[haleycookie]

According to The study they’re doing on this whole dcm thing the issue is that there are too many peas in most grain free foods and that’s whats causing the low taurine. Dogs (if on an appropriate meat rich diet) don’t need supplemented taurine and that’s the issue I’m having with this whole thing. Proplan isn’t meat (where taurine comes from naturally) rich. The grain free is a plant based food full of pea ingredients just like any other mediocre grain free food. If it was as easy as just supplementing taurine into the diet with a pill or something of the sort this would all be a lot easier but that’s not how it works so I would ignore what you vet suggested as they don’t seem to be very up to speed on what is actually being found with this study.
Stay with Orijen or another meat based food you trust and add fresh meat and canned food into the mix and you’ll be just fine.

[Cathy D]

Update:

I’ve been feeding Gryff Orijen original since his bladder stone removal 2 1/2 years ago. Had a scan on Monday 10/22/18 and he is still stone free. Bad news, with all the talk about DCM and the potential link to grain free diets especially those high in pea/legumes the vet suggests I put him on a different diet. She has suggested grain free Purina Pro Plan as it has added taurine, but it gets horrible reviews on this site and it has lentil flour and pea starch. I’m so confused on what to feed him. He did have an echocardiagram and he does have a stage II heart murmur.

If I put him on a regular diet (to avoid heart issues with grain free diet) then I risk silica stones.

I am concerned and I need some guidance on what to feed him.

[Deb M]

The company that tests and the Clean Label Project rated Ol’ Roy Dog Food as 5 stars. If that does not give one pause at the legitimacy of the lawsuit, I do not innerstand why.

My dog, a 6 yr. old Pomeranian, gets Orijen on the side of her home-cooked wet food, along with excellent vitamin, mineral and other supplements. The only issues she has is when our chickens get fleas and her reaction if we do not get the chickens sprayed down with neem and their yard dusted with D.E. in time. She is very allergic to the flea bites (who isn’t?) and she gets bacterial infections.

ALL of our food is contaminated. All of it, even organic gmo-free, which is all I use in our house. We also use filtered and distilled water. Do people realize what is in their tap water may where the contamination may be coming from and what is making our pets and ourselves sick?

We do the best we can for ourselves and our pets. It is all we can do. Make your decisions based on all the data you can and go from there. Remember to check out those accusing others of nefarious deeds to see if they are chronic “suers”, too. That is how some places make their money.

[Julie B]

It’s midnight and I’m up with my sick dogs. Horrible indigestion, really awful gas, and diarrhea. Zoe is moaning from the awful gas. I feel really bad that it took me this long to figure out that it’s the Orijen dog food that I’ve been feeding her for the last month. I thought it was possibly dog treats or table food that was causing the problem. I cut everything else out of their diet but Orijen. It became really apparent that it’s the Orijen food that is making them sick. That’s how I found this website, researching if anyone else has had a problem with this food. It is so horrible to listen to a dog moan, sooo mad. She is not sick enough to go to vet, just needs the horrible tummy gas to go away. I will never feed my dog this terrible food again. I’ve been dealing with this for weeks thinking it was everything else but Orijen, I even spent a day thinking it was a reaction from doggy influenza shots.

[joanne l]

Hi, I have some experience in dog food. I would choose Natures Logic or Instinct. I don’t care for the others. Here are my reasons: Zignatures has too many peas and too much fiber. Orijen lists peas and lentils about six times, even though they use a lot of meat they are still using a lot of beans and such. So to me it is like half and half. Also I know a lot of people like Instinct. Hope this helps.

[kullboys b]

I have a 6 lb long-haired chihuahua and she is currently on Blue Buffalo. I want to switch her to a higher quality food and have narrowed it down between the 4 below. I wanted to see if anyone could help me choose 1 or narrow it down (based on your experience or research). My dog doesn’t have any allergies and generally likes any food that’s put in front of her 🙂

– Nature’s Logic
– NutriSource
– Zignature
– Orijen
– Instinct

Thanks .

• This topic was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by kullboys b.

[heytsu l]

Hi,

My dog has been having loose stool issue for a few months now. He has been on Orijen since he was a puppy, which was fine but after his surgery and switch to the adult formula things have not got back to normal. I’ve tried feeing him a raw diet but he kept regurgitating and then refused to touch anything raw all together, switched back to dry food this time Belcando lamb and rice formula ,which improved the situation a bit but the stool still wasn’t great. After that I’ve been feeding him Terra Canis grain free cans ,which he loved and things were similar as on the lamb & rice dry food; I still had to clean his butt multiple times a week because of soft or runny stool.

The vet suggested Royal Canin Sensitivity Control, which made things better the first week or so but after that things kept getting worse. His stool went back to loose and he kept licking the floor ,which he has never done before. They tested his stool for parasites and it came out clear. Now the vet told me to feed him Royal Canin Hypoallergenic formula for six weeks exclusively. And then if that doesn’t work, we will look further.

He has been on this formula only two days and he has woken me up at five in the morning both days, desperate to potty with full blown diarrhea. He also shakes his head, and scratches his ear a lot. He has been farting all evening yesterday. The smell was horrendous. Could he just be adapting to the new food or is it already showing that this is not the right type of food for him? I’m a little lost as far as what the best thing to do is right now. I want to listen to my vet but it’s been going on for so long with little to no testing done that I’m starting to get a little impatient. How long before I can safely say the food is making things worse/ or at least not helping? What can I request from the vet other than a blood test (she didn’t want to do it until we try this food)?

[the saw is family]

So in April I rescued this beautiful little beagle/coonhound mix and named her Sophie. Ever since I got her, she’s had the whole gamut of symptoms for what I have determined to be chicken and beef allergies. (my determination is based on her symptoms growing more severe when she eats chicken or beef.)

Let me say, as an aside, I’m a very pro-Orijen guy. I am the guy who scoffs at inferior foods and everything is inferior to Orijen. Well, my dog can’t eat Orijen. I tried a number of other brands I believed to be high quality, and settled on Zignature solely because of their hypoallergenic diets with a good potential to rotate flavors. I know it’s not the best, but if my sweet little dog stops suffering it’s worth it. It certainly is a good food, without question.

So here’s why I’m at a loss. I got her the kangaroo, and fed her that exclusively for 2 weeks. She started getting better. The bag ran low and the store was out of it, so I got her the pork. Stupid me also bought her a can of trout and salmon wet food as a topper. (she LOVES the Zignature without the topper, I just like her to have variety so she ENJOYS her food). She is scratching and biting herself more, but not nearly as bad as before. Now, I know I did a bad by introducing other proteins. Fine, fine. I won’t do it again, believe me. Here’s my real question:

How likely is it that she is allergic to the pork vs the fish? Also, if she is more likely to be allergic to fish, does that mean ALL fish, or can it mean only, say, Salmon? Help! I love my dog more than my own life. I want the best for her.

