[K K]

Hi. Sorry this is a later post. But my sheltie had surgery last Thanksgiving for bladder stones – biopsy showed struvite – they said her bladder felt like a bean bag. But, no infection! They wanted me to switch her to one of Hill’s prescription diets but I don’t think much of the quality of their foods and they’ve had several recent recalls. The vet also suggested adding “wet food.” Since then, I’ve been soaking her kibble in water before feeding. Her last urinalysis did show crystal formation but again no infection.

My problem now is that the food I’ve been feeding has changed. Ancestry (formerly Sammy Snacks) has been taken over — now “Ancestry Pet Food” and the food has changed. I had been feeding the grain-free Lamb and Sweet Potato which Dog Food Advisory gave 5 stars. I want to switch.

In the past I used Acana when it was still made in Canada, which is no longer the case. I am also wondering if a higher protein diet in grain-free formulas like the Ancestry and in Acana and Orijen may be the cause of the increase in urinary crystals and the formation of struvite stones. Is anyone familiar with this issue.

My pup is only 4 years old, so not a senior dog issue.

Thanks.

K

[crazy4cats]

Fromm is also being implicated with causing DCM (both with and without grain) in Dr. Stern’s peer-reviews study and a group of veterinarians that are keeping track of the foods that are being fed when dogs are diagnosed. Zignature and Acana have the most cases so far. Fromm a pretty close third.

Check out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaurineDCM/

I feed my two Lab/Golden mix dogs Purina ProPlan Large Breed Weight Management with great results. It has 374 calories per cup, but is fairly low in fat and a little higher in fiber. They have several formulas that might work for you. The ProPlan salmon formula is a little higher in calories, but the Purina One Salmon may be a little lower.

Make sure you measure out the food carefully and cut back on treats. Royal Canin has large breed formulas that are lower in calories as well. Good idea to keep his weight down now. It is a lot easier on the joints and could possibly lead to a longer life if there are no other health conditions. Best wishes!

[anonymous]

This has been discussed before. Per the search engine: /forums/topic/lawsuits-against-orjien-acana/#post-130737

[Danny S]

Hello, I’ve been searching through dog food reviews to decide on a new brand for my doggy since the one I’m using now is a bit heavy on the wallet for me (Acana Wild Coast which goes for 80$-85$ around here).
Now I came across this company Picart ( https://picartpetcare.com/en/ ) and I have found zero reviews across the internet about any of their food brands, would anyone mind shedding some light on the company quality and why there is no reviews even tho their site claims they’ve been around since 1953?

Many thanks!

[Stefanie F]

Dr Martys NATURE’S BLEND

Any one know of it and have any good or bad thoughts about it?

I have a small dog a bichon weight of around 14/15 pound he is about 8 now.

I have been feeding for morning a tablespoon of fruit yogurt with probiotic powder mixed in. (He was getting 1/2 cup of cheerios but am no longer doing that due to the pesticides in them)

Then at night 1/2 cup of mixed ORIJEN Dry Dog Food, Six Fish, and Acana Meadowlands Dry Dog .

He also gets a lot of table veggies and fruits. He eats what ever I am having for fruit and veggies. So if I have bruss sprouts he gets them that night, If I have salad he will get tomato and cucumber. If I am eating an apple he will have some a well.

He is a good begger.

I have seen the lawsuit info on champion pet foods. I have read about the grain free is bad now. I also know neither ORIJEN or Acana have ever had a recall and it seems like every other brand has. (He eats this out of a a tug-a-jug to slow him down and keep him busy for a half hour)

I am at a total loss of if I am doing good or bad by my dog.

I can not go raw, and I do not have the time to cook for him daily. So I have to have either a freeze dried, kibble, or can I can take with me.

I care for 3 elderly people all in different places and the dog comes with me so I have to have something I can easily toss in a bag and go as I never know where I am going to be.

I did post something a few weeks back and got jumped on about giving him his tablespoon of fruit yogurt because of sugar. I always read fruit was good for dogs and he will not eat plain yogurt. So it seems even when I think I am doing good by him I am not.

So I really need some advice.

• This topic was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by Mike Sagman. Reason: Fix Duplicate Topic Title

[anonymous]

Regarding the article: “As of today, over 50% of the reported cases are linked to the following brands: Acana, Zignature, 4Health, Kirkland Nature’s Domain, and Taste of the Wild. There are many other brands that have a smaller number of affected pets reported”.

Oh, okay so 50% of the cases have NO connection to the above brands. Again, no solid information or facts.

PS: Whole Dog Journal is a homeopathic site. Homeopathic sites often have an agenda.

Please speak to your vet.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by anonymous.

[crazy4cats]

JRS-
They actually have a chart that lists the brands that have been submitted to them from dogs that have diet-related DCM. They do not list the actual formula because they said it’s tough to include them on their chart. For example, many of Acana’s Formulas have been implicated. It’s hard to fit them all in. Therefore, they just list the brand. They have to submit the actual results of their echo and then they have to wait and see if they recover with a food change before they are entered on the chart. I believe Fromm has had a few reported that may not have been grain free.

