[C4D]

Earthborn, Zignature, Canidae Pure, Fromm, Orijen, Acana – there are many brands that have poultry free formulas.

[Tal R]

Seems you are correct Michael.

No potatoes, website outdated.

The full response:
——————–

Hello T.R.,

Thank you for taking the time to write to us.

We made some changes to our Regional’s diets in winter of last year. We’re always searching for ways to advance our BAFRINO mandate, improving our foods for pet lovers world-wide. Biologically Appropriate ACANA features high meat content in fresh WholePrey ratios which provide micro-nutrients naturally. This has enabled us to reduce the added vitamins and mineral supplements in the ACANA Regionals.

ACANA contains far fewer carbohydrates than conventional food, delivering a low-glycemic response to promote stable blood sugar, healthy body weight and peak conditioning. Now even lower in glycemic load, ACANA Regionals is potato-free.

We are in the process of updating our website, you should see changes shortly. If you have any other questions please let me know.

All the best,
Angela
Customer Care
Champion Petfoods LP

[Kevin W]

Ok thanks! Sorry about the typos I cant seem to find an edit button. In your opinion since I paid for editors choice to find a easier laid out rating in order of the best foods (to see its just alphabetic) which didn’t help me make a choice should I consider a switch? I know my vet said TOTW is a good food but she doesn’t like them for whatever reason and wants as usual for me to consider their Hill scientific diet.

I bought a 12oz bag of both Acana and Orijen. I prefer the kibble consistency of Orijen as it feels more moist and not baked/crunchy compared to their Acana line. Plus as odd as it may sound I actually like to try what I’m feeding them and to me the Orijen tasted better (could taste meat and the veggies) and not as much so cardboard-like as the Acana seemed.

I also noticed the Regionals version is just as expensive as Orijen and not sure if I should go with the latter or try their Classics.

I guess it’s just been so long since I’ve considered a dog food that it’s hard to decipher this stuff and what I want them to be on. They enjoyed both of the Champion brands.

[DogFoodie]

I think I’d take a pass on the Wellness Simple Lamb and Oatmeal. It still contains peas, tomato pomace, chicory root extract and millet. If you suspect potato or peas, I’d eliminate them from the next food you try first.

I’d take a look at a different limited ingredient brand. Not because I don’t like Wellness, I do very much, but you’ve tried it and continued to have problems so something isn’t working. My favorites are Nature’s Variety Instinct LID, Canine Caviar, Acana (not the Regionals or the new Singles), Back to Basics or The Honest Kitchen Zeal. I’m not typically a Merrick person, but I see they have some new limited ingredient formulas. I’m also not a California Natural person, but they have a very simple lamb and rice diet that might work. And, while I despise Diamond, Canidae Pure would be worth looking at, too. I almost hoped it wouldn’t, but I found a variety that my dog with food issues does great on. Not all of those brands I mentioned exclude your suspect ingredients, so be sure to look before you buy.

Like I said, I unearthed my dog’s food intolerances though trial and error. Keep notes on every single food you try, the ingredients and how each dog reacts.

[Tal R]

Considering “Acana Ranchlands”, made a new post here:

/forums/topic/any-opinions-about-acana-ranchlands/

[Tal R]

Hi!

I would love to hear opinions about Acana Ranchlands (an “Acana Regionals” sub-type).

/dog-food-reviews/acana-dog-food-grain-free

The review is for Acana Grasslands but they got overall 5 star review for the brand and for the “Acana Regionals”, and “Enthusiastically recommended”…

My dog is a large (25 kg.) female elderly (14.5 y/o) mixed breed (probably mostly German Shepard) – more details here: /forums/topic/the-difference-between-senior-and-regular-dog-food/

I’m not sure if there’s potatoes in the ingredients though… in their website they mention “Burbank potatoes” as one of the ingredients but it doesn’t appear in the ingredients list (see below)… I am inquiring their customer support about that…

http://www.acana.com/products/regionals/ranchlands

OVERVIEW
————
FRESH, LOCAL FRUITS & VEGETABLES
ACANA Ranchlands is loaded with a full 40% of fruits & vegetables including Red Delicious apples and Bartlett pears from the sun-drenched Okanagan valley, and butternut squash, Burbank potatoes and spinach greens from the black soils of local prairie farms – all bursting with goodness to support peak health and immunity.

INGREDIENTS
—————-
Deboned beef, beef meal, green peas, deboned lamb, lamb meal, whitefish meal*, herring oil, field beans, red lentils, salmon meal, deboned bison, beef liver, lamb liver, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, yams, whole pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach greens, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender, rosemary.

Regards,
T.R.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Tal R.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Tal R.

[Mike D]

Acana Chicken & Burbank Potato for budget friendly dog foods!! Definetly!

