[wendi s]

Hi. What is the best dry dog food for a dog with allergies? We are currently feeding our pug Acana Pacifica but he is gaining weight on it. He has bad knees so the extra weight is really bad for him not to mention other things it causes. He is only getting a 1/4 cup twice a day. I don’t want to cut back because it is such a small amount as it is. He is very active. When it isn’t too hot out< I walk him 2 miles a day. In the summer it is a mile a day.

[Maria K]

Recommend:
– EVO
Avoid:
– Natural Balance
– Pro Plan Focus
Acana can be good or bad depending on which formula you choose. Same with Zignature, Fromm, Blue Buffalo, and Annamaet. I am using Acana’s Regional Ranchlands right now and my dog is thriving!

[Maria K]

I would avoid Pedigree, ZiwiPeak freeze dried raw, and VeRUS. Wellness is a hard brand because not all of their foods are created equal when it comes to quality. I am using Acana’s Regional Ranchlands formula right now and my dog is thriving on it!

[Maria K]

I would avoid anything Hill’s and the ZiwiPeak Daily Dog food. I am using Acana Regionals Ranchlands formula right now and my dog is thriving on it!

[Lana A]

Two months ago I went to buy Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear and store owner asked me if I want Canada made or the new one, US made. I had no idea they moved production to US and changed the formula. I got the last two 25 lbs bags made in Canada and started checking all dog’s blogs for people feed back on new version of their singles line, Duck and Pear line in particular. It wasn’t much of positive reviews, many unhappy dog parents, some reported dog having diarrhea. I called store owner and asked her how her customers who buy this formula are reacting. She said none of the them are happy, some already switched to different dog food.
From my past experience every time when company “improve” the formula nothing good comes out of it because usually their “improvement” results in cutting corners in quality. I decided not to take a chance with the new formula and switched 2 weeks ago to The Honest Kitchen “Grain Free Turkey Recipe”. It’s more expensive than Acana and lacking glucosamine and chondroitin which I have to supplement now, but other then that no complains about ingredients and my dog loves it.

[Melissa L]

I have 2 Labs and both of my boys have done excellent on Annamaet. Great food, made in the US with all US sourced ingredients and has never had a recall. I rotate between the grain free Salcha and Manitok formulas and sometimes throw in a bag of the Lean here and there for my lower energy boy to avoid any excessive weight gain. I have 2 very fit, healthy dogs with beautiful coats! I order this online from chewy.com as it’s hard to find in stores.

I’ve also used Acana and Fromm and occasionally throw them into the rotation just for variety and to ensure they can tolerate other brands in case I would ever not be able to get Annamet . I like both of these as well but Annamaet is my go to food.

[Ashley M]

Hello Marco,

I love Protein for Pets! One more question I had about your food is if it has glucosamine chondroitin in it? At the moment we feed our Dogs Acana and they love it but it is a little pricey. I have to have the glucosamine chondroitin in the dog food though because one of my dogs has bad knees and this has helped tremendously. It seems cheaper and easier to feed my dog food that includes glucosamine chondroitin in it than buying a supplement and try to get him to take it.

[Kellye P]

Linda,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I held the little paw print that came with Duffy’s ashes and cried a bit. 😢

The one thing I did that made the biggest positive impact was finding the Chi Institute herbalist. It’s a real shame that Duffy was so allergic to cinnamon because the formula for diabetics gets rave reviews but it’s full of various forms of cinnamon. However, the Chi Institute vet had other herbal formulas that helped a lot with keeping him content in other ways. Duffy was drug free except for insulin and he never had any problems with stiffness or liver or bladder or anything except the dad-blasted glucose!!!
I highly recommend finding a local Chi Institute herbalist because Kismet can probably handle cinnamon just fine and the formula will help.

http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx

The Solid Gold food isn’t necessarily for diabetics but since Duffy would eat it, he got it every day and he thrived on it. My vet wanted him to get at least 300 calories a day, which meant over half a can. With any other food, that would have been impossible, but I could get 1/3 cup in Duffy twice a day and then little bonus bits as baked treats. The food is very thick so I could slice it and bake it as crunchy treats as well as feed it straight from the can.
Also, a trick I thought of that seemed to work —
I took Acana duck kibble (“cool” for diabetes), put it in the food processor, and chopped it to a fine powder. I added 1/8 cup of the powder to the canned food for added calories.
It didn’t add much bulk and Duffy didn’t notice the extra food.

He was so hard to keep alive. Even as a puppy, he refused to eat. He never saw food as a reward. He never begged for treats. I always had to force him to eat but it wasn’t a big deal until he became diabetic. That when he HAD to eat twice a day, and had to eat the same amount of food.

What breed is Kismet? Do you use the super short needle syringes? I had my pharmacy special order them. Duffy was like a baby bird so he needed everything very small. I ordered the glucose/ketone test strips from Amazon. They had the two test pads on each strip. I used an electrolyte supplement in his water. It was an unsweetened brand made for dogs. It’s also sold on Amazon.
Let me know how things go for Kismet. Best wishes!!

[DogFoodie]

Not sure if any of these will work. Double check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain any of the triggers.

