Really nice. Thankfully I only have to feed a dog and a cat and my little kitty is my champion eater as I call her. She is not picky at all unlike my dog. Trying out Weruva and Tiki Cat for the kitty from chewy.com as well. 🙂

[Jennifer Y]

I have a 2 year old golden retriever. Since she was 8 weeks old, she’s been eating Orijen or Acana dog food (mainly Orijen). For the past year she was on a rotation between Six Fish and Regional Red.

For as long as I can remember, she’s always been a very itchy pup (mainly her neck and her bum/tail, but she itches all over). She’s never itched to the point where hair loss or rashes have been a problem. She also used to have eye infections every couple weeks, until I correlated her eye infections with her Regional Red rotations. Her only real “symptoms” have been eye infections, hot spots every so often, soft stool (firm to begin with, but ends as soft) and itchiness. She’s been on Orijen Six Fish for the past 6 months. I suspected she had a food intolerance to beef and chicken, which was why I decided to order a Nutriscan kit to see if there were any other ingredients she was intolerant to.

These were her results: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5_-KpxSZJvmdXhzQUxGSFVFNkk&authuser=0

I received the results today, which really took me by surprise. She has a reaction to every single ingredient they tested for. All 24. I’ve read many positive reviews online about how the Nutriscan test has helped many different dogs, and it seems to be relatively accurate.

I’m currently at a loss for words and not really sure where to go from here. If the test is in fact accurate, I’m not quite sure what I can feed her as I’m unable to find ANY food that does not contain any of the ingredients tested. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking your time to read my post!

• This topic was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Jennifer Y.
• This topic was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Jennifer Y.

[C4D]

Earthborn, Zignature, Canidae Pure, Fromm, Orijen, Acana – there are many brands that have poultry free formulas.

[zcRiley]

I’d love to nominate ZIGNATURE ZSSENTIALS! The brand is listed under 4 star but this formula is rated 5 star.

My pups were raised on Orijen for 2 yrs until it recently started giving them liquid stools. Terrifying yes. They lost too much weight when I switched to the bland Wellness Limited Ingredient, which is all potato, by the way. Then I took a chance on the very unknown Zignature (not the limited ingredient ones). Smelled great like Orijen, only 3 proteins AND no grains, gluten, chicken, egg, potato, guar gum, carrageenan, etc. Stools were excellent the next day and I was one happy Mom when all their tests came back negative!

[zcRiley]

Thanks Jane, I’ll do a full panel thyroid testing. I didn’t ask for the T4, they just did it due to my concern for loss of appetite. I was wondering what about all the other T’s, LOL.

Alice, yes, I always have 2 huge GLASS bowls of fresh cold water available. One inside, one outside, raised off the floor. Changed every morning and filled as necessary. I stay away from the filtering water bowls with pump, breeding ground for unseen mold/bacteria. For food, I was doing one even cup per meal 3x per day. I tried to switch to 2x per day with 1.5 cups per meal. It was too much in one sitting, they wouldn’t finish it. I tried much less, they ended up starving at weird times & losing weight. Which is why I started this topic. AS FOR A GREAT DOG FOOD (other than the popular Orijen) that I found with only 3 proteins AND without grains, gluten, potato, egg, chicken, guar gum, carrageenan is ZIGNATURE ZSSENTIALS. It fixed a loose stool problem they eventually had after 2 yrs of Orijen. It’s 5 star but the brand is listed under 4 stars, I think. Hope you try it out!

[zcRiley]

After 6 years, yes, transition very very slowly. Seriously, start with 5 pieces of Orijen for the day & increase like that. Yes, you’ll have to probably buy two more bags of TOTW to do this. Runny stools maybe if you don’t. Worth the patience though, Orijen is considered the best (for pups who don’t have super sensitive digestive tracts).

[E L]

Bravo sells different combinations. As C4D said above, the Bravo “Balance” on the label is a “complete and balanced” variety as recommended by the AAFCO. The blends are combination of ingredients for those who prefer to mix their own particulars. That is why that version says “supplemental.” They also have a veggie mix in the chub that some will mix with the meat blend. All their packaging looks similar so be sure to look for the AAFCO on the label if you’re looking for a complete diet.
As for your other question, No, we raw feeders do not always go only raw meat. Think of it this way, if you ate only hamburger everyday and nothing else, you would eventually have a deficiency in something. It is on those products that Bravo has the disclaimer “supplemental.” As with other species, human included, dogs do need vitamins and minerals. This is usually drawn from the fruits and vegetables you will see on the label. Or we add them as C4D had mentioned above. What we usually avoid are “grains.” In the very least, minimize them. I myself rotate the top raw (frozen) brands, supplement with a digestive enzyme, pro-biotic, and fish oils. Sometimes I make my own “stews” and throw them into the food processor (although I do not recommend that to the novice, my ingredients are carefully selected). If I have to supplement with a kibble, it would be Orijen. It all depends on how in depth you want to go.
I realize how nuts this may come off. A few years ago I would have thought the same. Then I read some horrific things about the pet food industry and went on a quest.
Good Luck.

