# Orijen vs. Fromm



## RoxyGirl2012

I am still debating on which food I will feed my puppy. I have narrowed it down to these two:

Orijen Large Breed Puppy
Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy

Experiences? Suggestions? :help:


----------



## LindyUVA

My pup is on Fromm L breed puppy and I love it. His skin looks great, poop is solid, no issues... I occasionally mix in some pumpkin or coconut oil too but only a small amount. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## NancyJ

I fed my pup Fromm LBPG and was very pleased with the results. I felt by about 14 months he needed a higher protein food and I moved him to another brand. 

The Orijen did not really agree with him (loose stools, even after time to adjust) but a different high protein food did. I gather there are plenty of dogs on the forum who do well on one or the other of these foods but not both.


----------



## Shade

Delgado did fantastic on Fromm LBP, he just finished his last bag a few weeks ago and is now on their Four Star line with my poodle as he's over a year old

Great coat, fantastic overall health, and energy was good on it. I love the company and the quality of their food. Both dogs eat as soon as it's down and lick their bowl spotless, my poodle is a VERY picky eater


----------



## Bear GSD

RoxyGirl2012 said:


> I am still debating on which food I will feed my puppy. I have narrowed it down to these two:
> 
> Orijen Large Breed Puppy
> Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy
> 
> Experiences? Suggestions? :help:


Why not see if you can get samples of each food and see which one the puppy likes? A lot of times the stores will have samples to try. My dog did not do well on Orijen and wasn't enthusiatic about Fromm, believe me it was a lot of trial and error until I came up with the food that my boy likes and would do well on. Good luck!


----------



## Lucy Dog

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Try one and see if it agrees with your puppy. Both are solid kibbles.

If it were me, I'd start with the Fromm, but that's just my personal preference. I think the Orijen's a little overpriced.


----------



## RoxyGirl2012

I am hearing some wonderful experiences with the Fromm, thus far. Thanks everyone! 

Is the Orijen LBP too high in protein for a puppy? The max calcium is 1.7% max phosphorus is 1.4%, is that too high?

Does anyone know what the max calcium/phosphorus levels are in the Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy?

At what age did you switch to an adult formula?


----------



## fuzzybunny

Another Fromm fan here but both are good foods. I second the getting samples if you can.


----------



## Wolfgeist

Both are great kibbles, can't go wrong with either or. I would choose Orijen just because Champion foods is my personal favourite.


----------



## OurboyRoan

Bear GSD said:


> Why not see if you can get samples of each food and see which one the puppy likes? A lot of times the stores will have samples to try. My dog did not do well on Orijen and wasn't enthusiatic about Fromm, believe me it was a lot of trial and error until I came up with the food that my boy likes and would do well on. Good luck!


What did you end up feeding? 

I'm in a similar boat as the op. I've narrowed it down to Annamaet and Fromm.


----------



## Bear GSD

OurboyRoan said:


> What did you end up feeding?
> 
> I'm in a similar boat as the op. I've narrowed it down to Annamaet and Fromm.


I ended up using Nature's Variety Instinct (Duck/Turkey). He really likes it and the size of the kibble is small like Fromm's. I really wanted to feed him Orijen, he just couldn't tolerate it.


----------



## wildo

I also am feeding Fromm LBP Gold with good results. Solid pup. Puppy likes it. I add coconut oil and a half of a teaspoon of Feed-Sentials.


----------



## RoxyGirl2012

wildo said:


> I also am feeding Fromm LBP Gold with good results. Solid pup. Puppy likes it. I add coconut oil and a half of a teaspoon of Feed-Sentials.


Is coconut oil better than salmon oil? What are the differences?

Which brands do you buy?


----------



## martemchik

I feed Fromm LBP..and my dog is 2.5 years old. He likes it, we like it, everything seems fine. Although cost isn't an issue to me, Orijen is almost as expensive as buying premade raw in large quantities and feeding that, so I'm not sure you wouldn't do that instead of kibble if that's an option.