[Michelle H]

I’m glad I found this thread. I’ve been feeding my black lab and golden retriever Acana for about 4 years. We started with Orijen but the cost became too much so we switched down. In the last year or so I’ve noticed my black lab having issues at dinnertime. It was like she was having trouble eating; she kept spitting out her food. I thought she was having trouble with her teeth so we took her to the vet and they said her teeth are perfectly fine. They did a general look-see and ultimately found swelling in her abdomen which led to finding a severe liver issue. We’re treating her with meds for that now. However, she’s still having trouble eating. We add water or homemade broth to it to make it softer. Now, my golden is starting to have issues, too. I see her spitting out food (and she eats everything!) and vomiting (she never gets sick). Oddly, my Ragdoll cat LOVES this food. He constantly sticks his face in their bowls and won’t stop eating until we pull him away. Seeing other folks with issues has led me to conclude it’s definitely time to try something new.

[Patricia A]

OH wow, I know exactly what you’re going through now. I have a three year old chihuahua who if I put her food down she will walk away. She wasn’t always like that but over the last two years I’ve been giving my 16 year old more home cooked meals because well she’s 16 and I know she really enjoys it of course and it keeps weight on her. But of course when she gets the chicken and some boiled carrots, steak, london broil, salmon, turkey etc. they get that as a topper also. But I can’t do this all the time and I also it’s not balanced with everything they need for health . So now if it’s not home cooked she will not eat all day. I’ve went through all kinds of canned and this last year went over to freeze dried as a topper. My other 8 year old eats everything but I’m resorting to hand feeding this one to get her started. Now that doesn’t work either. She’ll actually backs away likes she’s afraid of the food and I have to reach over to give her little bits but she keeps backing away. So been through all different freeze dried also. I stopped rehydrating and just put the freeze dried broken up on the kibble because I would be throwing away worried about it sitting out for over two hrs. I can’t even leave it on the floor because my chubby eight year old would gobble it down when I’m not looking . I tried putting some Orijen freeze dried treat, which she loves, crumbled a little on top of her food. Well that worked for a day but she was wise to me. I did let her “starve” for one day with only her share of hard boiled egg in morning but it backfired with the bile vomit the next day. Every night it’s a game of even my husband making believe he’s eating her food. Putting it on a paper plate. Making believe I’m taking it out of the over etc. She just stretches and walks as far away as she can get. Being that I tried so many foods and she still turns up her nose, I’m not giving up on the freeze dried . I think I’m doing the best for her health wise even though I have to hand feed her. I’m looking into other brands and also the new Pronto by primal. I’m not giving up on finding one she loves as much as my cooking. lol
So I feel your frustration and worry. As for the fearfulness. Since she only eats when someones home, but fearful when you even walk past, maybe scratching her and telling her what a good dog she is while putting food down, . Or maybe move a little bit away from her when she is eating and have a string bean or carrot in hand and walk slowly back and give that to her. So she’ll start to associate you walking around with coming back with a treat she loves and not whatever caused her to be fearful in the past. Let us know how she’s doing . Oh and I just wanted to add it takes a while. I had a dog that would shake and refused to take a walk. I got her to walk one step on the leash. I would pick her up and put her back down again. Then I got her to walk two step. Picked her up and put her down and I got three steps out of her. Took a few weeks and people looking at me strange but now she struts around the block and loves her walks. So don’t give up. Takes patience with her to get that negative memory she experienced from her brain.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Patricia A.

[J S]

Hmm does seem iron is by far the biggest difference? Do you know if that’s a concern? I did check Orijen and they show 150 in there food.

Again thanks for the responses and help. I really just want to feed my animals the best food I can afford, WITH a company with a good history and it just seems that Fromm grain free cat food might be the best bang for your bunk. I also wonder if the Taurine levels are higher in cat food vs dog food? Seems that could actually be a huge benefit with all the FDA research going on ATM.

[J S]

Not named Orijen btw

[J S]

Please describe…..Pancreatitis is mainly caused by fatty diets….If the cat food has no more fat than say dog foods such as Orijen why would the dog get Pancreatitis? There are very high quality cat foods with great ingredients, high protein and fat levels on the same level as the most expensive dog foods on the market at a cheaper price.

[J S]

Seriously please tell me WHY cat food is bad for dogs? The only thing I can find is higher protein and fat levels. Is that it?

If that’s the case why would I not feed my dogs high quality cat food that still has OK protein levels?

For example: ATM I feed my dogs Fromm. I did feed Orijen before the switch to Kentucky and a baseball sized clump of kibble was found in the bag errrrr. I love the history of Fromm and feel safe feeding my dogs the food. The problem….30 or lower protein levels compared to 38+ of Orijen and other top foods.

BUT Fromm’s 4-star cat food is about the same as Orijen in protein and fat levels.

I could feed my dogs Fromm’s cat food that looks a lot better in ingredients and protein/fat levels than Fromm’s dog food and still be cheaper than Orijen.

I looked at the analysis and everything else besides Protein/fat levels are pretty much the same when comparing Fromm dog vs cat food.

SO please tell me why my dogs can not eat Cat food on a regular basis?

Thanks All

[Gretchen B]

Why isn’t Orijen dry Small/medium Puppy food which is a 5 star dry puppy food listed under your best puppy foods?

[Gretchen B]

Why isn’t Orijen dry Puppy food which is a 5 star dry puppy food listed under your best puppy foods?

[Hope F]

Anyone out there that is feeding their Diabetic dog something other than the Vet recommended dog food for Diabetes. My vet only says Royal Canin or Hills and I would never feed my dog either brand if he was not sick and now to be forced to is burning me up. I read the ingredients and cringe. He started eating it ok but now does not like the wet Royal at all and the only way he will eat the kibble is with roasted chicken in with it. I would like to switch foods to something with better ingredients but it seems so hard to find out the caloric numbers for foods. they all give you ingredients and analysis but no one can seem to find me the Caloric amount per cup or whatever. So hard to balance it to the 14 units of insulin twice a day they have him on. He is doing ok but it is a fight with a vet who does not want me mixing things with his food to get him to eat it and a dog that will not eat or takes hours to finish. I work and travel for work so having dog sitters have to jump through hoops to get him to eat is a pain. He loves food just not this one. I was looking at like an Orijen Fit and Trim or Merrik . Any sugguestions would be a great help!

