[Wanda F]

When we received our first bag of Orijen, last Friday, you could tell it was an amazing kibble before even opening the bag. It is very dense, you can smell the freshness and Brewer LOVES it. I mixed Orijen with Nutrisca for a couple days and he found a way to eat around the Nutrisca. Because of the high protein content I’ve been integrating it rather slowly, (a couple cups a day) but he still developed loose stool after 2 days and I am still giving him a reasonable meal with raw ingredients, not mixing. So why the loose stools??? Who knows.
And…he’s still scratching and licking!…I don’t believe this is a food allergy; I think it’s a skin allergy. When I picked up his flea and tick meds. at the vet. she told me to try Benadryl. Any comments on that? I truly hate giving my dog more medication. Are there any natural products that actually work? I’ve tried herbal flea control, he hated it and it didn’t work very well. Thanks for all your helpful comments.

[JAYNE V]

Good morning. Our long awaited Rottweiler pup was born yesterday. In 9 weeks time she will be coming home. I will be sending our breeder food for our pup, as I would like her to start on her LBP food from the get go.

I live in South Africa and have perused HDM’s amazing list (thank you for all your efforts and research AND for sharing). I can get hold of the Earthborn Holistic food, BUT, I am a huge Orijen fan (my deceased male rottie was on it for years) and wanted to know if there is any specific reason the Orijen Large breed puppy didn’t make the list – or is it specifically due to the calcium levels? This is the food I was planning to start her on – now having 2nd thoughts due to this list.

I am a huge Champion Pet food fan, and ideally Orjien is what she will be fed for the remainder of her days – but if the calcium content is too high – I don’t want to risk it?

Any advice would be greatly appreaciated -:) Thanking you in advance.

[Naturella]

Jakes Mom and Bobby Dog, I also saw that on the THK website you can get some freebies quick! I just wish a dollar spent counted for more than 1 point though, lol, but oh well…

Also, Bruno has been loving all his THKs, thank goodness! I opened all of them and put them in freezer bags and I alternate between the four like this: Chicken-Turkey-Beef-Turkey so on one day he only has 2 different ones (like the first 2 one day and the next 2 the next, then repeat, and spiced up with an occasional can of sorts) and the breakfast is always different (raw egg/coconut oil/yoghurt/pumpkin/cottage cheese/kefir – whatever I have in the fridge at the moment). So this way he gets plenty of variety. Plus occasional RMBs and natural chews at night. He’s living the good life, lol (not the BEST life… Not on all raw… But for kibble-fed dog, he’s pretty good I think). I really want to get him on Wellness, Orijen and Acana one day so we’ll see – that would be in like a year at least with all the food we got. 🙂

[Paula D]

Mine switch up between Bravo and Primal raw for dinner, and then rotate,through Orijen/Acana kibble, MaxMeat, Primal and Ziwi Peak dehydrated (usually have a bag of kibble and a bag of dehydrated open and alternate the two) for breakfast, with a can of Tripett for Sunday brunch. 🙂 I do think some dogs do better with slow transitions between one food and another, but I just open a new bag when the old one is finished and don’t see any issues.

Good luck!

[zcRiley]

Try Acana Singles. One protein source (& one source of fruit) as opposed to five of each. Tummy sensory overload. I’d stay far & clear from Purina, or anything 4-star and under. Why? Always look for controversial ingredients that could trigger your dog because it’s not the protein amount. You can do an allergy testing on your pup to be sure (especially if vomiting is involved).

If your dog eats too much protein, some will be excreted in the urine and the rest will be used as calories or converted to fat – causing your dog no harm. However, if your dog has an EXISTING kidney problem, high protein diets are not recommended. High protein cannot cause kidney disease.

My AmStaff pups were born straight into Orijens. Sometimes, I mixed in Merrick, Horizon & Evanger’s to keep it fun. Now at 1 yrs of age, I mix in a little 6Fish (they love that strong smell) & I sprinkle in Cosequin or Omega chews. They are very strong & agile, zero fat, all muscle.

[Jami Y]

I believe that Orijen is the best dog food, next to raw. I have never seen a list of more impressive dog food ingredients. My schnauzers love it. I appreciate the tips I’ve read on this thread about slowing down a dogs eating. I will be trying them. My dogs love Orijen so much that they gulp it down.