----------



## wildo

coconut oil has no omega 3 (though I _think _it has 6 & 9) so it is not a replacement for fish oil. That said- I feed a high quality fish oil for years (with my adult dog) and saw no real perceived benefit from it. When I switched to coconut oil, I saw immediate benefits. And so that's what I've stuck with... I use Nutiva though am considering switching to the Costco brand.


----------



## LindyUVA

The coconut oil is so great. I agree!
I use an organic brand (not home so I can't get exact name) but its usually the only organic brand in the specialty oils isle at Teeter. 

Samples is such a great idea. My independent pet store where I buy Fromm has several samples on different brands available at all times. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Jd414

Been using Fromm since 10 weeks old. .. no issues. Orijen is over priced and not worth the money 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Ken Clean-Air System

Overpriced and not worth the money is a matter of opinion. Orijen has more protein from meat sources than just about any other kibble on the market. My girl, who is currently 16 months old, has been on Orijen 6 Fish since she was about 5 months old and does fantastic on it.

That being said, you really can't go wrong with either brand. Fromm is a great food from a great company. It really comes down to what your dog does best on, and what works for your budget and your situation.

Nature's Variety Instinct is an excellent food as well.


----------



## RoxyGirl2012

I see Wellness has a grain free puppy formula. How does that brand compare?


----------



## Ken Clean-Air System

I assume you mean Wellness Core? It's a very good food, much larger company than either Champion or Fromm, WellPet is currently owned by the Berwind Corporation. Last I heard, they still outsource some of their foods as well, though they do own their own manufacturing facility. Still a very good food though.


----------



## RoxyGirl2012

I'm finding that Orijen has had some recalls and Fromm has not had any.

Is this correct?


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## stealle

RoxyGirl2012 said:


> I'm finding that Orijen has had some recalls and Fromm has not had any.
> 
> Is this correct?
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


There was an issue 10 years ago with a product (not Orijen or Acana) Champion Pet Foods made that may have had BSE meat in it. 

There was an incident were some of the food had large sharp bones sticking out of the kibble. This happened with wellness as well.

There was an incident were the Australian government irradiated the food coming into the country. This irradiation destroyed the vitamin A and increased the free radicals in the dog and cat food. I think it caused some cats to get sick. Champion no longer sells their food to countries that irradiate their product.


----------



## NancyJ

Fromm has an excellent HACCP risk analysis program; I can't find them know but I once looked over a presentation of their whole process on line. I wound up with another food but am terribly impressed with the company as a whole and its responsivlness to customer inquiries.


----------



## stealle

I should also mention that Champion Pet Foods (including Acana and Orijen) has never been involved in a US FDA pet food recall. You can search any brand of pet food here:
FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts


----------



## NancyJ

stealle said:


> I should also mention that Champion Pet Foods (including Acana and Orijen) has never been involved in a US FDA pet food recall. You can search any brand of pet food here:
> FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts


Well, never say never. That search does not go back very far - search on diamond and it will only take you back to the 2012 recalls and not the big aflatoxin one about 10 years ago. 

This is the BSE recall..(Champion)..not a biggie...10 years ago...near the bottom of the page.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/EnforcementStory/EnforcementStoryArchive/ucm096238.htm


----------



## 3ToesTonyismydog

RoxyGirl2012 said:


> I am still debating on which food I will feed my puppy. I have narrowed it down to these two:
> 
> Orijen Large Breed Puppy
> Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy
> 
> Experiences? Suggestions? :help:


Both are very good choices. I feed Orijen because I think it is the best dog food made today. Fromm is a very good dog food but is not avaliable in my location so I have never tried it out on Tony.