[Reese B]

My dog gets horribly itchy when she eats foods that have grains in them….I have no choice but to feed her grain free. In an abundance of caution with this report, I’m only going to feed her foods that have legumes or potatoes as the 6th or more ingredient. However, this only leaves me with 2 foods in my rotation (Nutrience subzero and Valens).
Does anyone have an recommendations for grain free foods that don’t have legumes or potatoes in their first 5 ingredients? (Other than Orijen, her poops weren’t good on that brand, and with all the contamination/lawsuit/buy out rumors I’m not going to chance it with that one.)

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

[Eve M]

Thank you Haley re: the lentils, peas and Orijen. Yes, if I am to understand and believe the ingredient breakdown: 85% poultry, fish and eggs; 15% botanicals, vegetables, fruits.

The logic being that there’s substantially less? Is this an incorrect interpretation? If so, please inform.

TY
Eve

[haleycookie]

Eve- Orijen does have lentils in it. Quite a bit so if that bothers you I wouldn’t suggest Orijen.
The issue with having a grain free pea, potatoe, tapioca free food is it expensiveeeee. Dr elsey recently released a cat food that doesn’t contain any of these ingredients. The binder is gelatin (bone marrow) and for a 5-6 lbs bag is nearly 60$. Doesn’t make sense for companies to create a product like that that’s 99% meat product when it’s going to be so expensive. Most if not all dog food companies are in the business of making money. They don’t really care about your animals. They are focused on making food that is as cheap as possible for THEM so they can mark it up for the consumer. As sad as it is if you really want to avoid all of these issues that’s going on in commercial dog food you would just make your own dog food because there’s no escaping all the crap dog food companies throw at customers. Bottom line they don’t care, champion foods doesn’t care, purina doesn’t care, mars doesn’t care, Colgate/Hill’s doesn’t care, none of them care about anything more than making money in the cheapest way possible for them. Money makes the world go round and for any of us to think pet food companies are any different is very naive.

[Eve M]

After consideration, I’m going back to Orijen although the contaminant numbers are high. I will supplement it with Primal frozen raw and hope the mixture isn’t too much of either. There are no lentils or peas in Orijen.

I agree with you Carol. It seems like someone could tweak the recipe and leave out tapioca, peas, lentils and potatoes.

Quinoa? Brown rice? Are these grains on par with lentils?

Eve

[Carol C]

Well I have a golden retriever- I thought I was doing the best and spending money I didn’t have buying Orijen or Acana. Now I am reduced to Purina or Royal C – We (golden retriever owners especially) are advised no peas, lentils, POTATOES – alfalfa and the list goes on and on. I have no idea what to feed anymore! Everyone who has a golden especially should get taurine tested whole blood. I live in Canada and more of a choice in U.S for foods. Best is to rotate, and supplement with toppers as sardines, beef, chicken hearts, egg yolks and some plain yogurt.

[Eve M]

Honestly, I am concerned. I try not to overreact to this constant barrage of new info regarding dog food ingredients, but I’m bothered.

I emailed Stella & Chewy’s about the RAW BLEND – red meat, freeze-dried, baked kibble with freeze-dried raw. Peas are the 3rd ingredient and lentils are 4th. Below is what looks like an automated email response which did nothing to instill confidence.

ALSO, to pile on… if you go to Clean Label Project, foods like ORIJEN get 1 star for contaminants which I’m sure relates to the inclusion of fish. Don’t think Orijen includes peas or lentils.

“I and LOVE and YOU, Lamb and Bison” scored low on CLEAN LABEL PROJECT’s contaminants and high on ingredient quality. Lovely, until I actually read the ingredients… 4th peas and 5th lentils.

All of this feels like literally, PICK YOUR POISON. For some reason, clean label project is being scrubbed by dog food advisor. HMM.

Good luck everyone.

Evelyn

STELLA & Chewy’s email….
Thank you for your email. We are aware of the FDA release dated July 12 regarding a potential association between reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, and certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. We have no indication that any of our products are involved in FDA’s investigation. We work closely with veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure that our diets are complete and balanced and meet AAFCO requirements. Please know that our freeze-dried raw and frozen raw diets are free of peas, lentils and potatoes, and contain less than 1% of the legume seed fenugreek. Also, we do add taurine to our raw and kibble diets. We continue to be confident in the safety and nutritional quality of all of our diets. We appreciate the work that FDA does on behalf of pet parents, and will monitor this investigation as it unfolds.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Eve M.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Eve M.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Eve M.

[Narayanan K]

My 5 year old Standard poodle has had a very difficult time since March 2018. He has been on Orijen original since uppyhood.

He has suffered from multiple loose stool bouts, vomiting and 2 Mast Cell Tumor surgeries. He will not be on this brand anymore. I’m curious to try Zignature based on the reviews here.

[Amelia Z]

Yes, you are correct. I have a call into the sport dog company. Don’t know how a “non” sport dog will do on this food. Not sure if it is too rich.

I haven’t feed grains to my dogs. Auggie was tested for food sensitivity and he is sensitive to corn. In general I don’t think grains are good for dogs. Dogs are carnivores, so the main source of protein in their diet should be meat. Grains are inferior sources of protein. Diets with higher grain and carbohydrate content can lead to weight gain, allergies and other potential health problems. I believe grains can become moldy as well. Not to mentions they are sprayed with pesticides. The problem is pet food manufacturers need a filler in the foods, so it’s either grains or legumes. Very few kibble is free of both of these.
As far as Purina and Royal Canin. just look at the ingredients, junk! I don’t trust either of these companies, it’s all about the money. Purina who makes Beneful, shouldn’t be on the market.
Royal Canin 1st two lines of ingredients: (doesn’t sound like something I would eat)
Brown rice, chicken by-product meal, oat groats, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, wheat, chicken fat, natural flavors, powdered cellulose, dried plain beet pulp, fish oil, wheat gluten, dried tomato pomace, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium..
The 1st ingredient in food should be a named protein (chicken, beef, pork etc) NOT rice in my opinion. My older golden who is 7, always had yeasty ears. The past couple of months I am only giving them kibble one meal, their other meal I am giving them freeze dried-Orijen regional red. I use to clean his ears every other day. Now, no yeast in 3 weeks. Coincidence, I don’t think so. I do believe that kibble is the worse type of food to feed, so I have been researching other options. I know the big push is to go raw, but I just can’t do that yet, which is why I am giving one meal freeze dried. Although, it’s getting pretty expensive.

[Patricia A]

Just like to share this. By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

Thirty years ago, researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at University of California, Davis discovered the link between taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart muscle disease in cats.1 According to Morris Animal Foundation, “The veterinary community was stunned” by this news, in part because the UC-Davis researchers were able to prove that DCM was reversible when cats received the amount of taurine they needed in their diet.2

Of course, most holistic veterinarians and others knowledgeable about veterinary nutrition and who understand the link between diet and disease weren’t surprised. Taurine, which is an amino acid, is found in meat, and cats, as meat-eating obligate carnivores, haven’t developed the ability to make their own taurine.