Acana Lamb & Okanagan Apple
Acana Pork & Butternut Squash
Addiction Hunter’s Venison Stew (canned)
Canine Caviar Lamb & Pearl Millet
Canine Caviar LBP dinner
Canine Caviar Wild Ocean
Canine Caviar Open Sky
Petcurean Go! Sensitivity & Shine Venison

[Maniza D]

Sorry .. I did not read that your dog maybe allergic to fish. My research revealed that dogs with digestive issues are best treated with having a higher protein than fats and carbs. Dogs do not have the intestines needed for digesting complex carbs … hence diarreahh, stinky stools, big stools etc. There is a PHD pet nutritionist in Canada who has a cookbook for dogs as wells totally balanced vitamin supplement. Her name is Hilary Watson and her website is http://www.hilarywatson.com/. I spoke with her today. She was very helpful. She is the one who suggested to me that my Toby may not have an allergies to food but food intolerances. Her recommendation was to feed him food with lower fat content than I had been. The recipe I created above certainly provides less fat than what he was accustomed to with Acana. I also think the addition of slippery elm, the small amount of garlic, ginger and some greens has helped tremendously. Dr. Watson suggested that once his digestive system has settled down, I might want to reintroduce him to other low fat proteins such as turkey, venison, bison and goat. But please note that almost every kibble has higher fat percentage than protein. The fat is added back in to make the food palatable to dogs. Natural Balance is a good food per my breeder .. but it’s nutrient values are (for fish and sweet potatoe .. limited ingredients) Protein 22%, Fat 20% and the remainder is carbs.

[Maniza D]

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD FOR DIGESTIVE AND SKIN ISSUES
My 13 month old Tibetan Terrier has been sick on and off since I got him at 14 weeks old. After spending thousands of dollars, I decided to cook for him. After doing a lot of research, I discovered that the Acana Pacifica he was on was too rich for him. Acana, like most dog foods does not have a balanced protein to fat ratio (1:1). It is a very fatty kibble. Also it has quite a few sources of carbs lentils ( which are also a source of protein) etc. Lentils are hard to digest, even for humans .. see Indian cooking where Hing is added to aid digestion of these pulses. The Acana ingredients may work well for other dogs but not mine. I decided to switch to homemade meals and the recipe below cured him of stomach ailments overnight!

I was able to create this recipe using BalanceIt website. Couple of important things to note : I added in one capsule of Slippery Elm, great supplement for digestive issues, rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh garlic-ginger paste, parsley, a half teaspoon of bonemeal, and substituted out a portion of the corn oil (causes inflammation) for 1/2 tsp of high quality fish oil. I also adjusted the ingredient quantity to cook for 14 meals ( 2 per day). I cooked the base consisting of the cod, salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin and froze the portions. The fresh veggies in the recipe are par-boiled and pureed in the water they were boiled in, and added on a daily basis, along with the above ingredients and a VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT. Very important to add the vitamins and bonemeal (for calcium) to create a nutritionally balanced meal. I add in the bonemeal because the calcium to phosphorus ratio is off in the BalanceIt Vitamin powder.

The following homemade recipe was specially created for a 28 lb healthy adult dog who requires 659 Calories per day. The following recipe provides 692 Calories, enough for 1 day.

TOBY’S HOMEMADE PET FOOD RECIPE
Ingredients Grams Amount
(1) Sweetpotato, baked in skin, without salt (BalanceIT.com; flesh fed only) 200.0 g 1 cup
(2) Fish, cod, Pacific, baked 159.5 g 5 5/8 oz
(3) Fish, salmon, Atlantic, wild, baked 74.4 g 2 5/8 oz – *I used canned
(4) Pumpkin, canned, without salt 61.2 g 1/4 of a cup
(5) Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 56.2 g 3/8 of a cup, diced
(6) Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed, without salt 45.0 g-1/4 cup
(7) Squash, summer, crookneck and straightneck, cooked, boiled, drained, pureed without salt 45.0 g 1/4 of a cup, sliced
(8) Apples, raw, with skin 40.9 g 3/8 of a cup slices
(9) Oil, corn, industrial and retail, all purpose salad or cooking 18.7 g 1 3/8 tbsp – *I use only 1.5 tsp.

You MUST also add the following supplement(s) to prevent essential nutrient deficiencies:
2 3/8 teaspoons (4.75 gram) of Balance IT® Canine – I give Toby half the dose.

Per Above Recipe: 692 Calories; 33% protein calories (228 Calories); 34% fat calories (238 Calories); 33% carbohydrate calories (226 Calories).

[Jen T]

Hi everyone, I have a Westie who is 9 years old and this summer has been the worst for her. We moved from the East Coast to the West Coast over 5 years ago. In May 2013, she had her first ear infection in her left ear, which turned out to be an inner ear infection. This summer (starting in May) she has been having mild bacteria/yeast infections in her left ear which my vet says are a secondary infection from environmental allergies (theorized, never went to a dermatologist).

Last Saturday, her left ear was inflammed (narrow canal, thick skin, yellow golden flakes, smelly). Thursday, my vet prescribed Apoquel (3.6mg pills) and suggested to lightly apply a cortisone cream for 5 days. She has never tried using Claritin or any antihistimine for this. Today we started the Apoquel because I wanted to read more about it. I’m planning to only do 10 days (1/2 pill twice a day) instead of the full 30 days (asked the vet if it was okay and they said yes). Her left ear at this moment is no longer red but still has yellow golden flakes and is a bit smelly.

