[Kristin C]

Jumping in too. I feed raw (w/ SSLL dinner mix) and Orijen kibble and Orijen freeze dried for convenience. Have tried other brands but I don’t love the ingredients or processing, and one of my dog’s seem sensitive to many of them.

[Kristin C]

Hi Julie-I feed my dogs Orijen Adult 2x per week. One of my dogs was overweight on a Blue Buffalo kibble, but since switching her to raw and Orijen she has lost almost 10% of her prior weight. I agree with BC that the amount on the bag is a suggestion. If you can feel your dog’s ribs that’s good so adjust accordingly. Can you provide more activity to lose weight? I found that helped with my dog, but our second pup helps with the activity.

[Kristin C]

Becky- I have one dog who is pretty sensitive, and one who is pretty solid. However, I have noticed they both seem itchy when their food has sweet potato in it. When I omit the sweet potato they don’t seem to itch. Also, I give them each a can of sardines per week. They eat a variety of homemade raw proteins, plus Orijen kibble and freeze dried.

[Hater and Molly’s Mom]

When i tried to switch Molly to Orijen she did the same exact thing. She was eating a whole lot of grass, more than usual, and throwing up white looking liquid too. She did the same thing with Acana. As soon as i took her off both of those foods it all stopped. I had to take those two out of the rotation.

[Lord F]

I just barely made the switch to raw for two of my dogs, we feed them raw in the morning and kibble in the early evening. For my 4 month old puppy, he gets half of his food raw, so his full morning meal. We expect him to get 35lbs. For our senior, we starting off by feeding him 1/4 raw per day, so he gets the same portion as the puppy, with a cup of kibble added. He’s 100lbs! I just started this a week ago! I just went out and bought their meat for this week. I’m so new to making it completely balanced and that’s why I’m starting with half kibble, until I get this down. Here’s what they got last week each:
Friday/Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday AM:
5.7 oz Boneless, skinless chicken breast
1.3 oz beef kidney
Saturday/Monday/Wednesday AM:
5.7 oz pork stew meat (boneless)
1.3 oz beef kidney
1 egg
They got turkey necks and cow feet throughout the week as well. This week I switched to a different menu:
Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
1 pork rib
1.3 oz pork liver
2 oz beef heart
2 oz turkey gizzards
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday:
1.3 oz pork liver
3 oz turkey gizzard
2.7 oz beef heart
1 tbs canned salmon
In the PM they get either Acana or Orijen, we switch between the two every night. I now give them an egg once a week, they get turkey and pork necks throughout the week. I’m gonna stop by a Whole Foods tomorrow to get whole raw sardine and feed them this twice a week in addition to the regular meal and omit the canned salmon. I know it’s really basic, but I just wanted to know what I can do to make it more varied and more balanced. I’d like to start now for when I switch them off kibble. My senior also gets probiotics in capsule form to help with his digestion, he gets gas easily. What can I add to his food instead of giving him 4 capsules a day? THANKS!

[Julie H]

I so appreciate all of the responses to my post. Great comments and suggestions. I decided to call Chewy.com and also discuss it with them this morning. They are so impressive! Last week I had placed my first order with them when I ordered more Orijen Adult dogfood. I explained to them the concerns I have and asked if I could exchange the Orijen Adult dogfood that I had just received for Orijen Senior dogfood. To my surprise they told me they would credit my account and I could place a separate order for what I wanted. They suggested I donate the Orijen Adult food to a local dog shelter! Wow was I impressed! They now have a customer for life. What a great company.
I was measuring her food but just need to cut back on the amount. I love the suggestion of using warm water to make a broth to pump up the volume, etc. Can’t wait to implement these changes and hopefully see her lose weight
Thank you all for comments! I am new to dogadvisor and am thankful for finding others who love their dogs like I do.

[pugmomsandy]

Also take into account the possibility she gained some muscle mass on a higher protein food. My dogs are heavier than others of the same size or larger. My 22 lb pug looks like an 18 lb foster. My personal dogs gained weight on an increased protein diet. Another thing, the NB Ultra foods only have 350-400 calories per cup versus 478 per cup of Orijen so if you’re feeding the same amount of Orijen as you were with NB, then you’re feeding more calories. Look up “Body Condition Score” and see where she fits on the scale.