[Kevin W]

Ok thanks! Sorry about the typos I cant seem to find an edit button. In your opinion since I paid for editors choice to find a easier laid out rating in order of the best foods (to see its just alphabetic) which didn’t help me make a choice should I consider a switch? I know my vet said TOTW is a good food but she doesn’t like them for whatever reason and wants as usual for me to consider their Hill scientific diet.

I bought a 12oz bag of both Acana and Orijen. I prefer the kibble consistency of Orijen as it feels more moist and not baked/crunchy compared to their Acana line. Plus as odd as it may sound I actually like to try what I’m feeding them and to me the Orijen tasted better (could taste meat and the veggies) and not as much so cardboard-like as the Acana seemed.

I also noticed the Regionals version is just as expensive as Orijen and not sure if I should go with the latter or try their Classics.

I guess it’s just been so long since I’ve considered a dog food that it’s hard to decipher this stuff and what I want them to be on. They enjoyed both of the Champion brands.

[Kevin W]

Do I need to transition if moving my dogs from TOTW to Arcana/Orijen? Considering the substantial price increase I’d prefer not having to buy another bag of TOTW…

I don’t know why I want change foods but feel like I want to give this other company a try for their quality and standards over TOTW. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to feed Orijen but enver could afford it. I’ve fed my dog since she could eat dry food TOTW for almost 6 years no and has been healthy and happy (boston terrier). WE just added a new addition to the family (staffy) who who has been on TOTW for 3 months and doing great. Healthy coat, no gas, and full of energy.

So would I need to buy a bag of both to transition or can I just make the switch?

[Oceans11]

LM, I didn’t know rotisserie chicken was loaded with MSG. We aren’t doing that anymore. Oliver is eating Orijen Puppy kibble when he gets hungry. I tried a different flavor of Orijen hoping he would eat more but he isn’t interested. I’ll just keep trying different foods.
Thank you all for your helpful comments! Much appreciated!!

[Kristin C]

Judy-my story sounds exactly like yours. I got a puppy in Dec 2014 who we put on Blue Puppy. Our older dog was on Blue Wilderness at the time. Our puppy did terribly on it, actually did better on Purina Puppy Chow! I consider it a learning experience as I would have just kept feeding my older dog Blue if we had not gotten another dog. They both eat homemade raw now. One gets Farmina kibble and one gets Orijen kibble a couple times per week though. My older dog now has a barely audible heart murmur since taking her off the Blue. Could be the raw, and extra heart I feed her but I am thrilled and hope she will be with us for a very long time. Good luck with your dogs.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Hi pitlove,
What do you consider low-carb? The Orijen Regional Red has about 28% carbs on a dry matter basis. It seems that most canned dog foods have similar carb readings, as canned foods tend to be much lower in carbs than kibble. So I would say to browse around some of the high-quality canned foods, and find one that looks good. You can look at the DFA review to see the carb content, or if you are considering a formula that is not the one highlighted in the review and want an exact reading, then you can manually calculate the carb content. First, use this system to find the as-served carb content: /choosing-dog-food/dog-food-carbohydrate-content/
Then, use this system to convert it to dry matter basis: /choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/
Good luck! 😀
–DO

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Pitlove]

Really interested as to if any of you have found any canned foods out there that are low carb. I have an 11 mo pit with a yeast infection under his nail beds and aside from the foot soaks and anti-fungal meds, I’m trying to prevent/combat this with his diet. I’m going to be switching him from NV Instinct Raw Boost to Orijen Regional Red for his dry, but I have to feed him wet as well. I am having a hard time finding a canned food without tons of carbs, mainly potatoes. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[Susan C]

Hi,

I raised my Golden Retriever puppy on Orijen LB Puppy, and I can tell you that he grew slowly and exactly as he should, according to my vet. His father weighs 75 lbs. My puppy just barely reached 65 lbs at 1 year. His head started showing heavier bone & a more mature look at 12 months and now he’s 13 months and his chest is just starting to grow wider. Orijen LBP is made of whole foods, not added nutrients. They seem to have been absorbed at the rate he needed them.