They might delete your question because it’s been asked before, but I doubt they would ban you. Remember, this chart is only a group community “project”. It is not what is reported to the FDA and only a small percentage of all the dogs. I hope they are being reported to the FDA by the owners.

[joanne l]

Take him off Acana, feed him a bland diet like Anon said for a few days and try a grain in diet from a reputable company. Do it gradually, over a 2 or 3 week period mixed in chicken and rice. I hope your pup feels better. Obviously it is the food!! Why did you change his food anyway?? Was he doing good on Royal Canine?? If he was doing good on RC, then go back to it. Don’t get wrapped up in the “better food” thing, sometimes it is not better!! Just my pinion.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by joanne l.

[anonymous]

I fell for the marketing ploys a few years ago too.
Both my dogs vomited after one serving of Orijen (similar to Acana)
Too much oily crap in it (imo) No thanks!

My dog with a sensitive stomach does well on this one https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-four-star-nutritionals-salmon-a-la-veg-food-for-dogs small kibbles

I use kibble as a base I always add a splash of water and a bit of chicken or scrambled egg…

[Shannon K]

We are in the process of transitioning our dog from Royal Canin to Acana dog food. At first all seemed to be going well. One day last week my dog threw up almost every hour from 330am – 2pm. I brought him to the vet because we were worried he had an obstructions. Turns out he didn’t. He got a shot for anti nausea and some antibiotics. The next day I only fed him boiled chicken and white rice. With 12 hours you could tell he was feeling much better. By that afternoon we put him back on his dog food. He was fine for a day but then this morning was sick 3 times after his breakfast. I’m worried now it’s his food. Has anyone else experienced this? I was told Acana is high protein high quality food. Should I be making another transition to another food? All suggestions are welcomed. Thank you.

[Matt W]

I adopted a dog from a 80-year old woman that passed away. The dog is a pinscher (not doberman, possibly bulldog) that weighed 16kg. She used to feed him around the clock, 24/7. He had his own dog food (low quality) but she also gave him chicken she cooked, fish, sweets, rice and god knows what else. Because she was old she let him out twice a day without a leash. He went around the neighborhood eating whatever he finds.

When I got him I had to put him on a leash. He only eats dog food (acana) and he weighs now around 12kg. He still needs to lose a bit more weight. My problem is when we are eating he barks a lot because he used to get a plate full of food and not anymore. The main issue though is that when food drops on the floor he eats i right away, even if its garbage like a cheese paper that happened today. I read online that when you take the dog away from he food when he barks (time out) it can help but he tried to bite me and ripped my pants (I wasnt injured).

I don use violence and I remained calm but I am not sure what else I can do. I can always send him to training for I would rather find a way to deal with it at home. He is 8 years old (male) and was never taught simple commands, I just taught him to sit when called. He is not aggressive when he eats his food but he is a bit aggressive when other people in the house are eating and he is not getting a plate like he used to for a number of years. He is a very calm, friendly dog until food is involved (not his).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Alice B]

I see Acana has a lot of Legumes, maybe your dog is getting a load of toxins from them,
How is he doing on the raw now?

[Kathryn P]

That’s interesting it’s in Petco now. When both my dogs became ill from a bag of Acana (when this all started) I switched to Zignature and have had zero problems. The whole thing with Acana/Orijen seemed shady and now they’re at petco makes it even more suspicious.

[Pam K]

Recently, I have seen a lot of people say that within the last year that Acana has changed their formula. We have had both of our dogs on Freshwater Fish for years. Does anyone know if or how the Freshwater Fish formula has changed?
Here is a little background on what prompted the question:
This past December our older dog (9yo female), was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. We changed her to 90-95% raw diet, she gets some kibble every so often, but has since done great. Our younger dog (just turned 4) just started having similar stomach issues our other dog did when she was diagnosed. So we are thinking he has pancreatitis too and are taking him to the vet today. He has been on 90-95% kibble diet (getting some raw at dinner time). Last night we decided to feed him a diet more similar to our other dog, and will continue to unless the vet says other wise. I just want to know if I should completely get rid of the bag we just bought.

[Ana C]

Hello to all!

Here I am reading up on lawsuits on Acana/Orijens. I’ve been feeding my boys this food for the past 6 years. I trusted this brand whole heartedly like most folk out there and now I’m at a loss. Like most people I don’t feel comfortable feeding them this food until something is know whether it is safe or not. So, now I’m not sure what to feed my boys(dogs, just to clarify). Should I get them Fromm’s, Stella & Chewie, other? Which one? Unfortunately I just purchased a bag of Acana and I’, hesitant to feed them but they have to eat!
Any recommendations? No food allergies that I know of at this time. Both are cocker spaniels in good health and both roughly around 8-9 years of age.