[DogFoodie]

I second the Nut!

Are you feeding controlled portions? It looks like Orijen has about 478 kcals per cup. Using the calculator on the review side, if she was a bit heavy at 82 pounds, you’d feed her just under 2.21 cups of Orijen daily, assuming she got no other treats at all. Does that sound at all close to what she was getting?

Some foods that I think are great quality (quality proteins) and lower fat are Wellness Core Reduced Fat, Go! Senior and Orijen Senior. Maybe one of those foods would work for her.

[Julie H]

I have a 7 year old Lab that loves food and never seems to be satisfied; thus, she struggles with her weight. She has weighed around 82 pounds until I recently switched her from Natural Balance Ultra to Orijen Adult because I felt it had much better ingredients. Since switching 2 months ago, she has gone from 82 pounds to 90 pounds. Yikes! I would like to see her lose weight.
Does the high Protein content in Orijen cause weight gain? Anyone have any suggestions for a premium dogwood with the same great ingredients that won’t cause weight gain?
I adore her and want her to live a long healthy life so would appreciate constructive comments and suggestions.

[Jane E]

I am looking for a grain free dry food without lentils/peas or alfalfa. I have senior Boxers with a history of IBS/colitis and one with some reoccurring yeasty skin issues. I would like to have a food that I could feed all 3 if possible (to date I have not accomplished that). I currently raw feed one,another is on Honest Kitchen Zeal with occasional Thrive or Force and the other is on Orijen Senior (and I think that may just be too much of a good thing for her now) her stools are soft. She’s been on this for about a year and is in beautiful condition otherwise.
So I am interested in anyones input. It’ll be greatly appreciated
Jane

[Xiu-Xiu]

First time dog owner with no experience. I have a 6 month old, 7 lb Japanese chin for over 2 months now. Breeder had him on Diamond lamb and rice. So I picked up a 30lb bag because that was the smallest bag they had at the time. I would give him 1/4 cup of plain kibbles in the morning and a 1/4 cup at dinner and topped it off with a Natures recipe(tub) different favor each day. Everyday he would always get really excited for his dinner and always went back to lick his empty bowl. So far no problems whatsoever with his health or poo. 

My vet thinks that Diamond is not as bad as people make it sound.  So I’m getting mixed opinions,  and I read a lot of bad reps about the brand. 

I like the idea of getting him on rotation. I don’t care how much it costs, as long as he’ll be healthy in the long run. I have a couple of brands that I’d like him to try from your 5 star list. I chose these brands because of the ingredients and based on the breed forum recommendations:

Canidae

Merrick

Orijen

Wellness core

So the first brand I tried is Candied pure element (lamb) grain free. I really like what’s listed on the label. But my boy seems to not agree with me. He had a couple of kibbles and walked away. He would not touch his kibbles all through the day. He kept going back to sniff and walked away. Dinner time (he’s always excited as usual) so I mixed it with his wet food like always (Nature recipe), he would eat/lick off the wet food and spit out the kibbles. 

This is weird because my boy would never reject anything I’ve given him, he would eat anything out of my hands. Am I making the wrong choice here? Any recommendations would be highly appreciated, because I would like him to be off Diamond if it’s not good for him.

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[Dog_Obsessed]

Orijen is a great food from what I’ve heard, though it is quite expensive. I’ve been looking at other foods, Nulo freestyle is free from almost all of these, but it does have carrots about halfway through the ingredients. Since the biggest obstacles might be grains and potatoes, InkedMarie’s topic on grain and white potato free foods might be a good place to start. /forums/topic/grain-and-potato-free-dog-foods/

Nature’s Variety Instinct L.I.D Turkey meal formula is also free of all his allergens, but it is rather carb heavy and doesn’t look that healthy otherwise.

Also, I have heard that cutting down on just some allergens can be helpful, if it is not possible to eliminate all allergens. Good luck!