----------



## 3ToesTonyismydog

jocoyn said:


> Well, never say never. That search does not go back very far - search on diamond and it will only take you back to the 2012 recalls and not the big aflatoxin one about 10 years ago.
> 
> This is the BSE recall..(Champion)..not a biggie...10 years ago...near the bottom of the page.
> 
> Center for Veterinary Medicine 2003



*CHAMPION HAS NEVER HAD A RECALL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA OR EUROPE. THE RECALL IN AUSTRALIA WAS CAT FOOD,,, ANNND IT WAS NEVER PROVEN TO BE THE FAULT OF CHAMPION.......So now all the Champion basher's should/can move on into the present 10 years.*


----------



## NancyJ

3 Toes - I think Origen is a good food 
I have not stated that it was not; it did not work for my dogs but it does for many others.

*It is commericial dog food, not some manna from heaven.*
They are a company like any other - 
*But this statement they "never had a recall" is untrue.*
I stated the recall was in the US and was 10 years ago and was small in scope. I am certain it is a recall because the infected meat was tracked to Champion during that time and they had no way of ensuring it was not used.

In another thread re Proctor and Gamble I stated recalls are usually initiated by companies due to a QC failure discovered after the fact. 

In the Champion case, the FDA, not Champion, initiated the recall and it was a recall as product had been sold and had to be recovered from the customer.

I provided a link, not just innuendo. The link is directly from the FDA web page and not some third party website. To correct the perception that all recalls were captured on that first link. I even stated only the Diamond Recalls since 2012 show up there!

It is not bashing. It is fact.

Pasted directly from the FDA Web page which is linked above.

*Recall of Pet Food from Canadian Manufacturer *

*Pet Food Recalled Because “BSE” Cow May Have Been Used in Dry Dog Food*


_On May 26, 2003, the FDA learned from the government of Canada that rendered material from a Canadian cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) also known as “mad cow disease” may have been used to manufacture pet food, specifically dry dog food, some of which was reported to have been shipped to the United States. The Canadian government prevented the BSE positive cow from being processed for human food. Therefore, consumers can be assured that their food does not contain any remnants of the BSE positive cow. There is no scientific evidence to date that dogs can contract BSE or any similar disease. In addition, there is no evidence that dogs can transmit the disease to humans._

_FDA notified the U.S.pet food firm, The Pet Pantry International, of Carson City, Nevada, when FDA learned that the pet food that the firm received may have included rendered material from the BSE positive cow. The manufacturer of the pet food was Champion Pet Food, Morinville, Alberta. Even though there is no known risk to dogs from eating this dog food, as a prudent measure to help assure that the U.S. stays BSE free, The Pet Pantry International asked its customers who may have purchased the suspect product to hold it for pickup by the distributor so that the dog food would not mistakenly be mixed into cattle or other feeds if any of the dog food was discarded or otherwise not used to feed dogs._

_The suspect dog food was produced by Champion Pet Food between February 4, 2003, and March 12, 2003. The Pet Pantry products were packaged in 50 pound bags, distributed to franchises around the country, and sold by home delivery only. There was no retail distribution of the product. Consumers purchase Pet Pantry products by phone or email orders. The product is then delivered by the nearest franchisee directly to the consumer’s home._
_The product subject to this notification included “Maintenance Diet” labeled with a use by date of “17FEB04” and “Beef with Barley” with a use by date of “05MAR04”. Consumers who had purchased dog food from The Pet Pantry since February of this year were asked to check their present supplies and see if any match the description of the product being removed._

_If so, consumers were asked to contact The Pet Pantry at 1-800-381-7387 for further information on how to return the product to The Pet Pantry for proper disposal. Consumers were asked not to destroy or discard the product themselves. The Pet Pantry also used its sales records to contact consumers who purchased the affected product. FDA worked closely with the Pet Pantry International to assure for proper disposal of the recovered product_


----------



## Jd414

I feed fromm. Orijen is over priced. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## johnsta

I'd love to feed Orijen, however, I doubt my budget will allow it. What size bag does Fromm Gold come in and how does it compare in price to Orijen? I noticed Orijen is mostly 30 pound bags. Is Fromm Gold 30 LBS as well?


----------



## NancyJ

Puppy Gold is 33lbs You can compare prices and wights here--I picked chewy because there are links for both brands on the bottom of the page and they have some of the more competitive prices.