Thank you so much for your time and suggestions,

Ana

[Ayat S]

Well, I bought her from a breeder who seems to be knowing what she is doing. The dog has been checked by a vet and has a health card and everything. I could take her to the vet right now if it is really needed. But so far there does not seem to be anything specifically wrong with her.
And no, I am not listening to homeopathic vets or anything :D. Since this is my first time having a dog, I started reading up on stuff on the net, and since there were so many brands of dog food, I thought I do a overview of what is out there. I did not even know there were brands that were supposedly even harmful to the dog in the long run. Here are the brands I have easily access from two shops in my hometown:
Acana, Barking Heads, British Care, British Premium, Canagan, Carnilove, Edgard and cooper, Eukanaba, Golden Eagle, Hills , Lilys Kitchen, Nutrima, Nutro, Orijen, Piccolo, Planet Pet, Profine, Sams field, True instict, Wonderboo, Pronature holistic, Riverwood, Ziwipeak, 1st choice, Primadog, Welldog, Champion, Platinum, Proplan, Booster, probooster.

Again since I saw RC on a few brands to be avoided, I thought about changing the brand. I guess we can stay on it if that is what she wants…Also, since you said small breeds at 6 months are practically adults, should I buy normal adult food or stick to puppy until she is 1 years old?

[joanne l]

I know you want the best for her, but I would stay away from Acana due to DCM, Acana seems to be one of the brands high on the list for this problem. I know breeders that feed Purina for years on end with no problems. So if your pup is doing fine on Royal Canine then leave it. Your pup is telling you she doesn’t want Acana. Sometimes you need to listen to what your dog is saying. Best Wishes.

[Sanne]

There is nothing wrong with Royal Canin. Everything has bad reviews online. I do not see why you would want to feed Acana anymore than RC. Acana is full of protein from peas/lentils/chickpeas/beans/etc. It also has quite a few cases of DCM linked to it, no for sure information yet but why take the risk with a food that has had that many incidences?

Add ins like fruit and meat should be no more than 25% of a dog’s daily calories. If you really insist on switching foods maybe see if Farmina is available where you live? I live in Europe and it is a very popular food here and I think it is sold world wide. They will usually send out samples too if you ask, then you can see if your pup will eat it before committing to a bag.

[anonymous]

The only kibble I like at this time are Fromm Adult Classic or Fromm Small Breed Adult Gold

https://www.gofromm.com/fromm-family-small-breed-adult-gold-food-for-dogs

PS: Royal Canine is a good food, lots of misinformation on the internet.
Just add a tablespoon of soft food like boiled chopped chicken meat or canned food.
Also, add a little water, 1/4 cup to meals.

Small breeds love Purina Mighty Dog and it comes in small cans.

If she does not eat within 10 minutes pick up the dish, cover and store in the fridg offer at the next meal time. Offer her a meal twice a day like at 7a and 4p.

Do not leave food down. She will eat when she’s hungry. It’s okay if she skips a meal or two as long as she is drinking water. If she eats no solid food times 24 hours take her to the vet.

My dogs won’t eat Acana or Orijen either, they are too rich. Both my dogs vomited after eating Orijen.

Go here and search nutrition http://skeptvet.com/Blog/

[Ayat S]

My 6 month pom was fed what I think was a Royal Canine before I bought her. After doing tons of research and finding out what brands are easily accessible, I settled on Acana brand which seems to be pretty good for the most part. The problem is that the puppy just wont eat her new food. I tried the 20% new, 80% old trick but she just picks the old food and eats, or even if by mistake she picks the new ones, just throws it out! I have to say she is a VERY picky eater and loses interest in her food while eating, going away and seemingly forgetting to continue. I know she is not full since when I call her back she will continue eating.

I really want to get her used to Acana since I have not heard good things about the Royale Canine, but I do not know how exactly. The old food I got from the breeder is running out and soon it will be gone. Should I just resort to sort of starving her until she gives in and eats the new food?

[Sanne]

Just my personal opinions of these brands.. I would not bother with Blue Buffalo. So many people seem to have digestive issues on that brand. I also do not like the company as a whole, seems shady. Orijen and Acana are imo very overpriced for what they are. So much beans/lentils/peas which in my experience are not very easy to digest. My dogs get gas and huge loose stools on foods that use beans/lentils as the starch source. I have had much better digestion results with foods that use rice/barely/potato/sweet potato, that is just my personal experience though. With all the odd cases of DCM/low taurine with dogs on Acana, I would hold off on that food anyway until more is found on that.

I am not too familiar with Innova or Solid Gold. Wellness seems pretty decent. My go to puppy formulas are Farmina Puppy and Annamaet Original Puppy or Ultra. It really is trial and error though, what works for mine may not work for yours. You will only know what works for him by experience.

As for mixing add ins, my dogs starting since they were pups get raw meat, boiled eggs, and tinned sardines added to their dry food. They are very used to this though as like I said this started very early on. I would not add in a bunch of stuff too quickly with your pup though. You could start with just some egg or chicken added in a few times a week and go from there.

[Dereck B]

Hello all! well Tofuu is officially 3 months now and is growing so fast. but I DO NOT like the food that my bf family has been feeding him. (done some research). cause i’ve noticed that he has been scratching alot and biting at his fur. so i am switching his food as soon as i can and as soon i get some opinions as well! (for reassurance. ).