Edit: Just saw aquariantgt’s post, agree with the thing about the canned food.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by Dog_Obsessed.

[Michael H]

Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right forum section to post this, but I’m in dire need of some help.

We have an almost 9 year old rescued Basset Hound, who we have been struggling to manage yeast and chronic inflamed skin since we’ve had him this past year. The vet has him on persistent hydroxyzine and prednisone, of which I try to give the least effective dose, as especially prednisone I’m not that comfortable using due to the side effects.

Upon shelling out for an allergy test (environmental and diet [Spectrum Groups Spot Report]), we’ve found out he’s positive for 19 things and borderline for another 7 out of a total of 91 tested items.

His symptoms are always the worst in the spring/summer, as one of the main allergens is grass, which as far as I know I can’t do much about. I’ve replanted our yard to grass that he’s supposedly not allergic to, but anything that blows our way from a neighboring yard cancels that out.

There are a lot of dietary items as well, and finding a food for him has been a nightmare. I’ve considered cooking food for him, but unsure what’s considered “balanced”, and raw feeding makes me a bit nervous as I’ve heard that grocery-grade meats can possibly be tainted since they are meant to be cooked until a safe temperature, and I don’t want to hurt him. Any outlet in our area that sells organic/free range/etc. isn’t very accessible or is very expensive.

The list of foods he tested positive for are:

Venison
Eggs
Lamb
Wheat
Rice
Oats
Potato
Carrots

Borderline Foods:
Dairy (Milk)

Low-scoring/Negative:
Beef
Rabbit
Poultry Mix
Pork
Soy
Corn
Beet
Flax
Barley
Brewers Yeast
Kelp
Alfalfa
Fish Mix
Green Pea
Duck

So, I have to avoid conventional grains. Due to his yeast issues/dermatitus, I’m also assuming that the lowest starch/low glycemic food would be in his best interest. The main issue I’m running into is that most grain free foods use potatoes, eggs, or carrots, which he’s also allergic to.

On one had it seems that wet food may be the way to go, but as he’s older, his teeth aren’t the best. They are all still intact, but he doesn’t really gnaw on anything at all (can’t really with his droops, they are probably easy to chomp down on and would hurt) to clean them, and brushing hasn’t seemed to do a whole lot, so I’m fearing that wet food may make it worse. I’ve bought knuckle bones for him and our other dog, but he only eats the tasty stuff on the outside and his sister gets the hand-me-down since she will actually gnaw and grind it down. Her teeth are excellent in regards to tartar.

From the test it looks like he can have peas, lentils, or chickpeas as a binder, but again I’m unsure of how much starch content may be in the resulting food. I’m finding sweet potato in a lot of the foods as well, but it wasn’t tested for, and I’m unsure of how related they may be.

So far I’ve tried Taste of the Wild Wetlands & Pacific Stream (which we feed to our other dog), but they didn’t do a whole lot for him-both contain either sweet potatoes, potato, or egg. Our other dog doesn’t seem to have any issues thus far at 3 years, thank goodness, and hopefully it stays that way.

The best looking food I’ve come across is Orijen 6 fish, but it’s very expensive. It doesn’t start listing carb sources until the 12th ingredient, but I can’t really tell if that’s a good or bad thing-chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, and green peas all have protein as well, and they seem to count that towards the protein % for the food, so their ingredient %’s could be just as high as if it were listed as the second ingredient, like I find in a lot of other, cheaper foods.

If we can get any help with this, it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time!

Mike & Beth

[Darren S]

HDM, I noticed that this site is rating Orijen Puppy large breed a “5” and Orijen has posted in its labeling the following:
Calcium Content Analysis
Orijen Puppy Large contains 1.29% calcium, 1.05% phosphorus and 3800 calories1 per kilogram of dog food.
This results in a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 1.23 to 1, which confirms this particular metric meets AAFCO nutrient profiles2 for puppies.
More importantly, the data reports an energy-weighted nutrient content of 3.4 grams of calcium for every 1000 calories as fed.
So, according to current guidelines3, Orijen Puppy Large appears to be suitable for all puppies — including those of larger breeds.

