Orijen Dog and Cat food

[andiamo]

Anybody feeding Orijen Dog or Cat food?

I have been feeding my cats and dog with Innova products but would like to make a switch to Orijen as it is made in Canada and it seems to be a similar quality product.

Any input would be appreciated.

[clm]

I've been feeding Orijen to both my dogs and cats. I mix it, can't afford to buy only it anymore, and I like to give the beasties variety so they don't tire of a food, so I mix it in with other kibble. It's a high quality food and all of my pets have done well on it.

Cindy

[Stacer]

Yup, I've been feeding Orijen to my 2 cats for almost a year now, they love it. Their poops are smellier since eating it though. But everything else is great.

[Love4himies]

Jasper eats Orijen as his main food, Wellness canned as a supplement, Sweet Pea eats Wellness and Go Natural canned as a main food, Orijen as a snack, Puddles eats Wellness canned as her main food, mixed with some water, and gets Orijen only as a treat at night or when she manages to tip over the bag and bite it open during the day.

All my cats love it.

[Lukka'sma]

Lukka eats Orijen. Other foods that she was on just didn't agree with her (Innova, DVP, Eagle Pack).

[rainbow]

I'm feeding Orijen to both my dogs and my cats...... they all love it and are doing great.

[jtomlinson]

I have a 6 month old goldendoodle (50lbs) and he has been on orijen large breed puppy for months. His stool however is the consistancy of soft ice cream and he has at least 3 bowl movements a day which are very smelly. I don't think his stool should be like that. He is a healthy weight and gets 4 cups a day. He also has very itchy skin, no redness or dryness though. I give him artic vigour as a suppliment. I'm thinking of switching foods but not sure what to switch to, any suggestions? maybe the artic vigour is the problem? Does wellness make a large breed puppy formula? could he be allregic or just have itchy skin? Thanks

[mika140]

I'm not too up on puppy formulas (as I have yet to own a puppy...but someday)....but I do know that Eagle Pack Holistic has a Large and Giant Breed Puppy formula, and Innova has a large breed puppy formula. I've heard great things from people who have used both.

Both my dogs (2 yrs and 10 yrs) are on Orijen right now. The 2 yr old GSD is doing great....the best stool he's had and very healthy. The 10 year old is still adjusting perhaps? I'm still deciding whether to switch her to something else after this bag. I really like their product, her stools are great, she's very healthy. But she's got this on and off bad breath that seems to be a digestion issue (I have consulted our vet). She's on bag # 2, so it's been about two months now. But she was on a more moderate grain-inclusive kibble just before this, and on crappy lots of filler, tiny amount of meat kibbles for the first 9 years of her life. So I'm trying to figure out what her adjustment period might be, or if I should just be switching her after this bag. Any ideas?

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by mika140

Both my dogs (2 yrs and 10 yrs) are on Orijen right now. The 2 yr old GSD is doing great....the best stool he's had and very healthy. The 10 year old is still adjusting perhaps? I'm still deciding whether to switch her to something else after this bag. I really like their product, her stools are great, she's very healthy. But she's got this on and off bad breath that seems to be a digestion issue (I have consulted our vet). She's on bag # 2, so it's been about two months now. But she was on a more moderate grain-inclusive kibble just before this, and on crappy lots of filler, tiny amount of meat kibbles for the first 9 years of her life. So I'm trying to figure out what her adjustment period might be, or if I should just be switching her after this bag. Any ideas?

I think the longer the dog was on a crappy kibble the longer it takes for them to adjust. I have heard that it can take 3-4 months for this detox process. I'm presuming that since she has been to the vet that her teeth are fine. Are you giving her digestive enzymes?

[mika140]

My 10 yr old's teeth aren't perfect, but the vet knows the condition of them and wasn't concerned about that. He's looking at it as two separate issues. We're still going to do a dental consult with their specialist, but they were pretty confident it's a digestion issue with the food. She's not getting enzymes because I wanted to make sure she could adjust to the food without them.

That makes sense that it would take longer to adjust if they'd been on a crappier food for a long time. I think I'll switch to their regular formula after this bag of senior and then if the problems persist, I can just switch at any time to a different food without worrying where we're at in the bag cycle. I'm just so excited to have Orijen for her that I don't want to give up too early if it's only a matter of adjusting.