Dog and Cat Food, Treats, and Supplies | Free Shipping at Chewy.com


----------



## BAN-ONE

jocoyn said:


> Puppy Gold is 33lbs You can compare prices and wights here--I picked chewy because there are links for both brands on the bottom of the page and they have some of the more competitive prices.
> 
> Dog and Cat Food, Treats, and Supplies | Free Shipping at Chewy.com


Great comparison link. I'm no expert by no means but I like the ingredients in Orijen a little better. If I were to be feeding my puppy Fromm I'd feel good about it, but I'm very happy that I have him on Orijen LBP.


----------



## PupperLove

I think either one would be a good choice. See what your pup does better on. I like Fromm because it is made in Wisconsin  . I haven't tired Orijen though.


----------



## 1bestdog

Why do people accept other people's lies as truth? Acana was recalled in 2011 for salmonella. Not clear about Orijen.


----------



## Cobe914

Oi... A food debate. These always get crazy.
No matter what food you feed your dog... If you type it into google, you'll have countless people raving about how it saved their dog's life, their dog lived 20 years on it, they're dog was so crazy healthy... and others claiming it killed their dog, permanently damaged their dog, you're the worst person on Earth if you feed it to your dog...
But you obviously came here looking for an opinion, so here's what I suggest to everyone who comes in to my store to choose a food:
Determine your budget.
Pick some good foods that fit within your budget (you obviously have an idea as to how to do this, since you have chosen some great foods).
Do some research on the manufacturers of the foods, such as recalls, how they process their food, etc. Which you're doing now.
Contact these manufacturers with any questions you have. My experience with the better companies is that they have a solid customer service team that can help answer questions you have regarding how they make their foods, where they source their ingredients, etc.
Once you've narrowed it down to a couple of foods that you really like, acquire some samples. Doesn't matter what you pick if your dog doesn't like it.
Finally you need to observe and see how your dog does on it. There is no one "best" food for dogs, just like there is no one "best" diet for every human. I've had dogs thrive on one food, and others do poorly on it. Bright, happy and energetic pup, healthy flake-free coat and skin, and firm stools are all indicators that your dog's digestive tract is digging the food you've picked.

I'll add that there are a lot of benefits from regular food rotation - alternating flavours within a brand of food, and even changing up brands once in a while. Make sure you transition properly, of course, but this way you're ensuring that your dog is getting a variety of nutrition sources. Every manufacturer does things a little differently, and this reduces the possibilities of deficiencies showing up in the event that one food brand's source of a vitamin isn't absorbed as well by your dog as another's source. You don't have to pick one food and stick with it for life - if your dog does well on both brands, you can rotate between them every couple of months.
Also watch your mineral contents.. Calcium/Phosphorous ratios are very significant with these darn large breeds.

There you have it. As long as you feel good about what you're feeding, and your dog does well on it, then it's moot. Good luck!


----------



## GSDoglover

RoxyGirl2012 said:


> I am still debating on which food I will feed my puppy. I have narrowed it down to these two:
> 
> Orijen Large Breed Puppy
> Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy
> 
> Experiences? Suggestions? :help:


My 11month female has been on Fromm Gold LBP since she was about 4 months old and is doing fantastic on it... her coat is great and stools are just as they should be. Highly recommend it from my experience. Will def buy Fromm for adult food as well.


----------



## Ruger Monster

Ruger has been on Fromm LBP since he was about 10 weeks old. He wasn't a fan of the food the breeder had him on, and he wasn't a huge fan of BB Wilderness... Picked Fromm Gold LBP due to the recommendations on this board and he LOVES it. He never leaves a kibble behind  I will also be buying Fromm adult food when he's ready for it. 

I've never tried Orijen, but if Fromm hadn't worked so well for my boy, it would've been next on my list. I'm just happy he enjoys what he's on now and we're having great results with it.


----------



## Bella67

Troy is 10 weeks and he also does very good on Fromm LBP. Might switch him to grain free later down the road.


