# Tired of Blue Buffalo--went to Orijen Puppy



## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

I have had our little girl for almost 7 weeks now. The breeder had her on Blue Buffalo puppy (Chicken & Rice) mixed with the canned BB puppy food. Her stools were so inconsistent that I finally got fed up and bought Orijen today. She has been to the Vet and given a clean bill of health twice. She was given a antibiotic for diarrhea though. I have read on several post here about BB and loose stools. I bought the Orijen from Pet Supplies Plus in Richardson, TX. Got a 15lb bag for 40 bucks. I forgot to add that for the past few days she will practically not touch her food. Now when I brought home the Orijen she was on it!! So hopefully all goes well from here. She also has some dandruff.....


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## DKHarris (Jan 10, 2012)

When I first made the change to BB large breed puppy Xena had softer than normal and even a little stinkier stools. After 2 or 3 days her stools are back to normal and very little aroma. We came off Purina Puppy Chow. I guess every dog is different.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

You gotta do what works. Mine is doing great since we switched to BB. Hope your switch goes smoothly .


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## Switchblade906 (May 5, 2012)

With my 3 year old Dakota we tried BB and she wouldnt eat at all for like 3 days so we had to switch back to her other food.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

I've heard a lot of stories like this with BB. I personally wont feed mine that brand. But, some it does work well for some.

I had Zira on Orijen back when she was a pup. She did excellent until her SIBO kicked in full throttle and started to flare up. At that point, I took her off and had to switch to a million different kibble brands to find one that would work enough to at least get weight on her. IF I didn't have a sensitive dog in the house, I would only feed Orijen. However, because of her SIBO and other issues, we are on Champion's other kibble, Acana. Which is a little less on protein, which Zira can handle.

If Orijen is a little too strong for her for now, maybe try Acana. With these kibble brands, you'll definitely see a change in her coat, and more pep in her step! They are excellent quality! Good luck with your pup!


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## Macslady (Feb 26, 2012)

It's crazy how they are all so different. After the Diamond recall, we took her off of that (our bag was affected) and switched her to Blue Buffalo. I can get it at the Navy Exchange here on base so it was the easiest to get! She is gaining weight and her stools have been consistently solid!


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Abby couldn't handle Orijen as a pup, we went to Wellness LBP Super Five mix. She was on TOTW until the recall and is now on Acana, which seems to be working well.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

It was between Orijen and two others, Acana - Innova. I was told to use the regular puppy instead of the LBP. As for the BB, she would not eat. No matter what I did she refused it. I don't know what kind of impact it has on her wellbeing, as in the inconsistent stool. Anyone with any advice about Orijen please let me know.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

fuzzybunny said:


> You gotta do what works. Mine is doing great since we switched to BB. Hope your switch goes smoothly .


Just has me scratching my head on this....from one day to the next she didn't want anything to do with it. At first she would gobble it down. Only time will tell if Orijen is good for her.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

PaddyD said:


> Abby couldn't handle Orijen as a pup, we went to Wellness LBP Super Five mix. She was on TOTW until the recall and is now on Acana, which seems to be working well.


At that point in time was she on puppy, ALS or adult? Which worked best in your opinion?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Would be interested to hear how she does. 

That is more percent protein and calcium than the adult or large breed puppy HOWEVER is you look at total grams of protein and calcium based on the total number of calories fed it actually comes out lower.....plus it is cheaper to feed than the adult OR the LBP. .... so it sounds like a wise choice.

Seems awful rich. Let us know how she tolerates it!


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Would be interested to hear how she does.
> 
> That is more percent protein and calcium than the adult or large breed puppy HOWEVER is you look at total grams of protein and calcium based on the total number of calories fed it actually comes out lower.....plus it is cheaper to feed than the adult OR the LBP. .... so it sounds like a wise choice.
> 
> Seems awful rich. Let us know how she tolerates it!


Certainly. I'm curious myself. She is about 10lbs...how much would you feed her in your opinion?