Well these are the brands that i am looking to buy, Orijen Puppy, Solid Gold, Wellness for Puppies, Blue Buffalo Puppy, Innova Puppy, or Acana. and another question i really want to ask you fellow shiba parents. Do you feed you puppy straight up dry food (high quality kibbles) or do you mix the kibbles with some wet food? and if so what combinations did you feed your shiba pup this early in puppyhood?

sorry to sounds so antsy!, but i just HATE the food he’s been eating this past week . Tofuu’s health and growth is what’s important. THANKSSSS for all your help and advice in advance.

[Patricia A]

Sounds like a good plan to me Amir. I agree with staying away from Orijen/Acana. I know about the lawsuit but it’s really because Acana was mentioned so many times as being fed when their dogs were diagnosed with low taurine or DCM. Lamb and rice frequently.
Mine get home cooked also. Just some boiled chicken, lean steak if they’re and I’m lucky that day. lol
I do like to switch around the freeze dried though. Primal turkey/sardine and duck. They get Bixbi Rawbble as treats only. Really expensive.
Don’t think kibble will ever be the perfect food for dogs . Grain free or not. Just man made for convenience for pet owners. Not natural for our pets to be eating day in and day out for life.
You have about the same feeding regime as me. I wish us luck. Geesh..I didn’t worry so much about what I was feeding my kids when growing as much I do about these two fur babies. lol

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Patricia A.

[Amir H]

Thanks for the reply.

I do know about the DCM issue and grain-free. That’s why i chose Fromm large breed puppy (it has 4 stars on dogfood advisor). I am worried about switching to a grain-free diet a bit as well but most high quality kibbles are grain free these days (Fromm is really an exception). Here are some other thoughts I had:

1- Orijen is great in terms of ingredients but their last lawsuit is keeping me away from Orijen and Acana. I totally know that the lawsuit could be baseless but I want to be safe.

2- I’m adding Primal nuggets and stella & chewy freeze dried to Fromm kibble as topper every day. So that’s a route I can continue. My dog eats 3 cups of Fromm food and the toppers I put are about 0.4 cups. So, at least I know I’m getting some freeze dried food and some other nutritions to her.

3- I’ve also considered going completely freeze dried (buy Stella & Chewy). It’d be expensive but it still fits my budget. I just don’t want to make the transition while she’s still a puppy. I’ll do that when I’m transitioning her to adult food.

It’s kind of sad that all good quality foods are grain-free these days.

[Christie B]

@InkedMarie, I’m not exactly a fan of BB myself, but it seems to be the one brand that causes the least issues with my dog.

Over the past 10 years I’ve tried many of the brands recommended from this site: Wellness, Merrick, TOTW, Canidae, Acana, Instinct, Whole Earth Farms, Nulo…

Blue Buffalo is the only one they seem to want to eat. It drives me a bit crazy. But considering my vet keeps pushing Purina Pro Plan, BB seems like a step up from that.

My big guy isn’t overweight but losing a few pounds couldn’t hurt. The rep was saying that Adult formula has more protein than Senior food and as dogs age they require less protein. And since he’s over 100 pounds, he should be on a large breed formula.

[Sanne]

I would think the toxins could be a big part of it more than “exotic” meats. I live in the Netherlands and as Susan pointed out, this just isn’t an issue here in Europe either. Some very common meats for dogs in my country are venison, rabbit and goat. Very often fed raw too. I would think if meats like that were a cause for all of this we would be seeing quite a few cases here in NL!

Orijen and Acana are sold here in Europe but we only get the stuff from the Canadian plant. Also, even if a food is not made in the EU, if it is sold here it must pass the same regulations that food made here does. I still don’t touch Champion foods though and it is not that common in the Netherlands. Most of us stick to foods made in Europe because the rules on pet food are much more strict.

It is definitely an interesting theory! Interestingly, dog foods full of legumes are not very popular here either. We do have some with peas but foods like that just have not gotten very widespread here.

[joanne l]

First mate sounds good. I would steer clear of Orjien and Acana. There is to much going on with them. Lawsuits and all. I also hear a lot of people complaining about the Kentucky plant food as well. Good Luck to you.

[Susan]

Hi Joanne,
You might be onto something cause America is the only country where these dogs are suffering with low taurine causing health problems…
Canada, Australia, UK & Europe aren’t having these problems like the dogs in US??

We dont get Orijen, Zignature or Acana in Australia maybe this is why we dont have any of these problems.
Every time I see Patches vet which has been monthly lately cause of his lower back, I ask my vet has any vets here had any dogs come in suffering with heart problems caused by low taurine & she say’s “no” I asked her again last week & she laughed & said
“Susan I think you need to stay off the internet’ lol….
I’m not asking her no more cause I know now if she does start having dogs come in suffering with low taurine she will tell me, its stuck in her head lol…

[Peter K]

I finally made the switch from Acana to First Mate. They came out with a new line called grain friendly and has limited ingredients – the three different flavors are chicken, white fish and lamb. Leo loved it when we did a taste test comparing other foods (fromm, acana, first mate grain free). Its a little less in meat protein content compared to acana but quality seemed good and they are still made in canada and they have complete control in all aspects of the manufacturing process. Were almost finished with our first bag and he seems to be doing well on it. Also, since the food has protein from peas, etc and not just meat, they are able to pass along the cost savings to the consumers, a 30# bag is roughly half the cost of what we use to pay for Acana. We got ours from Mudbay.