[Kinguni]

Shabba was fed Nutro Max Large Breed Puppy at the shelter, and we brought home a large bag with her. After a lot of reading we switched her to Orijen large breed puppy, and though her stool size shrunk, it really stunk, as did her gas. We switched her to Go Natural all life stages for 2 bags which cut the stink, but we were sold on grain free so decided to try her on Orijen again and this time less stink! One difference is that I threw out the bag of Pedigree MarroBone treats, of which she was getting a few a day.

However, she was still having some pudding poops, usually later in the day. We thought it was just due to her habit of ingesting what comes out the back end, but at her last vet visit for boosters (5 days ago) the vet gave us 2 doses of Interceptor, one to be given that evening and another 14 days after, in prep for heartworm season. Well, then next day her first poo had a juicy roundworm in it! We found the source of her pudding it seems. Today (Monday) was the first day I can remember when all of her stools were solid. We also invested in a long line so that we can remove her from where she poos before she can eat it, and she hasn't dined on poo since Saturday.

That said, do look for other possible causes of soft stools. Perhaps take a step backwards temporarily from the grain free food to a good quality food with grain and then back again. It certainly can take 2 or 3 months for your pup to adjust to good food.

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by jtomlinson

I have a 6 month old goldendoodle (50lbs) and he has been on orijen large breed puppy for months. His stool however is the consistancy of soft ice cream and he has at least 3 bowl movements a day which are very smelly. I don't think his stool should be like that. He is a healthy weight and gets 4 cups a day. He also has very itchy skin, no redness or dryness though. I give him artic vigour as a suppliment. I'm thinking of switching foods but not sure what to switch to, any suggestions? maybe the artic vigour is the problem? Does wellness make a large breed puppy formula? could he be allregic or just have itchy skin? Thanks

Grain free kibbles are high in fat so giving a fish oil supplement is adding more fat to his diet. It is probably too much for your puppy to handle and too much fat can cause diarrhea.

I would either cut back on the amount of supplement and introduce it slowly or else try Wellness CORE Reduced Fat formula.

[zomo]

Originally Posted by jtomlinson

I have a 6 month old goldendoodle (50lbs) and he has been on orijen large breed puppy for months. His stool however is the consistancy of soft ice cream and he has at least 3 bowl movements a day which are very smelly. I don't think his stool should be like that. He is a healthy weight and gets 4 cups a day. He also has very itchy skin, no redness or dryness though. I give him artic vigour as a suppliment. I'm thinking of switching foods but not sure what to switch to, any suggestions? maybe the artic vigour is the problem? Does wellness make a large breed puppy formula? could he be allregic or just have itchy skin? Thanks

Just noticing that you said you feed Orijen and your puppy eats 4 cups a day.Melvin weighs 65 pounds and eats 3 cups a day. Are you feeding the recommended amount ? If you are feeding over the recommended amount that might be your problem.

[jtomlinson]

I am wondering if it is okay to mix two dog food together? My puppy was on orijen large breed puppy and had softer stools so i was going to switch to wellness puppy but is not for large breed. I have been mixing the two together and my puppys stool is looking good. I was thinking of keeping him on a mixture of the two. Is this okay?

[geisha]

I wouldn't hesitate to feed your pup that way. There are different ways to feed your pup kibble. Rotating between different brands is a good way to mix things up a bit. IMhumbleO mixing is also okay. How old and how big is your pup now?

[Tommysmom]

Originally Posted by jtomlinson

I am wondering if it is okay to mix two dog food together? My puppy was on orijen large breed puppy and had softer stools so i was going to switch to wellness puppy but is not for large breed. I have been mixing the two together and my puppys stool is looking good. I was thinking of keeping him on a mixture of the two. Is this okay?

I mix two kinds together for my pup... he likes it, he does well on both of them, so I don't mess with the program LOL. No harm in mixing at all as long as your pup does well on the foods you're giving.

[jtomlinson]

Miller just turned 7 months and is 64lbs. I'm thinking of trying him on innova, just in the middle of doing some research. i'm a little hesitant with wellness as it is not specially formulated for large breed puppys.