[theBCnut]

My JRT used to get an upset tummy from any food change at all, but I read about all the benefits of feeding a rotational diet and I had a pup with food allergies that had to have a diet change, so I decided to commit to a rotational diet. The first 3 rotations took at least a month each, but I very quickly, after that, realized that she was able to change foods quicker with no bad reactions. I kept with it and with in 3 more months, I was feeding her something different with every single meal. She has never had an upset stomach or loose stool since, no matter what she eats. And my 13 year old dog acts like she did at 7 or 8 years old. She is trim, muscular, and very active.

I feed Nature’s Variety Instinct, Nature’s Logic, Earthborn, Acana, Orijen, Canine Caviar, Annamaet, and many others.

[Dog_Obsessed]

Huh…I’ve never heard anyone recommend not to feed dogs pork kibble. My vet recommended it as a novel protein for my dog’s elimination diet, and so I have been using Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash. It is hard to tell if it is working or not, especially since we found out she also has environmental allergies, but she didn’t do badly on it.

As for Pork treats/chews, I have occasionally heard of contamination issues, or dogs having issues with the fat, but I think they are generally fine if from a reputable company, and of course, supervised to make sure the dog doesn’t choke or consume too much in one sitting.

[Coonhound Dad]

My 6 year old Black & Tan Coonhound always seems to have allergies this time of the year as well. Much scratching and chewing on paws, etc. She was on Evo Red when this started 3 months ago and I thought, yep Natura has done something to my dog…although I still believe in this company and like their foods. I switched her to Origen Adult and it got worse. Then California Grain Free Chicken and later California Natural Lamb and Rice without improvement. Hmmmm…then I saw that pork was supposed to be good for dogs with allergies and put her on Acana Pork and Butternut Squash. As you might imagine, no improvement. Now she’s on Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream which is supposed to be good for allergies and I actually think she’s better but after two weeks is still occasionally itching. I’m really thinking she has mostly an airborne allergy or is allergic to the grasses she runs through happily looking for gophers and squirrels. Her digging probably doesn’t help either. If this season is typical, most of this will be over by Summer. Good luck, Fred, hang in there!

Jim

[GSDMom]

Hi Madelon H, I don’t think it matters if it says ‘large breed’ but I could be wrong. I’ve used Acana a lot with my GSD and that was a great one, too. I’ve been researching for almost 7 years and I feel like my head has exploded 1,000 times. I hope there will be some more opinions here soon!

[Sarah Y]

I have a dog with a unique condition called canine epileptoid cramping syndrome (CECS). The “events” look some what like a seizure, but they aren’t. The dog cramps up and they are aware of what is happening. They recommend a hypoallergenic dog food and owners have found success in putting their dog on a grain free or limited ingredient/hypoallergenic dog food. The other thing that is interesting is that the research shows using low protein may be better than a higher protein. The research is all pretty new so I’m sure they don’t know for sure.

Currently, my boy is eating Wellness Core original. He was a year between episodes and then recently had one ten days after the previous. He has a annual exam next week and I think we will be discussing treatment moving ahead, but like I said there’s no little known about this disease. I think as a first step, I would like to go with a hypoallergenic dog food.

It sure is more expensive…I’m considering Wellness simple turkey or holistic select turkey and lentil and acana lamb and apple singles. Wondering if one might be better than the other. The holistic select is a little more cheaper, but not much. Wondering if others can share their feedback on these foods.

[Jennifer H]

You’re very welcome!

I’m currently feeding that kibble to my dog, actually. Some people don’t like Merrick foods but I think as long as you keep an eye on recalls, its good. My dog has done very well on it. You could certainly switch to it, but have you considered doing a rotational diet? You could use it in your rotation. Rotating foods helps expose dogs to new proteins, binders, and vitamin/mineral makeups. You could pick 3-4 brands you like (For example, Fromm, Castor & Pollux, Acana, Nature’s Variety Instinct) and rotate through these. You could rotate every bag, every week, etc, it’s up to you. Just a suggestion 🙂

[aquariangt]

Chuck and Dons have plenty of great options, I haven’t lived near a fleet farm so i haven’t been there in about 15 years.

A few that I like from C+D: Fromm, Earthborn, Orijen, Acana-among others. just be careful on Diamond manufacturing at least 3 brands i saw on their website-Taste of the Wild, Canidae, and Solid Gold (not all varieties-i use Barking at the Moon). They have other great options as well, and some raw food

Petsmart: Nulo, Nature’s Variety, Wellness

Walmart: Pure Balance

[Kathy J]

Thanks for the advice about THK. I continue having trouble with the digestibility aspect of THK or any other dehydrated foods (or raw for that matter). I would not cook it because it would probably dilute the supplements that are added in.
So, right now I will stick with Fromm – or Acana and maybe Nature’s Variety or Wellness and some canned and my added in home cooked things while I study cooking for him.
I need to figure out what supplements to add, etc. As I am “older”, I definitely did not want to do the cooking thing but after that horrible video “Pet Food – A Dog’s Breakfast” my solution may be to cook most of the meals and fill in with “quality kibble and canned”.