This means it’s an essential amino acid for cats — they must get it from their diet, and 30 years ago when UC-Davis veterinarians made their discovery, we were well into the age of processed pet food, having made cats (and dogs) almost entirely dependent on humans for their nutrition.

Pet food formulators often guessed at the effects of extensive processing on nutrients. This is especially true for pet food (feed) that blends leftover pieces and parts from the human meat processing industry with other sources of questionable nutrients before they are rendered and cooked at high temperatures, depleting the nutrients that existed before processing, as well as altering the chemical composition of ingredients (and often creating toxic byproducts along the way).

Are Dogs With DCM Taurine-Deficient?
As soon as the UC-Davis researchers published their findings in cats back in the late 1980s, veterinary cardiologists began looking for taurine and other nutrient deficiencies in their canine patients with DCM.

No direct cause-and-effect relationship could be established, since the vast majority of dogs with DCM weren’t taurine-deficient. Taurine is not considered an essential amino acid for dogs because like many other species, their bodies have the metabolic capacity to manufacture taurine from the dietary amino acids cysteine and methionine.

To further confuse the issue, while the disease is inherited in certain breeds, for example, the Doberman Pinscher, in other breeds it is indeed linked to taurine deficiency. In the mid-1990s, UC-Davis conducted a study of American Cocker Spaniels with DCM and found low taurine levels in many of the dogs. The study authors wrote in their abstract:

“We conclude that ACS [American Cocker Spaniels] with DCM are taurine-deficient and are responsive to taurine and carnitine supplementation. Whereas myocardial function did not return to normal in most dogs, it did improve enough to allow discontinuation of cardiovascular drug therapy and to maintain a normal quality of life for months to years.”3

A 2003 study showed that some Newfoundlands had taurine deficiency-related DCM,4 and two years later, another study was published about a family of Golden Retrievers with taurine deficiency and reversible DCM.5 As veterinary cardiologists continued to encounter cases of taurine deficiency-related DCM in dogs, and continued to search for a common link, diet was thought to play a major role in development of the disease.

UC-Davis Is Currently Conducting Research on Taurine Deficiency-Related DCM in Golden Retrievers
The dogs receiving the most focus right now due to escalating rates of DCM related to taurine deficiency are Golden Retrievers. Veterinarian and researcher Dr. Joshua Stern, Chair of the Department of (Veterinary) Cardiology at UC-Davis, and owner of a Golden Retriever Lifetime Study participant named Lira, is looking into the situation.

He’s collecting blood samples and cardiac ultrasound results from Goldens both with DCM and without the disease. Stern agrees diet plays a role, but he also suspects there are genes at work that increase the risk of the condition in the breed.

“I suspect that Golden Retrievers might have something in their genetic make-up that makes them less efficient at making taurine,” Stern told the Morris Animal Foundation. “Couple that with certain diets, and you’ve given them a double hit. If you feed them a diet that has fewer building blocks for taurine or a food component that inhibits this synthesis, they pop up with DCM.”6

Dr. Stern has written an open letter to veterinarians and owners of Goldens that you can read here. In it, he briefly explains his research and recommends a four-step process dog parents can undertake if they believe their pet is at risk for, or is showing signs of DCM:

1. If you believe your dog is at risk for taurine-deficient Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) and wish to have taurine levels tested, please request a whole blood taurine level be submitted (lithium heparin tube) for analysis. The laboratory I recommend can be found here.

2. If you believe your dog is showing signs of DCM already, please seek an appointment with a board-certified cardiologist to have an echocardiogram and taurine testing obtained simultaneously — do not change foods, do not supplement prior to the appointment.

3. If you receive taurine test results that come back as low, please seek an appointment with a board certified cardiologist to have an echocardiogram performed to determine if your pet needs cardiac medications and the appropriate supplements to be used (DO NOT SUPPLEMENT OR CHANGE FOODS UNTIL YOU HAVE THE CARDIOLOGY EVALUATION COMPLETED).

If you live in close to UC Davis, we can arrange research-funded cardiology evaluations for your dog if you contact at this email address.

4. If you receive cardiologist-confirmed DCM results, please take an image of the food bag, ingredient list and lot number. Please also request a copy of the images from the echocardiogram from your cardiologist (ensure that you have full DICOM image copies on a CD). Please download and complete the full diet history form found at this link.

Please email the image of food bag, a three-generation pedigree, diet history form, copies of the taurine level results and medical record to this email address. A member of our laboratory team will contact you to discuss our thoughts and possibly request additional information, food samples or blood samples for further testing.

Stern wants to get to the bottom of this issue as fast and as medically appropriately as possible. He hopes to publish his initial findings soon and offer scientifically based guidelines for Golden parents regarding diet and DCM. If you’re interested in published research on taurine deficiency and canine DCM, Stern also created a collection of files you can download at this link.

A Particular Brand of Grain-Free Kibble Is Implicated in Some Cases of Diet-Related DCM in Goldens
Although Stern doesn’t discuss specific diets in his letter linked above, according to Dr. Janet Olson of Veterinary Cardiology Specialists:

” … [T]he majority of cases [of taurine deficiency-related DCM in Golden Retrievers] they [Stern and his team] are seeing at UC-Davis are from grain free diets that are high in legumes, like ACANA pork and squash [kibble].”7

Other sources, including a Golden Retriever owner in Mountain View, CA who contacted us, also mention the same food — ACANA Pork and Squash Singles Formula limited ingredient kibble made by Champion Petfoods. According to my Mountain View source, Dr. Stern has been following a group of Goldens with DCM who had been eating the ACANA formula, and a year later, after changes to their diet, taurine supplementation and in some cases, the use of heart medications, all 20+ dogs either fully or significantly recovered.

Consumers who’ve contacted Champion about the issue receive a response stating that taurine isn’t an essential amino acid for dogs, and ACANA and ORIJEN diets are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for all life stages. (Since taurine isn’t considered an essential amino acid for dogs, AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles establish no minimum requirement for taurine.)

Champion acknowledges that a taurine deficiency may contribute to the incidence of DCM in genetically susceptible dogs, but states their diets aren’t formulated for dogs with “special needs.”

Are All the Starchy Ingredients in Grain-Free Kibble to Blame?
Since grain-free dry dog food is a relatively new concept, it’s quite possible there’s something about the high-starch (carb) content in these diets that depletes taurine levels and/or makes the taurine less bioavailable. The problem might be related to a chemical reaction (called the Maillard reaction) between taurine and a carbohydrate during the extrusion process that depletes the digestible taurine level in the food.