I’m hoping someone can help me since my vet (and others) only believes in steroids, antibiotics, and Apoquel for long term use. When my Westie’s flare up calms down, what can I do to minimize the use of Apoquel and steroid creams? Right now, I am bathing her once a week with Malaseb and rinsing with apple cider vinegar (will do twice a week now), wiping her down with a wet paper towel (sometimes apple cider vinegar), doing foot soaks at the end of the night with warm water, and I’m currently trying an 8 week diet of only Acana Pork & Squash with no treats. I have noticed that her poop from Acana (since Thursday) is fairly soft versus when I had half Acana and half homecooked food plus Ark Naturals Probiotic added. Should I add a probiotic to help with the soft poop as well as the suppressing of the immune system due to Apoqeul? I greatly appreciate any help since this is my first dog and the vets near me don’t seem to know anything outside of steroids and antibiotics. Thank you.

[Jen T]

Hi, I have been feeding my Westie Acana Singles (Pork & Squash) in the morning and homecooked meals in the evening. I just cooked up a batch (3 pounds of ground turkey, 6 organic celery stalks, 12 ounces green beans, 2 organic red delicious apples, 2 tbsp of basil, 2 tbsp of oregano).

I added 2 capsules of Now Foods Curcumin Extract (I believe this is 11mg per capsule) which I read afterward that you shouldn’t use 95% Curcuminoids for pets. Is this true? The reason why I added Curcumin is because my Westie seems to be atopic and currently has inflammation in her left ear with some yeast. I’m taking her to the vet on Thursday for a check up but wanted to know if I have to throw away this batch of food I just made for her. Thanks in advance!

[Z B]

Acana Singles has several varieties that may work for you.
Also some varieties of Addiction, canine caviar, nutrisource, and petcurean.

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

[Jennifer M]

Hi, I feed my two Shih tzu ‘s the Orijen Tundra and the both love it. Which says a lot as our one is four years old and extremely picky, she is also very small at 5lbs so it’s very important to me that what little food she does eat is high in protein and nutritional value. Our other pup is more than willing to eat anything given to her, so we have to monitor that she she only eating from her own bowl. Lol I do find the Tundra to be a bit more expensive than the other Orijen varieties but since our girls are small we don’t go through it that fast, plus it’s grain free and chicken free ( chicken always ends up making the one pup’s eyes tear & stain). I am a big fan of both Orijen and Acana products and have always stayed with choosing a variety from their lines.

[harp31]

Hi, I can relate to your loose stool issues.
I have 2 Bostons, one is 11 lbs and one is 28 lbs. Both are 3 yrs old and female. I have been trying to find a low fat limited ingredient food for them. The larger one has had bouts of diarrhea (some was bloody) and some vomiting on and off for the past month. My vet had her on metronidazole for 2-3 weeks but she started to break out in hives from it so we had to discontinue the med. They had been eating Annamaet Option 24% dry food for the past year or more with some boiled chicken or ground turkey as a mix in to entice them to eat it. For some reason they don’t want to eat it anymore and are having loose stools, etc. They have been on a bland diet on and off for the last month (boiled chicken and rice or pasta) with no loose stools or vomiting but obviously are not getting the nutrition they need. Every time I start to re-introduce the dry food, the loose stools start up again. I am working with my vet to try to find a suitable food for them. They were eating Acana Ranchlands Regional previous to the Annamaet kibble. They had the same issues after eating that food for over a year also (not wanting to eat it, loose stools, etc). Anyone else experience this with their dogs? It’s so frustrating to find a food they like that they can tolerate. My vet mentioned Royal Canin Gastro. and Hill’s Prescription ID (which they sell in the office) but I am not a fan of those 2 choices. I’m also skeptical of TOTW because of Diamond manufacturing and California Natural due to previous recalls. The DFA has several low fat suggestions here, I just hate buying a whole 5 lb bag of something if they won’t eat it. I guess I will go into town and see what I can find at Petsmart or Soldan’s that is a decent food. May be that I have to find some nutritional add-ins and cook for them, they are picky.
I also had my dog’s anal glands expressed at the vet about a month ago and she does sit and spin on her butt at times, maybe she needs them done again.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by harp31.

[Z B]

I just started on first bag of Acana heritage poultry USA last week. Looks and smells fine to me and the dogs like it and are tolerating it well.

[Rick S]

Because they are purposely not releasing it. Champion Pet Foods Kentucky is playing it different than the Acana reveal because it did not go over too big. People were complaining and getting banned from their Facebook page with all the negativity with the release of the ingredients prior to hitting stores. This puppy food bag was seen at a specialty pet store. I have pictures.

[Pjmaxwellian]

95% sure my pup is a Black Mouth Cur, adopted in Nov. at 10 mos., now 17 mos., about 55 lbs. Had her on Blue Wilderness, first puppy then adult. She’s a pretty high energy pooch, good thing we have a fairly large fenced yard.

I’m done with Blue anything. A short while ago, she seemed to be moving at a slower pace, turning her nose up at food, then became lethargic, had diarrhea, slept all day. Went 24 hrs. without food, then gave her rice and chicken. She seemed like herself again within another 24 hrs. Decided to change her food sooner than planned. Was going to anyway, had one more bag to buy to get my freebie. My head was spinning after all the dog food research. So, I bit the bullet and bought a bag of Orijen Regional Red (still Canada.) She went nuts over it. Even the cat wanted it. I have the food and water bowls raised (plant stands are perfect) and although the cat does drink out of the water bowl, I’ve never seen her race to the dog food bowl at feeding time.