[zcRiley]

I have a 2 yr old Pit Bull mix. His palate is so humanized that if I give him diced BBQ rib meat (rinsed, no sauce) as a topper consecutively, he’ll walk away not interested. My husband started giving them human food and I told him constantly this would happen. We can’t afford different gourmet toppers for each and every meal, WE don’t even eat like that. Now he’s lost interest in Orijens, Acana, Wellness Core…….all the top food brands. Yes, I’ve tried the “take it away if he doesn’t eat”, he doesn’t care, won’t touch it, starts starving. AND he’s the one who exercises and runs all day (his brother is the chunky, lay around, eat everything dog). Short of letting him waste away into an anorexic frame of a dog, I’m at my wits end. Help.

[Rosy R]

Victor is not sold at my nearest store :/ so I was planning on purchasing Acana but no idea onto what to get started with… We are switching from Blue buffalo freedom.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Rosy R.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 8 months ago by Rosy R.

[Mary M]

Acana foods are dense and they recommend to give your dog plenty of fresh water with meals. Just a thought.
My dog is on Acana Regionals and has not had problems with hard stools.

[Freddy w]

Yes I read that
Thank you LM
I think I’ll give it a try (fish)
Ooo yea by the way your right Acana is like 72.00 a bag right now
It’s a lot of money
Not that she is not worth it

[Anonymous]

Have you considered a homemade diet http://www.homeovet.net/dynamic/php/downloads/dog-c8470f2c75dbe4b683205c3919ee2310/dog_diet_complete.pdf

I have never tried Acana, can she have a little bit of plain homemade chicken broth poured on the dry? I have heard good things about Acana, but some of these foods are expensive. I can’t get beyond the price tag.

[Freddy w]

LM
Forgot to mention to you
I’m feeding her Acana duck and pear
But for some reason she does not care for it..

[Flowers]

So I wonder how can Acana be so good if dogs are having such hard dry stools on it?
Would fibre be grain, rice or oats? I know a lot of dog foods have these and I wondered why or if they are just there to bulk a food out? I like the pumpkin cube idea I don’t know if we can get canned pumpkin in the uk but I could cook one and purée it then freeze into ice cubes would that be the way? Also do you defrost the ice cube first?

[theBCnut]

My old Jack Russell has to have fiber added to her food when she is fed a high protein food. Her stools are dry and hard otherwise. She does really great on Acana, as long as I add some pumpkin to it. I just get a can and freeze it into ice cubes and drop a pumpkin ice cube into her meal. She loves it and it works great.

[Nancy B]

Jennifer:

My two senior rescue dogs loved their THK and I stuck with it for 2 years, struggling with the price. Recently i switched to another food when our vet found no reason looking at lab results why one dog had been losing weight and excessively urinating. I switched to Champion Foods’ 5-star Orijen and all symptoms disappeared and the cost is 1/3 that of THK. Champion makes Acana and Orijen, but someone mentioned a problem with puppy Acana, so I don’t know.

[Flowers]

Hi All
I am seeking some advice I switched my Dachshund onto Acana Puppy & Junior as I thought it was one of the top foods on the market but since switching him he has been passing incredibly hard stools and he is also sliding his bottom across the floor. I have taken him to the vet and we have ruled out worms. He has put my puppy on lactulose to see if it helps but so far there has been very little change. The vet says if there is no change then I should look to changing his food.
I wanted to know if anyone else has had this sort of problem with Acana and if so what they switched to and whether it could be the food causing the problem?
Thank you

[theBCnut]

Not a dachshund owner, but many of us here believe that no food is perfect, so we rotate brands of food. I feed Annamaet, Acana, Canine Caviar, Earthborn, Nature’s Logic, Nature’s Variety, Orijen, and others. When you rotate foods, you can feed bargain foods here and there without harming your dog’s health and you can take advantage of sales and coupons.

[Rosy R]

I been feeding my Dachshund since she was a puppy BB. We started with the life protection formula and now feed her the Freedom Grain free. But I want to soon switch her to a healthier brand with better ingredients but still stay within my price range. She is currently 10.6lbs. I feed her 3/4 cup a day divided into 2 meals.

I been doing some research and know that Orijen is the best but it’s currently too expensive for me, so next best thing or so I have read is Acana. But which to choose? Any suggestions or recommendations? Any dachshund owners out there?

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Rosy R.

[Lori E]

I have been doing a lot of research on Acana which is manufactured by Champion Pet Foods in Canada and who also produces Orijen. I have my 5 yr rottie and shepherd doing food rotations between the Grasslands and Duck and am seeing some hopeful results due to their allergies. Its only been 3 weeks but so far so good. My local pet supplier also recommended Go from Petcurean. If you go to their website you can get a coupon for a free trial bag. This is my next trial.

Hope this helps.

[DogFoodie]

Are you trying to eliminate flax because of its phytoestrogen properties?

One of my dogs cannot have flax (among lots of other things), but he’s fine with peas. So, these foods are flax free, but you’ll need to check for peas in them: Addiction Viva La Venison, Canidae Pure Sky (Diamond, I know yuk!), The Honest Kitchen Thrive, First Mate Chicken and Blueberries, Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear (original formula, not “Singles.”).

