[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 6 years, 3 months 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.

[charisse]

Just trying out Acana’s Single protein Duck and Pear. Kibble same size as Origen (and Acana is made by Orijen), but this one has less protein – and I am told less protein means less calories…So we’ll try it out.

We have been exercising her more too (Bella’s initial problem was to loose some weight). She has lost about 3/4 of a pound so now she is under 14 lbs which is good progress. I don’t know if it’s food or exercise or a combo. This 3/4 lb weight loss is over about 3 months.

Thank you Karen for your info!

[Anonymous]

My best friend has a Boxer and was advised by the rescue group to stay away from Chicken, so I’m passing this info on to you. She has decided on a freeze-dried food from ORIJEN and also uses their kibble.

[Tyla M]

Hey Winston,

What is your reasoning for wanting him to switch off of what your pup is on Now? So he doesn’t gain more? What things are you looking for in a food ..Grains vs grain free, any certain proteins, high fat/protein, low, or average? Cost? We can probably suggest some that will fit your needs with that info. Glad your pup gained some weight !! 🙂 orijen is too rich for my pup, also!

[Kathleen S]

Please help- My new puppy a Great Pyrenees has been on Orijen large breed puppy since we received him from the breeder. Its now starting to give him loose poops. The poops start out fine, but the end results are loose. We are thinking he might be getting to much protein. Looking to switch his food. Everything has been going fine with the food as far as growth, and he does like the taste. At first we thought it was because he’s still teething. We are also still house training so there has been some accidents.

[Anonymous]

I’d be interested in hearing how the Zignature turns out. As I said, it took me absolutely ages … months … to finally settle with my grain-free Performatrim Ultra. I give him two tablespoons of canned Blue Buffalo, which he also loves (had to settle for a 4.5 there). As an aside, my best friend adopted a Boxer from a rescue organization and was told Chicken is bad for Boxers. I sincerely hope that isn’t the case for Shepherds. (I know my Beagle is okay with chicken.) She has gone the freeze-dried route with Orijen balanced with a kibble. She started off cooking the food … referred to it as “chambraying” dinner (lol). Four months later, she simply defrosts!

[JOHN B]

Linda, It sounds like we are very much on the same page. After the weeks of research I “ALMOST” am not even concerned with price anymore. I really can’t see serving something like honest kitchen though $$. I feel there has to be a great kibble to feed my kids. I have to add a very important fact…. My dogs do not have huge allergies even though I have been told one of them has colitis.

I use to feed Orijen but it is too rich for her tummy. I have tried a few other limited ingredient foods that seemed to work for them but there always seems to be a reason to keep looking.Company gets bought out or company relocates and quality of food is in question.

After all my research I am leaning towards Zignature.I am now getting ready to break down ingredients so I can determine if any type of supplementation is needed. Such as splitting a pouch of salmon for breakfast. I feel I am trying to do the right thing for my girls without going overboard. I just want them to get the correct amounts of what they need in the purest and cleanest forum.Then I don’t want it to CHANGE. Is that asking to much…=)

Thanks everyone for the help it is very much appreciated. GREAT SITE FOR SURE…

[ray q]

I don’t know of a 5* dry dog food with limited ingredient( I am not really sure how limited you want to go) I do recommend Orijen dog food as it is one of highest quality dog food) but it cost more than your regular cheap brand name trash. If you really love your dog child I personally don’t mind spending extra money. I want my pets to live as long as is possible. I highly recommend The Honest Kitchen dehydrated dog food or Wysong’s freeze dried products but unless your pet has allergy issues or stomach problems. I would stick with the chicken and beef, don’t try the other exotic foods unless your dog is having allergy problems and of course check with your vet first.

[Anonymous]

Hi, John. You asked what I used. WELL, I was very happy with Blue Buffalo, thinking I was paying extra because I was such a good fur-baby Mother … and then I joined DOG FOOD ADVISOR (sigh). So, I made sure I was using the Chicken & Brown Rice (4.5*), but, like you, began a search for a 5*, ending in an equal frustration to yourself. However, my best friend uses Orijen (we’re in Canada) for her Boxer and swears by it. I, however, was somewhat cowed by the price and have not switched yet. In the meantime, Pet Valu here (not Pet Smart) sells their own brand called Performatrin that I’m wishing I could get DFA to review. They insist it is better than BB, but made no comparison to Orijen. You are getting some interesting feedback that I am also looking into; i.e., Zignature. I’ve never heard of them but hope to find them somewhere in Canada, or on line with delivery here. Onward, ever onward!!

