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  #1  
Old August 29th, 2009, 05:11 PM
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Merrick's BG (Before Grain) vs. Orijen

I am looking to switch Molly's food. She is currently eating Orijen 6 fish, and she loves it and it's great for her, but the closest store that carries it is 4 hrs away :sad: We have made it work so far but I would hate to run out of it and scramble to get something else.
Today I was at the closest pet supply store (1 hr away) and the lady there told me about B.G. Salmon and said it's very similar to Orijen 6 Fish. It's similar in price, so I bought a small bag just to see if she likes it (I am sure she will, little piggy!)
So my question is, are the two comparable? I don't know a lot about dog food nutrition, but I only want the best for my girl
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Old August 29th, 2009, 07:20 PM
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I think that Orijen 6 fish offers a wider variety of fish proteins....the BG is more like a chicken food with salmon in it. I would also trust the quality of ingredients in Orijen more, as they are Canadian and human-grade. I've heard of some quality control issues with merrick before.

Given your situation, I can understand your dilemma though. I don't think the BG is bad per say, but I would personally choose Orijen over it.

It wouldn't hurt to use the BG as a backup though, so that if you do run out of Orijen you aren't scrambling to make the trip. But anytime you are in the city they sell Orijen, I would still stock up!
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  #3  
Old August 29th, 2009, 08:27 PM
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very similar thing happend to me when my store started selling bunnies, rodents, birds, spiders, reptiles ect. I had to go elsewhere and got a bag of bg. I now have been to winnipeg and stocked up on orhjen red meat. Bg is not a bad food at all, but orijen is better. I am also a big fan of innova evo.
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Old August 30th, 2009, 10:23 AM
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mollywog, have you ever looked at mail ordering your food? I've done it a couple of times, when I haven't been able to get to the city.
There are a couple of stores down south that will do it..
Shipping adds a bit of cost but, for me anyways, it was alot cheaper than the cost of gas and time to drive to the city where I can get it. Mind you, we have NO pet stores or food (other than grocery stores) available here.
(http://www.thecleverk9.ca advertises orijen.. but I haven't ordered from them, maybe someone here knows them?)

I'd concur with Chases_Mom and LuvmyLab and say only buy the BG in an emergency - otherwise stock up on the Orijen when you can (keep the bags sealed and in a cool place, check the expiry date before you buy it and stock up as much as possible that you can use it before the exp. date)

Heck! if you want i'll ship you a couple of bags myself it would be no problem
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Old August 30th, 2009, 10:32 AM
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aww thanks Otter! I appreciate the offer, but I am sure that if I plan ahead, I make enough trips to Thunder Bay that I can keep feeding Orijen. I just wanted to check to see if BG was comparable. The lady at the pet supply store here said that the Orijen salesman was "difficult to deal with" whatever that means!
I will also bookmark that site for any emergencies!
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Old September 1st, 2009, 01:52 AM
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I was talking to someone who owns a pet food store and they said the same thing about Orijen and that's why they don't sell it. Actually, the whole chain had a problem with Orijen. Personally, I would choose the Orijen over the BG. My cat got sick of the BG quite quickly.
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Old September 1st, 2009, 02:15 PM
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Hello, I'm more of a reader than a poster, and I'm not sure if we're allowed to post links to other sites or not, but have you ever been to www.dogfoodanalysis.com?

It's a great site, that gives reviews on every food. Lists all their ingredients, etc... And places them in 'star' categories. 6* being the best. Every time I think of changing foods, I always look there first. Then work my way down as what is available in the area.

I just recently switched to Orijen adult, and Stella is in heaven. She's such a pain though, as I'm trying to transition her slowly - mixing the food, and she's picking out all the new pieces to eat!

Good luck!
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Old September 1st, 2009, 03:06 PM
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the problem with the orijen is from the supplier...many stores are allowed to sell it and others not..In the Hamilton area they would only sell it at Ryans and the Pet Valu stores were not allowed to get it shipped to them.....and apparently if you stock Orijen in your store the mimimum order is pretty high and people are not able to stock it up alot because of the min order point.

Love the food and highly recommend ya keep that gorgeous Molly on it! Winston loves it too!
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Old September 1st, 2009, 09:30 PM
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I heard Orijen will only sell to the "chain" stores, no independent stores anymore My fav independent store can't get it anymore but Pet Valu has started to carry it...I have no idea what is up but, the food is goood so i'll go the extra mile to get it, no matter where I can.

(and my friend buys Orijen and gets it delivered to her DOOR in Michigan for WAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than I can buy it from the store in Ontario, what the heck with that!)

sorry for the TJ
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Magnolia (aka Nolie) - 6 yrs old, adopted May 3, 2009 - mixed breed monster mutt
R.I.P. Chloe - my first Golden girl - we said goodbye but you will always be here (1994-2007 adopted April 2000)
R.I.P. Molly - my Golden girl, who's causing havoc over the bridge now - (1999-2009 adopted May 2007)
and love for my "lost ones" - Misery, Clover & the girls (chickens)
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  #10  
Old September 2nd, 2009, 12:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otter View Post
I heard Orijen will only sell to the "chain" stores, no independent stores anymore My fav independent store can't get it anymore but Pet Valu has started to carry it...I have no idea what is up but, the food is goood so i'll go the extra mile to get it, no matter where I can.

