[Lorena]

Suzanne, I stopped using Costco food after my Frenchie had anemia and died. She also had a uti and other issues. Both my Boston Terrier and Frenchie were throwing up at least twice a week on Costco food (kibbles and canned) and unfortunately I didn’t switch foods soon enough. Marylou, dogs know when the food is bad as they can smell a lot better than we can. My daughter’s cat does the same thing, sometimes the canned food she opens, the cat will sniff and walk away even though it’s the same food he goes crazy for. She then knows it’s a bad batch and opens a new can. If all the cans have the same lot # then most likely they’re all bad. You should return the food to Costco and get your money back! They require at least 50% but if you tell them it got your dogs sick they should take it back regardless.

My 10 yr old Boston Terrier is doing well on her new food (Acana duck and pear and I top her food with 1/2 patty of Duck Duck Goose raw freeze-dried dinner patty from Stella & Chewy’s). I’m spending more on food now but it’s worth it if it saves me on vet visits and illness. I’m also feeding my Vizsla puppy the same food because it’s for all stages (it has DHA and Glucosamine). I don’t buy canned food anymore as mix in, the freeze-dried patties are enough as my dogs love these. They tried the lamb patties, but they prefer the duck. I highly recommend Acana, Orijen, or Fromm.

[Lisa H]

Hi!

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

Thank you!!

[anonymous]

“I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all”

That’s because allergies don’t tend to show up till later (age 1-4) and they tend to get worse with age.

Diet has nothing to with yeast, yeast is caused due to a breakdown in the immune system, same with the skin infections and ear infections.
I’m not a scientist, the dermatologist can explain it more clearly.

[Lewis F]

Karen:
I think each dog will react to certain foods differently. I have a Cavapoo that is 19 months old that has been on Orijen Puppy and Original for all of the 19 months without a problem. Orijen is owned by the same company as Acana; Champion Foods. I also believe the talk on the internet is regarding the alleged Class Action suit against Champion. There are many postings regarding the suit,one of which by Mike Sagman that you might want to read.

Lew

[pitlove]

Hi Rick-

No, supposed quality of a food has nothing to do with how much you feed. It is revolved entirely around the amount of kcals per cup.

Just as an example. Orijen is considered still by a lot of people to be one of the best dry dog foods. The Orijen “Original” is 449 kcals/cup. My dog for his weight would eat 2cups a day according to their website. Now when I look up Purina Dog Chow, considered one of the WORST dog foods by many, it is 419 kcals/cup. According to their feeding guidelines for my dog, he would eat roughly 2 cups a day as well.

[Reese B]

I don’t like that dog food companies base their standards of heavy metal limits by the NRC. The NRC regulates live stock, not pets. They regulate animals that will not live long enough to feel the effects of toxins in their food. I would like to find a dog food company that holds their standards to what would be acceptable for a human to eat.

Maybe they aren’t doing anything illegal, but it doesn’t mean it’s right for our pets. I worry about feeding any commercial dog food to my dog. I still do, but and I rotate the brands and feed home cooked when I can.
With all the re-calls and allegations out there, it’s scary to feed any brand…but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I haven’t feed my dog orijen or acana for a long time and after this, I don’t think I can ever again.

[Mike Sagman]

Click here to read the actual lawsuit. The document refers directly to the same controversial “study” mentioned in numerous articles, including the ones I previously referenced in this thread.

[Charles H]

I tried to chase down the links in the article. But I did not find any specific reference to the specific study mentioned in the article about Orijen and Acana. I suspected it was part of the cluster you were talking about. Just making sure.

This is why I registered as a member. Thanks a lot!!

[Mike Sagman]

Yes, I would. Please be sure to take the time to visit each link mentioned in my comment above.

The Acana/Orijen lawsuit appears to be based on the same dubious “study” described in numerous articles… like the ones I referenced above.

Ignore all the sensationalized articles that serve to needlessly frighten dog owners and create fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Don’t panic. Don’t overreact. Wait for the facts. Look for 3rd party laboratory test confirmation or for an FDA-mediated recall.

[Charles H]

Would you include the recent suit against Orijen and Acana in the same group as the other suits?

