[Derek P]

We have an 8 month old Bulloxer (American Bulldog, Boxer Mix) and cannot find a food that will not give him diarrhea. He has had a couple solid poops, but then goes straight to diarrhea after that period. First we started him on Orijen Large breed puppy, we fed him 3-4 26.6 pound bags and still nothing but diarrhea and bad gas. We eventually switched him to Wellness Core Puppy food (which he is currently on). He started out fine for the first week or so, but now we are back to diarrhea and bad gas. He never has any table food and only has Milk Bones for treats. The only thing we could come up with is that he may just have a sensitive stomach, or dog food intolerance specifically to chicken since both of those food main ingredient was chicken. Any help is greatly appreciated, in order to get our pups stomach under control!

[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!

[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.

[GSDsForever]

With loose stool problems like you’re describing, I will give a dog a something like cottage cheese and white rice, bland & highly digestible, for a few days. (You could also use boiled plain chicken breast for the protein.)

That usually will clear up whatever is going on. And it allows the dog’s system to recover. In fact, often you will not see the dog produced stool for a day or so, and then it will be minimum. Make sure the dog has sufficient water, whenever a dog has diarrhea (or vomiting).

I really doubt that your dog needs the specific Iams food, but that mix of foods from 2 Wellness products and Orijen (why the mix?) may not be right for your dog. Try a single recipe blander, simpler, moderate in protein & low to moderate fat diet for a bit. You need low residue, which is just another fancy way of saying highly digestible, but it doesn’t have to be a specific formula & brand with that in the title or be a vet diet. Watch the treats too.

Do not overfeed, underfeed until you get it right, divided between two meals a day (no free feeding), and watch to make sure your puppy does not eat too fast. Do not play/exercise/walk/have excitement for your dog within 1-2 hours of feeding, backwards & forwards. Feeding should be during a time of calm & rest.

A tablespoon of all natural plain yogurt, with live active cultures, can also help with problem stool/digestive upset.

It’s good that your vet gave probiotics, as the antibiotics destroy beneficial bacteria. I don’t typically jump right away to antibiotics and would encourage you not to do that either. They are overused, cause problems, and rack up your vet bills unnecessarily.

[Brian K]

Hello everyone:
We have been feeding our 5-month old puppy Reggie, a cocker spaniel mix presently weighing in around 25 lbs, a mix of Orijen Puppy, Wellness Core Puppy, and Wellness Complete Health Puppy. Over the past six weeks he has showed symptoms of colitis. A round of pills (antibiotics, I believe) from the vet made things better temporarily, but within a few days of stopping he was back to very loose stools with some mucous (no blood) and bowel control problems including his first poop in the house since he was under 10 weeks old. He also vomited a few times this time around which was new…

So, we went back to the vet earlier this week and she told us to switch him to Iams Intestinal Plus Puppy, put him back on another round of antibiotic, and also probiotics. As with last time, he was doing significantly better within 36 hours, but who’s to say if it’s the food, the pills, probiotics, or some combo thereof? I am willing to be open-minded to the idea that the Iams food may be what my dog needs, but I really don’t like the ingredients. If he does well on the Iams food once his antibiotic treatment is through, I will keep him on it, but eventually want to work in something with higher quality ingredients and nutrition. Any suggestions on foods to try or how to handle this situation in general?

Thank you

[Laura C]

hey Laurel…I’ve learned alot in my research of seizures. Besides rosemary…dogs with seizures need not only grain free, but also low carb, which includes ALL potatoes. A raw diet is best for these dogs…Dr. karen Becker (google her) has a lot of info regarding raw. As far as commercial food, a good one is Orijen Regional Red…it is high protein, moderate fat and low carb.

Shoot me an email if you have more questions…I have a hard time coming to this site with my work hours.

Laura.conover@cardinalhealth.com

[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!

[aquariangt]

Ordering online may work (I do it a lot), but I definitely saw Acana and Orijen last time I was out there. Whatever their big box store was had some foods (cant remember off the top of my head) but in a few specialty shops I went to I saw Champion Foods out there. What brands are in the stores you go to? I think applaws is a uk brand as well

[GhoulishGal]

Yeah… not one of those is available where I am. I can get Orijen and Acana (same Canadian Company) on Amazon, but the rest… specialty online stores.

[pugmomsandy]

Check out Oven-Baked Tradition, Orijen, Acana, Horizon Pet Foods, Petcurean, Pronature, FirstMate, and Nutreco.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by pugmomsandy.