And while legumes are being singled out as the potential problematic ingredient, grain-free kibble is often higher in both whole carbohydrates and purified starches (e.g., pea starch, potato starch and tapioca starch) than grain-based dry dog food. The higher the starch level in any pet food, the less protein is included.

In a study published in 1996 on the effect of high heat processing of cat food on taurine availability, the researchers noted, “These results suggest that Maillard reaction products promote an enteric flora that favors degradation of taurine and decreases recycling of taurine by the enterohepatic route.”8

Said another way: The byproducts of the chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars (carbs) in dry cat food alter the microbiome (gut bacteria), causing degradation of the taurine in the food, reducing its availability to the cat, and also preventing the taurine from being efficiently recycled by the cat’s body.

An earlier study published in 1990 that looked at taurine levels in a commercial diet that was fed heat-processed to some cats and frozen-preserved to others drew the same conclusion. The researchers stated ” … processing affects the digestive and/or absorptive process in a manner that increases the catabolism of taurine by gastrointestinal microorganisms.”9

Other Factors That Influence the Taurine Content of Pet Food/Feed
A 2003 study published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition looked at taurine concentrations in the ingredients often used in both home prepared and commercial pet diets, as well as how cooking influences taurine content.10

The researchers reported that animal muscle tissue, especially marine animals, contains high levels of taurine, whereas plant-based ingredients contained either low or undetectable amounts. Also, the amount of taurine that remains after cooking is somewhat dependent on the method of food preparation. When an ingredient was cooked in water (e.g., boiling or basting), more taurine was lost unless the water used to cook the food was included with the meal.

Food preparation that minimized water loss (e.g., baking or frying) retained more of the taurine, however, it’s important to note that heat processing in any form destroys anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of taurine present in raw food. In addition, extended periods of storage of processed pet foods, and freezing, thawing and grinding of raw pet food also depletes taurine content.11

Another UC-Davis study published in 2016 evaluated the taurine status of large breed dogs fed low-protein diets (lamb and rice formulas), since they are now known to be at increased risk for taurine deficiency-related DCM.12 The researchers specifically looked at the ingredients rice bran and beet pulp used in many of these diets, and determined that while rice bran didn’t seem to be a primary cause of taurine deficiency, beet pulp may be a culprit.

Both rice bran and beet pulp bind bile acids (bile acids should be recycled, which effectively recycles taurine) in the small intestine, and increase excretion (which is undesirable) because it depletes taurine by interfering with the enterohepatic recycling of taurine-conjugated bile salts and lowers total body taurine levels.

Grain-free/”low-protein” commercial diets are very high in carbohydrates, which displace amino acids. They also contain anti-nutrients (e.g., saponins, trypsin inhibitors, phytates and lectins) that may interfere with taurine absorption. When you add in the high-heat processing used to manufacture kibble, it’s hardly surprising these diets aren’t an adequate source of taurine for many dogs.

How You Can Protect Your Dog
Those of us who are passionate about animal nutrition have been having a painful awakening for some time now about just how nutrient-deficient many dogs and cats are today. The taurine-DCM issue in dogs is yet another example that animals need much higher levels of bioavailable amino acids from a variety of sources than most are consuming.

Unfortunately, some processed pet food advocates are using the link between grain-free dog foods and DCM to try to push pet parents back in the direction of grain-based diets. Don’t be fooled. The problem with grain-free formulas isn’t the lack of grains! It’s the high level of starchy carbohydrates coupled with the extreme high-heat processing methods used to produce these diets.

Until we have much more information on the subject, my current recommendation is to supplement all dogs with high-taurine foods, no matter what type of diet they’re eating. An easy way to do this is to simply mix a can of sardines into your pet’s meal once a week. You can also find the taurine content of many other foods on page two of this study and also in this Raw Feeding Community article.

If you have a breed or breed mix known to be susceptible to DCM (e.g., Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Cocker Spaniel, Boxer, Great Dane, Scottish Deerhound, Irish Wolfhound, Saint Bernard, Afghan Hound, Dalmatian, Portuguese Water dog, Old English Sheepdog, Newfoundland), especially if you’ve been feeding grain-free kibble, or if for some other reason you’re concerned about your dog’s heart health, I recommend following Dr. Joshua Stern’s four-step process outlined above, starting with a visit to your veterinarian.

[Alex D]

How about Wellness Core? It’s in-between Orijen and Acana in terms of protein content I believe. We’re currently switching our Vizsla puppy to Orijen from Wellness Core because I want an even higher protein content since she’ll be joining me on regular long-distance runs as she gets older–and based on the feeding schedule, Orijen actually ends up being slightly cheaper than Wellness Core over the long run.

Nevertheless, our girl had no problems with Wellness Core and, but for Orijen being a step up in protein/ingredients, we’d stick with the brand.

[Amelia Z]

My 4yr Golden has DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) he was diagnosed 2 yrs ago. I am feeding him Acana pork & squash and Orijen freeze dried regional red along with fresh veggies, fruits and supplements, pro-biotics etc. There is ALOT of talk lately about diets deficient in taurine possibly causing DCM. UC Davis is conducting a research study on taurine deficient cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers. I have enrolled my dog and he was tested for taurine and it showed that he was low. The cardiologist recommended supplementing him with taurine & L-Carnitine. He also recommends taking him off the acana due to the legumes. He states that the legumes are causing him to be deficient in taurine. He is feeding the other dogs in the study royal canine and purina. Two foods I would never feed. I have been researching for months, looking for a food that is grain & legume free. Not a easy task! I was testing honest kitchen but that is 37% carbs which is too high. Although I am supplementing taurine, I am afraid that the peas are absorbing it and I am going nowhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Here is some background on this:
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/07/09/link-between-dog-food-taurine-deficiency-and-dcm.aspx
https://www.planetpaws.ca/2015/07/05/the-pea-problem-in-pet-food/

[Karen G]

I have a 14yr old Beagle , 9yr old Pomeranian and 4 month old Standard Poodle.
Is there a dog food they all can eat?
Beagle and Pom have had several brands thru the years but for the last year or two have:
Beagle (has food allergies and early stages of kidney problems) been on grain free FrestPet
Pomeranian has been on Beneful
Poodle has been on Chicken Soup for Puppy (from breeder)
I want to go grain free for all of them.
I really want an All Life Stage and all breed dog food.
Since large breed puppies and kidney isssues should be treated with less calcium can I feed all of them Large Breed puppy? I have Orijen Large Breed Puppy in mind.
Am I wrong in thinking an All Life Stage is also all Breed appropriate?