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

How old is she? I'm also curious as to why you were told to feed the regular puppy formula as opposed to the large breed puppy formula. Is she a pure bred GSD or a mix?


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

Ken Clean-Air System said:


> How old is she? I'm also curious as to why you were told to feed the regular puppy formula as opposed to the large breed puppy formula. Is she a pure bred GSD or a mix?


She will be 12 weeks tomorrow. She is a purebred also. I called a store here in Dallas on Preston Rd and they asked what type.of dog etc... I explained I was looking at the LBP and was told I should use the regular puppy. This was a boutique type store not a major chain.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

When was the last time she was weighed? 10 pounds at 3 months seems very small to me, well below average to be sure, but if she checks out healthy then it's probably nothing to worry about.

Either of the Orijen puppy formulas, or even their ALS formulas, should be fine for a GSD puppy, I was just curious if they gave a reason for recommending the regular as opposed to the large breed formula. As jocoyn already mentioned, if you figure the calorie difference in, the regular puppy formula seems like the more economical and nutritionally acceptable choice.

If you go by Orijen's recommendations based on her age and weight, she should be getting about 1 and a half to 2 cups a day. At that age I'd spread that over 3 meals per day. You may need to adjust that amount depending on how things work out. If her stools are ok and she is licking the bowl looking for more at each meal then increase the amount a bit. If you notice loose stools then cut the amount back a bit and see if that helps.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

Ken Clean-Air System said:


> When was the last time she was weighed? 10 pounds at 3 months seems very small to me, well below average to be sure, but if she checks out healthy then it's probably nothing to worry about.
> 
> Either of the Orijen puppy formulas, or even their ALS formulas, should be fine for a GSD puppy, I was just curious if they gave a reason for recommending the regular as opposed to the large breed formula. As jocoyn already mentioned, if you figure the calorie difference in, the regular puppy formula seems like the more economical and nutritionally acceptable choice.
> 
> If you go by Orijen's recommendations based on her age and weight, she should be getting about 1 and a half to 2 cups a day. At that age I'd spread that over 3 meals per day. You may need to adjust that amount depending on how things work out. If her stools are ok and she is licking the bowl looking for more at each meal then increase the amount a bit. If you notice loose stools then cut the amount back a bit and see if that helps.


She was weighed about 2 weeks ago and at that time her weight was 9lbs even. I too think she is kinda small. There were 13 puppies in her litter. All survived. I asked the vet if she was too small and told him the number in her litter. He explained that there are only so many spigots to go around. 

As for feeding her, I was feeding her 1 cup of BB 2 times a day. So I was thinking about doing that with the Orijen. The employee did not offer a reason as to why I should feed her the regular puppy other than on the LBP the weight starts out at like 55lbs. I give her 1 cup of Orijen and she IS going back to her bowl licking it. I am by no means a food expert and any advice I certainly welcome.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Maybe you can give her the same number of calories as recommended on the large breed orijen .. even though the formula is different if she gets that many calories she will still be getting more protein than she would on any other puppy food and an appopriate level of caclium.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Maybe you can give her the same number of calories as recommended on the large breed orijen .. even though the formula is different if she gets that many calories she will still be getting more protein than she would on any other puppy food and an appopriate level of caclium.


So if I feed her 2 cups of the puppy she would get 960 calories versus the adult which she would get 920 calories. She is very active in my opinion and I looked at the active suggestion for feeding. Do you think a switch is in order?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I would be inclined to call the folks at Orijen and talk with them for advice. You know what calories she is eating now of the other food. I would start with that as a basis if she was growing at an ok rate.


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## dallasgsd (Mar 26, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> I would be inclined to call the folks at Orijen and talk with them for advice. You know what calories she is eating now of the other food. I would start with that as a basis if she was growing at an ok rate.


Not sure if they answer on a Sunday so I will give then a call on Monday. So far she is eating like she was when we first got her. Her energy has increased substantially.


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