[Wanda F]

Yes..just after I ordered Orijen on-line someone on here recommended See Spot Live Longer. I checked it out and will absolutely find a way to incorporate that into his diet either with the Orijen or without. I’ve read that Orijen is so high in protein, it can cause disgestive problems and even liver problems all though that seems doubtful. Sooo, I’m mixing current kibble (Nutrisca) and raw in hopes of getting him used to a higher level of protein. He kind of ignors the Nutrisca and waits for raw..that should be a hint. Anybody need a bag of Orijen?

[LexiDog]

Going to Acana is a good choice. I had a similar experience with my dog. I tried the Orijen Puppy and it was just too rich for her. I believe I went to the Fromm Grain Free and then to Acana Grasslands after I tried Orijen. I was able to reintroduce Orijen after a while and she did great!
Orijen and Acana are truly top quality kibbles!

[DogFoodie]

One of my dogs did very poorly on Orijen after the reformulation, which resulted in the inclusion of chickpeas and lentils. It could be an issue with an intolerance to some ingredient, of which Orijen has many. Either way, I’d get him off of the Orijen before the problem worsens.

One food that I found was a great sort of”rescue” food is NutriSource Adult Chicken & Rice. If you needed to get your dog off of something quick, you could try that while you make a decision on what other food to switch to.

FWIW, I never had luck with any Orijen or Acana foods. What I’ve ended up feeding my sensitive dog is radically different than what I had originally intended to feed him. Start now keeping notes and ingredient panel for every food you feed Davis. I pray you don’t, but you might have a challenging little bigger on your hands like a number of us here do.

[ab1028]

I would recommend going to Acana. Sometimes going from a lower quality kibble to a higher quality kibble isn’t easy on a dog’s digestive system. Acana’s protein levels are a bit lower and it isn’t as rich as Orijen, yet it is of the same quality. Hopefully this will help with the loose stools. While Orijen is a great food, it isn’t for every dog.

[Al D]

HI All First Post,

Davis is my 5 mo border collie and came to me 9 weeks old on Purina one. He is currently 25 lbs.

I kept him on Purina for a few months but had multiple problems with moths in the purina kibble (two separate bags) Other than that he did very well on Purina.

I transitioned him on to Orijen puppy over about 7 days last month but he has not done very well on it.

He has loose stool and occasional trouble holding it down. I know of him vomiting it up two times.

I’ve been feeding him per the suggested portions and have cut that back a 1/4 cup. (Current total per day 2/3c twice a day) + treats.

His energy is good but he is on the thin side. If i up the portions of Origen the problems are worse.

If I mix in some pumpkin his stool firms up but it goes back to runny when off pumpkin.

My Local pet store suggested trying Acana Wild Prarrie – as an easy transition from the Orijen.

My only thought is that Acana/Orijen may be too similar.

I hate switching up his food again but I have to do something for my little guy.

I would consider going back to Purina but have read others having the moth problems too.

I started the transition to Acana today 25% Acana 75% Orijen and will be 100% Acana by this time next week. Im hoping the slightly lower protein and fat will be okay.

DPN

[Cheryl M]

Hi, not sure which category this should be in but I have a 3yr old small Akita and a 4yr old Border Collie. The BC weighs 42lbs and our Akita about 50lbs. We live on a farm so they have free range and get a fair amount of exercise. Neither is overweight, they both look very good. I have been feeding them Horizen Pulsar Fish for about a year mainly because it’s a bit cheaper than Orijen. However they go thru a 25lb bag in 2 weeks. To me this seems to be alot, the bag says for dogs 40lb range they should get 2cups a day. There is no way that is enough. I give them each 2 scoops which is about 4 cups. Our Akita always finishes hers and our BC sometimes finishes it, sometimes not. I’ve never had two dogs before, but this just seems like an awful lot of food they are going thru! I would welcome any comments. Thanks

[Susan]

There’s the low Gylcemic diets that they still can have, that have rice, oats.. Rice & oats are good carbohyrates…..I started looking into all this & it does ur head in lol… Google “low gylcemic diets for dogs” when I googled it, Acana, Merrick, Nutriscia & Orijen came up..I think Diabetic foods are low gylcemic..

[neezerfan]

Doggiefood.com has buy one get one free Orijen freeze dried. I saw it posted in the review section so of course I ordered 2. It’s the 16 oz bags and if you’re a new customer you get another 20% off. I’m starting to scare myself.