Adding: And I can also tell you that he’s never been short on energy, despite his low carb diet. He’s a high-energy, active dog.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Susan C.

[theBCnut]

My JRT used to get an upset tummy from any food change at all, but I read about all the benefits of feeding a rotational diet and I had a pup with food allergies that had to have a diet change, so I decided to commit to a rotational diet. The first 3 rotations took at least a month each, but I very quickly, after that, realized that she was able to change foods quicker with no bad reactions. I kept with it and with in 3 more months, I was feeding her something different with every single meal. She has never had an upset stomach or loose stool since, no matter what she eats. And my 13 year old dog acts like she did at 7 or 8 years old. She is trim, muscular, and very active.

I feed Nature’s Variety Instinct, Nature’s Logic, Earthborn, Acana, Orijen, Canine Caviar, Annamaet, and many others.

[Dori]

Marie, it’s a NZ company.

Eve D. The food contains sucrose. There is no reason whatsoever to feed your dog sugar. Sugar is not a healthy additive. Preservatives? What kind of preservatives? Added vitamins? Are them GMO free or are they synthetic?

I don’t feed any processed kibble types food but from what I have read on DFA Orijen seems to be considered one of the higher quality foods so why would you add an inferior product to your dogs diet? I wouldn’t.

I wouldn’t feed this to any of my dogs even if it were available in the USA.

[aquariangt]

Both brands are really good. If you head over to the canine nutrition forum, and look at large and giant breed puppy food, Hound Dog Mom has a lot of really good links to LGP nutrition articles. On page 35 or 36 she has a list of 4-5 star foods that fall into the acceptable calcium and nutrition levels for a large breed pup. I believe Orijen didn’t actually fall into the acceptable levels, so I’d lean Wellness CORE. Double check the list though, it’s quite useful. I suggest picking 3-5 foods and rotating, and try to get different protein sources. Start with a bag of whatever the breeder was on though, too much change in that first week can be tough on the pup.

All of this is just from my reading, I haven’t had a large breed puppy in…18 years? A while at least 🙂

[Danielle W]

Can anyone who has experience with these two puppy foods give me some feedback on how they compare and how your pups have done on them?? Both are super high rated pup foods and I’m planning to put the chocolate Lab pup I’m getting next week on one of these two foods. Any advice is much appreciated!

[Eve D]

This possum meat dog roll was enthusiastically recommended to me by several dog owners and pet store staff. I was hesitant to give it to my dog as I am trying to avoid feeding him junk food. But the ingredients list looked ok and I couldn’t ignore all the recommendations. I mix it with Orijen kibble or use it as treats. There’s no denying my dog LOVES this stuff. But is it healthy for him?
Ingredients listed are:
Contains possum meat, lamb and/or beef, semolina, sucrose, garlic, preservatives, added vitamins & minerals | Pack Size 2kg

[Oceans11]

Dori, we started Oliver out on the Orijen kibble and am not sure where we went wrong. He is not a food motivated dog, and that’s probably where we got off on the wrong foot offering him different foods to get him to eat. He doesn’t like to get his whiskers wet so isn’t fond of wet food. But, we are on a new feeding regime now as posted earlier. I’ll let you all know how that works. Your dog is a cutie – is he/she a Coton?

[InkedMarie]

No offense but I believe he’s picky because you’ve allowed it. Skip the chicken, its NOT a balanced diet. Put down half of the amount of Orijen that he should eat in the morning. Leave it down for 20 min. Pick it up. He gets NOTHING until the next meal. It’s called tough love.

[aquariangt]

Chuck and Dons have plenty of great options, I haven’t lived near a fleet farm so i haven’t been there in about 15 years.

A few that I like from C+D: Fromm, Earthborn, Orijen, Acana-among others. just be careful on Diamond manufacturing at least 3 brands i saw on their website-Taste of the Wild, Canidae, and Solid Gold (not all varieties-i use Barking at the Moon). They have other great options as well, and some raw food

Petsmart: Nulo, Nature’s Variety, Wellness

Walmart: Pure Balance

[Liz S]