[Jessica J]

Ahhhhh…. so glad I stumbled across this thread. As a store manager of a grooming salon & pet boutique, I literally spend my day surrounded by high quality dog food and have successfully advised countless dog owners. I have spent hours respectfully arguing against the “my vet says Science Diet” is the best food argument. My 8 year old Australian Labradoodle has mostly eaten Acana or the Fromm 4-Star GF line. She’s a finicky one and tends to prefer the Fromm. Well… 3 weeks ago a friend of a friend found a baby Lab on the side of the road. Cold, slightly malnourished, and scared. After confirming that nobody was looking for this sweet little lost soul… I made her a permanent member of my family. In desperation the first night I got her, I brought home a bag of Orijen Puppy kibble and Primal Raw Goats Milk. My only thought being that this little girl needed some good nutrition asap. After a week of thriving but with loose explosive poops, I realized that the Orijen was probably a little too rich for her belly. So I did a little research and checked some numbers and trusted my intuition- and put her on the same Fromm kibble my Doodle eats. She is gaining a perfect 2lbs a day, solid stools, looks great, etc. I have occasionally supplemented with a little Primal Raw Goats Milk. Saw the new vet at my beloved practice today and was chastised and lectured that she should be on a Large Breed Puppy food so that she doesn’t end up a dysplastic disaster at a young age. Then I came home and found this thread as well as confirmed for myself that the numbers hit where I wanted them to. Thank you for the knowledgeable common sense advice and all your wisdom!!

[haleycookie]

There’s nothing wrong with addin. Something into the food. It helps increase the amount of non processed high water content food into their diet. No matter how great the kibble is it is still cooked to death and extruded at insanely high temps. Making it void of most nutrition and moisture. Which is why food companies have to include that long list of supplements at the end of the kibble. Can dog food is still cooked at high temps but not as bad. They tend to have less add artificial supplements and even better you can top with something you get at the grocery store which is the cheaper way to go. So basically you’re making hamburgers for dinner? Before you add seasonings and such cook up a bit that you aren’t using and use that as a topper. Same with other meats and veggies.
I like natures variety, wellness (their puppy core food is the best as it’s formulated the best for large breeds, nv regular puppy is not nor is regular Orijen puppy. Go with large breed Origen if you go with that), merrick, solid gold and Fromm large breed puppy.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by haleycookie.

[Amy b]

Haleycookie, thanks for your response. I have some canned food that I did just mix in (placed on top) at lunch time because I wanted him to eat. However, I’m worried that this will train him to not eat plain kibble and always expect something mixed in. Our lab that passed away in February used to be like that! He would not eat unless there was something in his food. I was trying not to repeat history. So you really think he doesn’t like the food, huh? Besides Orijen, what other kibble should I consider? Natures Variety?
So the protein levels have nothing to do with speeding up growth? There’s no downside to high protein levels? I think I was told it would increase energy? Is that it?
Thanks again for your help! I’m trying to figure this out today before I go and buy another food later today.

[haleycookie]

Protein levels don’t affect how puppies grow and there’s no real proof they affect kidneys in any negative way in a healthy dog. So there’s nothing wrong with nv puppy or Orijen puppy. As for the merrick have you tired adding water? Or toppers? Toppers can be anything from raw meats, plain cooked meats, or canned or pouched dog foods. It’s a good way to entice them. Also make sure your meals are scheduled the same times. I have a chocolate lab in the family. He eats canidae all life stages multi protein food and he eats at 6 am and 6pm everyday at the same time. If you’re lab is rejecting food it’s very possible he doesn’t like it. Most labs will inhale anything lol.

[Amy b]

Hello all!
Quick question and suggestions please!

My 14 week old yellow lab came home to us on Beaver Dam puppy food. I do feel this is a decent food, but wanted to switch him to something a little better. He was super excited to eat. He would spin around and couldn’t eat his food fast enough!

After much research and consideration, I switched him to Merrick Grain Free (chicken) puppy. (of course I did this very gradually over 1-2 weeks).

I noticed that gradually his excitement slowed down and over the past several days. he’ll walk over to his bowl, sniff it, and walk away. Now, he will eventually eat it, but he’s not eating all of his meals each day. I’d say he’s probably skipping a 1 meal a day.

