[L R]

Another 2 cents-
My dog just returned to normal stools after stopping Acana Meadowlands.
Ive never seen him refuse food the way he did this food. Ive been feeding him Acana since i rescued him, and though he’s gone from emaciated to robust, in the past 6 months or so he’s gotten random bouts of butt explosions.
The lawsuit + his refusal to eat the food + his horrible indigestion lead me to Nutrisource. He happily gobbles it down as though he hasnt been fed in months. Im happy to report that after switching he’s back to nice solid poops. The change was immediate once i ruled out ANYTHING ELSE.
There is something wrong with the Kentucky plant.
I am not an alarmist, and i dont give in easy to scare tactics.
I’m putting all of my trust into my dog’s nose.
If he’s telling me it’s bad food by refusing it like it’s a punishment, its not fit for consumption. Period.

[cat p]

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

[Jason P]

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

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

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

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

[Susan]

@ Jason P

High Toxins in Advance dog food Australia… no recall for 3 months, more dogs die or have Megaesophagus, if recall was done back in Decemeber 2017 some of these dogs would still be alive or wouldn’t have ME now…. very sad a few dogs were Police dogs…
Best to feed what we eat, NO dry processed kibbles… or rotate between a few different brands, dont feed the same dry kibble 24/7, also add human grade ingredients to dogs diet & feed less kibble…
I salute “Clean label Project”, finally consumers have a choice to choose Dog food brands that aren’t high in toxins, some pet food companies are doing the right thing & not buying contaminated cheap meats…. CLP has done about 5 studies now & the same BAD pet food brands & their same formula’s keep rating very high in toxins, now this can’t be a coincidence…. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/number-of-megaesophagus-cases-soar-advance-dermocare/9839982

[Milton F]

Marla G,

I regards to your comment about the one dog “dripping” in coat compared to yours, could that not simply be because the other dog just got a better dip from that end of the gene pool? Did you in turn switch your dog to Pro Plan and notice a change in the coat? Curious to know the answer to this.

I think at the end of the day all dogs are different and while food for one might work it does not mean it will work as well for another.

[parisdog]

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

[pitlove]

Hi parisdog-

We did the same thing for the same reason. Pro Plan is an excellent food. I won’t be convinced otherwise! Glad your dogs are doing well on Pro Plan.

[Michael S]

So this thread becomes a shill for Purina. That explains a lot.

[Tracy O]

I think they are just saying it worked for them.

[danyelle b]

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

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

[Kathryn P]

I have 2 dogs who have eaten only Acana since they were puppies. One is 17 months and the other is 11 months. I never had any problems until I purchased a new bag 2 days ago. They both have horrible diarrhea – it’s so bad they neither of them can hold it. I called the pet store I got it from and they said that they had another customer call a couple days ago with the same problem. I came on this thread to see if anyone else had the same problem with their dogs loose stool. It seems like this suddenly happened to the dogs as it has now for mine. I don’t necessarily think this stems from the lawsuit, but something is definitely different with the food.

[Susan]

Hi Kathryn,
Contact Acana & tell Acana which formula, batch nb, use by date etc so if Acana keep getting complaints then Acana will know they have a PROBLEM with this formula…
Which Acana formula was it? was it their Fish formula??

[Kathryn P]

Thank you for your advice! I emailed them yesterday about what was happening and haven’t heard back yet. It was the 25lb Appalachian Ranch recipe(red meats and catfish)

[Tracy O]

As soon as mine got the runny stool that’s all I needed to see for my answer and switched and she has been more energetic and back to normal

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

[Kathryn P]

What food did you switch to? I’ve been researching other brands. There’s just too many negative factors for me to continuing to use Acana at this point. Thanks for your input!

[parisdog]

We’ve been using sport dog on two and pro plan on one.

[Brandie B]

I have been feeding my 3 fur babies Acana for 5 years. My 2 Astorian shepherds, River and Cora have food allergic and stomach problems. Acana is the dog food my 2 can eat without getting sick. They go to the vet very year and Recently had blood work done. They have NOT had any issues and blood work was normal, since I put them on Acana. I have no plans on changing their food at this time because I believe in the Acana brand and have a hard time believeing this lawsuit.

[Kathryn P]

Thanks for your feedback! I never had a problem until this one bag. I also don’t really believe the lawsuit that’s happening is related to this. I ended up switching to Zignature and haven’t had any problems since. They actually seem to like the food better! Acana has been helpful thus far with responding to my problem – although I’m not sure how much they can do bc I threw away the bag after I emptied it into a seal tight container. I was fully refunded from the store I bought it from.

[anonymous]

Related topic:

Nestle in talks to buy petfood maker for $2B
Nestlé SA is in talks to acquire a majority stake in Canada’s Champion Petfoods for more than $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, as the consumer-food giant boosts investment in higher growth businesses to help offset https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nestle-in-talks-to-buy-petfood-maker-for-2b-2018-07-02
Nestle owns Purina

[Kathryn P]

Heard about this also! Acana Facebook page came out with a statement saying they don’t comment on rumors… why don’t they just say it’s not true if it’s really not true!? Seems strange

[anonymous]

Wall Street Journal also reported it. Just google.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nestle-in-talks-to-buy-pet-food-maker-for-2-billion-1530531553

“In talks” means it is not official, yet. I suppose the deal could fall through………

[Jason P]

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

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

July 14, 2017

Dear Pet Lover,

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

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

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

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

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

We partner exclusively with specialty shops because they:

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Peter Muhlenfeld
Chief Brand Officer
Champion Petfoods LP

[Narayanan K]

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

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

[Kathryn P]

We switched from Acana to Zignature and haven’t had any issues! We’ll be sticking with Zignature. I’m not sure if you saw my earlier posts but not long ago both my dogs became very sick from a bag of Acana (Appalachian ranch). They stopped being sick when we stopped giving them a Acana. The pet store gave me a full refund but since I didn’t have the codes from the bag, Acana couldn’t do anything. (I put the food in a seal tight container and throw away the bag) My pups were also on Acana since they were puppies. After researching it seemed A LOT of people were experiencing the same thing. I’m happy with Zignature!!