Flax is frustrating, I know. It’s everywhere, isn’t it! My dog gets terrible loose stool when he eats flax. Do try the Dogfoodwizard.com like C4C mentioned. I asked the site creator to add flax and last I looked, it’s an option on the search tool.

[Lori E]

We have been battling allergies with our 5 yr rottie for 2 years. After many vets and specialists, we are trying a holistic approach. We have her on raw goat milk and grain free and potato free Acana Grasslands. We have been told that it will take approx 7 weeks to see any changes. We are on week 2. The main symptoms are puffy and itchy eyes, excessive licking of paws, and “fly catching” syndrome. Any feedback is welcome.

[Lori E]

I have recently started rotating my dog’s food and they are the most excited I have seen them towards their meal times. Does anyone have any objection to mixing brands? I have recently moved to a single protein, grain free diet with Acana for my rottie who has allergies and would be interested to know if I could go from Acana to PetCurean.

Feedback welcome!

[Akari_32]

It just depends on what the dog can handle. Generally, higher protein is better, because it means less carbs, which dogs can not fully digest. I would try Acana first, since its lower in protein than Orijen, and switch them nice and slowly, and see how they do. Most dogs feel much better on higher protein diets, because protein and fat is where dogs get all their engery from.

[OCJill]

I have 3 male dogs, 1 ten year old purebred Bichon Frise, 1 six year old Chihuahua mix and 1 thirteen week old Chihuahua mix puppy. My dogs currently eat Natural Balance Ultra (puppy is on the puppy version). Since my oldest dog has been on Natural Balance 10 years and the other two are Chihuahua mixes would switching to another food high in protein be unhealthy? I am being told that high protein foods are not good for Chihuahuas…. I was looking at these two dry foods: Orijen and Acana. Would it be ok to make that switch or should I choose something with less protein? Just noting none of my dogs have had any health issues thus far.

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by OCJill.

[puppypiles]

Part of the problem is he just doesn’t recognize dry food as, well, food. He wasn’t a big dry food eater before, and now he doesn’t know what to do with it.

I tried everything with the Acana I brought home one time, and I mean everything – poured chicken broth and parmesan cheese over it, heated it up, threw pieces around the apt so he’d chase them and eat them, crushed it into powder and sprinkled it over his favorite food, hid it underneath his food, left some in a bowl so he’d get used to the smell… I mean, I went all out!

[John P]

Update: Iggy and Bella have been on the Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash kibble for seven days. They LOVE it and dream of breakfast and dinner all day long. I have noticed a remarkable improvement already in some of their skin issues, especially Bella’s (although hers were much less severe, which is why I didn’t focus as much on them in my posts). Iggy has been itching much less, although still itching some. I know this is to be expected with the severity of his existing symptoms. However, my most exciting news relates to Iggy’s weight. For the past 12 months, Iggy has been losing mass (a result of several factors all related to his previous food I’m now realizing). In only seven days, he has put on significant muscle. I can feel it in his legs especially and see it when he runs and jumps (HE RUNS AND JUMPS NOW, TOO). They had always been on highly rated dog food, but this just proves that not all dog food is right for all dogs. Joining Editor’s Choice and meeting all of you was the best thing I could have done for my babies. My vet isn’t going to believe they’re the same pups when I take them in next month.

[DogFoodie]

I’d probably request blood work, also. I’d be curious to know what her liver levels are currently. Do your best to keep her hydrated in the meantime. Bone broth would be great for her right now, but it takes a long time to make it. Pedialyte would be helpful, too.

I’m fortunate to have an outstanding large university veterinary clinic nearby. I’d choose that route, if needed. They have 24 hour emergency services. Do you have something like that nearby?

I have a dog with food intolerance issues and have a hard time finding foods for him. Those that work best for us are Nature’s Variety Instinct LID, Addiction Viva La Venison, Canidae Pure Sky (Diamond, yuk… but it works great), FirstMate Chicken & Blueberries, Acana Duck & Bartlett Pear, Canine Caviar and The Honest Kitchen Thrive. Do you think you might be able to interest her in a little bit of Wellness Core Reduced Fat canned food or THK Zeal?

I’m really sorry you and your girl are going through this.

[David P]

TOTW is the cheapest of the somewhat-acceptable foods out there. It’s good you have enough love for your dog to purchase that. TOTW is what I started my three dogs (6 lbs, 24 lbs, & 68 lbs) on.

I’ve had to economize in OTHER AREAS OF MY LIFE in order to feed these 3 hounds properly.

TOTW is BARELY acceptable. On this site, you’ll see the owner/moderator mention Steve Brown of “The Canine Ancestral Diet”; Steve Brown was an MIT graduate who started studying this as a sideline and eventually veered off into the topic of “pet nutrition” full-time.