[RescueDaneMom]

Hi weezerweeks,

Just because your dog doesn’t like Honest Kitchen doesn’t mean he won’t like freeze-dried. HK has a lot of veggies and some dogs just don’t like it. I would try a freeze-dried food that is mostly meat. Orijen, Primal, and Stella & Chewy’s all make freeze-dried foods (in either patties or nuggets). You reconstitute them in warm water.

I agree with GizmoMom. If your dog is doing well on canned only then I wouldn’t add kibble back.

[Steven K]

Please provide input/suggestions, and if possible, those with German Shepherds. Thank you very much!

A quick intro-wife and I used to raise Rotties. I always had German Shepherds growing up. We are now 80% empty nesters and recently bought a GS puppy-male. On Monday he was 10 wks old. I am currently mixing Taste of the Wild High Prairie and Fromm Four Star Nutritionals Grain-Free (Dry) Beef Frittata. I wet it w/ warm water. He loves it, clean bowl at every meal. For reward treats we’ve been using Orijen & Zukes and baby carrots, both cooked and raw. I know raw don’t get 100% digested, but he loves crunchy on those. He loves Orijen, but they are expensive.
Again, wanting opinions and suggestions from those that have been raising Shepherds as we are new to the game-been some time since we’ve had a puppy!
Thanks

[Naturella]

I agree that a lot of people seem to have issues with Blue Buffalo, and this is not good. However, there are the few (apparently) whose dogs have done well on it. If I were to be asked to make a recommendation to someone about dog food, I would base it off of personal experience and research, and regarding Blue Buffalo, I can say that Bruno did wonderfully on the Wilderness Puppy for about 4 months, until I decided to rotate him out of it, just because rotating foods is good, not because of issues. I would say that I will keep Wilderness in our rotation because he’s done well on it, and because I know of 3 other dogs (in 2 separate households) who also have been feeding Blue (one constantly, which is not that great, the other in rotation) and their dogs have been ok too. Nonetheless, I can say that I have read about many who experience issues with it, but I really believe that it comes down to individual dogs and their guts for the most part. It is important that everyone closely monitors their dog and watch for reactions, then act accordingly. I have never had to contact the company, so I don’t know how their customer service is.

And I think the above goes for just about any food I have fed, or read a lot about. Still, no matter how much I read about foods, I will have to feed it to my dog personally in order to form my own opinion based on experience. There are many many foods I want to feed based on profile alone (and some forumers’ or friends’ opinions of them) – Wellness Core, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Wysong Epigen or Wysong 90, Victor (feeding a bit of it now, but want a full bag to really test it out), AvoDerm Trout (just that one, lol), Taste of the Wild and Canidae Pure (yes, yes, I know about Diamond and the recalls), Merrick Grain Free, Orijen (drool) and maybe Acana, Back to Basics (got a bag in the cabinet waiting its turn to be opened), Fromm, Darwin’s, The Honest Kitchen (when I’m rich, lol), etc. I don’t even know if Bruno’s lifetime will allow me to rotate through them once, let alone twice, lol.

So yeah, that’s my 2 cents.

[LexiDog]

Orijen is probably the best kibble out there. Merrick Grain Free is all good and a little less expensive.

Grandma Lucy’s Pureformane line is a great freeze dried line.

My girl inhales her food too. When I give her commercial frozen raw, I only give her 1/3 of her meal at a time spread out as thin as I can get it on a small plate so she has to work for it a little. For kibble, I use a portion pacer ball in her bowl. Basically a big ball in her food so she can’t gulp it down too fast. Dog Games has an interactive feeder bowl shaped like a 3D flower with a bunch of nooks and crannies so she has to eat her food a lot slower. Sometimes I will put 1/2 her meal at a time in her Kong Wobbler toy. She loves it and makes her eat slower.

[Wanda F]

Thanks for your great tips! I’ve checked into Darwin’s and a afew others but as much as I like Brewer, I don’t know if his monthly food bill should exceed the monthly payment on a new Lexus. That being said, I’d still like the best for him and feel I could do raw from my kitchen and fill in with Nutrisca or Orijen( for vitamins, minerals and probiotics) but in some of the “expert research” I’ve found they say feeding both is not beneficial. Something about time in digestion being different. Sometimes all of this information is overwhelming..I grew up with farm dogs and fed them whatever; they lived long and don’t remember them ever being sick. Are all of these health issues, with our canine friends, recent? Both of my last 2 dogs have had very sensitive digestive systems and allergies.