Lawsuit Filed Against Orijen, Acana Claims Dog Food Contains Heavy Metals & Other Toxins

[Dawn F]

Long response …I too have been very concerned about both Orijen and Acana food as they seem to be amazing products. I wrote to Champion customer service and received the following response. It has set my mind at ease and I will be continuing using the product for now:

“Thank you for taking the time to write to us.
On March 1, 2018 a Class Action Complaint was brought in California against Champion Petfoods alleging that our dog food contains levels of “heavy metals and toxins” that might make the food unsafe. The claims asserted in the lawsuit are meritless and Champion Petfoods intends to vigorously defend itself in the litigation. There are no recalls for ORIJEN or ACANA as we are 100% confident that our foods are safe for pets and the people who care for them.
For your peace of mind we want you to understand that monitoring heavy metal levels is an important control point for us, and has always been a part of Champion’s food safety and HACCP program. We systematically test ORIJEN and ACANA products for heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) at two third party laboratories using the Official Methods of Analysis by Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC).
We share statistically analyzed data from over the past 3 years in comparison with NRC standards for heavy metals and the MTL’s (maximum tolerable limits) listed in the FDA Target Animal Safety Review Memorandum in a White Paper on our website. ORIJEN and ACANA Foods in Comparison to Pet Food Safety Standards
I have attached the White Paper – Heavy Metal and Pet Food for easy access.
We have been assured by our supplier that all Champion Petfoods packaging is BPA free.
All Champion packaging is in full compliance with the CFIA in Canada, FDA in the USA and applicable packaging food additive regulations. In addition, the raw materials (including resins, additives and processing aids) used in the manufacturing of our food packaging are cleared for food contact and processing applications by Federal regulations.

I understand that you may be concerned about this lawsuit, our pets are family to us and we all want to ensure that we are doing the very best that we can for them. I want you to be confident in the safety and quality of our products, and I hope that this information I’ve provided is helpful. We will be sharing more information as it becomes available on our social media platforms and our websites.
Should you have any other questions please feel free to contact us.”
Diana
Customer Care
Champion Petfoods LP

[megan p]

Hello everyone,

I am so concerned over this lawsuit. I have been feeding my pack the Orijen Original for over five years. They are healthy dogs with beautiful coats. I hate to take them off this food IF the allegations aren’t true, but I also hate to feed them a food that could hurt them in the long run. Please help! What should I do?

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

I would do a kibble plus freeze dried raw or a simple homemade mix. My dogs do fantastic on Orijen/Acana, Fromm, Petcurean, and Farmina. I like Merrick but have one dog that gets very gassy on all formulas except for the rabbit and the venison. For the mixers, I’ll use Primal mostly. I try to keep to the poultry formulas or the rabbit. The ones that are beef inclusive tend to be very hard in comparison so it’s hard to mix in or rehydrate easily. There are some good canned foods as well. Scrambled eggs, chicken thigh or breast, and other home prepared meats are a good option as well. Sometimes you just need to see what your dog likes.

[Chuck]

So I have been feeding my Brittney (5) Darwins since she was a puppy and my Foxhound (3) since we got him which was about a year ago. I live in Tampa, FL and the cost of shipping is just crazy, so between the cost, the Darwin customer service and recalls and my wife shying away from raw since we have a newborn, I really need a good solution.

Should I switch to a kibble like Orijen? A mix like Merrick Back Country Infused Raw, Kibble plus dehydrated raw supplements or is there another raw option that would be more cost-effective, and she isn’t going to let me grind anything up so bulk probably wouldn’t work.\

I just want to make sure they keep being healthy and I hate the idea of just putting them back on kibble. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Susan]

Hi Patrica,
If you know a bit about dog foods then you go with your gut not what DFA rates a food, DFA wont even let me post link for Pet Foods that are high in Toxins & Contaminates….
In Australia our dog food review man lets me post the link & name of the company in America that is doing the study on American dog foods they have done 3 study in 1 & 1.2 yrs & I think it is making a difference cause the expensive brands like Orijen & Acana who rated very high with toxins 1st & 2nd study has done better in this 3rd study…

We have a recall in Austrlia our Police dogs & pet dogs are dying within 2 weeks of being fed “Advance” Democare these dogs are dropping like flies, vets are saying its Megaesophagus but further reasearch say it looks like the kibble is high in toxins…

[Bazuhi]

Suzanne
I was going to once feed my pups Orijen but I read the reviews from the
people and many people stated it seemed a very rich food and cause many
dogs to have very loose stools.
I do not know if chicken is actually the culprit, I would look at the ingredients in your old food and see what is new in this food and it could be a yeast issue or other ingredient in the new food that was not in the old food. I assume you did a slow transition this food may have more fat/protein content then your other food. My moms dog is on Orijen and does well I never tried it with mine I didn’t want that high of a protein.
Oh and my dogs when younger had an itch issue and I thought it as chicken and it turned out to be gaur gum that was in the new food vs old food

[Jason P]

Coincidence or not, we tragically lost our 2 and a half year old American Bulldog on March 6, 2018. She was admitted in the ER and blood tests revealed elevated liver enzymes and what was diagnosed as liver diesese.

We fed her and her brother Orijen dog food since they were puppies, and although some claim the levels listed aren’t enough to poison your pet, but from my understanding, they build up overtime and feeding our babies this food twice a day for years, could it lead to problems?

This is something I will not take a chance on and switched her brother to a different food.