[Nate D]

Here’s a quick update after making some phone calls.
My dog will be going on the Science Diet for 2 weeks. I actually already started. Went and picked it up. After that if there are no crystals I was told I can go back on the dry food, I just need to add water to it……or I can mix wet and dry and add water. I’m told the solid gold supplement is also ok once off of the SD.
So I will still use dry food, but will mix it with wet. I just can’t afford all wet.
I’m also looking at switching the dry food to grain free. The big problem is with Doxies it’s not easy finding a food they won’t gain weight from no matter how little food you give them. Fromm Gold Weight Management has been the only food that keeps both of my dogs stable and where they should be. They do have a new weight management formula, but I don’t believe it’s grain free either. I have tried grain free in the past, but they just kept slowly putting on the weight. Even tried Wellness Core Reduced Fat. I kept lowering the amount I gave them, but anymore they wouldn’t have any. lol
I see Merrick has a grain free low cal dry food as well as canned. I’m also looking at Evo and Fromm for canned food. Natural Balance has a low cal food as well, but doesn’t look as good as the others, but it is more affordable. By Nature looks good as well.
The Evo dry looks good, but the protein is extremely high. I tried that route with Orijen and Acana before but that high just made their stools very soft and they farted all of the time. lol Not to mention my females anal glands were over active on very high protein.
What brands of foods are you all feeding your dogs that had crystals?

[DogFoodie]

Addiction, Castor & Pollux, Champion (Orijen & Acana), Central Garden & Pet (Avoderm & Pinnacle), Farmina, Fromm, Hi-Tek (Hi-Tek & Leonard Powell), Horizon, Midwestern Pet Foods (Earthborn), Natura (EVO, Innovation), Ohio Pet Foods (Blackwood), Precise, Taplow Ventures (FirstMate – I’m using this right now for one of my dogs), Tuffy’s (NutriSource, Natural Planet and Pure Vita).

[Brian K]

Regarding commercial treats, I prefer freeze dried treats that are 100% meat. They are portable, light, and the dog loves them. Though expensive, Orijen has a line of these…I like the “Tundra” which has venison, elk, and trout. We also like Bravo! freeze dried treats….the Bison is a big hit (it’s just freeze dried bison). We used to offer Wellness “Just for Puppy” treats but he is less enthusiastic about these now that he gets real meat treats from time to time.

Our dog adores the Natural Balance “Jerky Bark” limited ingredient treats which we received as a gift, but I’m not a big fan of the fat content and preservatives…maybe I’m being overprotective.

[Brian K]

Hello everyone, I’m a new Editor’s Choice member and this is my first post here…

I’ve found a lot of conflicting information out there about when we should transition our dog from “Puppy” formula food to adult food, so I thought I’d ask for advice here. Our puppy, named Reggie, is a 20-week old rescue “farm mutt.” The only breed in his ancestry that genetic testing returned with any confidence was Cocker Spaniel (1/4), with a highly mixed cocktail including 3 different terrier breeds, greyhound, shar-pei, and havanese all potentially in the mix. At just under 25 lbs now @ 20 wk we’re expecting him to reach an adult weight of approximately 35 lbs.

We have been feeding him a mix of Orijen puppy, Wellness Core Puppy, and Wellness Complete Health puppy sometimes supplemented with Wellness Complete Health puppy wet food or plain cooked chicken. We want to work some more variety in, but he’s a pretty finicky eater (he will even separate individual kibbles of foods he likes from those he doesn’t, which he neatly deposits next to his bowl), so if I’m going to spend money trying some new things for him it might as well be age-appropriate. So I’m wondering when the right time to start feeding him adult food is, either entirely or as part of his mix? Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Melissaandcrew]

Hi John
.

Sadly welcome to the world of wheaties. Great dogs, lots of medical concerns. Be thankful yours has the skin issues from allergies and not the intestinsl. Ours had both. We feed high quality dry and raw foods to control his issues. He eats a lot of Acana, Orijen and Nature’s Variety products. Once you find a brand that is higher rated, look for any chicken in it. We started ours on the Acana Lamb/ apple with great success. We never feed him a food for long term, in the hopes that he will not develop an allergy due to exposure.

For example. Last week he ate Acana Pork/squash for two days, Nature’s Variety Rabbit (limited ingredient) for 2 days, and the lamb Acana for 2 days. Grandma Lucy dehydrated venison for one.

[Dori]

Hi John P. First let me say that I’m a commercial raw feeder grain free foods so I’m not going to really be of much help with kibble. I do know that a lot of people on this site consider Acana and Orijen made by Champion to be a quality company. The only kibble that, on rare occasions, I have put in rotation is Nature’s Logic Kibble but only the Sardine. All others contain either some sort of beef or poultry (eggs). One of my dogs has many many food intolerances and sensitivities. The list is quite long so I won’t bore you as they don’t pertain to your dog. But she is highly intolerant of all things poultry which includes all fowl. Below is a partial list of what I feed my three dogs and they all do very well on them, I’ve left out any of the beef that I feed because your dog has an intolerance to beef. I feed all my dogs the same food because of my allergy girl, Katie. I feed a rotational diet so here goes.

OC Raw: Fish & Produce Patties, Lamb Patties, Rabbit Patties, Goat Patties

Primal Raw Formulas and/or Primal Pronto Formulas: Venison Patties, Rabbit Patties

Vital Essentials Raw: Fish Patties, Rabbit Patties

Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw: Venison (also contains lamb), Rabbit (also contains pork)

Stella & Chewy’s Raw: Venison, Lamb, Rabbit
I’m not a great fan of Stella & Chewy’s but will feed it if I’m in a pinch.

Natures Logic Kibble: Sardine (It contains millet which is a pseudo-grain. Katie can’t tolerate grains but for some reason the millet in Nature’s Logic doesn’t seem to bother her. Could be because I feed it so infrequently and never for more than one meal every so often.