Anyway, she’s been on the food for nearly a week. Her energy level is off the charts, and she seems hungry a lot of the time, comes inside and first points to the food bowl, then the treat cabinet. Stools are just right. I was giving her 1 cup of the Red twice a day, but I think I have to increase it.

The main reason I’m posting, is that I love Orijen Red, hope they take a long while before it comes out of Kentucky. But, I can’t really afford it all the time. I’d like to alternate, maybe every 2 bags of something else, with a bag of Red. Does that seem like a good or bad idea?

I’m just buying 5 lb bags now, until I’m sure the new foods fit her. I like grain-free, no GMOs, human-grade quality, at a reasonable price if possible. I’m OK ordering online, but would be nice to find something also available locally. I’m not sure about Acana yet, would like to see more reviews/results on the Kentucky food. Castor and Pollux Organix was a possibility (I actually bought a bag of Salmon and Peas but haven’t tried it) until I became aware of the Purina connection.

I’ve been looking at Petcurian food, Now Fresh and Go! Not sure if I can get it locally, I’ll have to check. I do like the ingredient info on their website, especially their statement on human-grade ingredients.

There’s always Taste of the Wild. Could probably alternate every bag (of Red) instead of every 2 with the price of this one.

Guess I’m looking for something between TOTW and Orijen Red in price.

I could use some other opinions on my thoughts here, both on the rotation idea and a new brand.

Thank you.

• This topic was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Pjmaxwellian.

[Mick M]

I thought about adding Colostrum to my 8 month old GSD. She has been having trouble with stools and allergies. Has anyone used it. I’m feeding brothers complete. I’ve tried orijen,acana singles,nutrisource and fromms. It’s been hard to find a good food that helps her with normal stools.

[Mick M]

I’ve been having trouble with my GSD Heidi she is 8 months old. Is started her out on orijen LBP but her stools was to soft. Then I went to nutrisource same problem. Then acana singles she wouldn’t eat it and stools were still loose. I’m feeding her brothers complete she eats some times. her stools are better on this. Has anyone else fed there dog brothers complete.

[Deborah G]

I have confirmed 7 dogs in two different households diagnosed with pancreatitis (confirmed with blood work) after eating the Acana Heritage Meat Formula Dog Food that is now processed in Kentucky (rather than Canada). The Acana Heritage Meat Formula is the only common denominator. I have made a complaint this evening with the FDA in Seattle and they are investigating.
Anyone else?

• This topic was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by Deborah G.

[Hannah Y]

I have a very persnickety 16 yr old Maltese Poodle mix male with various health issues. So far, he’s been on Orijen, Acana, Blue Buffalo, etc etc. Even if I add boiled chicken or other snacks as toppings he is able to smell the kibbles right out of it and won’t touch the bowl.

He does like Tiki Dog canned food, but due to his sensitive stomach, he always gets the runs and terrible gas, even after gradually introducing it to him.

So I decided to give Freshpet Nature’s Fresh rolls and so far, he’s been doing pretty well. I would recommend you pick a few products she likes and mix it up and add some toppers to it. I add crushed lamb lungs which seems to help.

[Freddy w]

This food is on the high price side
But it’s great !

http://www.chewy.com/s?query=Acana&nav-submit-button=Submit

[Shelley S]

I use Acana Grasslands for my dog. I have done a LOT of research into dog foods and their ingredients and this is the one I use for my dog. I feel it is important to have a product whose ingredients are sourced in the US and Canada rather than elsewhere. Chicken allergies appear to be rather common and Danes do tend towards sensitive skin. Here are the ingredients of Grasslands… Deboned lamb, lamb meal, duck meal, whitefish meal*, whole peas, red lentils, field beans, deboned duck, whole eggs, deboned walleye, duck fat, herring oil, lamb liver, herring meal, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, …
When you want to talk about healthy treats let me know lol 🙂

[Mick M]

Who has tried brothers complete. I’ve tried orijen her stool was to soft. Tried the acana singles duck and pear the NEw
W formula from Kentucky and she didn’t want to eat it. So now I’m trying brothers complete. Thank you

[Mallary P]

My 9 year old Shih Tzu has always been a gem. Even as a puppy, she was never one to be destructive or chew on anything. She has recently gone to the vet and was given a clean bill of health. I feed her Fromm Surf & Turf and Acana Grasslands (switch off). Occasionally, she gets Weruva canned food. I’ve been feeding her this way for 2 months and it’s been great. But this week, she has started destroying the blinds. I have a sliding glass door and so far, half of them are shredded/torn off the track. There have been no changes in her routine and the only other thing she is doing is pulling the towel down off of my oven (does not shred it though). When I come in and survey the damage, she is my same happy, content girl. My boyfriend is moving but we don’t live together and he has not begun packing yet. I’ve been trying to think about what could be setting her off. Storms stress her out but we havent had any. I do have a new neighbor, but he seems to be pretty quiet. I’ll need to replace the blinds in my apartment, but I’m curious why there is a sudden change in her behavior. What could be wrong with my baby? Any ideas?

[pugmomsandy]

Acana Singles. Vital Essentials. Grandma Lucy’s. Sojo’s. Pro Pac Ultimates. Pioneer Naturals. Merrick LID. Wellness Simple.