As far as her brother, he has some patches of fur missing, which also could be a sign of liver toxicity…we need to get him in to the vet, but that is part of the travesty of losing our baby.

We currently have submitted a complaint due to what feel was malpractice…this whole ordeal has been a nightmare and each week has revealed something new.

And this week, our premium dog food is being accused of possibly having heavy metals.

[Julie W]

I just watched the story CBS San Francisco did on this in May 2017, with links to view their docs & responses. Unless I missed something, they state only 1 product of Orijen’s was an issue, and other lawsuits were filed against Wellness, etc. based on the testing. It’s unclear to me if the Champion lawsuit is based on those or additional tests – I’d guess additional since more Orijen products are named, which then leads to a whole other set of questions. On one hand, I’ve been feeding Orijen in rotation for years, and would like all dog food companies forced to be honest. On the other hand, I’m curious why they were targeted, and feel bad that they’re being smeared all over the internet simply because the plaintiff’s have the $ to file a lawsuit (one is an attorney). http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/05/24/lead-mercury-arsenic-cadmium-found-in-popular-pet-foods/

[Cat B]

We are getting a Labradoodle. Vet says this is a “large breed” expectd to be between 60-65lbs fully grown based on mom and dad’s stats. I’ve decided on Orijen but their large breed puppy formula bag says that 66lbs is their definition of large breed. I’ve reached out to the company to ask but puppy comes home on Friday and I am eager to get her off of the Blue Buffalo crap she’s being fed now.
Thanks in advance!

[Lewis F]

Janet A wrote:

I was curious about the table listed in the lawsuit naming the different Orijen and Acana Foods and the amount of contaminants found. The contaminants are listed in ug/kg and I converted them to parts per million or PPM which is what the MCL or maximum contaminant level is usually given in. I then found what the amount of the contaminant allowed in human food from the International/National Standards for heavy metals in food and compared it to the newly converted amounts in the dog food. Except for two that were barely over the Mercury level allowed, the amounts were found to be safe. For BPA I did not find a concrete set of data for MCL.

[Janet A]

I was curious about the table listed in the lawsuit naming the different Orijen and Acana Foods and the amount of contaminants found. The contaminants are listed in ug/kg and I converted them to parts per million or PPM which is what the MCL or maximum contaminant level is usually given in. I then found what the amount of the contaminant allowed in human food from the International/National Standards for heavy metals in food and compared it to the newly converted amounts in the dog food. Except for two that were barely over the Mercury level allowed, the amounts were found to be safe. For BPA I did not find a concrete set of data for the amount allowed in food. The MCL for levels in drinking water is much more stringent than what it is for food.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Janet A.

[Tracy O]

I have to say I am worried my dog all of sudden started having diarrhea, acting odd and the change was, I thought I did great research and finally found a dog food that was made in there own facility etc….and now this… Orijen Large Breed puppy food. I am discontinuing because I am not chancing if this is a load of crap from complaints or if in fact it is true…Cya Orijen!!!

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Tracy O.
• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Tracy O.

[Tracy S]

Interesting. I’ve come to the conclusion that it must be the food. Because I had 2 get diarrhea at the exact same time; I can’t see what else it could be. I bought a bag of the Heartland Gold, which is a completely different formula to transition onto. They are slightly improved so far (one more so than the other). If this doesn’t work, I’m just dropping Fromm all together and going to a new brand. They started on Orijen Large Breed puppy but never had great stools and didn’t really seem to enjoy meals until I switched to Fromm.
I’m currently also using a probiotic and pumpkin. My local small quality pet store also recommended the pumpkin latte powder. I stuck with the canned pumpkin because they really enjoy it.
I’m really hoping I get some results in the next week. This is so incredibly frustrating to have 2 dogs going through this, not to mention the vet cost because I didn’t know what was wrong.
Thanks for the response!

[Carrie W]

I am saddened by this lawsuit, however I read the letter sent out by Champion in regards to this lawsuit. I think everyone should at least consider both sides. I had already read the white paper (re: heavy metals in their food) info on Champion’s website (its in their library). I don’t know how long it has been available but it was a while back when I reviewed it. I have fed several different foods over the years. And when I got my latest GSD I did a lot of research and DFA became my favorite follow up site. When I reviewed the ingredients in Orijen I was so glad to see a food that was made with real meats with no meals, no by-products, etc. It even went beyond by using real fruits, veggies and herbs. It was refreshing and as for a kibble I could not find another that matched it. I researched heavy metals and the heavy metals in human foods as well and found the unfortunate truth that we and our pets our exposed to these heavy metals everywhere in our environment. The soil, air, and water which allows it to get into our foods. After all my hard research there was a negative for every positive. So I decided that a variety would probably be the best diet and why not that makes the most sense. I have to apologize to my past dogs for this, as they did not have this luxury. So I feed a mixture of Orijen Tundra, Primal Raw, Pumpkin, Pre-Probiotics, other raw meats, fruits and veggies. I hope that we will be able to remove more or all heavy metals from human and pet foods one day.