Question: Do you think he doesn’t like this food? I’m considering switching him to something else, but I’m just not sure. My husband thinks we should go back to the Beaver Dam. I’m considering Taste of the Wild (Salmon). I’d like to switch to Natures Variety puppy, but the protein level is really high. I’ve heard that I really need to keep the protein level low since he is a puppy. (I originally looked into Orijen, but because of the protein level, decided against it for now).

Thanks for your help!
Amy

[Leslie W]

Yes, Pat indicated it is a “Standard Poodle” puppy so it will be a large dog so puppy should be on a large breed puppy food. Wellness, Orijen and others have large breed puppy food. For now I would look for a Chicken base with maybe sweet potato until tummy issues calm down. Preferably Grain free.

[Nacho K]

Hi guys,
I have had my golden retriever puppy for 2 weeks now, and after reading all the comments in this forum, i decided to feed him with Wellness puppy food. I just realized I have been feeding him with the normal puppy food and not the large breed one. And also, he lost almost a pound in last week. From 16lbs to 15.2lbs. He is 10 weeks old. I am going to buy him the wellness for large breed puppy today. Do you know if the reason was the type of puppy food? Do you recommend any other type of Food?
After spending hours of reading the forums, here is my list but I can’t decide which one:
1. Wellness Dry Large Breed Puppy Food (~$62/30lbs)
2. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Puppy Lamb and Rice (~$44/$34lbs)
3. Nutri Source Large Breed Puppy (~$55/30lbs)
4. Holistic Complete Large/Giant Breed ($45/15lbs)
5. FROMM Large Breed Puppy (~$60/30lbs)
6. Orijen Large Breed Puppy ($89/25lbs)

I would eliminate #6 just because it’s expensive. Any comment on the rest? Or any additional option I need to consider? Are these all AAFCO approved!?

Thanks

[cynthia w]

thank you everyone for all the info you have supplied. i truly appreciate it!!!

anon101 i am now in the research mode regarding “plant protein” sources. thank you for the info you sent.

susan, i ordered the tylan powder. also the info for the youtube video i will watch as well.

we have not been “diagnosed” with SIBO or IBD. i am a person who will not only see my vet with any small issue but also knows when to “treat the symptoms” vs running to every single specialist out there who in the end usually has you “treat the symptoms” until you become what my vet calls “a statistic in someone else’s book”. i have learned the hard way regarding this with other animals which i won’t get into here. for me i am fortunate it is not about the money, it is about the sanity of the dog being poked and prodded at by so many strangers. malinois don’t do so well with that. there is a breaking point with every dog, i’m just not willing to go there for the dogs sake!

so what i have done after being told to put a high energy dog who can stress (not panic, it is the drive of the dog “another subject”) on high fiber diet. at this point, from the foods i have tried (orijen tundra included. love that food) along with pumpkin (usually made it worse) after hearing susan talk about “high fiber” being bad juju for SIBO i put it together and stopped which resulted in the dog not having so many soft poops. however, the reason i chose to go to rx was after reading several vet case studies and the symptoms fit at that point (straining and soft poops) i was on the rx for 10 days. stopped a week later trying the totw sm MIXED with sd low-fat gastro at first worked then stopped. i went back to the rx for three days and cut back on totw sm still mixed with sd low fat gastro. still issues. today, i went to sd gastro (NOT LOW FAT) and have yet to see a poop. hopefully tonight. i also took note the sd low fat had more fiber than the sd non low fat. now i’m going to straight sd gastro for a few days to see if it is indeed the protein to fiber ratio causing his issues. he has had LIMITED STRAINING since the first round of rx which that is a good thing.

i have also given the “pro-pectalin tab” off and on during the whole course of when i noticed he was not gaining weight a few months ago which could be contributed to growth spurt or mal absorption or not enough food for training. since then in 4 weeks he has gained even with continuing small issues FOUR POUNDS!!! a POUND A WEEK!!!!! i’m super happy about that! so anyhow, at the moment because of the type of work we do, (high stress work) i have a bag of royal canin gastro high energy waiting in the background. it has higher fat 18% 23% protein but like 3-3.5% fiber. hoping this will workout and that i can again try to go back to mixing the orijen tundra in because of the protein sources.

there is so much great information here from all y’all that take the time to post. and like someone said i think it was taylor, people that come here are looking for answers they are not getting elsewhere. so for that thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to help others.