[G.J. S]

Hello,
I am new to the thread, but would like some advise on dosing for Swanson’s Mobility Essentials for my 60 pound Standard poodle. She has been on human glucosamine and chondritin with MSM but none of the other anti-inflammatory’s discussed by Hound Dog Mom.
It was her post of some years ago that got me to try this mix. We live in Canada so the pills have just arrived by mail and I wanted to be sure of a canine dose. Adult dose is 3 caps twice daily. I have been giving her 1 cap three times daily of her present supplement which equates to about 1500 mgm daily. She also takes an Omega supplement. There is some glucosamine, etc. in her Acana kibble but it is negligent. Would appreciate any comments you might have.

[pugmomsandy]

There’s not a long list of very low carb kibbles since kibble is like a bakery product and needs carbs to hold it’s shape. There are brands that use 70% or more protein from animal sources like Acana Regionals USA, some of the Acana Heritage Canada recipes are near 75% animal sourced, Weruva Caloric Melody, Merrick Grain Free, Only Natural Pet Canine Power Food and Orijen currently boasts 80% animal sourced ingredients so their carbs are low. There are alot more low carb choices in canned foods.

Then there are dehydrated foods like ZiwiPeak and Only Natural Pet MaxMeat that are slightly processed so not technically raw but have high protein and low carbs.

There are also supplements you can buy to add to cooked meat to make it a complete diet such as Urban Wolf and Carnivoraw. These don’t require you to add veggies.

[stacy r]

I have French Bulldogs and struggle with soft mushy poop. tired sooo many different dog foods, kinda gave up thinking that’s just them, but then was reading something about low protein, higher fat content and higher fiber is best for firm poo . I don’t give my frenchies any chicken or grain foods. Foods we’ve tried, Acana, taste of wild, earthborn holistics, lastest is natural balance. I am at my wits end. Looking for a quality kibble . anyone heard about the ratios of protein, fat and fiber? thanks stacy

• This topic was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Moderator has removed percent symbols from the title and replaced them with text to improve the ability to find this thread in a search

[yjesse]

Hi everyone,

I currently feed my Charlie Acana Pork & Squash, sometimes topped with fresh veggies that she can tolerate. She has a really sensitive stomach, especially after a recent deworming session and bout of colitis.

I used to buy giant bags of kibbles to save money, and keep the them sealed to the best of my ability, and then I would put the entire sealed bag in a large lidded container. I understand kibbles immediately start to oxidize after opening, so I try my best to preserve the freshness for as long as possible. However, I am not convinced after 2+ weeks kibbles can remain “fresh.” So, I recently began buying smaller, 4.4 lb bags, and refrigerate after opening. Does anyone do this?

Are you concerned with keeping kibbles fresh? If so, how do you keep them fresh? I thought about freezing kibbles in batches. 😛

Any tips & tricks highly appreciated!

Jess

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

[Melanie B]

My Great Dane Herc has been having hair loss and dandruff issues for the last couple years. He is really not itchy and doesn’t lick or scratch. We initially thought is was a reaction to his neutering at a year, but it continued on. I was feeding him Acana Wild Prairie at the time and wondered if it was a food allergy. I switched him to the Pacifica for over 6 months and nothing really changed. After the feeding trial I switched him back to a chicken formula (Boka brand) and spoke to my vet who recommended an anti-dandruff shampoo. We diligently treated him with the shampoo and he improved a bit but was never really better. I recently had a full thyroid panel done on him to rule out hypothyroidism. The tests came back that he has euthyroid sick syndrome which can be caused by allergies. My vet believes he has some seasonal allergies but also probably a food allergy. We have currently switched him to Satori Lamb (which my severely chicken allergic JRT is on) and are treating him with an allergy specific shampoo and spray. Thinking back on this whole ordeal, I remember putting my JRT on the pacifica with Herc and I had to take her off of it because she was reacting so poorly to it. I even contacted the company to see if there was something that could cause her to react (they said no). So now I’m assuming he probably has a chicken allergy just like my other dog. Has anyone with a chicken sensitive dog every had issues with Acana Pacifica? My JRT has eaten many fish based diets before and after with no issues.

[Marionne H]

Thanks much, that’s great news. Everything I’m reading so far sounds good about the steps Champion is taking to preserve the quality of their foods with their move of manufacturing to Kentucky. It looks like they are making some similar changes to their Canadian-produced line as well. Good luck and I hope all continues to go well for you! I wish my dog liked the Acana, but no dice. I even bought a small bag of Grasslands (I tried the Wild Prairie with her before) just in case a different flavor would tempt her. No interest at all…and she really does prefer a small kibble.

[texasniteowl]

Well, a quick update. We are about 2 days into the new bag and so far so good. I switched cold turkey just like we always do between bags and no side effects so far. We will keep an eye on it for another few days.

I will probably go ahead and look for another brand to move into the rotation. Not sure what yet. But wouldn’t be a horrible thing to have a 3rd bag mixed in with the Acana Duck and Lamb formulas.

[Marionne H]

Hi texasniteowl,

I am no expert, but here’s what I know so far. The manufacturing of Acana for US markets is transitioning/has transitioned to Kentucky. The primary reason stated by the company for this move is increasing shipping costs and the expansion of the popularity of the foods in the US market. Champion is being very open about the move to Kentucky, and is proud of their new facility which has been constructed. Lots of data on the new kitchens is available on the acana.com website. The manufacturing of Orijen for US markets will also be moving to Kentucky.