I’m an advocate of rotational feeding for my three dogs so I rotate their food pretty much with every meal and don’t feed them the same protein without a three day break in between. It’s the only way I can get around Katie’s food issues. Dogs with allergies should also avoid corn, white potatoes, rice (all), soy. They are all pro-inflammatory so you’re basically feeding the allergies and making things worse. You need to feed non-inflammatory foods and ingredients as best you can. It’s pretty difficult to avoid every single thing all the time but it helps a great deal to do your best.

Hope some of this has helped. I’m sure someone else will chime in soon to help with kibble feeding.

Oops! Don’t forget about checking to see what’s in the treats you give your dogs. For treats I only give pieces of fruits (no grapes) and veggies. No seeds or pits with the fruit please (toxic), I also peel apples and cucumbers. I don’t feed any commercial treats due to grains and too many recalls for my liking. Too many pesticides used on both. Good Luck and if I can answer any questions please ask.

I just wanted to mention that the only fish that Katie cannot eat is salmon. All other fish foods she’s fine with but is very sensitive to salmon.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Dori.

[GSDsForever]

But you started this with a concern for digestibility, good absorption of nutrients, stool size, and gas. So I wanted to comment on that.

“I don’t know if having more animal protein versus plant protein would help her digest the nutrients and poop/have gas less?”

In short, no. It is the quality of the individual ingredients, what they are and their grade, that affect digestibility as they go into a formula. You’re also playing a balancing game with some ingredients, between rich in nutrients and greater digestibility. From there, processing matters. It can affect overall digestibility and preservation of nutrients. Finally freshness of ingredients going into the formula and from date of manufacture to purchase and use are very important.

I would highly recommend calling the company of the the foods you’re considering, as well as the one you’ve been feeding (Infinia) and asking for Total Dry Matter Digestibility, plus digestibility of protein, fat, and carbs.

The Infinia is rather low in protein, lower than I personally would feel comfortable feeding. But that isn’t the problem when looking at nutrient absorption and digestibility. But when the protein IS very low, then it becomes even more critical to ensure that it is very high quality and highly digested.

Since Infinia Holistic Salmon & Sweet Potato’s primary ingredients are ones that look good and CAN be highly digestible . . .

Salmon, Menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes

it may the grade of ingredients and/or processing that is problematic.

Fish meal, for example, comes in MANY different grades at VERY different price points to pet food companies. It can be very high ash & bones, leftover carcass material or low ash/high protein & high digestibility and come from good cuts included or whole fish with most bone filtered out, which costs the company considerably more and is harder to source. It also, by AAFCO definition, can be stripped of its oil (which is sold separately at profit, rather than going into the food) or have those precious Omega 3s left in. This formula appears to be very low in Omega 3, particularly for a fish formula, and even though it has been already boosted by plant oil (Canola). Reasons for fish formulas to be low in Omega 3 tend to be the meal has been stripped of its oils and/or use of farmed salmon. Salmon varieties also range greatly in Omega 3 content!

Canola oil is not going to be as digestible and its nutrients absorbed well in order to be used by your dog vs., say, salmon oil or an animal fat. (I personally don’t like canola oil anyway, as it’s not a very clean ingredient. In commercial use, it is generally high heat and chemical processed, damaged, and and contaminated.) Potatoes, sweet potatoes can include skins or not, etc. affecting digestibility and stool volume.

Foods cooked for less time and at lower temperatures preserve more nutrients. And gentle cooking both increases digestibility and nutrient absorbability in ingredients and nutrients AND decreases them compared to raw, depending on the ingredient or nutrient.

Consider how fresh the ingredients are, how fresh from date of manufacture, how it was stored and transported prior to getting to you, and how properly sealed the bags are. (From there, you must also store foods properly.) Actually smell the food.

But just to give you an example of how you can never tell with things like digestibility from the price and marketing/popularity of a product or just looking at the ingredient list of a “better” brand — Orijen’s 6 Fish formula has a pretty poor overall dry matter digestibility for a premium brand and is in fact the lowest among their formulas. It’s also lower than the cheap bulk bags from Costco, Nature’s Domain (by Diamond).

[Meghan M]

Hello all!

I have been to the Dog Food Advisor website many, many times over the last year or so, and recently decided to post a forum so I could get some personal insight regarding my issue. I have a 3 year-old Doberman who has been getting fed Infinia Holistic Salmon and Sweet Potato for quite some time. I also give her fish oil, yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, various fruits and veggies, and recently started adding wet food to the dry food based on many suggestions to vary a dog’s food.

When I first got my dog, she was the runt of the litter. She had horrible skin, recurring UTIs, recurring issues with digestive upset (vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), etc. I tried a lot of different foods to no avail before I realized she likely has an allergy to poultry. I switched her over to the Infinia dog food and she has done great ever since. People always talk about how beautiful and shiny her coat is, how healthy she looks, etc. But I’ve noticed that, for the amount of food she eats per day, her stools are REALLY big and I feel like she goes way too often, which makes me worried that she’s not getting all of the benefits from the food that she should be getting. She also has gas ALL THE TIME. I thought it may have been the yogurt, so I’ve been giving her probiotic chews, but it’s still horrible.