[Jennifer K]

Probably should mention as a reminder- his stomach issues are back stemming from the new formula- the KY formula is terrible. He was fine in Canadian Acana for years.

I read in another thread Purina is in negotiations to purchase Champions food- can’t confirm but thought that was pretty terrible too. Their Quality and standards have gone down the drain.

[Jennifer K]

Hoping to keep this thread alive and would like to do a quick check in on limited ingredient alternative recommendations to Acana singles.

Since my last post mid December- Bentley my Coton de Tulear, has been on bland homemade food to combat weekly bouts of vomiting and diarrhea (with blood on several occasions). He has been doing a lot better tolerating this food and am ready to add in a new dry dog food, but still at a loss for which one. I heard Zignature was a quality brand (from their threads here) but it appears to be available at Walmart which tells me otherwise (maybe not a good basis, but still concerns me).

Has anyone has succes on transitioning from Acana to something else?

I

[joanne l]

Hi everyone I know this is old news, but I was reading the lawsuit about it today and the toxins that were found claim to be harmful to cardiovascular health, kidneys and brain function. I wonder if these toxins have something to do with DCM? I say this because a lot of dogs that were diagnosed with DCM ate Orjien and Acana. Of course there are other grain free dry foods that dogs were eating that also had DCM. But it makes me wonder that it could be the legumes PLUS toxins.

[Sanne]

I would listen to your vet. They know more about your dog than a store owner. I personally would not touch anything from Champion (Orijen/Acana). They are currently in quite the lawsuit and have more cases than I am comfortable with of dogs having DCM and/or low taurine while on their foods.

There is nothing wrong with grain inclusive food. Using peas/lentils/chickpeas etc in place of rice/oats/barely has no benefits unless your dog is specifically allergic to those ingredients. Peas and beans just up the overall protein content of the food with plant protein.

[Mike Sagman]

Maria G.

You asked, “Then why does this website even exist? Is the owner still present? I was very disappointed when I saw how the Acana/Orijen mess was handled by this list. Not a believer. Do we really know who owns this site anymore?”

The Dog Food Advisor is still (and continues to be) privately owned. We’re not affiliated (in any way) with pet food manufacturers.

I (Mike Sagman) or at least one or more of our 4 member team are here each and every day. We all work hard to keep our 1000+ detailed reviews regularly updated.

For proof, please take a moment to look at our “New and Updated Reviews” log. Please notice that we’ve researched, re-written and updated 78 reviews over the last 90-days alone!

We’ve also published some 209 dog food recalls… every U.S. and Canadian recall event since 2009?

About our “best” dog food lists, you also falsely claimed, “Seriously, 1/2 of them have been in trouble for recalls.”

This statement is completely untrue. Have you checked our complete list of recalls? Do you still believe half of our best recommendations have been recalled?

In fact, the overwhelming majority of these brands have never been recalled.

And so what if some have? Does the recall of just one single batch of a dog food mean that every food that company ever manufactures again is not worthy of consideration?

By the way, until Editor’s Choice is available again, we’ve provided a number of completely FREE “Best Dog Food” lists… each one includes at least 10 to 20 top recommendations, product images and mini summaries (as well as direct links to our current detailed articles and ratings).

You also wrote, “I’ve come to find out that many websites like this owners are paid by different food companies to keep their foods high on the list.”

Another baseless claim. We’ve never once received a single dollar (not even a free sample) from any pet food manufacturer. Ever.

Every review on this website always ends with the following crystal clear disclosure and my personal promise to our readers:

“In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews.

“However, we do receive an affiliate fee from certain online retailers, including some that offer their own private label brands.

“This policy helps support the operation of our website and keeps access to all our content completely free to the public.

“In any case, please be assured it is always our intention to remain objective, impartial and unbiased when conducting our analysis.”

[Martha M]