[parisdog]

For the past five years I had been feeding Orijen for my labs. However, last summer I noticed that the food looked moldy and one of them started throwing up. I ended up going to other boutique foods and and really never liked the results. One of my dogs had a major pea allergy and my breeders suggested pro plan. I always thought that that food was sub par but now I see that they’re all thriving on it. Now I wish that I had tried it years ago.

[Marla G]

It’s unnerving. Do any other food companies on the list test for these metals and publish them? Am I to understand that they occur organically? What if all dog foods have significant levels, but Acana and Orijen are the lowest? That’s the information I’d like to have. Will we ever know what’s healthy for our dogs? Then I see my breeder’s dogs and many others in the breed that have been fed PP 30/20 Sport. Eew, right? These dogs coats are enormous, they are healthy and outstanding examples of the breed. Another close friend of mine is feeding the same in another breed. Her bitch took BOS at Westminster in Feb., and BOB at Crufts. All her dogs are on it. The ingredients are ones we’ve all been taught are completely undesirable. I have 2 littermates from her, both males. One I got at 13wks. I took him off the 30/20 soon after and placed him on a boutiquey high end dog food. His litterbrother later became available at 23mos. I decided to get him. The breeder had only fed him the 30/20. To see my boy and her boy, oh my word. Her dog was dripping in coat, my boy on the high end food, wasn’t. And ALL her dogs look like that. They are top winning in their breed. We both have equal experience in grooming, and live 50min. from each other. At this point I’m dissolutioned.

[Courtney W]

Hello all,

My bull mastiff is on the orijen original formula. She has been on this food for about one year.

I was concerned about these accusations produced by the truth about dog food and consulted with the owner of a natural pet food store. She indicated she knew the owner of the truth about dog food and that her claims were not factual and told me some negative encounters they had together…

My dog is healthy other than reoccurring gastro issues. Her stool will be fine, then diarrhea. Occasional vomiting. Planning to do a blood panel with metal and lead levels as my next step. Very concerned either way. Following to see how other dogs are doing on this food.

Courtney

[Lewis F]

Maria: Thank you for the post. I’m not changing from providing Orijen to my four legged family member. I will however, follow the information on the law suit

[Lewis F]

This is a reply from Champion Dog Food facebook page:
Champion Petfoods is with Maureen Randall Breakfield.
18 hrs ·
Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,

The allegations contained within a Class Action Complaint that was brought against us on March 1st are meritless and based on misinterpretation of the data.

Let us assure you that our products are safe and that we systematically test our products at two third-party laboratories using the Official Methods of Analysis by Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). While we plan to comprehensively refute the wide range of false allegations in a court of law at the appropriate date, in the interim we want you to be confident in the safety and quality of our products.

For more information, we urge you to read: ORIJEN and ACANA Foods in Comparison to Pet Food Safety Standards, here: http://bit.ly/2HMvJiy

As you know, our commitment to using fresh and raw meat and fish ingredients means that pets and Pet Lovers can count on Champion to provide safe, Biologically Appropriate™ nutrition. Much like the natural human food we consume, Champion Petfoods contains small traces of a range of naturally occurring elements. These so-called ‘heavy metals’ are found throughout the Earth’s environment, and the miniscule amounts of these substances found in Champion Petfoods are a safe and common component of both human and animal diets. Our Biologically Appropriate™ foods feature much higher levels of quality fresh and raw meat ingredients than conventional pet foods, including fish and seafood ingredients.

Please know that we are confident that we will prevail as the facts and evidence are presented to the court, and that these baseless claims will not deter us from our mission of delivering award-winning Biologically Appropriate™ foods. The legal complaint has no bearing whatsoever on the activities or operation of our business, and you will continue to enjoy the same high degree of professionalism and quality you have come to expect from Champion.

Thank you for your continued commitment to our company and our quality food products.

Champion Petfoods

Image may contain: text

[Jennifer B]

Does anyone have info about a recent lawsuit vs Orijen/Acana regarding lead and arsenic levels?

Lawsuit filed against Champion Pet Food – Acana and Orijen

Important: Click here to view relevant admin note below.

• This topic was modified 8 years ago by Mike Sagman.

[anonymous]

/forums/topic/orijen-acana-lawsuit/#post-112231

[Marla G]

Acana and Orijen: My breeder sent a copy last night of a lawsuit filed against Champion Pet Foods. It is one of the worst things I’ve ever read. Have any of you heard of it? It came from a website that was called The Truth About Pet Foods and it was dated 3/19/18. It states arsenic and mercury levels are startling high along with lead. There were several others mentioned too. I’m devastated to think a company I trusted has something so awful going on. I feel completely blindsided. If a food like Acana and Orijen have this happening, what’s left? And I don’t want to homecook for my dogs. Any information regarding this would be appreciated. I am completely dissolutioned now. Thanks.

