Orijen Senior (Dry)

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Rating: ★★★★★

Orijen Senior dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.

Orijen Senior dog food is designed to be “biologically appropriate for senior dogs of all breeds”.1

Although the food has been optimized for older dogs, Orijen Senior meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.

Orijen Senior

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 42% | Fat = 17% | Carbs = 33%

Ingredients: Fresh boneless chicken, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon, turkey meal, russet potato, herring meal, sweet potato, peas, pea fiber, fresh boneless turkey, fresh whole eggs, fresh chicken liver, fresh boneless lake whitefish, fresh boneless walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dried organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%

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 relative meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

That’s what makes uncooked chicken a much smaller contributor to the overall protein content of this food than chicken meal… the second and (more likely) the main meat ingredient on the list.

Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The third item is salmon. Salmon is a fatty marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.

The fourth ingredient mentions turkey meal. Nutritionally similar to chicken meal, this is another high-protein meat concentrate.

The fifth ingredient is russet potato. Commonly referred to as an “Idaho”, this is the most popular potato grown in the United States. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The sixth ingredient is herring meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate.

The seventh ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.

The eighth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

The ninth ingredient lists pea fiber… a mix of soluble and insoluble plant fiber derived from pea hulls. Except for the usual benefits of fiber, pea fiber does add some additional protein to this food.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions

First, we note this food contains chelated mineralsminerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

And lastly, the company appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.

Orijen Senior Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Now if you’ve ever taken a serious look at a typical senior dog food, then you already know how nutritionally ugly one of these products can be.

Most dog foods made for older pets are notably short on protein and high in carbohydrates… a troubling combination for seniors already prone to obesity and diabetes.

But Orijen Senior doesn’t follow this conventional low-meat design. For proof, just look at these numbers.

The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 42%, a fat level of 17% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 33%.

High protein. Average fat. And unusually low carbs when compared to the average dry dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a generous amount of meat.

What’s more, it’s important to acknowledge the absence here of any critical Red Flag items.

Bottom line?

Orijen Senior Dog Food is a grain-free kibble using an abundance of fish and poultry meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for a quality adult kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Orijen Adult dog food.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Other spellings: Origen, Orijin

Notes and Updates

01/25/2010 Original review
08/28/2010 Review updated
11/17/2010 New formula

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • guest

    i agree,excellent food,fresh from canada. and by the way farting fills s00 good :)

  • guest

    i see u post the same paragraph on amazon too….makes me wonder.

  • Steve

    Lower the quantity.  It worked great for our dog.  

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Karen… Check with the manufacturer. You may have a new product in an older package.

  • Karen

    Orijen Senior does not have selenium yeast (I have a bag in front of me); it contains sodium selenite

  • Al

    concerning struvite crystals / bladder infections: do your research. Granted, anybody can say anything on the internet and post looking like they’re experts but you have to draw the line some where. Check out this short blog: http://onlynaturalpetcommunity.com/forums/t/266.aspx

    This again follows everything I’ve read on protein: water, water, water. Haven’t you always heard that it’s not a good thing to hold it? No ‘new’ food is going to cure an aged, ailed dog of their problems. All it’s going to do is ‘fix’ what you couldn’t by your own hand.

    From puppy to old age, I’m sticking with Orijen. I’ll post updates as he ages. Currently, as of yesterday vet check, 7 days short of 8 months, 105 lbs, no health issues. Lean and muscular.

  • Richard Raine

    Tom, another question, on both Nutrisca and Orijen Senior, the dogs drink noticeably more water. I am assuming this must be because of the salt content of both dog foods. I can see no other reason based on ingredient content for that to happen. Can you comment or offer advice on that?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Richard… This dog food is certified “low glycemic” by the Glycemic Institute in Washington, DC. This would imply Orijen might be a good choice for diabetic pets like your Pomeranian.

    Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian and due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

  • Richard Raine

    My diabetic Pomeranian seems to like to supplement his home cooked meals with Orijen Senior. You make no recommendation as far as diabetes for this dog food. Do you think it would hurt him to munch on it occasionally, he gets tired of the home cooked meal. I also tried Nutrisca, he will eat it but seems to prefer Orijen over it.

  • Al

    Just want to throw my 2 cents in…I fed my I.W. pup till 5 months on Orijen LBP then switched to Senior; compared to their other brands, lower fat, more fruits/veggies 75/25 compared to 80/20. I had problems switching from breeder food to LBP but after 2 weeks he was fine. Now at 7 months old and on senior he’s healthy as a horse, as the saying goes. He’s very lean and muscular with very little body fat. He looks great and I get complimented all the time on his physique.
    Some things to consider…no hard physical activity one hour before, one hour after, least, at feeding. Left over protein, you, me, the dog, not used by the body is excreted through the urine. Lots of water is necessary. More water, less likely hood of crystal formation. Talk to any body builder…Consider what they eat, lots of chicken. Google what the protein is in boiled chicken per serving and compare that to Orijen…lots higher yet the vets will tell you to feed that to your dog if they have stomach issues.
    I really think that to compare analysis from one food to another one really has to look at what ingredients are affecting those numbers. Now, compare Orijen ingredients to other brands. You make the call…

  • sandy

    Michele,

    I started my pugs on some Amicus not too long ago. It’s not high protein, it’s 30%.