They have changed their formulas. Given the new location and their focus on local sourcing of ingredients, some of the changes will be driven by the fact that they will be sourcing from Kentucky farms and surrounding areas. For some formulas (like the regional formulas), they are increasing the amount of meat in comparison with the old formulas, with more fresh and raw inclusions. This will explain changes in the ingredient list like deboned lamb now being the first ingredient instead of lamb meal in the formula you mentioned. In order to keep protein levels high with more fresh meat ingredients, we may see a higher level and different mix of legumes, so this may explain some of the other changes in the ingredient list. Not sure about the other ingredient changes like more produce, seeds, botanicals, etc…but it seems to be following the current trend to include a broader spectrum of ingredients.
It does seem that Champion is committed to making a good line of foods in Kentucky, using local sourcing and addressing the US market. After much pondering myself, I decided that it sounds like Acana is continuing to head in the right direction, and that time will tell as with any change (we’ll just have to watch vigilantly). So, I bought a bag, deciding that Acana will be in my dog’s rotation.
She didn’t like it. The kibbles were too big and she didn’t seem to care for the taste. So much for all that research!

[texasniteowl]

Hi folks. I just joined Editors Choice because of this change today. I have been feeding my dog Acana Singles (alternating Lamb and Duck) for over a year, maybe 2 yrs. When I stopped by my pet store today, they let me know that it is coming out of Kentucky now. I was a little apprehensive but bought the bag anyway (Lamb).

Does anyone have more information on this change and the product coming out of Kentucky? In the regular forums, it was mentioned that someone found plastic pieces in their Acana Heritage food?! Also, the ingredient listing DID change.

chewy.com lists the old ingredients and the new formula:

Ingredients
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver, apples, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin, carrots, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, freeze-dried lamb liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, zinc proteinate

New formula: Deboned lamb*, lamb meal, whole green peas, red lentils, lamb liver*, lamb fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, Red Delicious apples*, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, lamb cartilage*, dried kelp, whole pumpkin*, whole butternut squash*, kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, whole carrots*, Bartlett pears*, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried lamb tripe, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product. * delivered fresh or raw

We are scraping the bottom of the bag of his last bag, so I am going to go ahead and try the new, but I am nervous and unsure.

[Pitlove]

From chewy.com Acana Lamb Singles:

Lamb meal, deboned lamb, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver, apples, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin, carrots, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, freeze-dried lamb liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, zinc proteinate

New formula: Deboned lamb*, lamb meal, whole green peas, red lentils, lamb liver*, lamb fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, Red Delicious apples*, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, lamb cartilage*, dried kelp, whole pumpkin*, whole butternut squash*, kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, whole carrots*, Bartlett pears*, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried lamb tripe, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product. * delivered fresh or raw

As you can see they have added a lot more ingredients most of which will not necessarily add nutritional value to the food. I do find it funny to see an entire meal you would feed to a Bearded Dragon though! (kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*)

[texasniteowl]

Hmm…we will see how things go with this new bag of Acana Singles: Lamb. I better not find any plastic pieces in it! I suppose if Orijen is still produced in Canada I might have to relook into which Orijen formula to try if the new Kentucky plant Acana doesn’t go well.

I don’t think I have a bag of the old Lamb left to compare with (since we alternate and are on a bag of duck right now). I am going to go look for sure right now though.

[Pitlove]

Hi-

I work at a store that sells both Orijen and Acana. As of right now Orijen has not changed because it is still being solely manufactured out of Canada. There is talk (and this most likely will happen) of Orijen being moved over to the DogStar plant in the future. Orijen is however about to down size their large bags to a 25lb and slightly decrease the price (which they just recently increased). What I have heard from a few reps is that a lot of loyal Champion customers are not happy with the foods coming out of the new plant. In fact a few people on the review side have mentioned finding pieces of plastic in the new Acana Hertiage line. Guess time will tell as they are probably trying to get into the swing of things.

As for Acana…If you compare the old bag to the new bag you will see not a whole lot has changed except for rearranging a few items and adding several most likely unnecessary items at the end of the ingredient list like rose hips and juniper berries.

[Pitlove]

Hi Allie-

I see that most of your research has been browsing through the opinions of other pet parents with similar situations. The problem with that is exactly what you have come across…SO many different view points, so many different opinions. Makes it impossible to know what the best coarse of action is for YOUR dog.

It sounds to me like this is a very invididualized case (since he is also eating other foreign objects that he shouldn’t be) that needs the attention of a trusted vet. They will be able to exam your dog and help you determine the cause. Until then, the more you change, the harder it will be to pin-point the cause.

As for the food…Acana might have too much or the wrong kind of fiber for your dogs digestive system given that he is pooping 3-5 times a day. It sounds like this may not be the best food for your dog. However, I would make an appointment with the vet before changing foods and also ask about the frequent bowel movements to confirm.

[texasniteowl]

My Wilson has been on alternating bags of Acana Singles – Lamb and Acana Singles – Duck for over a year, maybe 2 yrs? now. We are finishing up a bag of duck so I stopped by my local dog food store for a bag of lamb. And she let me know that it is out of the Kentucky plant now. She implied the lamb and duck formulas had no change as far as ingredients but warned that the fish based ones like Orijen Six Fish did change because of different types fish in Kentucky vs. Canada.

So first…anyone else started a bag out of Kentucky yet? Did you notice any differences?