[Reese B]

Lawsuit filed against Champion Pet Food – Acana and Orijen

Anyone feed this food? Thoughts?

Important: Click here to view relevant admin note below.

• This topic was modified 8 years ago by Mike Sagman.

[Suzanne S]

Hi,
I have a large breed 16-week old puppy (Beauceron) who came from the breeder on a low-quality food. I migrated him over to Acana Pork & Sweet Potato, grain-free. He had loose stool for several weeks, despite a slow transition, so I did some research and decided to try Orijen. He’s been on Orijen Puppy for almost two weeks and is still having very loose stool, and he’s recently become quite itchy. I’d like to find a high quality dry food that has some grain and does not contain chicken.

I get that grain-free is nice, but it would be good to have choices, too. There are recent studies that indicate too many legumes and other “fillers” that are taking the place of grains are not necessarily beneficial either. Can’t seem to find a good balance of non-poultry protein, healthy grain, and 4.5 or 5 star quality.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks so much for your input!

[Susan R]

I admit I am overwhelmed. I read each description. I’ve tried Fromm, Now, Costco, Zignature (small sample), and, of course, sadly, what the breeder was feeding him Purina Beneficial.

I then read the comments below and my mind is changed. I was all set to order Orijen and then people were talking about it changed and their puppy was declining. I was then ready to go with Wellness Core; likewise, comments changed my mind.

Help. lol

[Anonymous]

current pet supplies plus employee here, there is not a ton of info out on redford unfortunately (even i want to know more!) of course since it is a pet supplies plus brand, we’re supposed to promote it and recommend it (when appropriate, of course, i’m not gonna force someone feeding raw to buy it!)
redford has both dog and cat food, and by the end of march all stores should carry canned dog and cat food too! i will admit, it’s not the absolute BEST food you could feed your pet. it was meant to compete with blue and taste of the wild mainly, defintely not top notch dry foods we carry like zignature or orijen! after all, it’s a 50 dollar bag of dog food, not $100. that being said, it’s VERY comprable to blue and taste of the wild in terms of ingredients. where they source them and who manufactures it is still unknown, but i imagine i can’t be worse than their competitors. the big selling points are having the limited ingredient line (grain free, single protein, single carb) and that all of them have the extra omega 3&6s in them to help with skin and coat.
i’ve only been able to get my hands on the canned dog food, but there’s a loaf and stew version. personally, i would go for the stew over the loaf (your typical paté) if your dog is able to eat/chew it. i found the stews to be very similar to merrick’s wilderness blend at a first glance, but i believe they’re a tad cheaper. the ingredients, again, are pretty comprable to blue or taste of the wild.
overall, my 3 pups and 3 cats have been loving it and it’s been easy on their bellies to rotate the proteins. they were all on taste of the wild before, and we had no problems, but seeing that redford price tag was pretty appealing and i’ve seen their coats get much softer and shinier (especially in my cats!)
i’m excited to see how the cat cans turn out, but that’s a whole other topic 🙂
if you’re thinking about switching, give it a shot! you can always return it (for a full refund) if your pet doesn’t like it or it doesn’t quite agree with them.

(and for the user talking about the life source bits in blue, sometimes it’s better to pick a kibble that is uniform because you can never get the exact ratio of normal kibble to life source bits that they base the nutrition off of. one day it might be, say 50 life source, the next it could be 15. even small variances can mess with some pups so generally speaking, a uniform kibble could help with that!)

[InkedMarie]

When did Orijen come out with a fresh food?

[pitlove]

Josh-

It’s important to first look for a food that actually states its for a large breed puppy. While it’s true that some brands have puppy foods that meet the ca/phos requirements for LBPs most do not. Wellness is not a bad brand and they do have large breed puppy specific foods. I am not a fan of Orijen/Champion Pet Food products. They are a marketing company solely dedicated to selling you a trendy pet food at an outrageous price. I’ll pass.

[Josh S]

Thank you for the info!
Pitlover-
Do you know any thing about wellness brand complete healthy puppy food or Orijen puppy? These 2 have been suggested to me by a couple of people.