I’ve really been spending time the past few weeks researching, and I feel like the Infinia has too low of protein for her (22%) and does not have enough animal/fish protein. I don’t know if having more animal protein versus plant protein would help her digest the nutrients and poop/have gas less? Anywas, I thought Canidae Pure Sea would be a good first change-up, so I started to transition her EXTREMELY slowly, and she still ended up getting sick. I have her back on her normal food while I figure out what I want to switch her too. Candiae isn’t completely out (I could need to transition her even more slowly than I did, who knows).

So, after all of my research on this website I found 9 other dog foods that seem to be high-quality and offer higher protein contents. I also have to take cost into consideration, because I’m a college student and can’t afford food like Orijen. So, here is my list of foods that I’ve found and like. If anyone could give me advice or suggestions about what food(s) would be best or personal stories, I would really appreciate it. And I’m sorry for the long rant!

1) Sammy Snacks Ancestry Salmon and Sweet Potato
2) Wellness CORE Ocean Formula
3) Horizon Legacy Fish
4) Innova Nature’s Table Cold Water Salmon and Wild Herring
5) Zignature Trout and Salmon Meal
6) Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Coastal Catch
7) Horizon Pulsar Fish Formula

The Sammy Snacks Ancestry is my favorite so far that I’ve researched, but I wondered if ethoxyquin was present. Also, once I get her comfortable with a higher-protein fish food, I will start introducing different protein sources, like beef and possibly bison, as well as adding canned sardines, salmon, and other “raw” foods.

[Naturella]

D_O, gotcha. Well, hope it helps! My local store had the small bags of Acana and Orijen for sale for $2 down from $4, so I grabbed me one of each and I’m trying to use them up pronto because they expire soon, so he gets Acana on Tuesday and Orijen on Thursday for breakfast. I think they will be gone pretty soon cause I also use them as training treats/treats in general. 🙂 We like them.

[Michelle T]

I have had several Standards and currently have 2. I rotate their food with one meal per day being raw&/or The Honest Kitchen and the other meal one of the following:
Orijen, Acana, and Fromm. I like to rotate protein sources and I occasionally add a bit of green tripe to the kibble. I stay away from grains as Standards often can have yeasty issues. Good luck & congratulations on your new adventure – life with a Standard Poodle is never dull!

[Laura M]

When I got my puppy a few years ago he was on Diamond puppy and I wanted him on a better food as well. I gradually switched him over to Fromm Chicken and what a disaster. Raging diarrhea. My vet suggested the Iams Low Residue and some flagyl, which did clear it up but I didn’t want to keep him on the Iams – horrible ingredients not to mention it costs an arm and a leg. We had lots of boiled hamburger and rice as well. Finally I switched him over to Natural Balance LID Lamb and he tolerated that but the protein/fat was not what I wanted because he is a hunting dog and needed more. I am happy to say I have him on Orijen for some time now and he is doing very well at 2 and a half, but it was a long, messy road. I think some of the better foods are a bit rich for some puppies – not that they are not good quality food. Maybe try something really simple like I did and then gradually get him on what you prefer. Good luck.

[Susan M]

I have had my Weim for four years and we’ve gone through so many dog foods trying to find one that doesn’t make her yeasty.we are now on Orijen Adult and she’s much better.

[Susan M]

I have a very itchy by Weimer runner and I have been through so many dog foods trying to find one that she’s okay with. I have finally figured out over the last four years that she needs a grain free and potato free dog food. Her problem seems to be some food sensitivities but also yeast problems, behind her elbows, groin and years. She can handle Horizon Legacy salmon and pea, Orijen Adult and Nutrisca Salmon and chickpea.

[Susan M]

As much as I like Purina for horsefeed I do not like them for dog food. I feed my dogs, one of which is very sensitive a grain free and potato free dog food. I love horizon legacy salmon and pea. I also like the Orijen adult. The Orijen is human grade food. All of their food is locally grown, they raise their own chickens, they pay fisherman to go out and catch their fish etc.. It is a very expensive dog food but well worth it. Horizon is a great dog food at a very reasonable price! I don’t think either have ever had recalls.

[Susan M]

I’ve switched mine to a grain and potato free food! My Weim has yeast issues and can’t have potatoes. I like Horizon Legacy Salmon, Orijen Adult and Nutrisca Salmon and Chick Pea!

[Eve D]

Thanks pugmomsandy Following yr advice I have now switched to Orijen and no more Ziwipeak tinned meat. What a transformation! He’s one happy pup.

[Naturella]

Cheryl, I literally laughed out loud with true sincerity! 😀 Thank you so much for the kind words! I am not amazing, lol, but I do try to stay organized. However, I can be flexible too – I would skip a food in a heartbeat if it smells funny, Bruno doesn’t eat it, or it makes him sick. I’ve done it too, with Nature’s Variety Instinct Rabbit. It just did not work out. Oh well.