I will probably cold turkey switch it since that is what we do between bags anyway. So hopefully all goes well.

Worst case scenario…anyone have suggestions for different foods I should keep in mind? With similar protein levels, etc.? To be honest, I would be OK with a few less legumes in it. We really liked the old formula that even had some oats in it. Though Wilson has done well enough on this newer formula even with the legumes.

[Allie S]

So I feed Acana twice a day morning and night 1/4 cup – sometimes he doesn’t even eat, he’ll just skip a meal or will grab the 1-2 kibbles and barry it all around the house (its great when you sit down somewhere and kibble just comes popping out or Blue will nudge me to move because I’m sitting on his “dog food pantry”. I’ve even locked him up in his crate so he couldn’t go and pretend he was a squirrel and barry distribute his food around the house, but instead of eating – he just goes to sleep LOL.
I just ordered a 5lb bag of Orijen Adult dog food, looks like theres about 4-6% less carbohydrates than Acana and multiple websites I’ve came across stated to switch them on a high protein low carbohydrate. Looked at Fromm, made me nervous & I bailed out of that because carbohydrates are around 40%! Big things that I think of is Will my dog get a hot spot or some sort of skin or yeast infection due to different kinds of dog foods, because that is something messy I would love to avoid all in all because he has loads of hair.. I would spend the money on premium dog food just to avoid that mess, but every things a gamble. Next I looked at Evo, but ASH content was about 11%, seemed a little high.. Then it was Dr. Tim Kinesis, we used to have a lab and she was on it, she did great, but then I read about beet pulp and how it can be used as an artificial stool firmer and if they get gastrointestinal problems you’d never know because of that ingredient. Finally, my last choice was Solid Gold Barking at the moon high in protein and low in carbohydrates, but I saw on another discussion that orijen has way less grains than Solid gold soo I chose Orijen for now… (blue was on solid gold lil boss & had borderline diarrhea and pooped about 5 times a day)… Would anyone like to give input on the dog food choices? I also saw Natures Logic, but carbohydrates are about 35%.. (all percentages are from the food analysis on this website)

Crushed pineapple? hmm, canned or fresh? Sounds like a good idea!
I guess I could walk him more, he has great stamina, like amazing, he can out-walk me – after 2 miles I call it a day lol (momma gets tired)

[Strict] Scooping the poop looks like its the go – to plan for me at this moment, even if the pineapple and new dog food doesn’t work… It seems to me that my dog blue is like a baby lol (always need changing the diaper aka picking up the poop)

[Allie S]

Coprophagia – dog who eats their or other dogs poop

Hi there, my dog BLUE (blue merle pomeranian, 1 year old on April 21, 8lbs, neutered) struggles with Coprophagia, I’ve researched online and it could be parasites (I’m getting him dewormed in about 2 hours at the vet), nutrients deficiency from his food, or some underlying health condition.. While I don’t think its a underlying health issue – I really am leaning towards it just being a repulsive behavior or not getting enough nutrients from his current dog food. Before I spend hundreds of dollars on tests for why he has Coprophagia, I would like to try to do the simple stuff first before I get myself neck deep.
I try to pick up poop after they eliminate (I have a 5 year old pomapoo female – she is disgusted by even the thought of poop LOL), and I do pick up poop atleast 1 time a day, but of course I’m not perfect lol. My husband thinks he eats poop just to eat it, he eats everything he can get ahold of (frogs, plastic, dead bees, black widows, one time i broke glass and he ran from across the house to try and start eating it, yard mulch, rocks) you name it, he’s probably ate it when I’ve not looked or has had it in his mouth at one time & has given us numerous heart attacks – I literally watch him like a hawk 24/7 to prevent himself from ingesting something that could kill him…
Anyways, I need recommendations on dog food varieties, Blue is currently on Acana Pacifica – he’s been on it since I’ve had him, we did try solid gold and blue buffalo but he just could not stop having diarrhea. The thing with Acana is his coat is phenomenal, but he legit poops about 3-5 times a day (big poops and small) no gas though. I’ve done some research and think I’ll be trying FROMM Gold Holistic… It doesn’t help that the dog food he’s currently on is like the most recommended premium stuff on the internet, but if anyone could give me recommendations on other dog foods I should try let me know – if somehow I could stop getting him to poop so often maybe he’d be healthier (in thinking of aspects where he absorbed more nutrients than the dog food he’s currently on therefore pooped less)? IDK LOL?
Thank you in advance everyone!

[Jenn H]

Wow your story & life is so parallel to mine. My husband is a firefighter. And my pup is also an inutero rescue. Seems desperate animals & people always find their way to fire stations.
My friend adopted a very young GSD and was told she wasn’t pregnant. We ended up basically hand raising the pups as mom had no interest in anything other than playing. She had absolutely zero maternal instinct. And was very jealous of the babies getting so much attention.
Anyway, Crazy4cats advice is exactly what I would suggest. First make sure there is nothing wrong health wise. Then try a probiotics. Either what she suggested or Wysong Pet Innoculant.
It has been my experience that dogs weaned too soon tend to have very sensitive bellies. Transitioning to new foods (and even situations) can cause upset easily. When trying a new food go even slower than the usual 2 wks. Sometimes it can take a month or more for them to adjust.
While doing so try adding:
*pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
*white rice, including the water it’s boiled in
*letting kibble soak in warmish water for a few minutes
*adding digestive enzymes-preferably animal sourced w/ pancreatin otherwise plant based w/ protase, amylase, lipase, cellulose
If possible feed 1-2 hrs after meals.
A limited ingredient food may also help him.
I haven’t looked up the protein amts for all the foods you’ve tried but I can tell you I recently tried switching my pup to a food with higher protein (Orijen from Solid Gold) and it did not go well. I chose another (Acana) with less and it’s much easier on him. Eventually we’ll try Orijen again. It was just too much if a leap at the time.
As you can see there is much you can do to help your guy. Most importantly be very patient and take things very slowly with him.