[GSDog]

I started to feed my pup Orijen and today went to the vet for his 3rd shot and he advise me to get off the puppy food cause my dog is grown way too fast and start adult food. He will be 5months old in one week and already weighs 70lbs. Said he has a bit of joint problems cause he press on his elbows and the dog whinned. THen i told the vet well if you press on my elbows i will yell too...Then he said before getting him neutered we should have an xray done for his hips. NOw all of that got me thinking cause i know the parents of my dog had NO joint or hip problems cause they both had xrays done. So i called the owner of my dog cause he raises K9's for RCMP, S/R dogs for others etc etc....I would trust him more for an opinion. First the owner said Orijen has 42% of protien with is too much for a pup...All dogs should not exceed 25%. Bigger the dogs hard it will be on them for any joints later just like Humans...So now im just wondering whats out there that has NO grain or gluten and 25% of protein...I was talking to my son in Alberta and he said there was a special document on TV on dog food and he was saying Alpo was on dog food that put melamine in it...yes the stuff you do cupboards with "Melamine Cupboards" he also mentions that you should see the other crap they put in dog food and its all a scam...He mention that one of the spokewoman that did the show said "I cant mention names but I feed my dog Kibbles and Bits" hmmmmmm makes you wonder at times what to give your dog...

The owner of my dog said he doesent keep any GSD more than 100lbs cause he gets rid of them. They are way too big and should never be that weight. He likes to see a few ribs on his GSD or any big breeds. So all this to say, im clueless with all this dog food and too much protein in dog food...

[mika140]

How long have you been feeding the Orijen Puppy? From what I've read, bone growth issues have more to do with mineral content (ash, etc), and not as much with protein amount. You could always check out the info on Orijen's website or if it's not there, write to the company with your concerns. I've found that they have been very helpful when I've had questions. But in the end, no matter what the answers are, you have to go with a food you're comfortable with.

[kittykat6923]

I have recently adopted two shorthair male cats. Jasper & Jinx. Jinx is about 10 lbs and Jasper is over 15 lbs. They are eating Orijen dry cat food and love it. They hardly shed any hair. Their fur is shiny and very soft. As for the bathroom business.....they use the litterbox less, it is less smelly, and smaller firmer stools. I feed them less food than regular pet food brands. I am really impressed with Orijen.....my only concern was I have also heard really good things about Go! Natural cat food-grain free formula.......

I just wonder if this is a better product as it seems almost identical to Orijen....

Anyone have any good/bad news about either Orijen or Go Natural cat food?

All feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I should also comment that even though these pet foods appear to be more expensive.....they are not in the long run as you should find that your pet will eat less......you don't have to feed as much as you would with the cheaper brands and the health benefits are amazing and so worth it.

Good luck to you all finding the right food for your beloved pets!!!

[rainbow]

I have been feeding my cats Orijen for almost a year now. We have had no problems and they both love it. Go Natural is also a good quality food but I "think" it is more expensive.

[clm]

Cat's like variety, there's no reason why you can't feed both. I'd get a trial size of the go natural first to make sure they like it.

Cindy

[TobyinSelkirk]

I'm new here and I am hoping someone will be able to give me some help!

I have a 4 month old Cairn Terrier who is about 9lbs I would say and has been on the Orijen puppy food for 2 months now, since the day I got him home! But what we are having is some of the most nasty smelling dog farts I have ever come across!! His poo is soft also and stinks as well.

Should I change his dog food? I really, really don't want to since I love this food for him but when the dog smells more then the baby with a poopy diaper, its gross!! I've lowered the amount I give him and still stinky. Should I try the adult? Or what about the other dog food thats made in Saskatchewan, Horizen? What is causing it????

[gypsy_girl]

I compared the GO! to Orijen and the GO! uses chicken meal first and Orijen chicken meat.
The Orijen has botanicals too, but not sure what I think about that for cats!
JMHO

[KJQ]

An old post I'm replying to but in case anyone else is reading it, our golden retriever has been on Orijen for about 6 months and doing very well. Yes, his BM's are pretty potent as some have noted, but his health is the main thing. He used to be on Iams and would occasionally turned his nose up at it, but since the switch to Orijen he's eaten most meals. He is very active (we run him at least 10 Kms a day) and eats 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups at supper time.