I know this is an old post, but I’m compelled to share! My little scruffy rescue thing is an allergy pup. We’ve been dealing with his food allergy & intolerance issues since he entered my care at 6 months of age, and even more so after I officially adopted him at 9 months (2010) via elimination diets & trial/error. He seems to acquire new allergies every few months to a year. I work in the veterinary field, so after a recent rapid decline in his health (and trips to the emergency vet) I bit the bullet and we allergy tested him.
He is allergic to chicken, duck, turkey, beef, bison, venison, rabbit, lamb, fish, dairy, egg, barley, flax & pea. He is intolerant to raw carrots (cannot digest them – vomitting), corn & soy (tear stains, upset tummy). (Enviro allergies are bayberry & corn pollen).
That’s nearly every protein source available to us. Our options are pork (did not react), possibly boar, possibly kangaroo, possibly goat & possibly brushtail. Try finding ANY of those foods in high-quality kibbles (none), canned without pea or egg (none), raw without flax or egg or barley (two – OC Raw Dogs Goat & Addiction Raw-Dehydrated Summer Brushtail) so it looks like raw will be the winner! He is currently eating Orijen Six Fish & Cetirizine HCL SID or he breaks out in hives DAILY.

I might add – he also did not react to oats, green bean, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, rice or alfalfa. Small miracle.

[Nate D]

Here’s an update to my situation. After 2 and a half weeks of my dog being on Science Diet prescription I switched back to regular food, Fromm….only after working with their nutritionist I went with their Whitefish formula over weight management and I mixed in their Salmon/Chicken wet food and added the Solid Gold Berry Balance supplement.
I noticed her ph jumped extremely high after this, so I switched to straight wet food with the same results at 8.5, however I found out I was doing it all wrong. I should be testing first thing in the morning before eating not a couple hours after eating because that can easily spike the ph. I also wasn’t testing enough during the day so I’m going to test more throughout the day. I was testing today and all times so far are at 6.5…where I want to be.
She is having a new urinalysis done this weekend so we’ll see what the vet says then and what the results come back as. I’m trying to find a grain free, potato free, carrageean free, low calorie food, but it’s hard. What’s funny is some say lower protein diets are needed and others like Wyosong say higher protein. I did look into Wysong, but their protein amounts are very high from what I’m seeing and for a Dachshund that’s not always good. Gas, weight gain, overactive anal glands, etc.. I tried Orijen in the past and that didn’t work well at all.
I’m determined to find a good medium though. We’ll see what the vet says this weekend. Won’t be surprised if he says to keep her on SD long term.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Nate D.

[zcRiley]

I have a 2 yr old Pit Bull mix. His palate is so humanized that if I give him diced BBQ rib meat (rinsed, no sauce) as a topper consecutively, he’ll walk away not interested. My husband started giving them human food and I told him constantly this would happen. We can’t afford different gourmet toppers for each and every meal, WE don’t even eat like that. Now he’s lost interest in Orijens, Acana, Wellness Core…….all the top food brands. Yes, I’ve tried the “take it away if he doesn’t eat”, he doesn’t care, won’t touch it, starts starving. AND he’s the one who exercises and runs all day (his brother is the chunky, lay around, eat everything dog). Short of letting him waste away into an anorexic frame of a dog, I’m at my wits end. Help.

[Nancy B]

Jennifer:

My two senior rescue dogs loved their THK and I stuck with it for 2 years, struggling with the price. Recently i switched to another food when our vet found no reason looking at lab results why one dog had been losing weight and excessively urinating. I switched to Champion Foods’ 5-star Orijen and all symptoms disappeared and the cost is 1/3 that of THK. Champion makes Acana and Orijen, but someone mentioned a problem with puppy Acana, so I don’t know.

[crazy4cats]

Hi RosyR-
I agree with Labs. Victor grain free is a great budget friendly 5 star food. I rotate Victor with whatever 4 or 5 star kibble I can find on a good sale or have a coupon for. So far it has been Rotations, Eagle Pack, Nutrisource and Merrick (both with and w/o grain). I also mix in either canned or fresh foods in all their meals. I agree, Orijen is very expensive, but if you take a more basic kibble and add in some fresh and less processed foods, I think you are better off anyway! Good luck and have fun with your pup!

[theBCnut]

Not a dachshund owner, but many of us here believe that no food is perfect, so we rotate brands of food. I feed Annamaet, Acana, Canine Caviar, Earthborn, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety, Orijen, and others. When you rotate foods, you can feed bargain foods here and there without harming your dog’s health and you can take advantage of sales and coupons.

[Rosy R]

I been feeding my Dachshund since she was a puppy BB. We started with the life protection formula and now feed her the Freedom Grain free. But I want to soon switch her to a healthier brand with better ingredients but still stay within my price range. She is currently 10.6lbs. I feed her 3/4 cup a day divided into 2 meals.

I been doing some research and know that Orijen is the best but it’s currently too expensive for me, so next best thing or so I have read is Acana. But which to choose? Any suggestions or recommendations? Any dachshund owners out there?

• This topic was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Rosy R.