Thank you, crazy4cats. Sophie was bitten by a rattlesnake while hunting and got a lethal dose of venom. During the course of trying to save her life they could not get her heart under control (she was throwing constant VPCs – premature ventricular contractions). Although she managed to survive the bite and subsequent infection following 2 doses of anti-venom and antibiotics, they decided to pursue the heart issue with an echocardiogram and discovered the DCM. Needless to say, we were completely stunned and devastated. She had never displayed any signs or symptoms of this condition. And she’s a 7-year old retriever who works hard in the cold weather during duck season.
To answer Michelle G, DCM normally begins to affect the left ventricular wall (as it has in her case), weakening the heart muscle, and progresses to congestive heart failure. Sophie has a second part to her DCM and that is the arrhythmia she was experiencing in the emergency hospital. It’s not uncommon for this to accompany DCM, but it does put her at risk for sudden death. So she also takes a second heart med to regulate the arrhythmia, along with taurine supplementation. We have taken her to an outstanding veterinary cardiologist who happens to be in Nashville (we’re in Memphis) and she has confirmed the diagnosis. Sophie is in the occult phase of the disease (very early) and we are working closely with the cardiologist in the slight hope that it could be reversed.
And yes, crazy4cats, we definitely do suspect the DCM is diet-related. I’ve fed my retrievers Orijen for years, thinking I was giving them the best I could. When Champion opened their U.S plant in KY a few years ago they changed the formula and started adding a number of legumes. Sophie had thrived on Orijen until that time but then started having stools that weren’t so great, enough that I would have to give her pumpkin to correct it periodically. In retrospect, how I wish I had switched her to something else then, but we had no idea.
Before anyone goes nuts over my response that I believe this to be diet-related, allow me to clarify. Yes, in Sophie’s case we DO SUSPECT that (frankly one reason is because of the number of legumes used in the formula and how her digestive system clearly reacted to it). Even though the named legumes in Orijen are far down the ingredient list with excellent meat sources at the top, there are a grand total of 6 of them, in addition to green peas. This is known as ingredient splitting – name them separately and they are lower on the list, but if taken together as an entire group of legumes it would push them much higher on the list, and it consequently boosts the protein total as well, even though they are plant proteins.
But there are so many things they don’t know yet about what’s causing this rise in DCM in breeds not known to contract it. Of course there is a lot yet to discover. Unfortunately for us, we don’t have the luxury of time. There is considerable suspicion that, in some dogs, legumes can interfere with the synthesis of taurine needed by the heart muscle. It’s very possible that Sophie is one of those dogs. We did test her taurine levels using a whole blood sample and they were within the normal range but the cardiologist told me just yesterday that may not necessarily tell the whole story about how her body is utilizing it, or not; and there could be other diet-related metabolic issues in her case, as well.
She had called to say she was sending me a research article detailing the results of the study that was done on the group of golden retrievers and it was extremely informative. All the dogs diagnosed with DCM in the study had been consuming diets with similar characteristics, including grain-free, uncommon protein based, or legume-rich formulas (several had been fed Acana, and 1 had been fed Orijen; 52 healthy dogs were also part of the study). “Significant improvement in echocardiographic parameters and normalization of whole blood taurine concentrations from baseline to follow-up visits were observed in all but one dog after implementing a diet change and supplementation with taurine +/- L-carnitine.” Our cardiologist personally knows of two dogs that a change in diet successfully reversed the disease and knows of other cases where that has occurred, as well. Which is what makes me cling to hope.
Of course there is no way to know if a different diet will help Sophie or not – I can only pray that it will. We’ll be returning for another echo in 6 months to see what, if any, changes there have been in her heart and will hope for good news. It has generally taken at least 6 months to demonstrate if a diet change is having any affect.

[InkedMarie]

Yes the owner is still around. He has a job and a life outside of DFA. What about now Then”Orijen Acana Mess” wasn’t handled to your liking?

It’s a website. It’s not the end all that beats all. Nowhere does it say to believe only what DFA says. No one should depend on “here”. No one is making you stay here and read/post. If you don’t like it here, there are many other places to go to.

By the way, there’s nothing wrong with recalls as a whole. It depends what the recall is for, how it’s handled and how many the company has had.

[Mackenzie N]

Thank you zcRiley. I noticed all of the vitamins and minerals added too which made me leery. I try to avoid as much of that as possible knowing that some of them are sourced from China. I currently feed Acana but all the hoopla about the DCM being caused by grain free food has me a little concerned.

[Patricia A]

Purina deserves Champion.
The class action lawsuit against Champion Pet Food (manufacturer of Orijen and Acana) has been amended in a concerning way. The lawsuit now includes “risk of inclusion in their pet food of pentobarbital…”

Filed in Colorado today (11/12/18) was an amended lawsuit (complaint) against Champion Pet Food. The initial lawsuit against Champion was based on “negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting and failing to fully disclose the presence of heavy metals and toxins in their pet food sold throughout the United States.” Now the lawsuit states this:
bring this Class Action Complaint against Defendants Champion Petfoods USA, Inc. and Champion Petfoods LP (“Defendants”), for their negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting, failing to test for, and failing to fully disclose the presence and/or risk of inclusion in their pet food of heavy metals, pentobarbital, toxins and/or unnatural or other ingredients that do not conform to the labels, packaging, advertising and statements sold throughout the United States.”

The clue to this concerning change in the Champion Pet Food lawsuit was this statement:

“It was recently revealed on information and belief that Defendants were knowingly, recklessly and/or negligently selling certain of the Contaminated Dog Foods from the DogStar Kitchens containing pentobarbital, a substance largely used to euthanize animals.”

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Patricia A.

[joanne l]

Hi everyone I just found out that Purina is negotiating a price for Acana and Ojien foods. Wow I can’t believe it. I guess these small companies just don’t have the money to keep going.
That makes me wonder that if you find a small company that is family owned, how long will that go on before they sell it? And I think these big companies know this and eventually they buy them and they make a lot of money. It is nice to see small companies trying to make good food but it is a shame in the long run they can’t afford it.