[Jason P]

Not official, but Champion is in talks to being bought out by Nestle, is pretty ironic and goes against their stance to pull their product from Chewy.com

Maybe since Nestle owns Purina, that qualifies as principles and pet specialty…

July 14, 2017

Dear Pet Lover,

Chewy recently sold their business to PetSmart, and, as a result, ORIJEN and ACANA foods will no longer be available through Chewy.

Like many of you, we are disappointed in Chewy’s decision to sell their business. The ownership change means they no longer meet our definition of pet specialty.

At Champion, our mission is simple: to be trusted by Pet Lovers and the people who serve them. We’ve always stood on principle, we base our decisions on our values, and we will continue to uphold our 25-year commitment to work with specialty shops.

We choose to focus our investment in our foods, including our research, unparalleled ingredients, and world class kitchens.

Our commitment to food is what sets us apart from multinational and marketing brands. We believe this is the reason Pet Lovers choose ORIJEN and ACANA.

We partner exclusively with specialty shops because they:

support innovative, research-driven foods;
understand our Biologically Appropriate philosophy and the unique properties of our foods;
value the research and innovation that goes into our kitchens and foods; and
recommend foods based on performance rather than profits.
We believe Pet Lovers’ peace of mind comes from knowing that the people making their pet’s food are willing to stand on principle over profit.

While it’s too late to reverse the Chewy/PetSmart decision, we have a strong network of pet specialists across America where ORIJEN and ACANA are always on-shelf. Visit ORIJEN and ACANA for a list of brick and online retailers in your area.

Feel free to contact us via email, customercare@championpetfoods.com, or by phone, 1-877-939-0006.

Sincerely,

Peter Muhlenfeld
Chief Brand Officer
Champion Petfoods LP

[Debbie D]

To solve this problem and gain enough knowledge (and spend enough $$$$ at vet clinics) it took me 10 years. I am glad to say we have kicked this problem 100%. I am very sad though that my pets had to suffer for 10 years before we found the solution. Several of the answers here are on the mark, however, there are some missing pieces of information. Here are the components of the solution that results in the ear problems clearing up in addition to every other allergy issue a dog may have. You can’t do just one thing, you have to address all aspects of care:
1. Diet
2. Flea control poisons
3. Heartworm and Parasite poisons
4. Vaccinosis
5. Chiropractic
6. Vet type
We solved this problem when we started going to alternative vets and Chiropractic vets. I spent thousands at the veterinary clinic, hundreds at the alternative clinics and next to nothing at the Chiropractic vets. The alternative vets (3 of them) were all indispensable. One used Chinese herbs, another acupuncture and another (the best) used a combination of modalities including cold laser, acupuncture, Chiropractic, nutrition, and herbs. The Chiropractic vets gave the most bang for the buck but it took to a visit to five different ones to settle on our favorites. Yes, hard to believe, but a spinal adjustment can be miraculous in calming down allergies. The older the dog the more likely they need this treatment. Some Chiropractors also have cold laser treatments. Go to AVCA.org to find a pet Chiropractor. Some states require Chiros to be vets (like Texas) and others (Oklahoma) allow human Chiros to treat pets. There are advantages both ways.

So bottom line, we now feed NO commercial food but instead feed raw chicken plus a home cooked chicken and vegetable stew. We freeze it in daily portion size containers. This raw food supplemented diet eliminated all parasites (fleas, ticks, heart worms, intestinal worms, etc.) thereby eliminating our need for poisons. Raw diet also eliminated our need for vaccines (titer testing proved this.) Eliminating vaccines eliminated the need for steroid therapy that the vets kept pushing on our dogs. Eliminating flea control like Nextgard, Trifexis, Comfortis, Frontline, and Advantage was a major step forward. These chemicals/drugs were a major cause of itching in our Pugs and we tried them all. These chemicals also caused sores and weeping irritated skin.
Once our dogs were already having out of control skin issues we had to use shampoos and aloe vera in addition to dietary changes. We switched to duck and fed only (USA) Merrick commercial dog food and this was a major improvement. However, the real change came with the raw. We eventually eliminated the Merrick except for traveling/hiking and emergencies. It took about 3 months to a year of proper feeding to stop the fleas dead in their tracks. We used flea combs and Ark Naturals Neem Shampoo to check for fleas.
In one dog, we had to get a prescription of Apoquel (new drug only at select vets) to stop the itching (instead of dangerous steroids.) This was an emergency measure because itching causes scratching which leads to staph infections in ears and on the skin/belly.
The ear itching and yeast infection eventually led to staph infection also from the dogs scratching their ears. To clear this up we used a combination of products over several months. I will list the products and their purpose.
1. Zymox enzymatic ear solution (green bottle) for yeast/bacteria
2. Olive Oil drops – extra virgin for yeast/bacteria
3. Colloidal Silver (10ppm) dropped in ears for yeast/infection
4. 7-Day feminine antifungal cream (yeast only, outside of ears and bumpy noses/folds)
Zymox was best for yeast. Olive oil was the best for everything including swelling of the ear canal. Colloidal Silver kicked the secondary infections almost overnight.
Moist ears is a side effect of yeast infection, not a cause. Swimmers ear is a result not of the water but of having a dietary systemic yeast infection before your dog ever goes swimming.
Taking our dogs swimming in a creek or lake had no effect on the ears, however, swimming in a chlorinated pool did aggravate the ears and skin.
The feminine yeast cream has been a real life saver. We use the weakest version and only apply it to ear flaps. If you want Miconazole ear drops, you’ll have to go to the vet for that. But honestly, the olive oil is just as good. The problem with prescription drugs is that they usually only treat one bug, unlike the first three items on my list.
I hope someone finds this useful.
Since this is a dog food website, i will give my two cents on dog food brands (never feed dry): Highest quality, readily available brands are Merrick, Nature’s Variety, Primal Freeze Dried Raw, and Orijen. No, I would never feed Blue. I’ve been in the pet business for most of my life and I know secrets about many brands that will make your skin crawl. I will not lookup or recommend any brands other than the ones I listed.
I am chronicling my personal experiences on a blog so feel free to visit as you like. Snortlepuss.com
DogFoodAdvisor.com is one of the best resources a person can have for learning about brands. Please take the ratings seriously and only feed to top rated foods.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Debbie D. Reason: missing info

[Ryan K]

Oh no! Now I’m torn! I was still in the midst of looking up high protein/high fat diets for him actually! I have him on Science Diet Sensitive Skin and Digestion right now because I had read a ton of reviews about it being very, very mild on the system which it seems to be so far. I don’t like the ingredients in it at all though. I would love for him to be on something more nutritious and highly rated but jeez…it’s tough now since his new sensitivities to things he was once pretty OK with. He used to do great on Orijen but now it makes him super itchy. I want him to be at the best weight though since his slipped disc issue on top of them telling me he has moderate hip dyslpasia. I was considering Natural Balance High Protein Turkey which is 32% Protein and 16% fat but maybe I will postpone that. I was also considering Natural Balance Low Calorie dog food as well as their Original Ultra formula…It’s just a waiting game to see what happens with this Science Diet right now and then to possibly try him on something else in a bit if he isn’t enjoying this or starts showing symptoms again. I’m glad his triglycerides went down to a normal level after his fasting. I hope everything stays the same. My poor little guy! 🙁

[Nita H]

I feed Orijen, a sister food to Acana. I keep it in the bag inside a sealed plastic tub. My A/C is set at 75 degrees and I have no trouble keeping it fresh. Buying quantities which last about 4 to 5 weeks keeps it fresh in my opinion. I still believe Orijen and Acana are the best brands available.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Nita H.