    On another note, all 4 pugs went for a check up last week and the oldest ones that I recently adopted (9 & 7) had just very small struvite crystals in their urine. The vet said to give them some daily vit C. This will help acidify the urine.

  • Michele

    Very interesting blog. I hear all of you. I too, am searching for an alternative food for my 3 pugs. They are 8, 11, and 12. The 12 yr old has had 2 operations to remove bladder stones(struvite). She also had a liver shunt repaired at 3 yrs old. Ever since then, she has been on Hill’s w/d. I see the ingredients are horrible, but her ph levels have been stable for years now. I dread the day we see more blood in her urine. Therefore, and after reading these blogs, we will be keeping her on this food. She and her sister have recently developed skin allergies on their feet and legs which we are dealing with and hoping they will ease up with continued weekly baths and lotions, in addition to daily doses of benadryl. Steroids helped, but now they are (teramil-p) no longer available thru manufacturer?? Maybe their patents are up?? Anyway, wecwill be staying stayingvaway from high protein!

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    P Dunn – Your vet told you “that most dogs cannot cope with that high level of protein.” MOST dogs? I don’t agree, but I’m not a vet. I wonder what your vet eats. Do ‘most’ vets eat high carb, high-sugar, high-fat, nutrient-deficient processed foods? Probably. Most people in our country (USA) have poor nutrition. Can most vets not cope with REAL FOOD?

    This morning, as we shopped at a local organic farmer’s market, we met a man who is a chef for a private family. The chef described how the family has many animals, including 20 rescue dogs they have acquired over many years. He said that all the dogs have been converted to raw meat feeding (high protein), with vet-formulated nutrient-complete recipes (that the chef makes). He said all dogs are thriving and not one dog had any issue with transition. Prior to raw, the dogs were all eating high-protein kibble and canned, mixed with some cooked meats.

  • http://www.drianbillinghurst.com Gordon

    Wow, that is interesting and there are expert nutritionists that say high protein levels are even OK for senior dogs now.

    Anyway, both my dogs get Artemis Maximal in alternation with BARF and both these foods are higher in protein than even Orijen, and my dogs are doing just great. It goes to show just how most dogs are biologically unique.

  • P Dunn

    Both my dogs became ill after being on Orijen, my vet informed me that most dogs cannot cope with that high level of protein. After returning them to a food with lower levels of protein, their health returned to normal. Be warned.

  • http://www.bestdogfoodreviews.net/ dog food reviews

    PROS
    ORIJEN features the highest fresh meat inclusions of any dry dog food.

  • Lisa

    My dog was deemed healthy prior to putting her on Orijen. She underwent a teeth cleaning, and due to her age, had to undergo all sorts of tests before hand. Everything, blood work included, came back fine. Also, over the course of her life, she’s had other draws which always came back clean. A few months later I put her on a “better” doog food brand, Orijen Senior. About a month later she was in the ICU due to accident. Because of this, blood was drawn and I was told her liver levels, alkaline & phosphatase and calcium levels of the kidney were all very high. I never would have know, as she showed no symptoms or distress. Immediately, she was put on 3 different liver support medicines. We had to follow up every month with more blood work to reassess. A few months into all of this, the vet advised that cancer could be present. This devastated me so I started researching this food. I learned how much protein is in the food and what that much protein could do to a body. I presented my concerns to my vet. She wasn’t as worried about the food as I was. Still her next labs came back the same. At that point, we decided to wean her off of Orijen and on to another brand. Once month later, and my dog aced her test! A clean bill of health. Her alkaline and phosphatase are still slightly elevated, but I’m told there’s nothing to worry about, we’ll just follow up with one more draw in 4 months. Had it not been for her accident, I never would have known of the damage this was causing her.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kim… I believe RC makes a number of foods with smaller kibble sizes. Since we don’t track kibble dimensions here, you may wish to contact the company for this information. Wish I could be more help.

  • Kim

    I have a senior papillon estimated to be 13 yrs old (puppy mill rescue). He also has a grade IV heart murmur but the specialist says he is not yet in congestive heart failure. She has told me to watch salt content in his food. Currently he eats the Royal Canin Aging Care but, I know he could do better. Is the high protein content okay for the little ones? Also, do they have a small kibble size?
    My 6 yr old female papillon has allergies and in on Hills Z/D and the ingredients list is just awful to me. I’m thinking of sampling some of the better foods on this list that are grain free. Thanks for a great website!

  • Meagan

    Its best to feed dogs after exercise anyways. They utilize the food better. Giant breeds about an hour after exercise.

  • Jonathan

    Dr. Sagman is right… eating just before working out can cause stomach upset and vomiting. When you work out, your body redirects energy away from digestion and to the organs and muscles that are working harder. This can make food sit heavy in the tummy, and that can make the tummy sick… and then the food may suddenly reappear in an unpleasant way!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ian… High protein would most likely not cause vomiting. But like with humans, exercising close to eating probably could. In any case, since I’m not a veterinarian, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. You may wish to check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.