Also, 2 of his weekly meals, chosen at random, are just plain kibble eaten from a puzzle toy of some sort, just for entertainment and brain stimulation. Or fed during a training session. I use kibble as treats, and I use samples of various other foods than his main food at the time being to add variety, so sometimes the dry meals are all “treats” (different kibble), some “treats”, some normal food, or all normal food. On Tuesdays I will be trying to use a fish-based kibble as his meal (I used to do it on Saturdays, when he got Sardines anyway, but too much fish in one day is probably not as good as some fish twice/week), so Tuesdays he will be getting a fish-based kibble from my samples stash.

Dori, hoarding some THK and Orijen (for us kibble-feeders) may not be too bad of an idea. Especially today as we are supposed to be iced-in in GA. I hope we are and I hope schools and Universities are closed tomorrow. I want a day off mid-week-ish. So rebellious! LoL! 😀

***EDIT*** – Oh, and Cheryl – wouldn’t it be nice if they could just tell us what they want to eat on a particular meal from the closet/fridge/freezer? It would be soo much easier on us! 🙂 But, they can’t… So they just get what they can, and we just try to make it as healthy, yummy, and diversified as possible. 🙂

• This reply was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by Naturella.

[lovemypuppy]

I was scolded by the vet tech for giving my 11 week old boston terrier puppy a catfish skin chew (Beam, by The Honest Kitchen).

Initially the tech called it salmon and told me my puppy didn’t need fish oil. I corrected her, letting her know it was catfish skin chews and that I thought they were a good choice because they were more digestible than other chews out there (I ignored her comment on fish oil because I didn’t want to get into an argument with her). She said the fat content of the catfish skin chews was too high and would put my puppy at risk of developing pancreatitis. She also said to only give Nylabones.

I later discussed with a different tech at a different vet office hoping to get some clarification, but unfortunately they too were leery of the high fat content for the same reason. They added that small dog breeds, and BT in particular, were at increased risk of pancreatitis.

Has anyone else heard this in regards to Beams being too rich in fat for a puppy or dogs at risk of pancreatitis?

Do Beams actually have a high fat content? Looking at their packaging it doesn’t appear so (min protein 88%, min fat 4%, moisture 8%). The freeze dried Orijen treats we were giving for house training have quite a bit more fat. So now, I’m really confused on how much fat is OK.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by lovemypuppy.
• This topic was modified 11 years, 1 month ago by lovemypuppy.

[Naturella]

D_O, true, but unless we have a zombie apocalypse or a war situation, I would rather not eat it. Orijen is supposed to be safe for humans too, but still… 😉

[Sam D]

Hi all,
We have a 15 week old Aussie and he’s been doing well on his rotating diet. I want to get him used to different foods but I also don’t want to upset his stomach. So far he’s been tolerating the following pretty well.

Mon-Fri – Kibble Taste of the Wild Puppy. Sometimes his kibble dinner is topped with TOTW canned food or Merrick canned food.

Sat & Sun – RAW – Either instinct raw frozen bites (turkey or beef) with Honest Kitchen Topper OR Aunt Jenni’s raw (turkey or beef)

1-2 days a week I’ll give him a lunch of canned Tripett

His 30lb bag of Taste of the Wild Kibble is almost up and I wanted to get Orijen large breed puppy. Does this seem like overkill on variety? We watch his stools. When he’s on raw his stools are dark, hard and once or twice a day. Kibble he poops up to 4 times a day. More gassy on the kibble too.
THANKS!!!!

[Rachael D]

I just switched My dog and cats to a grain free diet. My cat was having grand mal seizures. after thousands of dollars at the vet just to be right back where we started I decided to try this approach after much research. I have them on Orijen brand dry food “six fish” flavor and supplement with fish oil or coconut oil a few times a week. So far so good!

[Nancy B]

Cheryl: The Honest Kitchen is on the 5 Star list. Pricy but good. I just switched to Champion Foods Orijen because the THK food jumped a lot in price. Orijen is just as fresh and wholesome and I’m saving $125/month; free shipping from Chewy. Dogs love it. See Champion Foods video.

[tad b]

We rescued a 10 month old Dalmation/Pit mix about 2 months ago and she doesn’t like any of the dog foods I’ve tried. We have tried TOTW, Orijen, Evolve, Trader Joes, Blue Wilderness and/or Buffalo, Wellness and Merrick. We tried different varieties as well as puppy and adult versions and nothing seems to work. She has now developed some itching and minor rashes which I’m sure is caused by some of the foods. We also mixed canned foods from some of the list above but to no success. She will eat the dry cat food when she gets a chance. She was 45 lbs and is now down to 43 lbs and is getting us worried. We took her to the vet and she is healthy other than not liking her foods. I then tried a lesser quality dog food (Purina One) and she seemed to like that but that’s not the way we want to go with her unless we have too. I guess dogs like they’re version of “fast food” over healthy eating just like a lot of us humans. By the way, the foods that were not eaten have been donated to our shelters. I need some help!
Thanks for any responses.