[RescueDaneMom]

If I had to rank commercial foods in order of preference, I would say raw first, then dehydrated/freeze-dried, then kibble. Primal and Stella & Chewy’s make complete and balance raw formulas. Darwin’s is also complete and balanced plus they ship right to your door (you can’t buy it in a store). For dehydrated food, I like The Honest Kitchen. Grandma Lucy’s is similar but freeze-dried instead of dehydrated. If you want kibble, then I agree that Orijen is one of the best kibbles you could feed.

I feed my Great Dane (also a rescue) a 50/50 mix of The Honest Kitchen and commercial raw. I try to rotate as many different brands and proteins of raw as I can. I use Primal, Stella & Chewy’s, Tucker’s, Vital Essentials, and Genesis Raw (local to FL). I do keep a small bag of Orijen Adult on hand for when I forget to thaw out raw or I’m in a hurry.

If I were you, I would try to locate a small, independent pet store or pet boutique. They tend to carry the quality kibbles and also raw/dehydrated foods. They will usually special order things for you as well.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[Wanda F]

I’ve had Brewer for 2 years; rescue Lab. who spent most of his young life at the shelter. He came with numerous stomach, stool and skin problems (even thought the neighbors had poisoned him because he was so sick)…after several vet. visits who suggested corn based food I went to Dog Food Advisor and tried Dogswell-Nutrisca…he’s certainly doing better but I want the best for him so I tried raw but realized I was too uncertain how to get it balanced and he’s a “gulper” so meaty bones and whole chicken pieces are a hazard. Now I’m looking at Orijen…seems the next best thing to raw for this special boy. Any advice???

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Tigerlily –

Orijen’s LBP formula is actually lower in calcium than Acana. It just barely missed making the list. Orijen provides a range and the lower end of the range actually falls within the safe levels and the higher end of the range just slightly above.

[annie]

Luckily her anal glands never smelled. She would just lick the base of her tail.On Orijen she really didn’t just eat it I had to add enticers. Maybe that was part of the problem, constantly adding other things to get her to eat. Stella and Chewy’s firmed her up,maybe because of the bone in it. Just recently switched her to Farmina N&D and she seems to enjoy it and it has psyllium, so far so good.
THANKS

[Tigerlily]

Hi all! I am looking for some information to help assist a puppy buyer of mine. She has a 4.5 month old standard poodle puppy that I bred. I sent puppies home on Wellness Large Breed Puppy because the calcium levels are at least somewhat moderate and advised her to be careful about feeding foods with excessive levels of calcium. (I realize the levels are still higher than the foods on HDM’s list, but because a standard poodle is in all actuality a medium sized dog, I don’t feel that it is as necessary to be as strict – just to choose a moderate food). Anyway, she told me she switched her pup to Orijen Large Breed Puppy. I suggested to her that the calcium levels in that particular food really are quite excessive and that I would recommend Acana instead. She told me that she consulted with a canine nutritionist before switching her pup and that they advised her that Orijen it was a more “premium” food than Acana. She mentioned that the calcium percent in Orijen LBP is no less than 1.2% and no more than 1.5% and Wellness min/max 1.1/1.5%. I explained that that is true, but that the total mg of calcium per kcal in Orijen is quite a bit higher. I just wanted to double check my facts here! Also, did Orijen LBP change their formula? Because what I have seen in the past was 1.5/1.7 for min/max.

[LexiDog]

I am curious as to why everyone seems to love Dr. Tim’s. Is it the price point? I am not sure. When reading the ingredients for their Kinesis GF formula, it seems to have a lot of ingredients that I would not want to give to my dog. Most of the ingredients are dried. It has beet pulp, salt and canola oil. It has a very long list of added vitamins and minerals at the bottom…I understand that some vitamins and minerals have to be added to make a complete and balanced diet…but it just seems like this food has more supplements added to it than good ingredients in the food with the natural occurring vitamins and minerals.

I haven’t fed my dog this brand but don’t really see why I would want to. I have seen people suggest this food to others as a good quality dog food and can’t figure out why.
****this is NOT an attack on Dr. Tim’s****I just want to know why it is so highly recommended. Am I missing something?

I feed my girl Orijen, ACANA, Primal and Stella and Chewy’s. I know that a rotational diet is good for dogs so I have been trying to find another brand that I think is as good as Orijen.