Does this mean that you would now accept Orijen as an appropriate “large breed” puppy food?
Thank you.

[Kristin C]

This is in response to Patricia B and Mom2cavs from Sept 2014, I fed my 4 yr old Blue Buffalo since we got her at 9 weeks and she did great (along with lazy half raw). Our new pup, chihuahua mix in Dec 2013, did better on the Purina Puppy Chow they fed her at the rescue (than the Blue Puppy-and we were fans of Blue!). After watching it come out both ends for a few weeks (a growing puppy!) we switched her to raw along with our older dog, and I will never go back if I can help it. I realize it’s not for everyone. We use Orijen kibble and freeze dried as we need to once or twice per week. I feel awful for feeding my older dog Blue for as long as I did. She has lost weight and her coat shines so much more than when she ate Blue kibble.

[Kristin C]

Best food choice would be anything with low starch (including rice and potato, sweet potato). Maybe add some coconut oil into whatever diet you chose. We feed our dogs mostly raw so kibble recommendation is not our thing, but we feed Orijen once or twice per week as needed, which is low grain.

[Lord F]

Hi!
I am definitely a raw lover. Unfortunately I have 2 large dogs and 1 puppy that we expect to be large-ish as well! (which is an Aussie mix, so cute!) So as you can imagine, raw is expensive for us. We switched to half raw, half kibble, and it works amazingly!
We do raw for breakfast and kibble in the evening. We do splurge on Orijen for their kibble, but they are doing so great on it.
Another thing, I’ve recently decided to switch to store bought meat instead of raw sold in pet stores. Buying the pet food raw, you’re paying anywhere between $7-$13 per pound! Or you can go to a butcher or grocery store and get meat for $2-$5 per pound. They like it more anyway! Plus, you’re paying for the added vitamin/minerals or veggies that they don’t need, they’re getting a balanced diet with regular raw meat plus kibble.
As for Honest Kitchen, I love them too. I buy a big box of Preference and put 1/3 cup with their raw every other morning. It lasts forever and they like it, surprisingly. One of my dogs HATES vegetables/fruits, but she eats this, so lucky me!
Good luck with your puppy!

[pollypontifing]

I did not explain the whole story – sorry – the puppies are mine, and I started them on Orijen 3 weeks ago – ground it in my food processor, soaked it in 2 TBL water w/ added Goats milk esbilac and pablum. I’m still soaking it some. It’s been 3 weeks and it seems to be too rich. My last litter I started/fed Castor & Pollux and they did fine; but Orijen appeared to have the best ingredients of all. I want to use the very best for my puppies!

[pollypontifing]

stools are large and hard to expel, with some diarhea – very messy.
their faces are stained;

[pugmomsandy]

Great Life Grain Free and Pioneer Naturals, Pulsar fish and Horizon Legacy, Orijen 6 fish/Tundra/Regional Red, Merrick classic Beef and Barley, Merrick grain free Salmon, grain free Lamb, and grain free Pork, Addiction Kangaroo and Apples, Annamaet Aqualuk and Manitok recipes, Artemis Osopure Bison and Salmon formulas, California Natural, Canidae Pure, Nutrisca Salmon, Farmina grain free Herring, Fromm 4 Star Nutritionals grain and grain free recipes, Go! Sensitivity and Shine Duck and Salmon formulas, Halo grain free Pork and Peas, Hi-Tek Naturals grain free Lamb and Fish formulas.

[Crystal J]

Thank you all for your replies. I feel more comfortable now. Both my dogs seem to do really well on this diet. I do also feed an egg or a little bit of meat sometimes. For treats I use Ziwipeak or Orijen treats, or bits of meat, I give veggies to Victor but Hitch won’t eat them, I give tiny bits of cheese to Hitch but not Victor because even the smallest bit gives Victor stomach issues.

[Crystal J]

Hi, I have been browsing this forum and site for some time now and I love all the information it contains. I had an issue with a picky dog that was pretty thin when we adopted him about a year ago. He would not eat, I tried to put his bowl down and pick it up after 15 minutes and he wouldn’t eat for days. Finally I found that he likes different tastes and textures, funny little guy.