[Diana B]

I have 2 Goldens. Oliver, now 2 was raised on Orijen large breed puppy and continues to eat grain free. Leo, now 5 months is eating Fromms large breed puppy, but I am transitioning him to Orijen, so he too can be grain free. Wellness Core Puppy would be my next choice. And besides being grainfree, (Goldies are notorious for skin issues,) both foods, Orijen and Wellness, have the DFA’s 5 star rating and are for large breed puppies. That helped me decide. Also, there is a new article about feeding large breed puppies on this site you will find helpful! Make sure you switch foods gradually if you change them. I made that mistake with Leo, and have changed my definition of “gradually.” Hope this helps!

[Jane E]

I think Champion Pet foods addresses these questions about as well as I’ve seen. Look over this FAQ page and also a white paper that explains in detail any concerns one may have when it comes to protein (grain free) and see what you think http://www.orijen.ca/faq/

[Kimi_forever]

One time our local petco had cans of instinct and wellness for like .15-50cents a can and we stocked up on a bunch only to bring it home and the cats not eat it and us have to give it away…ill have to try and find ways to get some decent cans for cheaper, i was pricing what it would cost to feed weruva, and that would be like 70$ a cat for a 24 day period :-0….20 dollars a month sounds amazing, thats about what it costs to feed them orijen kibble, i dont know where i could find cans of wellness or halo around where i live for that price or online…But basically what you said in your second paragraph seems to be the only solution…

from that catinfo.org site they give a recipe for feeding like you said about 5-6oz a day instead of 10oz a day in canned and using antibiotic free chicken thighs as the source of protein. Only thing is it’s a mixture of homecooked and raw that the vet on that site recommends but her estimated costs after supplements and all and her practical suggestions of locating cheap meat (from whole foods) make it seem very practical. I also like that unlike the canned foods which almost always have something extra in them that i dont want that we have complete control over every ingredient in the food….It makes me jealous that i want to be able to provide this for my dog too. But feeding an 85lb dog raw and a 10lb cat are two different things, that’d be 1.7-2.5lbs for my dog and i do not not know where i can get the organ meat and bones i need for my dog ill have to stick to Orijen for my dog for now. but i found this guide on the internet and it also looks easy to follow so i might make the full transition for both animals at some point http://puppybutt.weebly.com/uploads/7/6/9/2/7692088/beginners_guide_to_prey_model_raw_rv.4.1.pdf …

[denverdog123]

Hi, we have a 13 week old male golden retriever puppy. We’ve been feeding him Orijen Large Breed Puppy and he LOVES it but he has so much gas from it. We’ve tried adding probiotics and a bit of pumpkin to see if it would help, but it hasn’t helped at all. He has solid stools, it’s really just how much gas he has. Can anyone recommend other large breed grain free puppy foods that we should switch too? I’ve read many articles on this and looked at the Word document, I just really don’t know which one to switch to. Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[Kimi_forever]

I just got a bag of blue buffalo wilderness trail treats duck flavor wild bits in the mail today from chewy.com on accident instead of my freeze dried sojo’s treats, they obviously are taking great care of replacing the mistake but i dont know what to do with these treats now that i’ve read this thread. i always knew BB was whack but jeeze. They told me to just donate these to the local animal shelter instead of send them back but i dont know if i even want to do give these to a raccoon after this. I’m thinking about just throwing them away.

And on wellness, i know i’ve heard good things about them from people on this forum. But ive read on another forum that someone contacted them and was told that they don’t even use human grade ingredients anymore, that they use pet grade — which depending on how you feel could mean a lot, and it does to me. I emailed wellness to try and confirm this and was met with silence/no reply so i wrote them off my list of foods. Not to mention that when i tried a bag of wellness core for my dog she had terrible diarehha and would wake me up in the middle of the night 3-4 times at all different hours crying in the crate and then would run to door as fast as she could and run outside and have completely liquid poo’s. I asked chewy.com to exchange the bag of core with a bag of the Fromm that she had no problems with and they did…I’ve also heard that nature’s variety uses denatured pet grade ingredients as well, and i was not able to get a straight answer out of their rep in an email as to whether nature’s variety used pet or human grade, they just said “we strive to source the best ingredients for you pet blah blah blah our ingedients meet or exceed the standards of the pet food industry blah blah blah” totally circumventing my question, petcurean did the same thing when i asked them. I personally don’t trust a company who can’t clearly verify that they use USDA inspected (or the equivalent) and passed meat and that their other ingredients are human grade. Sojo’s is made in a pet food facility and has no problem clearly articulating that they use human ingredients, same with merrick, orijen, fromm, and others. but after seeing some stuff on susan thixton’s site about merrick i’m no longer as hot on them either (not new news, old news)….