Holistic Veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker had two YouTube interviews with Steve Brown… I am somewhat RETICENT about asking you to ACTUALLY SPEND MORE MONEY but you quite obviously have already MADE THE COMMITMENT to ensuring that your puppy gets “quality nutrition”.

So…..

You need to add one of the pre-mixes to supplement TOTW (I use Sojos Green… 8lb bag is $62)… the 6 lb Chihuahua gets one tsp. per meal. the 24 lb spaniel bred to look like a mini-Rottweiler gets 1 1/2 tblsp per meal, the 68 lb American Bulldog gets 3 tblsp. per meal. Dr. Becker provided the rationale that the diet of canids (dogs, wolves, etc.) in the wild is 70% moisture and greens from the stomachs of their vegetarian prey (rabbits, squirrels, chicken, etc.) The best that even the higher-quality grain-free dry dog foods can do is 12% moisture.

Do not OVERFEED your puppy; this resulted in a “mini-rebellion” bordering on “insurrection” by the 3 dogs in my household teaming up on me to complain when I instituted “measuring cup” proportional feedings. You’ll find that WITHOUT the “fillers/excipients” in the grocery-store brands, the recommended TOTW and Champion Dog Food (Orijen and Acana) Guidelines seem rather “stingy.” I compromise since a part of the rebellion staged by these 3 was to begin eating cheetohs and french fries that the truckers drop where I walk my dogs by the Walmart.

I measure each dogs recommended portion per day and SPACE OUT the meals to four servings which sates their initial hunger pangs; the COMPROMISE is that I don’t count the calories from the pre-mixes towards their daily caloric intake; the rationale being that these are HIGH-ROUGHAGE FOODS and since dogs have very short intestinal tracts, I’m getting the INTERNAL CLEANSING of the INTESTINAL WALLS that I desire; there is ALSO water-soluble fiber from the apples, etc CLEANSING THEIR BLOODSTREAM and keeping their RENAL SYSTEM (Kidneys) healthy.

This “may” or “may not” another TOUGH PILL for some to swallow; Steve Brown pointed out in the Karen Becker YouTube interview that THE FATS in even the best of the dry foods are intact in the air-sealed environment before the bag is opened but that these same fats degrade once opened. You need to go to a dollar store and buy $1 tupperware storage containers and refrigerate/freeze the balance of the bag once opened. Humans, dogs and all mammals need a variety of high-quality fats (which are EVERY BIT AS IMPORTANT as proteins).

Going to what I call “minimally-appropriate quality” dog foods does involve some “financial sticker shock”; you came here because you got a great puppy dog, Zane H and you were clever enough to sniff out the necessity of going “grain free”; Blue Buffalo is to be credited with instituting a national advertising campaign and there has been an understandable backlash against Purina and other brand providers to where they sheepishly and quietly have begun acknowledging that “corn,” “soy” and “wheat” are poisoning your pets.

You came here because you love your dog, Zane H and you were faced with some tough choices; I too don’t make a lot of money at my job as a CNC Lathe Operator.

You’ve got a puppy so you have a chance to have a healthy dog.. I’d recommend going to YouTube and search for Dr. Karen Becker and Mercola Healthy pets. Here is the link to her two-part series on Best-to-worst dog foods.

This the dry I feed my dogs; Orijen is 75%/80% whole prey protein to 20%/25% fruit and vegetables (found in the stomachs of the prey that dogs/wolves eat in the wild). Princess is 68 lbs and closer to “wolf size” than either Shadow (24 lbs) or Mary (6 lbs) so she gets the higher-protein + 3 tblsps. of the sojos green per meal.

I like the LESS EXPENSIVE Acana for Shadow and Mary since it is what is contained in the other 50% that I like (The DHA and EPA). I’m thinking of switching Princess over to Acana as she ages into her 13th year of life. She and Shadow are the same age and they have been active, healthy dogs who have the puppy chihuahua to entertain them.

Dogs REALLY NEED “fresh water” every day EITHER filtered through your tap with Britta or purchased in gallon bottles (“drinking” or “spring” only not “distilled”) from Walmart.

I also use the Honest Kitchen “Preference” pre-mix and sparingly add in the Grandma Lucy’s PureFormance pre-mix to get in some of those low-glycemic chickpeas.

Acana and Orijen have won numeorus awards for their low-glycemic qualities which keeps your pets healthy in the first place so that they don’t get system failures from having bodies with their pH-levels out of whack.

You need to change your dogs water daily and also add in a Tropicana breath freshener liquid to keep their teeth clean.

It is somewhat DEFLATING to come here and discover that it don’t get any cheaper than what you’re already doing…

…but you are here and you obviously love your dog.

[Melissaandcrew]

Isn’t the Acana duck and pear a single protein? IT’S been a while since I fed it but I think it is a single as well…

[John P]

Hi, Dori.

I must have misinterpreted something to begin with, but I also must have worded something incorrectly. What I meant is that if I can only find three distinct proteins, a way to incorporate variety and possibly avoid sensitivity issues would be to find a food with the same protein but different supplementary ingredients. I never thought that you intended me to use one protein. In fact, I think you’re the one who convinced me to rotate in the first place!