I currently feed him:
breakfast:
2 scoops Ziwipeak airdried, currently lamb and
1/4 can Ziwipeak canned, I rotate through flavors

Dinner:
1/2 cup Honest Kitchen, currently Love with the appropriate amount of water and
1/2 cup Orijen kibble, currently Adult formula

This seems the only way that he will eat consistently. He is now happy to eat, which makes me happy. Also, he seems really healthy, very shinny coat, bright eyes, full of positive energy, good poops. His vet says he is healthy.

Do you think that it is OK to feed all these different foods in a day?

Also, I am going to rotate to ziwipeak airdried venison and fish soon. I rotate the honest kitchen using love and embark. I rotate through Orijen adult, 6 fish, and regional red.

[aquariangt]

2 of mine did well on orijen, 1 did not. He has had issues on other rich things as well though. I know plenty of people that love it.

I kind of like their treats, the dogs love them. They do get a bit crumbly which can be irritating

[pugmomsandy]

I’ve only used the new Orijen treats which my pugs love, but pugs don’t snub any kind of food or treat 99% of the time. Mine already eat raw and they eat different forms of food so they are used to food/treat changes.

[Howard C]

Thanks to all for the feedback. My next question would be does anyone have any experience, either good or bad, with Orijen products?

[DogFoodie]

Orijen and Acana are 20% off at Petflow through midnight on 10/21. Use promo code ORIJENACANA at checkout. That never happens! Champion is strict with their pricing requirements.

[Naturella]

I know Earthborn Holistic is available outside the US but not sure where. Also, I believe Annamaet and Victor are sold some places – Czech Republic I think – all three are great brands. Also, I second Farmina – should be easier to find, it’s an Italian brand, but not all formulas are that great – I saw a moderately-good one in a pet store in Bulgaria this past summer. If you can, look for the N&D Farmina formulas. Also, Orijen and Acana should be available – I know some Bulgarian stores carry them, but I think only in bigger cities.

[Karen J]

While I’m trying to find a new food for Trixie – putting the Cranberry powder in anyghing all bets are off she won’t eat it (she loved the BB canned and now won’t even touch that).

I need to find an alternate delivery system for the the Cranberry and Vit C – or she won’t eat. I finally added boiled chicken to the canned food by Merrick, a primo grain free brand she picked out chicken, smart little thing. She ate some but did she get the Cranberry?

She does not wolf her food she eats it, chews it and tastes it.

And the Orijen kibble, nope…won’t eat it. Even with Stella and Chewy on top. I have 2 more brands to try…I’m thinking don’t add the cranberry powder.

Any tips on how to get her to drink more water?

[Cheryl O]

Many of the freeze dried raw diet foods that are ‘enthusiastically recommended’ have a significant amount of liver. I’ve heard that because of the high Vitamin A content of liver, this can be toxic to dogs. I’ve been feeding Stella and Chewy mixed with Wellness grain free. Also been giving Orijen freeze dried treats. Any comments?

[Karen J]

Wow this is all so helpful. Just got can of Merrick, BB Wilderness and Holistic select wet to try. Got test bag of Orijens kibble, beef and lamb family. Moist treats, grain free Natural Balance and just gave her some Vit C wrapped in boiled chicken breast. Will have to get cheese I think and proper dose. Also put Cranberry relief…also some Stella and Chewy.

When I make her food to wet she won’t eat it.

So that’s where I’ve started and sounds like of what I put one can each of the Merrick appears to be a favorite of the forum.

Always open to more advice, I’m starting to put together a menu for Trixie.

[anne a]

Thank you all! As several said you can change ingredients,it is a decent pet foodbut definitely misleading if you are sucked into it & I am not liking some of the basic ingredients in Petbrosia -I am sticking w/my rotation of Orijen six fish/Nutrisca Sal & chickpea/Acana Pacifica/Fromm Tunalina/Merrick GF Sal. Will try Dr Tims next month GF Kinesis as recommended here.