[Marla G]

Then why does this website even exist? Is the owner still present? I was very disappointed when I saw how the Acana/Orijen mess was handled by this list. Not a believer. Do we really know who owns this site anymore? Yes, do your own research and don’t depend on this. I just looked at the dog food lists for Jan.2019. Seriously, 1/2 of them have been in trouble for recalls. I’ve come to find out that many websites like this owners are paid by different food companies to keep their foods high on the list.

[Patricia A]

When I tried to edit my subscription it said they are revamping and adding features. Suggested putting my email address to be notified when it’s back to resubscribe.
Funny about Acana and Orijen. My dogs were on Fromm for years. My pet supply store had brands arranged that most expensive were all in one aisle. Fromm was known as a superior kibble. Never had a recall at that time. Orijan and Acana had a reputation of the best of the best kibble you can feed, Tried it once with no success . Just didn’t eat it. There also is a lawsuit . Testing showed Champion kibble having higher levels of BPA in their kibble. Less then canned food but a chemical not associated with dry pet foods.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Patricia-
The Editor’s Choice list has been shut down for new members and/or renewals for months. My subscription ran out months ago. I hope it’s revamped. Right now, one of the top brands on the list is Champion who makes Orijen and Acana. I would never buy either of these foods. Acana is responsible for DCM in many dogs. They use too many non-traditional ingredients that have not gone through any testing or feeding trials.

Do your own research and call the companies who make the food you are interested in feeding. Good luck!

[Reina S]

https://www.murdochs.com/go/wildology/#!/%23collapse1

I found this article. It says made in the USA. We have a Standard Poodle and our Rescue. We were feeding Orijen/Acana and our grocery bill was getting pretty high. We will do whatever to make the fur babies happy. My husband wanted to try the Wildology. We’ve weaned them to it and they love it. No super smelly poops, which I was afraid of. So, so far so good. I will keep you posted. I’m always nervous with any changes.

[Vanessa M]

Hi All-

I’m interested to hear any advice anyone might have regarding a good brand of kibble and/or supplements to help my 5-year old Goldendoodle with his long-standing gastro issues.
A history (I’ll try to keep it brief!)
– He has never LOVED eating; will often leave at least one meal/day. Have had to add chicken or coconut oil to entice him to eat
– Used to have a history every few months of getting diarrhea/vomiting bile for a few days. We would do chicken & rice, probiotics, and have altered kibble to figure out what’s causing it.
– We had him on Castor & Pollux Ultramix- seemed to work well but then the history of diarrhea/vomiting bile would come back. Thought maybe it was the fat content of the food?
– Switched to Orijen Fit & Trim as it had lower fat content. Dog did great on it but we were warned against being on it too long because it’s meant for overweight dogs and might not have the complete nutrition that our dog needs
– Switched to Orijen Regional Red in July- dog LOVES eating it. He started pooping MASSIVE poops IN the house (very unusual for him). Pudding-like consistency, disgusting. I consulted with the pet food people who recommended lowering his daily amount (he’s quite lazy) and letting water inflate the kibble before eating. He became ravenous, like he wasn’t getting enough to eat and the pooping continued.
– We just switched to Acana Duck & Pear (single protein) at the advice of a pet store clerk due to the lower protein amount in the food (since he’s lazy, he doesn’t need the high protein that Regional Red has?) He has since become constipated and super uncomfortable overnight, asking to be let out frequently from 2am onward.

We have tried probiotics, goats milk, etc. He hated the goats milk and certain probiotics seemed to make things worse. He checks out at the vet fine, but I’m certainly not opposed to another medical check-up. We have a bag of Science Diet Gastro that the vet gave us when we have issues and he does well on it, but I doubt that’s a long-term food. Otherwise, the vet doesn’t have much to say in terms of kibble, food, etc.

I’m just wondering if there is a food out there that might better serve him?? We are really at a loss and feel so bad for him!

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for any advice (large or small!) that you might be able to provide.

[Hanna D]

I have a cocker spaniel that is allergic to wheat, flaxseed, milk and beef. I have golden retriever with anal gland issues.They are eating Acana now but it is making there poop soft. Looking for recommendations

[Patricia A]

Crazy4cats how do I find out which brands supply the nutritional experts?? Is it listed on label?
” Current research (not yet published) has identified a link between grain-free dogs foods that include peas and legumes and taurine deficiency that can lead to DCM. On the Taurine Deficiency page, the most commonly reported foods from owners of dogs with DCM are: Nutrisource, Acana (particularly pork and butternut squash), 4Health, Zignature, Taste of the Wild, Earthborn Holistic.”
Wouldn’t some of the above be considered big brand companies such as Taste of the Wild(Diamond)? Earthborn Holistic was founded in 1926 etc. Don’t know if they imploy Ph.D’s. I hope not because they missed something with this DCM problem.
I have the Chihuahuas’ so not one of the breeds that would most likely be affected by low Taurine and DCM. But still concerned they get their protein from meat . Don’t know why it just can’t be broken down on the bag of food of how much of the protein is actually coming from meat.
I’m finally on a good feeding regime with food I feel good feeding them and my dogs are doing very well. Primal, Bixbi and just one protein occasionally of Stella’s venison. PLEASE don’t tell me that THESE are all the new boutique foods your referring to. It can’t be because they DO NOT look appealing once dehydrated. lol Not liked some canned that has big pieces of potatoes and carrots and shredded chicken. lol But THAT is what i’m trying to stay away from. I can only hope that by going by reviews they are getting brands that have more meat protein then plant protein . Less starches and carbs . They get little anyway with sweet potatoes and string beans when we have this for dinner. And my salmon and a little steak when they get lucky. Watermelon is their favorite. All in moderation. Again I can hope that essentia vitamins/minerals and anything else they need is in their dog food. Yearly blood tests tell me they are not deficient . MY blood work isn’t even as good as theirs lol I’m doing something right. My one Doxie lived to 17 1/2. My oldest Chi is 16 1/2 and going strong.
I’ll go NUTS if I have to change again so humor me. lol