I’ll take your freeze dried advice into consideration and do some research. I really don’t know anything about freeze dried foods and treats (pricing, availability, health benefits, etc). I was looking for a pork-based treat to feed along with the Acana Pork and Butternut Squash kibble, and I found the Orijen Wild Boar freeze dried treats. Do you think those would be suitable as a close relation and have the health benefits you mentioned? I liked them because they were produced by the same parent company as well as the fact that wild boar is in theory wild pork. Orijen also offers freeze dried lamb treats I believe. I don’t use a lot of treats, but they’re helpful when grooming. And grooming is a daily chore with wheatens!

You have been incredibly understanding as I’ve worked through this. As Tony the Tiger would say, You’re Greaaa-aaattt!

[Dori]

Hi John. Just saw your post here and I’d like to reply and help if I can.

Nope, it wasn’t me that suggested that you keep your dogs on the same protein. That’s totally against what I do or would recommend. I may not have explained things correctly. What I had said is that I would suggest that you find a few different (proteins) that your dogs do well on and rotate within the brand if, in fact, there are different proteins in that brand that you can feed. Also find other brands with proteins you dogs do well on and rotate within all the brands all the proteins that your dogs can eat. Rotate proteins and brands. It is never, in my opinion and the way I feed, a good idea to keep a dog long term on any one protein and on any one brand.

I can’t comment on the Acana line or any dry food as I’ve mentioned before. My allergy, intolerant girl can actually eat Nature’s Logic kibble but only the dry and only the sardine formula and only in my way of rotating which is often.

Other foods I thought you might want to consider to add into their diets are Nature’s Variety Instinct Freeze Dried Lamb (doesn’t contain any poultry, fowl, or beef)

Nature’s Variety Limited Instinct Kibble Rabbit or Lamb.

Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried. They have a rabbit, a lamb and also a venison formula. None of which contain beef or fowl of any sort.

I think adding freeze dried to their diets in rotation would be a little more cost effective with the kibbles you’ll be feeding because this way, at least, they’ll be getting some of the benefits of raw on occasion. The other is that if freeze dried is too expensive as their entire diet in rotation you might consider rotating through the freeze dried foods that I mentioned and use them just as their treats. You’ll be sure they’re getting healthy treats and they’ll benefit health wise and you don’t have to worry about what’s in the commercial “treats” which usually contain something dogs with food intolerances have issues with. I hope this has helped. Sorry, but I hadn’t realized that you were on the road 9 months of the year. Hopefully when you stationary from time to time if your room has a fridge with small freezer you may be able to just buy small bags of raw frozen to add into their diets. Nature’s Variety Instinct is sold in most, if not all, Petco and Petsmarts and they seem to be everywhere in the country. I love that you travel with your dogs and that they are a priority in our lives. Yes, we are all rather companion animal obsessed (or most of us are) and we like it that way. So, never fear, you’re not in the minority in the world of dogs and your wanting to do the very best you can for them. I’m pretty sure it would be a safe bet that most of us dog obsessed people on this site feed our dogs healthier diets that we do ourselves and our families. I’ve been known to do a McDonald’s drive thru from time to time for myself and my husband yet would rather die than feed my dogs any low quality garbage dog food. They become our children and, as such, we commit ourselves to their health and welfare. As typical parents, we usually put ourselves last. In my opinion that’s a good thing. They can’t choose what they eat, we do it for them so we should try to do the best for them. It’s the least we can do for them when you consider all they give us in return.

[John P]

Update: First, I want to thank everyone again for your thorough, prompt, and caring responses. I’ve tried to browse the forum to see if I could help anyone as you’ve helped me. So far, I haven’t found any topic that I feel I am qualified to give an educated opinion, but I will check back regularly.

Back to Iggy and Bella – I have had the luxury of feeding a mostly raw diet in this “detox” or “transition” phase only because this is the off-season for my business. In a few weeks, my dogs and I will begin our regular business road trips across the country (I could fly, but I would never crate my dogs in the cargo bay unless absolutely necessary). I travel with my dogs because I don’t want to be without them for extended periods of time, and I know most boarders won’t (and often can’t) provide the love, care, and attention that my dogs get from me (and that I feel they need and deserve). I tell you all this only because our transient lifestyle for nine months out of the year necessitates a dry dog food/kibble. That is why I have taken all of your excellent advice and focused my research and attention on dry dog foods.