(and my friend buys Orijen and gets it delivered to her DOOR in Michigan for WAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than I can buy it from the store in Ontario, what the heck with that!)

sorry for the TJ
Humm i haven't heard that; we have a friend who owns a mom and pop pet store (in Victoria) and Orijen is the only dog food he even carries (not a lot of room for all the diffrent kinds) and i haven't heard that he can't get it anymore...

I could also ask him what they are like for what he has to order but usally i see about 3-5 bags of each kind and size when the order comes in.
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Old September 2nd, 2009, 06:50 AM
boxerlover2008 boxerlover2008 is offline
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I buy mine from a little local shop too. Maybe it's different in different provinces? And they seem to only have a few bags at a time...
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  #12  
Old September 2nd, 2009, 07:10 AM
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It's great to hear so much feedback. Based on this (as well as some research I have done online), I will be sticking with Orijen. Just gotta remember to stock up!!
Maybe there are different salesmen for different regions? I also buy mine from an independent but I have noticed that they tend to have a lot in stock all the time.
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Old September 2nd, 2009, 09:09 AM
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Orijen is sold in two local mom and pop stores--one a pet store and one a ranch supply/livestock feed store. Must be provincial regulations that change it's availability. I appreciate that I live near the source, as none of the other better dog foods are available here--two hrs away only.
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Old November 11th, 2009, 10:53 AM
wanderer wanderer is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by otter View Post
I heard Orijen will only sell to the "chain" stores, no independent stores anymore My fav independent store can't get it anymore but Pet Valu has started to carry it...I have no idea what is up but, the food is goood so i'll go the extra mile to get it, no matter where I can.

(and my friend buys Orijen and gets it delivered to her DOOR in Michigan for WAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than I can buy it from the store in Ontario, what the heck with that!)

sorry for the TJ
Interesting. We own a small independent pet food/supply store in Calgary and have been stocking Champion's products (Orijen and Acana) with no issues. Chain stores in Calgary (Petland, Tailblazers and Petplanet) also stock Champion's products although you probably won't see it in chains like Petsmart or Petcetera.

Minimums are not out of line with any of our other suppliers and aren't hard to meet once a food line has been established in one's shop. And as far as the posts containing information that is critical of Champion's rep's or the company it's self being difficult to deal with - haven't ever ran into this problem ourselves. In fact, we have found Champion and it's distributors very easy to deal with and they are very responsive to any concerns raised.
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Old November 12th, 2009, 01:20 PM
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re orijen...

In Toronto, Orijen is sold only by independent and smaller chains such as Global or Bark & Fitz. As far as I know, they do not want to sell to large chain stores.

As far as being difficult to deal with, stores may be referring to the fact that there is only one distributor for Champion Pet Foods, and that they have a minimum order that is pretty hefty for smaller stores.

I was able to tour the facility where orijen is made - it was amazing. I love it even more after seeing it made.
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Old November 13th, 2009, 01:19 AM
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I like Natura Pet products if you can get it in Canada. This is new:
www.naturapet.com


Evo Herring and Salmon Dry Dog Food (Grain Free)

Same level of protein as EVO Turkey & Chicken and EVO Red Meat (42%)
Slightly lower fat than EVO Turkey & Chicken or EVO Red Meat (18%), fish ingredients are naturally leaner than poultry and red meats
High levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids to promote joint health
With added glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to promote joint health
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and chondroprotectives make this food ideal for joint health

Made with peas instead of potatoes because peas are rich in essential nutrients and have a low glycemic index

Ingredients: Herring, Salmon Meal, Herring Meal, Peas, Salmon, Eggs, Herring Oil, Pea Fiber, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors, Apples, Carrots, Cottage Cheese, Dried Chicory Root, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Betaine Hydrochloride, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin Supplement, Beta Carotene, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Phylloquinone, Folic Acid), Direct-Fed Microbials (Dried lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product)

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (Min) 42%, Crude Fat (Min) 18%, Crude Fiber (Max) 3%, Moisture (Max) 10%, Carbohydrates NFE* (Max) 18%, Linoleic Acid (an Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (Min) 1.4%, Vitamin E (Min) 300 IU/kg, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)* (Min) 500 mg/kg, Glucosamine Hydrochloride* (Min) 650 mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulfate* (Min) 525 mg/kg, Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (Min) 2.6%, DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)* plus, EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)* (Min) 2%, Total Microorganisms* (Min) 90,000,000 CFU/lb, (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium in equal parts)


*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Calorie Content: 3,815 kcal/kg 456 kcal/cup, 1 cup = 4.20 oz (119 g)
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