[Ryan K]

Hi Susan! Thank you for all of that info!

I am not sure that I would go raw or take him to a nutritionist. I might one day but right now I want to keep trying dry foods.

I should have mentioned before that I have been having a hard time with him and foods since I decided to take him off his old Zignature Kangaroo recipe and put him on rx Hydrolized protein by Royal Canin and Science Diet Z/D. Both of these cleared his skin up immediately but made him incredibly…OFF. He seemed very agitated and unlike himself when he was on these two prescription foods. He seemed almost restless and irritable. Someone mentioned that it might have been the super high % of Omega 3’s in those diets so I got him off of them and ever since I have been trying new foods. He has been a mess since that. I haven’t had him on one food that has worked well. I am not sure if those rx foods just really messed with his gut and now he has still not recovered or what but I need to get it sorted out. I made sure that the Prescription food by Hills has low Omega’s this time because that was a concern. I also noticed that while on the Hydrolized protein diets his poops were incredibly loose and runny. That was a big part in my taking him off the ZD and trying the Royal Canin Hydrolized. I didn’t like how soupy his poops were. He has anal gland issues so I would prefer him to have a food that gives him a more firm stool. But, at this point…I just need his stomach and appetite to normalize. That’s my priority. If I find something that he actually EATS and doesn’t seem irritated by I am sticking to it. He did well on the Kangaroo by Zignature but the lentils make him super itchy and his ears get very gooey and gross when he eats it. I had him on Orijen six fish for probably the first 2 years of his life (he’s 9 now) and he loved that but continually had ear issues…I realized it was the probiotics and stopped and they cleared up. I have had him on Acana which he likes but again…ear issues…skin issues….not fun.

I did get several cans of the prescription diet you mentioned. Oddly enough, he does not like it! It’s so weird because he normally loves canned food but he sniffs it and turns away. I am hopeful that the fact that he is still eating boiled chicken and rice that that is a good sign? If he’s not eating anything I would be very scared. I think maybe I am overthinking this and giving him too many options and messing his system up. If his triglycerides come back as normal and there is nothing to worry about I will go from there. If that is a problem…I am not sure what the next step is. I think I also need to get him more exercise. He isn’t overweight…the vet says he looks healthy…but, he is very sedentary. I have a fenced yard and he runs around from time to time but nothing very regular. I might start walking him around the neighborhood. Maybe that will work up his appetite and help regulate him a bit more.

Thank you very much for your amazing help!! 🙂

[Amy F]

Hi – I have 3 Large Breed Puppies and 2 Senior small mutts. My Large Breed Puppies are 1) Full Black Lab 7 Months (11/17) 2) Sisters – LabraDane Mix 4 Months (estimated age, abandoned, I adopted) 3) Senior Pups are Terriers Small 14 yrs and 6 years – Both under 20 lbs

I have been feeding the puppies a mix of 1/2 Orijen LB Puppy and 1/2 Acana All Stages Various Flavors. The Seniors get the Acana. I am following recommended feeding per the bag and vet says weight is fine all seem healthy and doing fine. Some Skin issues on the Labradanes around Collars but we live in AZ and I attributed mostly to heat. I have been leaving collars off when I can. Otherwise fine.

Here is my issue – I am spending almost 400 a month on Dog food. Its becoming a bit of a financial issue, we can manage it if there are no substitutions that are just as good but Im looking for suggestions. Comparable Foods/Quality maybe that might help reduce my month food costs.

Thanks for any input – Appreciate It

[danyelle b]

have been reading about this Champion Food lawsuit. From what I can see, the dog food is made in Alberta, Canada, but the lawsuit has been filed from the United States. I feed both my dogs Acana and they are doing fine.

For information purposes, you are welcomed to read these articles available from the Orijen/Acana (Canadian made) website. https://acana.com/library/

[parisdog]

Concern to Marla G’s comment, I show Labrador’s as well and always used or Orijen or other top brand kibble and finally switched to PP 30/20 because one of them had a pea/legume allergy and pro plan was one of the few foods that did not contain peas or legumes and my dogs is now “dripping in coat” for some reason or another. I know that a lot of people Poopoo pro plan but there’s something in it that works on my dogs and I will not go back to the top brands.

[haleycookie]

If there’s nothing medically or physically wrong with him any food would be fine. Typically higher protein lower carb foods would be the best. Some I can think of are Natures variety raw boost, merrick Orijen. Canidae has a new food called ancestrial that looks very promising as well.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by haleycookie.

[Jason P]

I posted on March 28, 2018 Regarding our 2.5 year old American Bulldog, Neela passed away due to liver failure…well today, I announce her brother, who is a litter mate, has been diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma.

We fed our babies from the start, Orijen. We only stopped feeding Orjien after we lost Neela. So, is this coincidence or just some pretty bad luck. Nonetheless, it makes me think of what we feed our babies, which is why I visited and joined Dogfoodadvisor.

I’ve began reading The Dog Cancer survival guide, and it gives instructions to feed our dog cooked meals, thanks to the fact that ‘agencies that regulate pet food do not consider carcinogens created by by-products of the manufacturing processes (like extruding kibble) ingredients. And because these carcinogens are not present in the food before it is processed, they do not need be labeled on the product label…and that the high heat temperatures used in the process to uniformly shape dog foods (kibble and treats) create carcinogens which remain in the food.”

I am not blaming Orijen, but the timing of this lawsuit is pretty ironic.

[cat p]

hi. not a dog owner but i was just about to get orijen for my new cat until i heard about the lawsuit. im so lucky to have seen this thread, it scared the shit out of me. champion is considered #1 along with merrick and a few others in cat food quality, this is very disappointing. will be buying something different for my cat instead.