What are your thoughts?

[LexiDog]

Look into Orijen. I love that food! High calories and full I goodness!!!

[LexiDog]

Acana just came out with a new recipe for their Singles which are a limited ingredient food. The new formula is grain and potato free. I haven’t seen it on shelves or on line yet but it is coming and will be awesome!! Just be careful because the old formula has oats in it.

Orijen is also a super premium food that is grain and potato free but contain multiple protein sources.

These 2 are defiantly worth looking into. Hope your pups feel better.

[arwyru24]

If you have a Whole Foods near by, they have a new pet food line out called Whole Paws and in it they have some “shreds and gravy” that are sort of like the general type of food consistency that the Friskies shreds and gravy is except the Whole Paws is made out of all healthy ingredients. My cats really liked it, but it triggered projectile vomiting in Aaron. He hasn’t puked at all since I haven’t mixed any Orijen kibble into their food. I mean, I was only mixing it in for a day, and I fed them some by hand initially to see if they liked it, but it did coincide pretty much EXACTLY to when I had the vomiting problem with him, and this has happened with other canned foods, for example the Whole Paws, that goes away when I stop feeding the offending food it seems like

[arwyru24]

Hey Bobby Dog, thankfully the vomiting has officially stopped, funny enough it stopped after I removed all Orijen kibbles, I will have to test that out again at another time. I get paid in a couple of days so I will have to take him in after that. His blood work always comes back on point so hopefully that will continue, although he is definitely sensitive digestive system, and is really immuno-suppressed, so he seems to be really suceptible to infections of various types that my other cat never ever gets. We will see.
The veggie thing is what I don’t like about the Halo Spots Stew, its watery, and my cats don’t want to eat big chunks of green beans or carrots or peas. I don’t think its a good value for the money. Have you ever tried the HALO Spots PATE though? It only comes in 2 varieties, chicken and whitefish, and it is a nice firm, smooth pate that my cats seem to love more than any other chicken variety I have tried. I mean they really love it. The wellness chicken formula is hit or miss with them. The instinct formulas seem to have a rubbery texture that they aren’t really crazy about. The weruva and soulistic chicken shreds and gravy with pumpkin they like enough, they like drinking the broth and the shreds they eat but often leave a bit behind. and worst of all is that is just doesn’t fill them up like a pate does so it is a poor value for me. But yeah, Halo Spots Pate chicken variety is a must try if you haven’t yet.

[arwyru24]

I guess the one thing that is different is that I introduced some Orijen kibble last night, and he did have a little of that, I mixed in a small amount with the wellness after giving them a couple kibbles by hand to see if they liked it and they LOVED it. But he is barfing whether or not he has any kibble at all. I didn’t put anymore out, just in case but I really doubt if it is more than just a coincidence.?

[arwyru24]

Hey all, I am new here, have been lurking around this site for a little while for dog food because my parents just added a new puppy, but feeding cats on a budget happens to be my specialty. I have 2 pretty big guys (12 and almost 14lbs) The 12lb guy has a really sensitive system, but his body condition is ideal, and the 14lber tends towards the tubby side and so I have to really pay attention to his weight (they are both indoor only). I have tried most of the higher end foods on the market at one time or another. I subscribe to the idea that cats need the moisture in their diet and ideally should be on all wet food, however I supplement with dry to help meet my budget.
I primarily feed wellness grain free canned food, the 12.5oz cans are really cost effective, I primarily feed the turkey and salmon (purple can) it seems to be their favorite and the one they eat the most consistently without turning their noses up to it. I also rotate in the chicken (orange can), turkey (green), and chicken and herring (royal blue) and the minced turkey, chicken, and turkey salmon. I like wellness for a number of reasons and they have done really well on it. I rotate in a number of other brands: Evo (again those big cans save money), california’s natural salmon and sweet pea, (I am a little wary of Natura but I havent had any bad experiences) natural balance LID can’s, HALO pate, Instinct all work and are tolerated well.
The cat that loves crunchies isn’t picky at all really. He never met a kibble he didn’t like….. that is until I bought a 6lb bag of what I am feeding now: Wellness Core Indoor formula. I just bought a trial size bag of Orijen yesterday for $3.99 and am mixing it in with the Wellness. Its the first I have tried Orijen, because it is so expensive, but with the Orijen mixed in I am feeding less than 1/2 a cup of kibble a day total so it is affordable. Dry food lasts me forever it is the canned that really breaks the bank.
Sorry to chime in uninvited to this forum but am glad to have a place to share my experience 🙂