Right now, I have found three highly rated dry dog foods with three distinct proteins that I plan to begin introducing into their diets. Here they are:
• Acana Singles Pork and Butternut Squash Dry Dog Food
•. Acana Singles Lamb and Apple Dry Dog Food
•. Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Rabbit Meal Dry Dog Food

Ideally, I would like to add at least one more food with at least one more single distinct protein to keep in the rotation, although I’m having trouble sorting through all the options to find anything suitable. I know both Iggy and Bella tolerate venison because they did well on the small bag of the Sweet Potato and Venison dog food I bought from that hack brand when I was desperate to switch and couldn’t find anything better at my local PetCo. They also do well with the raw venison that I get from my dad and brothers (they are hunters and have freezers full of the stuff). However, I can’t find any highly-rated venison food that isn’t fortified with fowl or beef (or both). If someone could give me a suggestion on a single-protein venison food, I would greatly appreciate it. Considering they will be getting this food in a rotation with other highly recommended foods, I think it would be acceptable for this venison food to have a lower protein count (correct me if I’m wrong – I’m just guessing). Alternatively, if you know of another protein that is not fowl, fish, beef, bison, or the proteins listed above, I could really use that help too. I’m afraid if one or more of these options don’t work out, which is quite possible, I’ll be going back to the drawing board and coming back begging for more help. Haha!

I believe it was Dori who suggested (or possibly impied) that I should at least consider using multiple foods with the same protein for the sake of variety if I am unable to find a suitable number of distinct proteins. If I must go that route, suggestions on single-protein dry dog foods (or, I suppose, dry dog foods with a mix of these proteins, although I find that highly doubtable) that I should try within these limits would also be very helpful, especially as I prepare logs and attempt to rule out sensitivities that might not be protein-related.

I have some excellent news, too! I have found a locally-owned pet store that is only an hour’s drive from my house. Their prices are significantly cheaper than sites like Chewy and Wag. Per 25-pound bag of premium dog food brands like Acana, I can save an average of $20 to $25. Also, they offered to order any food they don’t carry with no minimum quantities per order and no special order fee. They staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. They even told me about this website before I had a chance to tell them that this is where I had done my research. I’ll never give PetCo or PetsMart my business again!

Thank you again. I am glad that I joined this online family of pet lovers. Among my friends and family, my dedication to my pets is often derided as obsessive, and my investment in their health is deemed wasteful. This community understands the relationship I have with Iggy and Bella, and I would go so far as to say that you encourage it. I look forward to hearing any additional help that any of you might have to offer, and I especially look forward to contributing my experiences to help others in the future.

[Flowers]

Hi All
I am giving my dachshund pup Acana Puppy & Junior. He is now on 3 meals a day and he has 40g at each meal so 120g a day all in all. I am going by their recommended feeding guide on the packet based on pups weight etc.
Thing is after I feed him his 40g he is still hungry, he finishes it so fast and then he goes back to lick the bowl around a few times. I am not sure if I can give him more at each feed. Is this ok to do and how much more should I give because I don’t want him to end up with tummy ache or diarrhoea?
has anyone else found their puppy to still be hungry based on the Acana feeding guide?
Thanks for any advice 🙂

[Zanes Mom]

I too love the Acana products. I have a local pet boutique that carries it but I order from Chewy.com when traveling and their customer service and delivery times are outstanding and prices as good or better than local. I just like to support local business when I can.
For canned food my personal favorite is Hound & Gatos. I use it as a topper and it is for all life stages. I have a 150 lb Bullmastiff and we went through plenty of room clearing gas before finding the right combination for him. And it really is about finding a good quality that works best for your pup. As you mentioned Acana is a little pricey but I feed four cups a day as compared to the six plus cups I would be feeding of some of the others so things tend to balance out. Good luck, I love puppy breath!!!

[WhimsicalChaos]

The best dry food we have found is Acana ‘Grasslands’. Depending on your location it may be difficult to find, as it is more of a specialty pet shoppe product. But, all of our pups have loved it, and we have had no problems with Acana. Label wise is a very healthy, organic food. But, having issues of my own with ‘Blue’ canned food, so can’t help you with a can selection.

After using Blue Canned food, I am having to find another food today as the Blue has begun to give my dog serious ‘Gassy’ issues. We tried changing him over to Merrick last week because it seemed he had become bored with the Blue (even though we get him various flavors), but the Merrick Canned food gave him serious diarrhea and more gas. We could actually hear his tummy twisting noises. I felt so guilty…so we went back to Blue. Although he is eating the Blue, his ‘Gassy’ issue seems to have gotten worse. So, going to go find a different organic canned food. If you research, you will find a lot of people having gas issues that are using Blue. So, if you choose to try Blue, you’ll know rather quickly if your pups cannot tolerate it – for sure your nose will tell you.

He also began pacing all night, last night and the night before. My husband and I took him out 6-8 times both night, but he didn’t have to poop, and obviously no diarrhea – he would just urinate. But when being back inside, would continue the pacing. I hear no tummy noises, but there is definitely gas…no doubt about that! I just do not want him having any pains. I have a feeling his stomach has become intolerant to the ‘rich’ foods such as Merrick and Blue. Or possibly has acquired an allergic reaction to one of the main ingredients. So, gonna try yet another type of food.

[Akari_32]

It appears that Acana is All Life Stages, meaning it can also be used for puppies. Just make sure to pick one that has all the fight stuff large breed puppies 🙂 Chewy.com has a ton of different formulas.