I dunno if i should give these treats to my aunt who feeds beneful to their dog, give them to a shelter, or just throw them away in hopes of not making anyone sick…jeeze

[Kimi_forever]

Yes they have been on kibble all their life. actually they are my mom and sisters cats, but i try and have some input on them too. They used to be fed purina one, and i made them get off that and told them about merrick because it wasnt so expensive. Now we have just recently (this is the first bag) put them on orijen because i expressed that imo it was worth the money over merrick or wellness core we were trying. I recently have read some of the info on catinfo.org and they said the same thing. The only problem is finding decent canned food not chalked up with carrageenan and other stuff is absurdly expensive, i’ve been pricing it for what it would cost for 3 adult 10lb cats and it’s not pretty. the vet on catinfo.org seems to have a method of making homemade meals that while still more expensive then orijen seems more practical, i think we are going to try her method since she has laid it out so clearly how to prepare source and supplement a cat’s diet in a way that economical and practical to do. I got some samples of Honest Kitchen for them to try, because as my pricing went it was a lot cheaper then canned food and still obviously had moisture from the added water, but they just looked at me like i was crazy for giving them THK. Maybe i should contact the vet from catinfo.org and talk to her and see what she thinks. I like the vet we are seeing okay, he has done wonders for my grandmothers old german shepherd whenever he had problems, but i wasnt thrilled when he suggested putting this cat on Hill’s prescription diet for her being over weight, but i know he had good intentions….We are in the process of trying to transition them off kibble but we will probably have to buy at least one more large bag before we get anything setup for a homemade diet :-\

[crazy4cats]

Hi Flowers!
First of all congrats on the new pup! Second of all, I love the use of the word “rubbish”. It sounds so polite compared to the words usually used on this site. Lol!

I agree that it would be a good idea to eventually switch to a new food. But, don’t be in too big of a hurry unless he is having issues with his current food. Stay on it for a bit and let him get used to his new home and people. He is already experiencing enough changes right now.

Acana and Orijen are both great brands manufactured by the same company. Either one would be a great choice. But, you are right, it may be too big of a jump to start with. Maybe choose a 4 star food, such as Nutrisource, as a transitional food before moving to Orijen or Acana. Either way, transition very slooowly. Replacing a small amount of the old food with new over at least a week period.

You won’t know if the food will cause “wind” until you give it a try! Many feel that adding probiotics and/or digestive enzymes while transitioning is very helpful as well.

Please write back with your results. Good luck!

[Dog_Obsessed]

Orijen and Acana are great foods, much better than Royal Canin. Make sure the food says “puppy” or “all life stages” on it. As for how to transition, the answer is very slowly, over at least a week, longer if he needs it. Also, diet rotation is a good idea, because no food is perfect. Here is some more info about that: /frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/
Remember to slowly transition to each new food. 😀
You should probably keep using puppy foods (you can still rotate, as long as they are all puppy foods) until she is about 6 months old, and then you can transition to adult food.

[Kimi_forever]

the oven idea sounds great, i know my uncle uses a smoker to make his jerky and we had thought about getting a smoker ourselves, but the no investment oven idea sounds awesome. ill research it.

bobby, thanks for clearing that up for me. i also like the conveince of the freeze dried treats and i like that unlike meat in my refrigerator they dont go bad so quickly i’ve made the bag of orijen freeze dried i got last a month by giving her one every now and then with her biscuits. i was worried that maybe ideally i shouldnt be feeding her biscuits full of non meat stuff and mostly potato or tapioca but she loves them so much and my dad loves giving them to her, but i think ive got some good ideas for home made ones now and that ill try to use chickpea flour for so it wont be too bad. i also think i did the right thing probably by purchasing the turkey flavor over the lamb or beef as far as protein to fat ratio so i think i’m on the right track. i dont think i have to worry then because my akita is not over weight but thats some good info you gave about how to take care of an overweight animal. i have an over weight cat that i’m worried about and want to improve her diet. we tried some prescription food from the doctor for her i wish we didnt try, i recently read the article on catinfo.org about prescription foods from vets and it made me want to cringe…

[Flowers]

Hello I am new to the forum and delighted to have found a site so dedicated to helping advise on the best dog foods it is fab. I am also new to dog ownership and am the proud owner of a 9 week old standard wire haired dachshund.

He was sent home at 8 weeks with a small bag of kibble to get us started and I had to order a fresh bag of Royal Canin Mini Junior dog food. When I read the ingredients I was surprised to see how many fillers there seem to be it seems like rubbish and I really want to switch his food.

I have had a good look at the top foods on the site and narrowed it down to either Acana small puppy food or Orijen and I would really like people’s opinions as to which I should switch to. I do wonder if Orijen may be too rich for his little tummy but then again Acana has oats which could cause wind!!!!

What shall I go for and what is the best way to introduce the new food and phase out the Royal Canin?

Thank you for any help.

[Kimi_forever]

I just saw this topic and thought i’d ask a few questions to see if anyone had any input on my treat selection because i feel comfortable with the main diet i am providing just not sure if i am doing the right thing treat wise.

I feed my dog biscuit treats, i try to buy them from quality brands and they are not cheap. but is it bad to feed dogs biscuit type treats? i’ve tried fromm gf biscuits, merrick kitchen bites, brothers complete gf, honest kitchen nuzzles, nutrisource gf, sojo’s gf, wellness gf, and nature’s variety instinct…They are not cheap but are much more affordable then the Orijen freeze dried treats i got for free from chewy.com with my last bag of orijen. I am just wondering if these biscuits are bad treats to give my dog along with her orijen kibble. i give about 4-5 biscuits a day, i know they dont have much meat in them but she loves them so much i continue to buy them for her. would i be better off buying more expensive freeze dried treats like orijen offers in the long run or is it okay to give a premium biscuit like the ones mentioned as a small treat every day? I only ask because my dog is an akita and 85lbs at only 10 months old and even with cheaper freeze dried treats like sojo’s and grandma lucy’s makes it would still be extremely more expensive to buy them, as sojo’s and grandma lucy’s pork freeze dried on chewy.com cost like 3x as much as high end biscuits for equal weight. i just want to know if i’m feeding my dog improperly by trying to save a little cash on her treats….