[Naturella]

So today I pitched the idea of the amazing deal of 20lbs for $16 (plus 4-5lbs free from NVI) of food to the hubs and of course I got the LOOK and the LECTURE that there is no shortage of dog food anytime soon, nor will all the sales and promotions cease indefinitely… SIGH, I KNOW that, BUT the deal… Anywho, I think I will have to pass on it… It is too good, but I just can’t keep stocking up for this little animal, which doesn’t even eat his full cup of dry/day anyway, so he is extra slow on consumption… At least he’s not one of those pups that you need to watch around food and control their intake. And I feel that he may eat even less over the summer because it is quite hot here in Georgia, SO, the bottom line is – I forfeit the deal to someone else, who will hopefully take advantage of it and can use the PetLand coupon or whatever to get a good deal on foods.

As for me and my dog, we will continue with the endless Earthborn – by fault of yours truly – lesson learned, unless we get another dog next year (or whenever we do really – until then) Bruno will only get a small bag of each food I want to feed him. I will just hope the deals do reoccur often! 🙂

P.S. I am determined to smuggle small “trial” bags of Orijen and Acana to spice up Bruno’s mixes whenever they are on sale at the pet boutique! Now those are small enough to hide easier! Mwahahah! 😀

[Eva L]

I just joined (and I may be stepping in it here), but I’ve had many discussions (with family and friends) about the expense of our dog food…we feed Orijen and Acana. Frankly, I would prefer Orijen alone but one (14 year old “pound puppy”) does better with Acana.

At any rate, I’ve tried explaining that, yes, these foods are definitely expensive…if you ONLY consider the price per bag. However, since our dogs require substantially less food per serving than would be necessary with cheaper brands, the food lasts longer and the cost starts to even out over time.

For reference, our (nearly 9 years old) Pyrenees eats 4 cups of food a day in the winter and 3 cups a day in the summer…has done so for 5 years, since we got him from rescue. I start cutting back when he starts leaving food in the bowl. He’s 120 lbs of muscle. Blood work comes back perfect every year and the vet said he’s at optimal weight and condition for his size and age.

Worth mentioning, he’s our second Pyrenees, from the same rescue, and neither could tolerate grains. (Not sure if it’s breed-related or just happened to be the case with our guys.) I know this because they provided a bag of whatever the dogs had been eating at their foster homes and both had bowel/stool problems which cleared up as soon as I transitioned them to grain-free kibble. On the other hand, buying grain free does limit our options.

I know I sound like I’m beating the drum for Champion Foods, but I simply offered their foods as examples because that’s what we feed. Dog Food Advisor has a number of excellent brands listed that you could try instead. Though, I promise you, all of the highly rated foods will cost more per bag.

In the end, factoring in cost-over-time and lack of food related medical problems…with the attendant vet bills…I don’t think the best foods are actually more of an expense.

Just my 2 cents.

[Lynn J]

Adding to the thread…. my dog do well on Orijen Adult which is primarily chicken/other poultry. I have rotated with Acana Grasslands, but if I want to go to another 5 star food, that is not chicken does anyone have any suggestions and is from a different company. Orijen is really at the top of my price range, especially since the larger bag lasts too long so I need to buy the 15 lb. So, other protein sources, other carb sources, similar protein/fat/carb ratio to Orijen.

[pugmomsandy]

The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal formula does not have chicken. It was an Editor’s Choice in March. Orijen has the 6 Fish formula which is just fish. Acana Singles doesn’t have chicken, I think. Also limited ingredient diets tend to have chicken-free options like Nature’s Variety Instinct. Currently, Merrick’s Whole Earth Farms has a poultry-free formula along with Castor & Pollux. Nutrisource grain free Seafood Select and PureVita.

[Ysabella J]

Hello all!

