Rating: 
Orijen Dog Food Senior receives the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
Currently, the Orijen Dog Food Senior product line consists of just one dry kibble… designed to be “biologically appropriate for senior dogs of all breeds”.1
Orijen Senior
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Fresh deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, fresh deboned salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), herring meal, sweet potato, peas, fresh deboned lake whitefish, salmon meal, fresh deboned walleye, chicken liver, fresh deboned turkey, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E and citric acid), whole eggs, fresh deboned herring, sun-cured alfalfa, salmon oil, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, saskatoon berries, black currants, choline chloride, psyllium, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, sea salt, vitamin supplements (vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, vitamin C, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12), mineral supplements (zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium), Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is fresh chicken. Raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
That’s what makes uncooked chicken a much smaller contributor to the overall protein content of any dry food than chicken meal… the second ingredient on the list.
The next two items are chicken and turkey meals. Both of these ingredients are considered meat concentrates and contain almost 300% more protein than fresh poultry.
The fourth ingredient is russet potato. Frequently referred to as an “Idaho”, this is the most popular potato grown in the United States. Assuming they are whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The recipe goes on to list nine more animal-based ingredients…
- Salmon
- Herring meal
- Lake whitefish
- Salmon meal
- Walleye
- Chicken liver
- Turkey
- Whole eggs
- Herring
By now, it should be fairly obvious… this Orijen Dog Food Senior is nearly identical to its sister product… Orijen Puppy.
The only real difference between the two is the higher fiber content found in Orijen Senior.
In addition to everything mentioned so far, both Orijen products contain chelated minerals, chicken fat, salmon oil, friendly bacteria, botanicals, veggies, fruits and grasses.
Orijen Dog Food Senior… the Bottom Line
If you’ve ever before taken a serious look at a typical senior dog food, then you already know how awful one of these carelessly designed products can be.
Most dog foods made for older pets are woefully short on protein and painfully high in carbohydrates… a dangerous combination for seniors already prone to obesity and diabetes.
So, let’s see how we stand with Orijen Senior…
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 44%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 31%.
High protein. Moderate fat. And remarkably low “carbs” (especially for a kibble). This senior dog food is anything but “typical”.
With a complete lack of Red Flag items and its exceptional recipe of top-quality human-grade meats and produce, Orijen Senior Dog Food earns a well-deserved five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself?
Please feel free to share your comments below.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
this product looks as if it might work for a 13 year old yellow lab with kidney issues….am I on the right track?
Hi Carol… Since I’m not a veterinarian, I cannot assure you a high protein food like Orijen is the right choice for your senior pet. However, my personal favorite explanation and justification for a high protein diet can be found in an Orijen white paper entitled “The Biologically Appropriate Food Concept and the Dietary Needs of Dogs and Cats“. Be sure to read the parts about kidney disease and high protein feeding. Hope this helps.
Hello,
I’ve read some reactions by dog owners, who have given their senior dogs Orijen Sr dog food. I was then extremely cautious about considering this high protein diet for my 12 yr old cocker spaniel. I have heard of many senior dogs resulting in kidney failure and problem issues after having their dogs on this high
protein diet…
It’s wise to be very cautious , especially if you have a dog with kidney problems…….I would ask a competent friend (like a physician) who has sufficient knowledge of what the body does best on, as a senior pet with special needs or kidney issues.
I put my 12 yr old cocker spaniel on the salmon and fish Orijen dog food, and she has had endless problems ever since of urinary tract infections. Though Orijen says that kidney problems are not due to their food, they do say that the HIGH PROTEIN DIET PRODUCES MORE NITROGEN BY PRODUCTS, WHICH ARE EXCRETED THROUGH THE URINE.
Well, my dog has been having continuous urinary tract problems only since I put her on this high protein diet.
So I am cutting Orijen loose from my beloved cocker spaniel’s life, or what is left of her life, at this time, for I want her healthy, and I don’t feel that she needs EXCESS NITROGEN BY PRODUCT WASTES STRAINING HER URINARY TRACT .
HOPE THIS HELPS.
P.S. I’D BE MOST MOST CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING THIS FOOD TO A KNOWN DOG ”WITH” KNOWN KIDNEY PROBLEM ISSUES. THIS IS MY MOST HONEST OPINION.
THANKS FOR WRITING.