[Fanette R]

Thanks Susan and Taylor for your help.

It’s so tricky having to take care of IBD and pacreatitis at the same time!
I was also wondering about the “min 12%” actually, but thought it won’t be too much higher.
I also was skeptical about the Fiber in “First Mate Pacific Ocean” ’cause it might not be good for Furby’s issue.

I’ve checked the food “Kirkland Salmen & Sweet Potato Formula” but I saw that it’s a 14% fat formula, isn’t that too much?

Yeah ordering those food might be tricky too.. I don’t think I’ll even be able to order Wellness, I’ve tried to check if I could order dry food for Furby through Amazon, from the US but it doesn’t seem to be possible.. France is very bad for dog food…
Lately we have had Acana, Orijen and Taste of the Wild coming into our pet stores, but that’s basically it.. And from what I read none of those brands would go with an IBD dog who suffers from pancreatitis…

I might be able to order Natural Balance online through providers. There is no providers in France but in Europe there is once so I could contact them.
I just hope Furby would do ok with sweet potato as it’s the first ingredient.

Anyway, I’ll keep looking, it’s just frustrating ’cause I can’t order much good dry food as there isn’t much of them around my area..

The only one I’ve found that I could order easily is the “GO! Sensitivity + Shine Salmon”
On the french website they say “12% fat” but on the english one they say “12.4” so I dunno.. This brand also have a LID section but there is lentils is all of those recipes.
Go! Sensitivity + Shine Salmon https://www.petcurean.com/product/go-sensitivity-shine-salmon-dog-food-recipe-eu/

And Merry Christmas to you all! 🙂

• This reply was modified 6 years, 4 months ago by Fanette R.

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

Is Natural Balance sweet potato and venison still being made? I know there have been venison sourcing issues this year in some areas. Many people I know have done well on it.
Susan, does wet food ever help dogs with pancreatitis or IBD? The reason I ask is because her dog is smaller and it probably wouldn’t be too much of a headache to have it on an all wet diet. My big guy, Zeek, Shepherd mix, can eat kibble just fine (but serious gas on sweet potato foods I’ve done.) tyrion, the bitty dog, gets very constipated on kibble so I do all canned, raw, or freeze dried. I’ve tried all kibble varieties with him from Orijen to Natural Balance, TOTW, Canidae, Fromm, earthborn, etc.

Would canned help the opposite issue?

[Susan]

Hi Cythnia,
I just seen your post, Yes the Tylan will probably help keep the bad bacteria at bay, make sure you go to chemist & buy the empty capsule to put the Tylan powder in capsules as the Tylan powder taste awful, Tylan powder is very bitter if you go on You Tube there’s videos how to put the Tylan Powder into the capsules, you get a shoe box make small holes to hold the big end of the open capsule, then I had a cake icing piping end & it had a small funnel so I put the little funnel into the big end of the 1/2 capsule & put the 1/8 a spoon of Tylan powder into the capsule its fiddly & wear gloves I got a bad headache after making a few capsules up with the Tylan powder, start with only 1/8 a teaspoon of the tylan powder you dont need much of the tylan powder & just give 1 /8 of the Tylan powder in a capsule with breakfast & the same with his dinner…….

Are you on face book join the “Exocrine Pancreactic Insufficiency In Dogs” group, lots of really good help in that group alot of the ladies feed TOTW Pacific Stream cause teh fiber is 3% or Kirkland Nature Domain Signature, Salmon & Sweet Potato its made by Diamond who make the TOTW & Kirkland is cheaper then TOTW Pacific Stream Smoked Salmon & the Kirkland Signature Salmon & Sweet Potato has similar ingredients & the fiber is low under 3%…
With S.I.B.O you need low fiber diets under 4%- fiber & Gluten Free diet is also good to feed, I wouldn’t feeding high protein kibbles like “Orijen” they can make dogs poo alot cause of the high protein, when he’s straining has he done his sloppy poo & he still feels like he has to poo more so he strains & strains??
Feed kibbles that are low in fiber-3% around 25%-Protein around 12-15% fat & low carbs under 40%-carbs.. I’m trying to remember other things about SIBO just make sure you put the Tylan Powder in the empty capsules some dogs stop eating cause the Tylan powder is very bitter & leaves an awful taste in the dogs mouth, when the Tylan Powder is in the capsule it goes straight into their stomach but Patch was burping up the Tylan taste & Im pretty sure he got his acid reflux as well so I stopped giving him teh Tylan, I cant remember its been a while, I just give the Metronidazole 200mg tablet for 10- 14 days every 12 hours with a meal when he starts doing his smelly sloppy poos now…..