[Susan]

Hi Narayanan,
Look for a dry kibble that has limited ingredients & is lower in Kcals per cup under 360kcals per cup, the lower the Kcals the kibble is easier to digest, also fat keep the fat under 14% max..
Mast Cell Tumors attacks their stomach causing acid refux, vomiting, bloody stools, their stools will be black sometimes. If you can cook some of his meals it will be heaps better for his stomach…
Look at “Wellness Core” large breed formula, https://www.wellnesspetfood.com/natural-dog-food/product-catalog/core-large-breed-large-breed
My boy isnt a large breed, he’s a 9yr old, medium breed with IBD, he went down hill last December 2017, became sicker & sicker, then in March 2018 I started him on the Wellness Core Large breed dry kibble cause I could return if it didn’t agree with him, the Kcals were low-346 per cup, the fat is 13% max, the protein -34% & the carbs – 30%, after eating the Wellness Core for 2-4 weeks he became well again & is his old happy self again…

[Narayanan K]

Thank you Susan and Kathryn. This forum helped me find the issue with my dog’s health and start the recovery for him. I’ve ordered a sample bag of Zignature and for now, I’m serving him home cooked anti cancer diet.

[Stefanie F]

Well I am not sure what to do now. I have a 7 year old Bichon as healthy as can be. No vomiting, no loose stool healthy skin and a coat that is thick and lush. Blood work all comes back normal.

He has been on Acana Wild Atlantic and MEADOWLAND his whole life. Loves then both.

I just came across the info on the law suite and also info on possible buy out of company.

I just do not know what to do.

Should I keep feeding where my 7 year old is doing well or should I switch. If I switch what do I switch to?

My bichons comes from a chimpoin line his Mom took number 2 at westminster a few years back and the bichon that took this past years first place is from the same line. His breeder told me to stay away from Pro plan (he is one) get pushed with Pro plan by purina for advertising reasons. He only feed omas pride

Do not know if true or not and frankly do not care. I just want to do right by my dog and feed him a good healthy food.

I asked my vet what to do and she kind of Fluffed me off and pushed the dog food she sells as the best.

I just do not know what to do any more.

Should I switch or stay with acana?

If I switch to what omas pride woof any good or am I going to find that is rotten as well?

I really need some sound advice.

[Tyrionthebiscuit]

If your dog is doing well on it, then I would stay on the food. Not every food works for every dog, but if it’s working for your dog, then why change?

There’s no perfect dog food, just what works for your dog

[Julie B]

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

[Deb M]

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

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

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

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

[joanne l]

Hi everyone, I was just in Petco they are now selling Champion pet foods. I know this is not good b/c they were only sold in specialty stores. Now they are in big box stores. I live in Philadelphia so this is what is happening here. I wonder is Purina bought it already?

[haleycookie]

Champion made the decision because petco is moving away from all foods with artificial ingredients and colors etc. champion has stated they haven’t been bought by Purina. This would be public information had them been.

[Kathryn P]

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

[anonymous]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2019/03/a-detailed-evidence-based-response-to-petcos-ban-on-artificial-food-ingredients/ excerpt below, draw your own conclusions.
“Veterinarians have a responsibility to support and educate pet owners and to challenge unscientific, fear-based marketing ploys like the Petco blacklist. The movement towards dangerous “natural” practices like feeding raw diets and avoiding vaccination is a real threat to animal welfare, and it is exacerbated by companies seeking market advantage through feeding and capitalizing on misconceptions and fear”.

[joanne l]

Hi Kathryn, I agree totally!! I know from experience that this is not good. Just b/c Petco “wants to tell all natural ingredients” doesn’t not mean anything about manufacturing. Since it is in Petco, more quantity must been made, so therefore less quality. You can NOT have quality and quantity, that just doesn’t work. This has always been a rule of thumb.

[sonha n]

We had an 8 year old akc Doberman … the breeder told us to keep her on orijen/acana which we have done for the past 8 years with no problems. She was a beautiful and healthy Doberman. She started having problems … wet diarrhea poop, weakness a month or so ago. It took her a week to bounce back. she is an indoor pet and only would go outside for a walk or to use the bathroom. Then, two weeks ago, she started vomiting and would not touch her Acana food at all. We switched to a different type of Acana and still she refused to eat. We then gave her boiled chicken, rice and boiled potatoes mashed up and she ate this for a day or two but then she gave up eating entirely. Now, Eva, our Doberman, never has been sick for this long in her life. We tried some wet puppy formula and hunger stimulant through a syringe. She suddenly passed away last night. We took too long to investigate all the trouble Acana has been going through lately and if we had known earlier, we would have switched her food. What we have been reading lately with Acana food has really gotten us upset … the last 2 bags of Acana food did come from Kentucky plant

she passed away last night

[joanne l]

I am so sorry to hear about your lose. Report this to the FDA. And remember not to blame yourself, you did what you thought was best for your dog. And again sorry to hear this I hope you are okay.

[sonha n]

Thank you … I sent a report to the FDA

[Author]

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