[Denise S]

We have a Beagle that just turned 6 on 2/5. About 2 years ago, he would have an occasional seizure. They weren’t too bad. Thought maybe it could be Heartguard. Took any dog food or treats that Rosemary Extract out of his diet. BUT on 11/30/2017, he had seizures that were every hour…grand mal. Horrible thing to see your baby go through. The vet started him on Keppra. After two weeks, he had a very mild seizure. On Christmas morning at about 2am he had 3 grand mals in less than a hour and we were at vet emergency by 3am. On the way there, he had another. He stayed in ICU for a couple of days (until he was seizure free) and we brought him home. His Keppra was increased and we were given an emergency package of diazepam to administer rectally. He had a small breakthrough seizure on 1/11. The vet added Phenobarbitol. On 2/10, he started having seizures that morning every hour again. Took him to the vet and he had another at the vet. The vet added another medication of Zonisamide. This medication didn’t stop anything (it would take at least a week to get in his system to help him) but were given more diazepam to get him through this spell. We stayed up all night with him while he had grand mal seizures every hour. That morning we were back in the ER with him. He had another seizure while they were examining him and they were going to keep him in ICU. He also had another seizure while they were taking x-rays. We have him back now. His phenobarbitol has been increased and he stays on Keppra. They removed the Zonisamide. It’s hard to imagine this happy guy goes through these horrible episodes. They are so violent. I believe that if I can get him on the right diet, it will help him. I’m not really sure about ‘vet recommended’ food, since they love to push Science Diet. Since his release, I have been feeding him chicken (cooked), carrots, sweet potatoes, he’s not a fan of green beans. I am worried about him getting all the proper nutrients that he needs. I would like to try The Honest Kitchen. It looks like something that would be good for him and he would like it. We did a very very brief episode of the raw diet. But he just sniffs it, backs away, and looks at me like “yeah right. You’ve got to be kidding me…THAT’S not cooked.” He doesn’t eat store bought treats unless they are fresh. His treats are homemade. Tried Orijen. Made him extremely bloated, miserable, and he could clear a room! I am also looking at trying Fromm’s Gold. Just wondering if anyone has tried The Honest Kitchen or Fromm’s Gold…or anything that helped their furbaby. Thanks!

[Mareike]

Hi Kenneth,

How much of a picky eater is Earl? I have a 5-6 year old, female Lab, American type, who like a stereotypical Lab eats more or less anything. So it’s very easy to feed her a rotational diet consisting of different brands of commercial dog food (mostly kibble and raw) and some home-cooked food. You seem concerned about making a wrong change and I think a rotational diet (/frequently-asked-questions/diet-rotation-for-dogs/) would have the advantage of balancing things out.

With Natures Valley, do you mean Nature’s Variety? That is one of the brands I’ve been feeding my dog on and off and feel I can trust. Other brands I like to feed her are Honest Kitchen, Ziwi Peak, Spot Farms, Canidae, Primal, Stella & Chewy, Petkind, Wellness, Fromm, Solid Gold. Canidae ranks well for both nutrition and purity (http://www.cleanlabelproject.org/pet-food/). Have not tried Acana or Orijen yet, but probably will.

Another factor to consider for you in your choice might be Earl’s surgeries in combination with his weight. In case you/your vet think(s) he could/should lose some weight, then you might want to find a brand or multiple brands of a high-quality “weight loss” food.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by Mareike.

[Ciro R]

My 9 year old German Shepherd has battled allergies and yeast infections for many years, recently She began to develop infections in her armpits in addition to her normal ear issue. She’s been on all kinds of allergy meds that simply reduce the intensity but never solve the problem. I feed her Acana and Orijen mostly but I remembered when she was a pup she mostly ate raw and didn’t have any issues at all. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good raw diet for a yeasty dog that isn’t super expensive and that I don’t have to make myself (freeze dried is ok)?

[MK S]

Hi Mike, please add Wag Tantrum to your list for review (https://wagtantrum.com/). I have been feeding my dog their organic adult dog food for the past 6 months with very good results – she’s a little leaner with lots of energy and a shinier coat. It’s fresh, cooked organic dog food. Ingredients are ground meat – beef or chicken, vegetables and brown rice. My dog was previously eating Stella & Chewy’s dinner patties – and – Orijen Regional Red – she was doing fine on both; she was a picky eater with the kibble, so had to mix). She really likes Wag Tantrum food, so no need to mix. I would love to garner your expertise….how does Wag Tantrum stack up to others on your list?
Many thanks,
Mimi

[haleycookie]

If you want the best kibble there is and don’t mind paying a lot Young Again, Orijen, natures variety instinct and merrick backcountry are some good options. Acana is good too if your dog can’t handle anything too rich and you don’t want to spend as much as Orijen. However keep in mind that since they began producing Acana and Orijen in the states the reviews have become hit or miss. Also if you aren’t interested in actual raw things you can try adding freeze dried mixers into whatever kibble you choose. And try to add canned food wherever you can. Adds moisture to the diet and not as processed as kibble is.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by haleycookie.