I have followed this forum for some time now but this is my first official post! Yay! Okay, so I am trying to do some research on Joint Supplements and Omega 3 fatty acids to give my 2 year old Golden Retriever (almost 3 on May 25th). We have her on a wonderful diet that consists of Orijen kibble and Merrick canned food for breakfast, a raw meaty marrow bone or a stuffed kong for a snack and a raw Stella & Chewy’s patty for dinner. Her diet does wonders for her health and we learned much about it from this website. As she gets older, I would like to put her on joint supplement. I notice from time to time her joints will pop when she gets up or stretches. We do live in an area that has all 4 seasons and in the winters it gets well below zero. Now that it is springtime we really enjoy taking her out for very long, extensive hikes. She loves to run and swim during our hikes and I would like to have her on some type of anti-inflammatory (omega-3’s?) and a joint supplement. Now I have been doing a ton of research but that just creates a million questions:

First and foremost – Should we give her joint supplements/anti-inflammatories year round? Or do we only give them on days when she will be more active than normal?

Secondly – Which joint/anti-inflammatory would you recommend? I have done research and am seriously considering the Wholistic Pet Organics product line. Has anyone used this and would they recommend it? http://www.thewholisticpet.com/products/canine-product-line/joint-support.html/ Also, does anyone give their pet krill oil vs. salmon oil for omega 3’s?

Thirdly – I am a big fan of holistic medicine and don’t usually like big brand dog medication distributors. Is there anything we can do for her joints, besides swimming and keeping her lean, that will help without any supplement?

And last but not least – if you do recommend a supplement and it’s human grade, what dosage would I give my 65 pound girl?

Thanks so much in advance for your help, I greatly appreciate it!

• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Ysabella J.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by Ysabella J.

[theBCnut]

Hi John

Here’s Hound Dog Mom’s newest list of foods with safe calcium levels. https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0BwApI_dhlbnFTXhUdi1KazFzSUk&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v Orijen did not make the list, because their calcium levels were just a tad high still. While I don’t like the fact that Proctor & Gamble are even in the dog food business, they were pretty much right on top of things with their recall, so I don’t worry about that. That being said, I believe in feeding a rotational diet. By only feeding one type of food long term, we create sensitive stomachs in our dogs. Change foods often and you will have a dog that doesn’t get an upset stomach from every little thing he finds.

[John B]

OK, I have did soem searching thru the forum and I can not get a clear answer to a question i have thinking about. I have a 11week old Great Dane. She is currently eating Innova Large breed puppy. I see that Innova had a recall in late 2013, but the list had a 5 star for Innova food. I am considering switching her to Orijen dry puppy. Thoughts? She likes Innova and do not want to change unless there is a neccissity to do so, but I do not like P&G either. I fed our last great dane (who lived to be 11.5yrs of age) Purina Pro Plan sensitive stomach because that was the only thing she would tolerate. I know its not the greatest nor on any list but it worked for her.

[DogFoodie]

It wouldn’t hurt to try a bit of extra fiber in the diet. Plain canned pumpkin is a good source as well as ground chia seed or psyllium. You could even use plain Metamucil.

While it could be a fiber issue, it could also very well be an allergy issue. I have a pup with some intolerances and smelly anal glands are always a big red flag that he’s reacting to something. I would investigate any possible food intolerance issues right away.

Was she having any problems when she was eating the Orijen or has it just been since the switch? Remember intolerance can be to proteins or other ingredients. There are foods that are high histamine that produce the same type of response. I have a friend whose dog cannot eat anything with tomato.

[ab1028]

Thanks for the advice!

I’ve tried giving the raw to him at different temperatures, but it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. Is cooking it ok if there is bone in it?

I have considered mixing in Triplett (he has it once in a while mixed with his kibble), but I don’t want him to always expect Triplett and the raw mixed together.

I feed him orijen freeze dried medallions for supper a few times a week. Does this have the same benefits as raw?

• This reply was modified 10 years, 7 months ago by ab1028.

[Carolyn P]

Hi Carl L:

I feed my pack of Chi’s twice a day, and they each get approximately 100 grams twice a day.

The 700 ml jar of supplement lasts me just over a month. I cook weekly.

I haven’t ever added up the cost of using Hilary’s, perhaps I should one day. But the cost didn’t really matter to me if it meant my dogs were healthy, which in turn meant fewer trips to the Vet. After spending a year in emergency clinics with the sickly one, I didn’t think twice about the cost to feed, I only knew I was never going to feed commercial again.

I started her on Orijen and it nearly killed her, too high in protein. The Wellness, then Taste of the Wild, the ONLY thing that righter her ills was Hilary’s. I feed R12 for the most part with a transitioning recipe thrown in periodically just for a change.