On another topic, i see many people mentioning giving their dogs bully sticks, and i give them to my dog when i can because they tend to be very expensive, but she loves them so i try to keep some around. I just was curious if anyone used or knew if my source of bullysticks was a quality source. I am currently getting them from bestbullysticks.com , they have nice thick bully sticks for lower price then i’ve seen anywhere: you can get a standard size one for 1.39 (cheaper in bulk) or i just got some jumbo ones (which are huge btw) for 2.19 per stick (cheaper in bulk as well). My question is if these are quality bully sticks and a quality company to trust for my pet, if anyone knows of them or has used them in the past. They say they are made from free range grass fed beef, however the beef comes from brazil unless you buy the made in usa ones for more expensive, and one of my concerns is the origin of the beef used. I have bought the made in usa ones from them in the past but they are much thinner then the brazilian ones when you compare them from what is supposed to be the same size, and much less filled and they are also more expensive. So you pay more for much less when you get the american ones, and since my dog is a large breed and will likely be 95lbs when she is done growing i can’t have thin bully sticks i need thick ones and i need them at a decent price. Does anyone know if bully sticks from brazil should not be trusted? Or where you can get USA made ones that are thick and not priced 3 dollars+ a stick? Any feed back on that site or tips on quality thick bullies for reasonable prices would be very much appreciated…

[Nancy B]

Tera: After 2 years I am priced out of Honest Kitchen, although it’s a great food. Sudden $8 increase for 10 lbs was costing me $225/month for 2 dogs. Now with Orijen (Champion Foods) I pay $75.99 for 2 ounces less than a month’s worth of Honest Kitchen and it’s the same good, natural food. Watch the Champion canine food video introducing the guy who supplies the fish, farmer who supplies the meat, farmer who supplies veggies, fresh eggs. etc. Way out there in Alberta, it’s an impressive facility, 5 stars. Also sell Arcana. I am getting free shipping by Chewy.

[Riley T]

I have two French bulldogs and have had an issue finding a grain free chicken free or anything with feathers for that matter that is also potato free.
I am going to try out Earthborn Grain Free kibble and see what happens. I’ve tried them on Orijen (too rich) Acana ( they wouldn’t eat it), FROMM Gold (loose stinky stools & itchiness), Merrick Bison & Sweet Potato (good stools but still itchy), Taste of the Wild High Prairie ( made them gassy).
So this is one of my last options before going to a RAW diet, wish me luck lol.

[Naturella]

Sooo, I help a couple of friends shop for dog food and I was with a friend of mine and I advised her to get 3 bags of Earthborn Holistic – Primitive Natural, Great Plains Feast, and Puppy Vantage, and then we went to my fave pet boutique store… I am SO WEAK!!! LoL! They had a sale on Acana and Orijen (the tiny 340-gram bags) for $1.99 instead of the usual $3.99. So I grabbed one of each! I couldn’t help it… argh… However… They are amazing foods, the Orijen one has like 15 meats as the first 15 ingredients… I mean, woah! lol. I can’t wait for Bru to try them! 🙂 Acana Pacifica and Orijen Adult is what I snatched. 🙂 They had Acana Grasslands on sale too, but for $2.99, so I wanted it, but passed on it… Maybe it will be $1.99 if it doesn’t sell in a few days… 😀

But really though, I have got to control myself some around samples… 50%-off or not… lol. I must have about 8lbs of them that need to go through Bruno together with the rest of his foods at some point, soon preferably, and the guy eats like a little over 1/2 cup nowadays, so this will be interesting, lol.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Naturella.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Naturella.

[Carol M]

My four month old newfie’s father weighs 200 lbs. I have already tried two different Candidae foods for him and he gets terrible diarrhea. The breeder had him on Kirland Puppy and Pedigree. I want to feed him something higher quality but not so rich as to cause diarrhea. It gets very confusing as some people say the higher fat and protein causes diarrhea, yet others say it’s the grains. I am considering Orijen Large Breed Puppy or Castor and Pollux. Does anyone have any input on these or other foods for giant breed puppies that doesn’t cause diarrhea? Thank you so very much.

[Laura M]

I have a 2 year old, 70 lb. Wirehaired Pointing Griffon that is very athletic but had some stomach issues as a young puppy. I wanted to get him on a food that had a higher protein/fat ratio than most of the limited ingredient diets that I had him on. I gradually got him on Orijen and he has done very well on it. He also gets several brands of canned rotated in with his Orijen. I’m not sure if Petco or Petsmart sells it but you can get it at Chewy.com if they deliver to your area. Good luck with your girl.