[Mom2Cavs]

Petbrosia (dog version) has two base formulas. You cannot take ingredients out of the formulas. They just tweak the amount of each one for your dogs weight, age and activity requirements. For instance, if Hazel is young with no allergies then her nutrition profile for the grain free salmon might be 32 % protein and 16 % fat and 2 % fiber with calories of say 480 a cup while Laverne, who is older and has some mild allergies might have protein of 26 %, fat of 13 % and fiber of 2 % with 415 calories per cup. The ingredient panel reads the same ingredient list for both dogs. So……long story short, you can’t really customize ingredient wise. They will just change percentages of each ingredient to fit your dogs supposed needs. I hope that makes it a little clearer. Imho, it is a little misleading with their marketing. I think it’s a decent food and average price compared to foods like Orijen, Wellness, etc. But, don’t go into it thinking you are going to get an individualized food ingredient wise.

[anne a]

Thx , I did read several google reviews & was conflicting depending on who wrote it. You are right just from reading their website , I figured it cant be “all that” -sticking w/ my six fish Orijen rotation.

[anne a]

Recently heard about”Petbrosia” customized to your pets age,size etc from a company from Ohio -it is any good & how does it rate . I am feeding Orijen six fish

[CHRISTINE C]

When my 2yr old GSD was diagnosed with EPI, we were feeding her Orijen with enzymes. Stools firmed up but not to optimal level. I have changed her food to Merrick GF Pork, which I love for her skin allergies, but still not the results I’m looking for. It is 17% fat/ 3.8 %fiber. I think I need to lower the fat content more. I was thinking about Wellness Core Reduced Fat, but the fiber is too high at 8.5%. Using 1tsp of Enzymediane 6X per 1 cup of Kibble. Does anyone have any suggestions for a low fat/fiber grain free better quality kibble?

[H&N]

Thank you! With the indecision gone, I bought Manitok red meat and Orijen 6 fish, and mixed a little of both with the lamb kibble. Once the lamb is gone, I’d rotate the red meat with the fish. It’s only been two days. So I can’t really tell, but their poop is good. So hopefully everything will work out alright 🙂

[JeffreyT]

Our very picky little dogs love all the freeze dried they’ve tried so far…Stella and Chewys, Primal, Orijen, Big Dog Natural, Healthy Pet Products (both the freeze dried and frozen, it’s the only frozen food they gobble up..but since it has garlic we limit to a few times a week). They like Addiction, which is crumbly like Big Dog Natural, but Big Dog Natural is way more palatable.

They go crazy for Vital Essentials but it needs to be soaked overnight in fridge. We soak it in water along with some pumpkin, pureed veggies, Animal Essentials Green Alternative or Dogzymes Cornucopia fruit/veggie mix for added fiber and nutrition since this food has no fruits or vegetables. In the morning each piece is cut in half or thirds then put back in water where the rest is quickly absorbed. Once reconstituted it becomes chewy-like which gives it a novel texture and won’t turn to mush. We make a few days worth and take the chill off by placing stainless steel bowl with food in a hot pan with some water for a few minutes.

Even though their favorite is freeze dried and the bulk of their diet, they also eat Ziwi Peak, non-gmo small breed kibble and dehydrated. They will only eat Grandma Lucys or Honest kitchen if we add some cooked meat along with other enticing toppers like cheese, egg yolk or crumbled Origen or Stella and Chewy treats. We buy sample packs so it’s easier to augment with these foods.

NRG has quality ingredients but they wouldn’t eat it…reminded me of Sojos which they wouldn’t eat either.

Good to know you pup likes Stewarts b/c we’re trying that next. Dogs for the Earth looks good as well…it’s organic dehydrated patties but I believe meat is cooked first. We were also going to try Smack when it’s available again in US.

[Akari_32]

Wow, Wellness CORE is $13.99 for the Original and $16.99 for the Wild Game (and in between for the others) here. TOTW is $12.99 as well. Orijen isn’t really a thing here, either. Only a few stores around here have it, and I don’t shop at them.