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Patricia A.

[Claudia W]

Hi,
I have 3 puppets-a cavi-3 yrs old, cockalier (cavi cross)-5 yrs old, and a Wheaten-3 yrs old . My Wheatie has allergies and was worse on Orijiin. I switched to Acana Singles. I went to purchase a bag of Acana Singles Pork & Squash and noticed the bags were different. One bag stated food had 27% protein and the other said 31% protein. On the 31% protein bag, some of the ingredients were different than those in the 27% bag. The clerk had no idea about this discrepancy and said they’d eventually contact Champion. Haven’t heard anything yet. There was nothing on the 31% bag that noted a formula change and I’ve had no issues with this food. My daughter just switched her 3 Davis and morkie to Acana as well.
I’m concerned about changes and consistency-both bags were made in Kentucky.
Comments appreciated!

[Peter K]

multiple failed attempts of embedding the image, so here is the link again lol…

View post on imgur.com

• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Peter K.

[Peter K]

Hey guys, it is very concerning to see that there are so many pups with similar issues.. After that whole bone in kibble debacle, during my last update (sorry its been so long) I sent a sample of the kibble to Acana HQ in Alberta. It’s been over a year an I have still not received a follow-up, I have sent probably three separate emails asking for a follow-up. Going to give Champion foods the benefit of the doubt and just assume it was just negligence and poor customer service from the rep.

I’ve been with Champion foods for about four years now – what brought us to them was their quality control and stricter regulations when they used to make everything in Canada.

I know someone mentioned their current lawsuit regarding false claims on % in their foods… Long story short, a study from a group claims that the food analysis does not match what Champion foods is claiming on their bags, website etc… (please correct me if I’m wrong)

**DISCLAIMER** Now, PLEASE do your own research and due diligence but after looking into more, it seemed like the food itself was safe (it wasnt a recall or salmonella scare). So we continued to feed Leo Acana but stayed away from the Meadowlands formula and strictly switched him on red meat/ heritage meat. He has been doing well on it and I haven’t found any foreign objects in any of his food. When I purchase a new bag, I empty it out in our Vittles Vault and look for anything unusual.

As much as I want to stay with Acana/ Champion foods the last bag we brought home didn’t have any abnormalities but….. He has thrown up a couple of times (happened about two weeks ago). Now, at the time I thought it was just because he ate too fast or didnt chew enough (#doglogic) but I’m beginning to worry about it after so many of you mentioned your pups were also vomiting… Can’t say for sure there is any correlation between the food and him throwing up, but it would be a lie if I didn’t think it had a little to do with it.

Some of you have asked what other foods are good, personally, the only other food our pup was on is Fromm. The only reason we switched to Acana at the time was because they offered the single protein formulas, we thought he had a chicken allergy because he kept getting hot spots and rashes… So we switched him to Acana and everyone was happy. Turns out it was fleas… We were living near a heavily wooden area and fleas would just get to him when we’re outside… Even with flea medication, the flea still bites – they just die after.

If you are lucky enough to be able to source the Canadian made formulas, then Id’ say its as good as you can get. However… With the amount of money we are spending on these bags, (a #25 bag is over $70 after tax), we deserve better… our pups deserve better…

We have been on the fence of switching up his food since he has been on Acana for about 4 or 5 years now. Good to add variety and I think we are going to go back to Fromm. They are a small company and offer similar formulas. One thing to watch out for is that they do use real Wisconsin cheese, so if your pup is sensitive to cheese/ dairy, might not be a good fit.

It’s been so long since I’ve looked at new foods.. It’ll be great to hear what others have also switched to or plan to switch to.

Thank you guys for all your comments and keeping this thread alive for so long, I hope this will gain some attention from Champion foods… Someone wise once told me your brand is only as good as your last product..

[Jennifer K]

My dog has been acana singles lamb and apple
For years. He started on the Canadian version and then when the plant opened in Kentucky, that was the only one that was available in the US. Every so often he would have a very gurgley stomach followed by soft/diarrhea stool with blood. It has started to happen more frequently with the recent new of high amount of heavy metals it can only be attributed to the food. He is completely healthy otherwise.

I want to take him off acana, which food did everyone here switch to? I read Merrick or Gather (made in Canada) might be Better choices.
I’m Leary about merrick only because they’ve had various salmonella recalls over the years.

Looking for any new food choice advice!