[cynthia w]

hi,
im new to the forums and accidentally found y’all yesterday researching.

let me give you some history regarding my dogs. i have malinois (yes the high energy dogs) i have a young puppy who has had on and off troubles since i have been trying to ween him off of the science diet low-fat gastro food. he just wasnt gaining weight on it. he is very high energy and have realized i will have to feed him more than the other two mals who are just normally “spun out” ))) soooooo, i started with nature’s instinct duck, (i now know that was not a good decision) to mix with the sdlfg food. he just never had a consistent poop. never a blow out poop, just soft and sometimes cow patty looking. then i tried him on the natures variety venison. no one did well on that one. so recently i tried the orijen tundra. i knew this was high protein and fat ratio but i thought i’ll just introduce really slowly, like turtle slow. first off i noticed that his scratching he had had since very young and attributed to detergents, bully sticks and dust mites started to subside. (so definitely wrong on all my guesses) but i also noticed his poop was starting to get softer. i am still not convinced it is not because of the amount i increased his food too from three cups a day fed am/pm to 4.5-5 cups a day fed 4x per day. slowly i started increasing the orijen and weening off the sd. however, i started to see more softer poops. it would be good in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but it would be softer (sometimes cow patty) in the evening. i also increased the feed for the other two (both full sisters). everyone started to get softer poops. sometimes very loose. so ok, i’m feeding too much of the rich stuff. but the male actually started straining the more of the orijen i would add to the feed. so i did a 10 day course of metronidazole. somewhere in the 3rd day he stopped straining, so i was pretty sure he had a bacteria overload the rx was helping. he was off the rx for about a week and i’m still feeding the increased orijen and he slowly but sure starts to strain again, no where like it was a few weeks ago, but still i didn’t want to go there again. so i found your knowledge regarding sibo and went out and bought the totw sm food. i also put him on the rx again last night. i’m not feeding the orijen. i went cold turkey, (i know that is bad, but what is worse, the high fat content or starting w the rx)? so his poop this am was really good. he actually didnt poop at 3 am when my husband takes them all out or when i took him out at 7am. he pooped around 9:30am and it was good looking poop. however comma……… i did put my other two females on it and the litter mate had very loose stool this morning. (litter mate food increase fed 3x daily) last night i gave her a propectalin (love that stuff) and no poop at 3am but at about 12pm today, it started good and went soft, really soft. (she had an increase of food about 2 weeks ago) i also gave her the rx as well after soft poop. the older sibling has been on straight orijen for a couple weeks with food increase (fed 2x daily) she would sometimes have half loose stools at night. i first thought this was all due to all the action in the kennels. they are constantly barking at each other. (did i mention they are high drive 😀 😀 😀 ) plus i work them each a few times a day.
i just ordered the tylan powder as well. just wondering if there is anything im missing.

susan, you seem to have so much experience with sibo do you have any suggestions?????

please….. anyone who has advice, it is truly appreciated.

thanks,
cynthia

[Fanette R]

I don’t understand Anon, I told you my vet and I are working together and both decided to find a meat protein for furby before trying anything else, because of his pancreatitis.

If in your last message you’re just talking about prescription’s diet in general, then ok, I see your point. Again I think I’ve never said anything bad about precription’s food, I just said that with furby’s pancreatitis it was a risk. My vet told me the same. She wants to try food where we won’t have to do blood test to him every month.
Prescription’s food aren’t bad, but it depends on each dog too.

With your message I feel like I’m doing something wrong, when really I’m just listening to my vet for that one. We both made this choice for now, to prevent any risk for Furby’s pancreatitis.

And I don’t think that prescription’s food cost much more money than Orijen, or Taste of the Wild. Maybe a few bucks more, but nothing crazy.

And, this is my personal opinion, but I do think that feeding food to a dog with no meat on it, is extreme. And “analergenic”, the prescription food I was talking about in my first message, has no meat in it. I’m not saying that it’s wrong, I can see why sometimes you have to do it, but it is an extreme option. Dog are meant to eat meat, and a lot of it.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by Fanette R.