Just a note on recalled dog foods, its done by lots. They will post the UPC, lot numbers and expiration dates of all recalled products. There is also a Recall section on the review side of the forum that is kept up to date. I’ve bought food online several times from PetFlow and couldn’t be happier. I was a bit worried about the heat, myself, living in Florida, but I didn’t notice any problems. I often had a cooler set out for canned foods on the day it was set to come and I wouldn’t be home.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks Naturella! To give some reference, Wellness CORE is ~$19 per 4lb bag at my local pet store, TOTW is $13 per 5lb, and Lotus small bites is $22 per 4.5lb (but lasts longer because it is high-calorie). I probably wouldn’t buy bigger bags, because it takes Lily 4-6 weeks to finish a small one. The store doesn’t carry some things I would expect it to, such as Orijen. There is an independent feed store about 20 mins away that has Orijen, and some other things too. I sometimes feel uncomfortable buying dog food online, mainly because if it were to be recalled I wouldn’t know if I was affected or not. (I would stop feeding it either way, but it is useful to know.) I am also sometimes worried about shipping/handling, though I don’t think it is usually an issue.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Since I adopted my dog Lily 1.5 months ago, I’ve been doing a ton of research on her food. This is my first time having a dog, though I have fostered for rescue groups, where the food was provided. One of the things I read on this site was about rotational feeding, and I thought it sounded like a good idea. I am feeding her Taste of The Wild Wetlands formula, but I am transitioning her to Lotus grain-free duck small bites for rotation. Other brands I am thinking of including are Wellness Core grain-free and Orijen.

I was also considering mixing in some with wet food with her kibble, Wellness 95% or TOTW. The only issue is storage: wet food only keeps a few days in the fridge, and since she is small it would not be used up by then. I was wondering about freezing it as a possibility, does anyone know if this is okay?

By the way, all of the foods I mentioned are grain-free. This is not a must, but Lily may possibly have some allergies, so I thought it couldn’t hurt. One of the pet store employees recommended avoiding chicken, because it is a common allergen.

Lily is an ~3 year old, 10 pound, Bichon Frise. Any input or constructive criticism on the food is welcome. Thanks!

[Kristin C]

Hi Jan – the Natural Balance kibble looks largely potato based. I would personally stay away from them. We use Orijen a couple times per week (convenience) but I believe it has pea fiber in it. Perhaps if you cook, or feed raw, for a period of time you could reset your pups digestion to incorporate a kibble again (later). See Spot Live Longer Dinner mix would work with a lightly cooked or raw program. What is she getting for fat or oils in her diet?

[Kristin C]

Hi Jude-when I first started my puppy on raw earlier this year I would give her treats of raw chicken during the day. When I was sure she could tolerate it I gave her a full raw breakfast for a few days, then added dinner. I did the same thing transitioning her to raw beef. I have tried Darwin’s but the meat turns brown and it’s expensive. Nature’s Variety worked for us and it is very accessible as it’s sold at Petco, but it’s expensive too. Orijen Freeze dried works for us when when we travel, again expensive though. I have resorted to buying my own chicken and beef when on sale, add organs, puréed vegs, sweet potato and pumpkin and, as of this week, am adding in See Spot Live Longer to my homemade. I buy grinds of novelty meats from Reel Raw to get more variety and rotate those in. In addition, my girls each get a can of sardines per week and I make tripe and yogurt treats for them a couple times per week. You can request samples of THK on their website. I have a couple samples I have not tried yet. The best advice I can offer is to try one thing at a time, keep doing what works, discard what doesn’t work. Every household is different. I have revised my dog’s eating schedule many times this year!

[aquariangt]

Have you ever heard of wellness, acana, Orijen…. Are you kidding? Yes everyone here has heard of them, and yes, they are still high in carbs, and yes they are still considered kibble, as all dry food is kibble. Maybe less carbs than all the low quality corn and soy kibble, but still carb heavy none the less.

The thought process that wet food rots teeth is a very old wives tale. And forgive me for saying so, but you did already tell someone that this message was just for hdm so Not to respond.