My one chi is a chubby wee thing with a heart condition, so she gets an entirely different diet altogether (still Hilary’s).

I swear by it. As long as I’m able, I’ll be homecooking.

[Jazz Lover]

Hi, could someone direct me as to how to most easily convert the suggested amount of calories into the correct amount of dog food for Jazz (1yr “today” neutered, male, blk lab / approx ideal weight 80lbs. Currently 87lbs.) Orijen shows 456 kcal/cup. My best figure is 3.5 cups/day. Also, at age 1yr am I to go w/ Adult or puppy recommend amounts?

I top food regularly, and an easy conversion could help me to best ensure he’s getting the right amouts 🙂 (Stell & Chewy, Merrick canned, sardines, chicken back… open to more ideas!)

BTW, he seems to be healing well after his Jan elbow dysplasia surgery. We are walking 5 days/wk 30mins-1hr each outing. He doesn’t seem to be limping while out walking, however maybe a “chubby-sway” is what my son calls it. (Hence, I’d like to ensure I’m feeding him correctly.) Although, at times when he gets up after lying/napping he limps. I feel as if his muscles are strengthening w/ walking. Sadly, no playing ball or dog park 🙁

Thank you

[LexiDog]

My poor girl has dry skin. I need suggestions to help her out. She is 2 years old and has only recently started to get dry skin. She is on Orijen Regional Red, soon to be switched to Primal raw. I also give her a teaspoon of coconut oil in the mornings. I don’t bathe her too often. Maybe once a month or longer if she doesn’t get too muddy. When she does get a bath, I use an oatmeal shampoo. Any other suggestions?

[Jackie T]

I tried Blue in my boarding kennel for the dogs that don’t bring their own food, all dogs loved it and switched to it without digestive upset, I also bought a couple of bags of wilderness puppy and adult for my own dogs, prior to joining this forum – 2 days ago. After reading that Blue Buffalo Foods are produced by a variety of manufacturers (5), I decided to return to Orijen and or Acana for my house pups and my boarders. I want to know that I am feeding a quality of food that delivers what the label states and not hidden ingredients or additives, color or flavor.

[Hao D]

Hey guys,

I’m getting my puppy this Saturday! Super excited! He’s an Alaskan Malamute. He’s 8 weeks old. I decide to go with Orijen long time ago. However, when I was at the local store the other day, I noticed that the “Puppy Large” is actually cheaper than all other kinds of dry food from Orijen. From what I’ve learned so far, I thought puppy food usually contains more nutrition, don’t they? Why is “Regional Red” so much more expensive? I assume the major difference is “Puppy Large” is based on chicken and “Regional Red” is based on Beef. However, I don’t know which one is better?

Should I feed him “Puppy Large” or “Regional Red”? My currently plan is feed him “Puppy Large” dry food and “Regional Red” Freeze Dried. Any better suggestion?

[LexiDog]

You can also check out Annamaet Lean and Honest Kitchen Zeal. Also, Orijen Senior. I had to throw that in there even though it has a higher fat percentage just because I love Orijen.

[theBCnut]

Orijen and Acana are very good foods, but you should definitely rotate to other brands too.

[Jackie T]

I am trying to find a grain-free food that both of my Papillons, 6 months and 3 yrs, will eat and maintain a good weight. One of my cats has grain allergies so all food must be grain-free. I have been switching from Orijen/Acana to Blue Wilderness to Wellness Core, trying to find a happy solution. The pup ate puppy formula until the last bag (last week which I mixed with the wilderness adult) at six months does she still need puppy food? It seems that the higher protein/fat content is more palatable for them, except the Core, they both ate around it. I have read the non-GMO list and found that the Orijen/Acana is one of the foods listed there. It is the food I used for my first Pap and the pup until recently, should I stick with it? my cats both eat Orijen/Acana too. Is switching between the different formulas in the Orijen/Acana line enough or should it be different brands of food? Thanks for your in-put.

[Jade X]

I’m on my second bag of Orijen puppy dry food, however, the kibbles from second bag looks very different from the first bag. First bag’s kibble is dryer, second bag looks more moist and darker color. Has anyone experience this? Is this normal?

[Bette W]

Orijen has been named Pet Food of the Year by the Glycemic Research Institute in Washington, D.C. for 3 years running. It is what I always recommend to my customers requesting a food for their diabetic pets (I own natural/holistic pet food store).