[cynthia w]

hi,

im new to the forums and accidentally found y’all yesterday researching.

let me give you some history regarding my dogs.

i have malinois (yes the high energy dogs) i have a young puppy who has had on and off troubles since i have been trying to ween him off of the science diet low-fat gastro food. he just wasnt gaining weight on it. he is very high energy and have realized i will have to feed him more than the other two mals who are just normally “spun out” ))) soooooo, i started with nature’s instinct duck, (i now know that was not a good decision) to mix with the sdlfg food. he just never had a consistent poop. never a blow out poop, just soft and sometimes cow patty looking. then i tried him on the natures variety venison. no one did well on that one. so recently i tried the orijen tundra. i knew this was high protein and fat ratio but i thought i’ll just introduce really slowly, like turtle slow. first off i noticed that his scratching he had had since very young and attributed to detergents, bully sticks and dust mites started to subside. (so definitely wrong on all my guesses) but i also noticed his poop was starting to get softer. i am still not convinced it is not because of the amount i increased his food too from three cups a day fed am/pm to 4.5-5 cups a day fed 4x per day. slowly i started increasing the orijen and weening off the sd. however, i started to see more softer poops. it would be good in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but it would be softer (sometimes cow patty) in the evening. i also increased the feed for the other two (both full sisters). everyone started to get softer poops. sometimes very loose. so ok, i’m feeding too much of the rich stuff. but the male actually started straining the more of the orijen i would add to the feed. so i did a 10 day course of metronidazole. somewhere in the 3rd day he stopped straining, so i was pretty sure he had a bacteria overload the rx was helping. he was off the rx for about a week and i’m still feeding the increased orijen and he slowly but sure starts to strain again, no where like it was a few weeks ago, but still i didn’t want to go there again. so i found your knowledge regarding sibo and went out and bought the totw sm food. i also put him on the rx again last night. i’m not feeding the orijen. i went cold turkey, (i know that is bad, but what is worse, the high fat content or starting w the rx)? so his poop this am was really good. he actually didnt poop at 3 am when my husband takes them all out or when i took him out at 7am. he pooped around 9:30am and it was good looking poop. however comma……… i did put my other two females on it and the litter mate had very loose stool this morning. (litter mate food increase fed 3x daily) last night i gave her a propectalin (love that stuff) and no poop at 3am but at about 12pm today, it started good and went soft, really soft. (she had an increase of food about 2 weeks ago) i also gave her the rx as well after soft poop. the older sibling has been on straight orijen for a couple weeks with food increase (fed 2x daily) she would sometimes have half loose stools at night. i first thought this was all due to all the action in the kennels. they are constantly barking at each other. (did i mention they are high drive 😀 😀 😀 ) plus i work them each a few times a day.

i just ordered the tylan powder as well. just wondering if there is anything im missing.

susan….. you seem to have so much experience with sibo do you have any suggestions????? please anyone who has advice, it is truly appreciated.

thanks,
cynthia

[Denise D]

I have a Doberman with Heart Disease. I’m feeding Orijen Original (in the morning) and Solid Gold Barking at the Moon (in the evening) for variety. They are both very high quality foods. I emailed both companies and the sodium content is 0.3%. My dogs cardiologist thinks both foods are good choices.

[Lewis F]

Heidi,
My dog (not a worker) has been on Orijen or Acana dry foods. Both are rated high and have many different types from which you can choose

Lew

[Bonnie M]

My 12 year old beagle basset hound mix is also a very picky eater and when I found this food Honestly Bare she gobbled it up just like you all have commented. As I was reading I noticed this product was made by Purina. My dog eats the Honestly Bare, Slow-cooked Tenders, the Chicken Apple & Sweet Potato formula, but it has “Beef Glycerine” & the “natural hickory smoke flavor” powder which are not good and is probably the reason why she gobbles it up.

I too have tried too many types and brands to even name including raw brands like Stella and Chewy’s, Darwin’s, etc, but she hated the raw and would refuse to eat for almost 2 days at a time. However, I was told to stay the course and when she gets hungry she will eat. I also had her on Acana and Orijen dry Foods but of course she only liked the ones that were too high in either fat or protein for her that gave her diarrhea. So I too have spent a fortune trying different types of dog food. I also tried Ziwi Peak and she liked it but it is too expensive for my budget.