[Susan]

Hi Marie,
Some dry food agree with some dogs while the same foods can make other dogs poo double the amount, get bad wind pain & have bad farts, when you say your dog is on the “Natural Balance is that the NB limited ingredient Chicken formula? the Earthborn Primitive formula is probably too high in Fat, Protein & Kcals per cup for your boy & he can’t handle it, compare & have a look at Natural Balance Fat, Protein% & how high the Kcals per cup are that he was doing well on, then look at the Earthborn Holistic Primitive & it is way higher….
Earthborn Holistic make another cheaper brand called “Pro Pac Ultimates” look at Pro Pac Grain Free range which I’ve tried & Patch did nice firm poos & he was pooing the same amount when he ate the Pro Pac Meadow Prime Lamb formula, the fat & protein % is lower then Earthborn grain free kibbles…..
If you want a quaility diet for your dog then start adding some cooked ingredients, wet can, freeze dried or raw to his diet, I feed my boy what I eat, I make extra & freeze in sections or I buy lean 5 star beef or lean pork mince, I add 1 whisked egg, some chopped up fresh parsley about 1 teaspoon, I grow my own parsley, I add some chopped broccoili, I peel & grate 1 carrot, I don’t add 1 carrot no more cause my dog has food sensitivities & carrot makes his ears itch & he shakes his head 20mins after eating carrot but its excellent to add finally grated carrot it spreads the mince & makes it go further, add a few chopped kale leaves & mix thru the 2 pound (1kg) of lean mince & I make into 1/2 cup size rissole balls & I bake in the oven on a foiled linned baking tray then 1/2 way when the rissoles are cooking take them out drain any fat & water & turn then all over the rissole balls dont take long to bake about 20-30mins depends how big the rissole balls are, I also boil some sweet potato & then I cool & I freeze the sweet potato pieces & the rissole balls in sections cause the sweet potato will stick together, when I need the rissoles & sweet potato pieces I take out the day before & put in the fridge..
Start following “Rodney Habib” on his Rodney Habib facebook page or his “Planet Paws” f/b page he often puts up healthy simple recipes or foods to add with your kibble, also follow “Judy Morgan on her f/b page look at her video’s she has simple easy resipes to cook I change the recipes a bit, her recipes are easy & ends up working out cheaper if you cook big meals & freeze about 1 months worth, look for meats etc when they get reduced also Chicken is very cheap so you could buy chicken pieces cook then add veggies in a crock pot & it does all the cooking for you, you just remove all the chicken bones & put in containers cool & freeze.. also tin Sardines & Salmon in Spring water or Oil is very healthy, just add 2 spoons to one of his meals per day, Sardines & Salmon have lots of Vitamins minerals & Omega fatty acid
No matter what kibble you buy they’re all over processed dry kibble, Google “Toxins In Pet Foods” I cant write the companies name on DFA but they completed a study in March & August 2017 tested 1,084 pet food products from 80 brands. Products were screened for over 130 toxins including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides and other contaminants with links to cancer and other health conditions in both humans and animals. Orijen & Earthborn had some formula’s that did very poorly in the study, have a look at “Canidae” & their other brand called “Under the Sun” Canidae grow all their own vegetables & fruit, Canidae source ingredients form local farmers & their kibbles are made in smaller batches, so they’re fresher, Canidae did very well when tested for toxins last year.. https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products…
My boy has IBD & he does really well on Canidae’s All Life Stages formula’s & Canidae’s Pure Wild Boar, Pure Land Bison formula’s the Kcals are a bit high they’re over 400 kcals per cup so I rotate & feed another kibble on the same day he eats 5 small meals a day, so he’ll get the other brand kibble for breakfast then he gets cooked or wet canned meal for lunch then I give him the Canidae for dinner he’s eating the Canidae all Life Stages Platinum at the moment cause the fat is low at 10.50% max & he’s been eating the Nutro Essentials Lamb & Rice weight management cause the fat is low at 9-11% max fat, I add as much fresh healthy foods to his diet as possilbe & try to feed less dry proccessed kibble…. after you look at the Toxins in pet foods you’ll see the better brands & probably think what?? but these brands are buying better quaility ingredients, you’re right just cause it”s expensive doesn’t mean it’s good these better pet food companies fall under the rader cause they have heaps of customers & they start buying cheaper ingredients that arent as good, they take a risk all so they can make more money…
Find a few different brands of kibble that your dog does really well on & then start rotate between the different brands, this way if 1 brand has something wrong with it your dog isn’t eating this brand 24/7 cause your rotating brands & he’s having another 2 different brands of kibble in his diet & start adding fresh ingredients & use the kibble as a base.. also when you see a brand of kibble you know he does well on if its on special then you change kibble when the kibble isnilly finished & rotate with another different brand, I buy the smaller bags of kibble….