Spaniel39, I recommend a bit more research before making comments like your last one

[spaniel39]

Kibble is carbs???
Yah, I guess it is if that’s what you feed your dogs! lol
Benful, alpo, old roy
yes, dogs were not meant to have grains/carbs!
Meat!
Have you ever heard of Orijen, Wellness Core, Acana
I do brush my dog’s teeth which most people find it hard to do, but not time-consuming!
Well, keep doing what you’re doing, Grizzly Adams, and feed your wet food and throw
your dog a bone!
As KIM pointed out, no need to be rude!

[Ramona F]

Hello HDM
I have a 7.5 month old 71 lb lab female (spayed)
I have fed her a variety of fish/ turkey/chicken based grain free Kibble
NOW, Horizon Legacy (not suitable for large breeds) , Orijen
I saw two conflicting posts on the forum regarding Orijen foods and calcium content and just want to be clear on the calcium content in Orijen Large Breed Puppy which she likes a lot but its expensive..
We are trying to find a sensibly priced grain free with the right balance of nutrients and it seems elusive
Any tips? We live in a small town and don’t have some on the list

[Robyn H]

I need help ASAP, I DO NOT NEED nasty comments. I am currently fostering a 10-12 year old pit bull (we think) that, on a scale of 1-10, is a 9.5. I have offered, Orijen, raw, raw and Merrick canned tripe together (which she liked) Stella and Chewy’s Duck, Duck Goose. She’s been wormed, and is HW positive and being treated. Per Doc orders, she on Doxy for the HW and Melatonin for her skin. She’s had 3 BM’s all of which were pure liquid. I need sensible suggestions on what to feed her. I need to get weight on her in a safe way.

[Molly S]

It is great to get advice from others that have been there, but this is an amazing article by one of the leading integrative vets with very detailed information on solving seasonal allergies. Much of this can be applied to dealing with pit bulls. Pitties are particularly sensitive to food ingredients as well as environmental factors.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/07/01/pet-allergies.aspx

Ensure they are on a high-protein, grain-free, potato-free food like Orijen, LiveFree or Pioneer Naturals.

Use a combination of coconut oil and fish oil.

Regular rinse/bath/use foot soaks to eliminate pesky allergens.

Just like children with allergies, ensure that you do everything you can to eliminate environmental allergens in the home – clean air, air-friendly cleaners, and add diffusers.

[adrienne d]

Hello there,

My dog, Governor, is a 28 lb beagle/doxie/mutt of love and although we’ve had him for 2 years, we still can’t seem to figure out what food works best for him. He originally was on a lamb and rice based food, and that didn’t go well as he was getting rashes. Then we switched him to Natural Balance Venison based on vet recommendation and although his poop was firmer, it also left him itchy. The common culprit seemed to be sweet potatoes, but we can’t be positive.

He has been on Orijen Six Fish since last October, and although it started out wonderfully, I don’t think he’s had solid poop for a couple months now and it goes from softer stool to actual diarrhea. We took him into the vet at some point during this and had his stool analyzed and there were no parasites, so it appears to be back to food. At that point, we had him on chicken and rice for a few weeks, but he was really constipated and pooping less than normal. In addition, we have added pumpkin to his food and that temporarily helped, but not for long.

I suppose I’m wondering if his food is too high in protein? Or if there are any suggestions on what food we might try next so we can start his slow transition?

Thank you all for your wisdom!
-Adrienne

[theBCnut]

The problem may not be the protein source. Dogs can react to any ingredient that has protein in it, including peas, beans, lentils, corn, alfalfa, flax, etc. So it could be the other ingredients that all Orijen formulas share.

My dog reacts to chicken, many grains, tomato, and flax, which is kind of funny, because when I first started trying to figure out his issues, I used DinOvite with great results and it has a lot of flax in it, but he reacted strongly to chicken and grains and only had a very minor reaction to flax, so it took me another year to figure out that he was also reacting to that.

[Punky T]

Thank you, theBCnut. I switched Gigi when the bumps broke out the first time; took her off the Orijens mixed protein source, and now have her on Six Fish, which my doctor approved of. I will know more by end of this week when he rechecks her.

And thank you, Nita P… very helpful information. I appreciate you taking the time to write. I’m curious is your Bella gained weight with Dinovite?

Thank you both1