I also put a request in to have this food reviewed. I just became a member about 2 hours ago and I am so excited to gain wisdom and insight about the dog foods on the market and hopefully find a food sooner than later that will be healthy for my dog as she has struggled with pancreatitis in the past years ago although she hasn’t had a problem with that now but she does have thyroid issues and is on medication twice a day for that and has recurring yeast infections in one of her ears which drives me crazy I’m not sure what to do about this so hopefully finding a food will help with all of this. I also will give her cooked chicken or beef or turkey with some of her dry food of which I cut the portion of dry food when I add the cooked meat.

Any suggestions or tips or ideas or recommendations are greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thank You, Bonnie M.

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

I like Orijen as well, but have also used Solid Gold Mighty Mini and Lil’ Boss, if you’re looking for small breed specific. Fromm Grain Free 4 star also has fairly small kibbles that a lot of smaller dogs do well on.

[haleycookie]

Zignature is ok if your dog has allergies. But for a regular diet too pea heavy for me. Merrick, Orijen, performatrin grain free, are all great brands to try if your dog isn’t sensitive to anything.

[Anonymous]

What about Orijen Freeze-Dried? Anyone?

[a c]

Thank you for the information. So, Canada, Europe, and Asia markets receive fine products from Orijen, but not US. That’s good to know.

[Keke L]

First of all, Orijen is a Canadian company, based in Alberta. I called Orijen asked about the difference of US and Canadian productions (being a Canadian, and from a food industry background, naturally I want to make sure the food I feed my dog are Canadian meats and Canadian production). They told me for the Canada, Europe ans Asia markets, the source and production is in Alberta, Canada. The US and South American markets, the production is in Kentucky. BTW just for your information, in terms of food safety and food quality (including dairy), it’s always been ranking in this order: European products > Canadian products > US products. “>” means better. Take this from someone has been in Food industry for over 16 years, selling products all over the world. We know so well each country’s food regulations and guidelines:-)

[kenneth b]

Hi!

Im working in a petshop and got a riddle to solve. A distributor is looking on a new brand of food which we don’t have in Norway yet. He didn’t say the name, but I could take a guess. Clues:
Single protein
Comes in cat and dog
Comes in wet and dry
Comes in veterinary series
High meat %. Along orijen/acana
Got some kind of coating around the nibbles.

Any guesses?
My thought was Merrick, but they dont got a vet series do they?

[Tyla M]

Hey everyone ! This is a random question since this is a large breed group, but I couldn’t find a small breed one. I’ve liked all the advice I’ve read on here when i was searching for the best food for my pup. However, my aunt has asked me for help since she knows I’ve researched food so much. She has 2 small breed pups. She’s had them both on Orijen. One does great, but she feels like the other is sluggish. She wants to switch her food one of them. Since calcium levels aren’t a factor, this opens up a whole new range of food, as I’ve only researched low calcium foods for my pup. If anyone has a small breed dog, or just has a specific brand they like, please share! I use fromms and love it, but she doesn’t have access to it in her area. Thanks so much!!

[Leslie W]

Orijen Original is rated as a 5 Star and is not sold sold by Chewy an longer so I don’t think there is any conflict.

[Jessica S]

I’ve been feeding our lab the Orijen adult formula for more than a year and he was fine. We just received the first bag of Orijen adult formula from the Kentucky factory, all previous bags were from Canada. They have definitely made changes. I had some food left from the last bag and the color is completely different. Lab has had diarrhea for 2 days now, started right when the new bag of food was started.

[charisse]

ac, this issue is so complicated!… I’ve spent hours on research.

I came across this good article re dog food quality, brands, dog food types, etc. (They listed Orijen – which I don’t agree with due to some recent changes in their ingredients).

https://www.reviews.com/dog-food/

I gave Bella her first little piece of chicken breast and she loved it. She loves to eat! I’ve also tried a little canned green beans on her food and she ate it – but she won’t eat the green bean by itself. She is tiny – only 14.5 lbs, and she needs to go down to 12 lbs.

I ordered the Annemaet Lean yesterday, and plan to start her on it gradually over an 8 -10 day period. I’m hoping the kibbles are small enough so that she chews them! The Orijen were too big for her little mouth.
Thanks!

[charisse]

FYI I had shared on my thread that I had heard some bad opinions recently on Orijen. (my thread is: Weight issue for Shih tzu Bella switching from Orijen to what?? Help please).