[CockalierMom]

You are correct, your dog is not able to digest the new food properly at this time. The previous food, NB Chicken & Sweet Potatoes, and Orijen do not contain probiotics. If your dog has been eating that for awhile, it is going to take longer than a couple of weeks for the gut to adjust to the Earthborn even though it does contain probiotics. The dog was being fed a lot lower protein and fat diet even with “a little Orijen added”. Earthborn Primitive Naturals is too big of a jump in a short period of time. Considering the high protein and fat in Earthborn compared to the previous diet it could also bring on a pancreatic attack. If you want to continue with the Earthborn back it down to only 25% and give it a week and see what the poo looks like. When it is ok, do a small increase and then wait a few days or week before making another small increase.

If your dog was doing ok on NB, then there is not a problem with peas and potatoes since it contains sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas and chickpeas. I personally would recommend making a smaller jump to a food with no more than 28-30% protein, and sticking with it for several months before considering such a high protein food.

[Marie D]

Hello all,
We recently adopted a dog, and we’re trying to transition him to another dog food. I want to feel good about feeding him a high-quality nutritious food, but I also don’t want to fall prey to a lot of marketing and hype and over-pay. After all, high cost doesn’t always mean equally high quality. His previous owners fed him a mix of Natural Balance chicken & sweet potato formula with a little bit of Orijen mixed in for extra nutrition. We wanted to simplify his diet and switch to a single dog food that would hopefully be both nutritious and reasonably priced. (Orijen is too expensive for us to make that his main food.) Based on research and lots of positive reviews and recommendations, we decided on Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural. It seems to be overwhelmingly recommended and highly rated by lots of different sources and user reviews, and seemed reasonably priced for the apparent quality. However, our dog doesn’t seem to be processing the food as well as we hoped/expected from what other people have described. While most people seem to describe their dogs’ poop getting smaller, firmer, and less smelly on the Earthborn Holistic food, our dog’s stool has been the opposite — it has become larger, softer and wetter, greener, and smellier. Yuck. We’re still in the process of the transition, slowly increasing the amounts of the new food so he’s not yet 100% on the Earthborn Holistic, but we’re almost there. We’re a little over a week into the transition. Do we need to give it more time for him to fully adjust, or should we take this as a sign that this particular food just isn’t right for him for some reason? I can’t figure out what ingredients might not be suiting him well or how to figure it out, so not sure what other highly nutritious but also affordable foods to try as alternatives. Any thoughts, suggestions, recommendations would be appreciated — thanks!

[Anonymous]

You know, I am 70 and the longer I live, the more I realize that dogs are as different from each other as people are; true, yes? You may be right in that that particular Blue Wilderness product has too much fibre for YOUR dog, as she is fairly small; it’s a sensible thought. You are also correct in thinking that manufacturers are making grain-free and ULTRA grain-free (a marketing gimmick methinks?), which just serves to confuse we owners. (I mean, is grain free NOT actually grain free? Why the “ultra”?) So, I think I would try an Ultra and see how your little girl reacts to it. Some dogs have difficulty digesting chicken, which is supposed to be easy on their intestines (i.e., Boxers) and others are absolutely allergic to particular ingredients. It’s all a huge experiment. Do you know what the “cross” part of her actually is? You are being a very responsible owner in changing from a cheap grocery-store brand to a 4- or 5-star Blue Buffalo. Have you checked out other brands recommended by Dog Food Advisor? Orijen is VERY good. I am Canadian, so use Performatrim, but have also used Blue Buffalo brands. But for sure stick to grain free and DO NOT go back to the grocery store. Many people say that rice is just as bad (is it a grain per se?), so perhaps avoid that, too. Let us know how she reacted to the Ultra Grain Free that you just bought.

[InkedMarie]

You don’t need a senior food. Most are too low in protein, Orijen senior being an exception. There are many foods without chicken. I have a dog who needs a lower fiber food or she poops too much. We stick with 3.5% or less.Earthborn Primitive Natural is the one we use the most often.

[Thomas M]

Hi Mike; I am new to the site. I just bought a 10 week old Chesapeake Bay Retriever from an AKC accredited breeder. Looking at all these puppy food choices, and the absence of many big names, I am trying to come up with a reasonably priced quality dry food. The breeder owner is a nurse and former veterinary tech, she told me that she uses Costco’s Kirkland dry dog food. Now, she has two large adult females and they probably have healthy appetites, so I can understand there is a cost factor, but she has had Chesapeakes for over ten years and they have had no hip dysplasia or other problems.

So I am not nominating the Kirkland Dry, but wonder what you think. You did give a good rating to the Kirkland wet. Any thoughts? I looked at the Orijen, but on Amazon it is over $90 for a 25 pound supply of their puppy brand, that is just way out of my budget range?

Thanks for this website, I am learning a lot, but also surprised to see so many well known brands not on the site, even the high end brands.