[Tom H]

My one year old Clumber Spaniel went from being an excellent eater to a limited eater in the past 7 days. Up until 8 months of age, I fed her Orijen Large Puppy. At 8 months switched her to Orijen Adult dog. Feed twice a day, approx. 1.5 cups per meal. I add a little water to the kibble; originally started this practice to slow her eating down. Everything was great until a week ago (i.e., weight, appetite, poop, etc.). About a week ago she started sniffing her food and walking away. I’d leave it down for 15 minutes, then take it up until the next feeding time. After 2 to 3 days of this, I gave her Acana Duck and Pear (limited formula we feed our two Westies). She ate that fine for about 2 days and then started walking away from it. Tonight, I added a little Merrick classic canned food to her meal and she turned away. Again, I left it down for 15 to 30 minutes. No interest. I’ve owned dogs all my life. I’ve never had a dog walk away from quality food. I’m lost on what to do next. In my area we have big box stores (Walmart, Petco, Petsmart), but no place with higher-end food. (I mail order all my food which is fine until you need to conduct a trial/sample. I’m new to the forum world and would appreciate some suggestions on how to stimulate her appetite or what food to consider.

[Freddy w]

It’s expensive but you can try any of these

https://www.chewy.com/s?query=Acana&nav-submit-button=Submit

[Stephanie B]

Hi Teresa B- I totally understand not wanting to return to diarrhea issues!! And it sounds like she’s getting lots of exercise, that’s great! We adopted ours as a senior and she weighed 94lbs…she’s gotten down to 84 with about 6 more pounds to go. Do you feed treats between meals? I know those can add up so if you do you should factor them in to her daily calories (there’s a calculator on this site that helps you figure out the recommended daily calories for a dog’s ideal weight and activity level.)

I’ve never used Natural Balance foods so all I can go off of is the label and lower ratings here due to the high carbohydrate content and low protein (Potato is listed as the first ingredient…ideally I’d try to find something with the protein(s) listed first.) That being said if your pup really does well on it and you can’t find an alternative that isn’t causing diarrhea, it’s only 375/cup which is not excessively high. The very high quality protein rich foods (Acana, Orijen, Wysong, etc.) are in the 450-500cal/cup range. So, you could cut back just a little on the serving size per meal of her current food (either mixing in wet food or not) and see if it aids in weight loss. As far as suggestions see below:

Ones that I’ve tried and like (or I should say Heidie liked 🙂 ) are:
Wellness Core Reduced Fat 360cal/cup
Dr. Tim’s Metabolite 268.6cal/cup
Weruva Caloric Harmony Venison & Salmon w/ Pumpkin 348cal/cup
Orijen Senior 445cal/cup (this one is higher calorie so I tend to mix 50/50 with either Wellness Core RF or Dr. Tims Metabolite to cut down the cals per meal)

Some I’ve researched (but haven’t fed yet) that could be viable options to try are:
Annamaet Grain Free Lean Low Fat 350 cal/cup
Nature’s Variety Instinct Grain Free Healthy Weight 347cal/cup
Premium Edge Healthy Weight I 347cal/cup
Nulo Freestyle Cod and Lentils 368cal/cup
Dr. Tim’s RPM Salmon & Pork Grain Free 389cal/cup

If it seems like your dog is having a lot of digestive issues with new foods it might be worth getting an allergy test done to narrow down what foods you can try based on their ingredients.

Hope this helps…all the best!

[Julia]

Thanks for your answer and for dealing with my mubbly jumbly postings 🙂
Leica’s ideal weight is about 40-42lbs. She is about 48-50lbs now. She looks like a sausage dog and definitely has been having a harder time getting around. She is also Lyme positive so maybe this has played a roll. I have started by reducing her food by 1/2 cup.. so far so good. She is currently getting 1 1/2 cup of Acana Grasslands per day. I will definitely look into the Annamaet Lean some more though.

This is her yesterday….

This is her last summer…

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

[Julia]

Hi Everyone! I’ve been having some concerns about my dog Leica. She was a rescue and has severe separation anxiety so has been on a therapeutic dose of Fluoxetine (Prozac) for about 8 months (I didn’t want to do this but we tried everything else and the doctor thought it best). I want to ween her off soon because her training has been going well but she has gained weight which is one of the listed side effects. I want to help her lose the weight! She currently eats about 2 cups of Acana Grasslands everyday and I usually also give her some organic veggies and occasionally a very small amount of Kefir or greek yogurt for that probiotic boost. If I do include some fresh meet I cook it plainly and reduce the amount of kibble. I think I feed my dogs pretty well but what can I do to help Leica? She gets a good amount of exercise- daily walks and runs in the woods/field a few times a week. My other dog Forest is a one year old lab/boarder collie mix so he keeps her pretty active too. I would be truly grateful for any advice!

– Julia

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