DFA says they don’t change any info on Orijen until FDA says something…here’s the copy below of one the posts I saw:

“I saw a few posts about the Orijen USA production vs Canadian production, and also this one around Feb/March entitled Orijen USA : “…I am disappointed to see that Orijen is still on the Editor’s Pick of this website. I actually subscribed when i got overwhelmed with my search for a kibble to replace Orijen which I have been feeding my Golden for 6 years. Origen has definitely changed their ingredients (to inferior quality), and have admitted as much. The color and smell is different, and our Golden’s stomach has been irritated by it…”
Charisse

[a c]

Charisse,

It is Annemaet Lean. The kibble size is not like big and flat like Orijen. It’s round and smaller in size. My 17lb miniature schnauzers have no problems eating it. I also add a little bit filtered water to the kibbles.

I thought about Wellness Core reduced fat but decide not to try it after I read the report from Clean Label Project.

[RAFFAELLO]

Dear Mike,
I got a beautiful Samoyed from the best breeder in Russia, and the breeder recommended to feed him with an excellent recipe of homemade cook foods, as he doesn’t eat anything raw or even rare.
She also recommended BELCANDO lamb and rice for puppies and to never use any preparations containing chicken.
BELCANDO is manufactured in Germany, and the breeder told me she had much better results with it than with ORIJEN.
At this moment I am feeding him with ORIJEN for adults because ORIJEN large puppies contains chicken and gives him horrible diarrhea.
I am very interested to know more about BELCANDO because it’s cheaper than Champion Foods as it’s manufactured in Germany meaning there are no import duties. On the contrary, ORIJEN comes from Canada that is not part of the European Union.
I live in Barcelona, Spain.
Here, I cannot get most of your 5 stars recommendations.
Could you rate BELCANDO?

[charisse]

Thank you ac and Susan H. for sharing your tips. I believe the Annemaet is called Annemaet Lean? Someone also mentioned Wellness Core reduced fat.

I now have a new problem in that I actually watched her eat the Orijen and she dosen’t chew most of her morsels – because I think they are too big for her small mouth! She just swallows them! I noticed with her old bad food – before we rescued her it was a 2.5 star purina – was smaller kibbles and she chewed them first.

So now I think I also need to look at a small breed specific food. Someone mentioned “Wellness Core small breed” and “Canidae Pure grain free small breed” but neither is reduced fat. (I’m adding a little bit of cut up green beans to the top of her meal. She’ll eat a few that way but not just by itself).

So I guess now i’m looking for a lean, small breed specific food perhaps.

[a c]

Susan H,

I am so sorry about your schnauzer. The time with them are never long enough.

I have a 5 months old schnauzer puppy. When I got him at 6 weeks old, the breeder has just started feeding him puppy chow. I switched him right the way to Orijen puppy because almost everyone told me Orijen is the best one out there. He is doing pretty good. Beautiful thick coat. Solid stool.

But I decided to switch him to Horizon Amicus puppy recently. He is going good on it too. I also add some Simply Nourish puppy kibbles and wet food as topper just to give some varieties.

[a c]

I used to feed Orijen(for about 6 months)because almost everyone(this site and multiple pet store owners and employees) told me Orijen is the best one out there. Until I saw someone post on this site said they found hairs in the kibbles. He or She contacted Orijen and was told hairs are “biologically appropriate”?

I went to searched my bags. While I didn’t find any hairs in the bags, it really grossed me out. In addition, there was some bad reports on Orijen. So I decided to try something else.

I know Acana and Orijen are both manufactured by Champion out of Kentucky. But I really not familiar with Acana.

[Susan H]

Thanks, Lew.

I just left the local holistic pet food store. They sell Orijen, and other top quality foods. She said all their line is 5 star rated by Dog Food Advisor. I was happy to hear that.

She told me that out of all the dog food manufactured in the USA, that Orijen has the highest standards. That was good to know.

She recommended that I keep the pup on what she was on for at least 2 weeks until she is settled in with us. Also, the vet gave her a worm pill yesterday that was likely too strong, and she’s been throwing up since last evening. I purchased some raw goat’s milk to help settle her tummy. I may decide to change to a holistic vet that is farther away, but maybe more up to date on natural alternatives as well as conventional.

I’m sort of leaning toward Stella and Chewy’s raw, and am going to search in the forum for experiences with that.