I have heard of Flint River Ranch, but that’s the extent of it. I don’t know anything about it. Check the review side of the site and see if it’s been reviewed, and go from there.

Yes, WellPet (Wellness and Holistic Select) finally got sick of Diamonds crap and broke away from them after the last major recall in 2012 or 2013, and began manufacturing their own foods with very strict standards. Good for them, too, because they are my favorite brand!

[Suzette A]

That was a FANTASTIC resource, thanks and I wasn’t aware that diamond still made blue. Maybe I confused blue and wellness when one of them said they were pulling production from diamond. (whats the deal with those clowns anyways, talk about QC issues!)

*I CANT FIND ACANA FOR PUPPY ANYWHERE ONLINE!!!!!*

Has anyone heard of Flint River Ranch. Its a “lesser known” brand but ingredients are all sourced in the US and it is made in small batches with premium ingredients, no recalls ever.

My friend barb sells this brand and her dogs look legit.

[Akari_32]

I wouldn’t touch Blue Buffalo, or anything Diamond made (Taste of the Wild, Kirkland, Diamond Natural’s, etc) with a 10ft stick. Wellness is definitely a great food. However, I’m unsure if it’s appropriate for a large breed puppy. There’s a list somewhere around here of food that are suitable for large breed puppies. You should check it out 🙂

Acana and Orijen are not available at chain stores, unfortunately. If you’d like to buy online, you can buy them (and plenty other brands) on websites like PetFlow and Chewy.

[Suzette A]

This question gets asked a lot, I know but to be fair I think each individual breed or breed type needs different nutrition.

I fell in love with the French Mastiff the very minute I heard the fancy name, when I actually saw one? I think the entire world melted away and I completely tuned everything out for what seemed like an eternity. I’ll cut the dramatics, I love these dogs. Everything about them, the personality, the drool, the size, everything.

We all want whats best for our babies and sure I’ve done a lot of research on nutrition (what decent pet parent doesn’t?) but I want answers from real people with real experience with this breed or a similar large breed (110-140)lbs+

We’re bringing Kilo home in 8 days and I’m deadlocked as to what to feed the little big guy.

I was looking at Wellness Core for puppies and I like it but I also like BLUE Wilderness for large breed puppies I have to be able to purchase them in store like petco or petsmart. I don’t know if they sell ACANA at one of those stores because I’ve heard rainbows and unicorns nothin’ but good stuff about them.

I would like to pay no more than like $65 for a 25-30LB bag but if one food is more “super” than the other and the difference isn’t too insane I’d go for it.

Help a parent out… pleeeeeeease (:

• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Suzette A.
• This topic was modified 10 years, 9 months ago by Suzette A.

[aquariangt]

Welcome to DFA! First and very foremost, I want to see puppy pictures ASAP

Wellness and Nature’s Variety are personally the only foods that you listed that I would feed. As far as price goes, the Nature’s Variety Instinct will be cheaper than the raw boost as well, but still all are less than Orijen. Acana is more reasonable.

Where are you shopping? From the list you posted, I’d guess PetSmart or PetCo? Wellness CORE and NVI are the two best brands there probably, though at Petsmart they also have Nulo which is nice, and Simply Nourish Source-which I’ve used but I’ve heard a few things about some of their storage issues lately, its been a while since i’ve used that at all. There is also Freshet and Nature’s Variety Raw there if you were interested in going that direction however, Champion foods would probably be cheaper.

Now, on to other stores:

Fromm Gold Puppy i like a lot, and they just came out with Fromm Gold Grain Free. Fromm 4Star Grain Free is also suitable for all life stages-my most recommended and favorite brand.

Earthborn’s Grain Free line is all life stages and I like that a lot as well.

Go! Has a nice puppy food as well. Victor as well. There are many others that are great, just a few i like.

I would start with getting a bag of pro plan, whichever the breeder is on. Feed at least a week if not two of just that, don’t mix anything. Let the puppy get acclimated to your house and you. After a few weeks, start mixing in something new. After that, transition to yet another brand/protein. With puppies, if you start them on a rotational diet, they will be able to transition cold turkey in not too long, which is great, as a rotational diet is the best way to go.

[Natalie O]

Hi everyone!

I’m new to this site & need some advice. I am bringing home a Boston Terrier puppy in 2 weeks and am trying to figure out the best food to begin feeding him. The breeder currently has him on Purina Pro Plan but I plan on transitioning him slowly to a new food. I’ve heard wonderful things about Orijen and Acana – but I was hoping to find a food with the same quality as those, but a little less pricey.
I’ve heard Boston Terriers are prone to being gassy, so something to help with that would be great. I’d like to stick to a grain free food because of that as well. Right now I am between Wellness CORE, Nature’s Valley Instinct Raw Boost, Blue Wilderness, and Merrick Grain Free.

Can anyone offer any suggestions of which of those foods you would recommend?
Also, please feel free to suggest any other foods!!
I want the best for my pup 🙂 Thanks in advance!