[NHU L]

I have two toy poodles 5 months old. The breeder fed them now fresh (Petcurean) puppy dry food mixed with 40% boiled chicken and sweet potatoes when they were 8 weeks old. At 3 months old I have decided to switch to Orijen puppy mixed with 40% boiled chicken and sweet potatoes. They are ok with it however it seems their stools are a bit smelly in addition they scratch a bit too. So a week ago I started gradually mixing Orijen and Fromm gold puppy dry food. So far I like what I see !!!!!! less smelly and firm stool…….cheaper too.
Any comment about Fromm family gold puppy anyone???

[A S]

Greetings
I wondered if there were any issues with Orijen dog food. I’ve been feeding them regional red and six fish for three yrs. Lately I noticed my girl didn’t want to eat her regional red. I had to spice it up with baby food in order to get her to eat it. Lately my two boys also developed loose bowel movements. I found this artical and stopped feeding them Orijen. Now my girl eats her food without me having to spice it up and the boys loose bowel movements have become solid. So if your having any symptoms like I described above, try taking them off Orijen and see what happens.

[jennifer m]

We have a bulldog puppy. We got her from my mom (who is the breeder) when she was 4 months old. The litter was large and my mom did not realize she was reacting to her food until we got her. Here is a little of what we have done. I know it’s a lot of food changes. Nothing has worked. We have had up to 10 poops a day, blood in stool, and diarrhea. I just don’t know what to do.
weened-4mo old: Blue Buffalo
Way too many poops and smelly gas. She also did not like the food
Large Puppy Orijens (went through one large bag before switching)
She loved the food. Better stools but still went 5 times a day. Mom was too concerned about this being too much protein for a bulldog.
Pure Vita Salmon and Pea (went through 2 bags)
She liked it fine. Stools were very soft and she went a lot
Health Extensions
Mom switched her to this while keeping her for a few weeks. Terrible gas and by the time we got her back she had diarrhea.

At this point, we just went to our vet. He said that we have done too many food changes. No parasites or worms. Put her on 5 days of purina probiotics and metronidazole. This did nothing. She went back to vet and he put her on a high energy GI Royal Canine. This is the first time we went to having 3-4 poops a day but they were still soft and she would have blood in them. He also gave her another 7 days of antibiotics.

I decided not to give the antibiotics and immediately took her off of the food. I went back to the natural health food store. She recommended the stella and chewy lamb patties and nutrisource lamb meal and rice. Also added goat’s milk. She does not love the food but loves the patties and goat’s milk. So far the stool is back to solid which I haven’t seen in over a month. However, this morning she has gone 3 times before she even ate breakfast. Could this be just a transition period?

I like the solid stools but I don’t want to be back to a point where she’s going 7-8 times a day.

Mom said the grain free foods were using a lot of peas and this could be an issue. That’s why we are trying the rice formula. The food store also recommended Honest Kitchen raw food.

What should I do? She’s only 8 months now and I am sure she wants to feel better and stay on a good food.

[sanford h]

Up to about 6 months ago, he was on Orijen, an excellent food, and was gaining weight, which was what I didn’t want to happen. The vet and I discussed this and I chose what was considered a very good weight control food I could find. He is active, healthy, and a happy dog now.

[Mike L]

I just joined Editor’s Choice hoping I’d find some recommendations for senior dogs, but as far as I can tell “Adult” is the only choice for my 14-year-old Yorkie.

Specifically, I want to transition off Orijen senior on the advice of a nutritionist and vet. The 38 percent protein may be too much for him. I’m looking for something with protein in the mid-20s. I tried a nutritionist-suggested home cooked recipe with protein around 20 percent, but he had problems with one or more of the ingredients and I don’t want to make him sick again to figure out which ingredient he can’t tolerate.

A small dog breeder recommended Fromm Senior Gold, but although dogfoodadvisor generally rates Fromm highly, Senior Gold is only 3.5 Stars. Anyhow one why Senior Gold would be rated lower than the rest of Fromm’s selections? Anyhow have any other suggestions for a senior small dog who is generally healthy?

• This topic was modified 5 years, 12 months ago by Mike L.

[Patti R]

I have a 17 week old Havanese with serious eye stain lately. I’ve eliminated all bully sticks, and am looking at puppy and all stage foods without TOMATO POMACE as I suspect that may be the culprit for her eye stain. She’s been on Wellness Raw Rev, which she loves but has the Pomace as an ingredient. I’m switching to Orijen Grain-Free Puppy even though it has green peas and pea fiber way down the list of ingredients. I’ll let you know how she likes it.

[Lewis F]

The results are in. To quote the Vet, the blood work came back pristine!! The Vet and I talked about changing food and he didn’t recommend it. He felt since Sophie has been on Orijen Puppy and now Original for 16 months and the blood work showed absolutely no signs of organ or digestive distress, he recommended she stay on it. We will do another check in six months.

[Lewis F]

As promised in my post above, I brought Sophie in for her 6 month check-up and Bordello vaccination. The Doctor drew blood and the results will be back tomorrow. We did not draw blood for the determination of metals, but the broad scan to see if any of the levels would indicate there was a problem “brewing”. I will share the result shortly after I receive them.

I did ask the Doctor if he had heard of the Class Action suit against Champion and of course he said yes. In fact, he said a quite a few patients that were either using Acana or Orijen and was familiar with the charges. His view has been the same to all of his patients, and that is if your pet is showing no signs of a problem with either Acana or Orijen over time (Sophie being 16 months), then monitor the suit, get blood work done at your pet’s physical and stay the course. If there is any indication of a problem with the blood work we will do further testing and then evaluate a course of action. He did agree with Mike Sagman, that there too many unknowns in what is driving the the accusations.

[Marla G]

The internet will always be lit up with opinions and gossip. However, I know several dog friends that had been having issues with Orijen and Acana. There dogs are now off the food and problems have been resolved. I think that speaks volumes. I started showing dogs over 30 years ago. During that time I have seen dog food companies come and go and obviously seen many problems too. It’s through my vast experience that I’ve made my choice not to continue using Acana. The dog show community is large and we depend on one another for information. We know by sharing our personal experiences it may help other owners. My show dogs have always been my companions first and foremost. The amount of information you collect through knowing many vets/specialists over the past 30+ years and also reputable breeders can’t be bought or learned on some forum. It’s an invaluable education. The breeder of my 2 Collies has been doing so for 40 years. She’s a wealth of knowledge. So, my decision wasn’t frivolous to discontinue Acana.
I’ve written a few posts recently and they haven’t shown up. I hope that’s a coincidence.

[Pamela B]

You are correct. It is not a recall. It is a class action suit. After testing, some not very desireable elements have been found in certain varieties of both Arcana and Orijen. If you have no problem feeding your pets any of the foods listed in the link I am providing, then that is a personal decision.
https://www.animalhealthfoundation.net/blog/2018/03/lawsuit-filed-against-champion-pet-food-acana-and-orijen/