----------



## Ace GSD

Bella67 said:


> Troy is 10 weeks and he also does very good on Fromm LBP. Might switch him to grain free later down the road.


Fromm LBP is not grain free ?


----------



## Bella67

Ace GSD said:


> Fromm LBP is not grain free ?


it is now. Check their website.


----------



## Ace GSD

Is the brown rice new ? Cause i used to feed Ace that and it was grain free


----------



## FOKAI_808

You can't go wrong with either or. Kailani has been on LBP Origen for since she was 2 months has done great.


----------



## LARHAGE

I've been feeding Fromm for years, I do rotate flavors as well as other companies to keep varieties exciting, I have never had a dog refuse Fromm, even my picky little Chihuahua, where as I have had them snub Orijen, and at that price it sucks! I have recently added Victor feeds to my arsenal and my dogs love that one as well, I am feeding them the Victor Hero Dog Formula currently, it's a 5 star food and at 40.00 for a large bag it's extremely affordable!!


----------



## Aimeanda

I agree they are both good foods, but I don't think they are equal. Yes, Orijen is expensive, but I think it is the superior food. I'll compare the Large Breed Puppy formulas of each. Fromm contains 26% protein compared to Orijen with 38% protein. Fromm contains grain starting at the 4th ingredient. Orijen contains no grains. The first 14 ingredients of Orijen are animal products (meat, organ, eggs etc). Orijen is 30% carbs. Fromm is 48% carbs (These numbers are from Dog Food Advisor and based on dry matter basis). Orijen is rated as a 5 star food on Dog Food Advisor, Fromm is rated as 4 star food.

Here are the ingredients of Orijen Large Breed Puppy:
Boneless chicken*, chicken meal, chicken liver*, whole herring*, boneless turkey*, turkey meal, turkey liver*, whole eggs*, boneless walleye*, whole salmon*, chicken heart*, chicken cartilage*, herring meal, salmon meal, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, chicken liver oil, chicken fat, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, pea fiber, chickpeas, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

Here are the ingredients of Fromm Gold Large Breed Puppy: Duck, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Oatmeal, Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lamb, Potatoes, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Whole Egg, Chicken Fat, Salmon Oil, Cheese, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Alfalfa Meal, Carrots, Lettuce, Celery, Chicken Cartilage, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Monocalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Sodium Selenite, Sorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins, Minerals, Probiotics.


----------



## Vega-gurl

I feed my adult GSD Fromm gold. While I loved feeding her Acana (which is very similar to Orijin IMO), it was just a touch to spendy to maintain with all the other costs of dog ownership, and I noticed she was more hyper/ansty while eating the super high protein food. Fromm still has lots of protein, but long chain carbs and sugars in the sweet potatoes and cheese seem to give Vega more mangable, all day energy. Also, I liked how Fromm is still a dependably high quailty food and how the company is pretty transparent. Vega has a very nice, shiny coat, good teeth and the like. She also gets some high quailty wet food (maaaybe a tablespoon) with each meal, and raw bones a few times a week. Chewy.com and most (good) pet stores carry Fromm in a varity of bag sizes, so if you can't get a sample for some odd reason, you don't have to break the bank figuring out which one your puppy prefers! :thumbup:


----------



## purplegravity

I feed my GSD pup Fromm Gold as well as Fromm treats, they work well for us. Fromm was recommended to us by the breeder.


----------



## missionAvs

For what it's worth, I started my GSD puppy Kojak on Fromm Gold LBP when he was 8 weeks old. The breeder had him on Purina Pro Plan Lamb and Rice but he just didn't like it that much and his stools were a bit runny. Anyways, I purchased the 33 lb bag of Fromm LBP and gradually weaned him into it from the Pro Plan and used some Petco probiotics to help change him over. Long story short, he LOVED Fromm LBP, I mean he would just devour every meal but the problem was that his stools actually got softer and runnier than when he was with the ProPlan. 

I decided to not get another bag of Fromm LBP but changed him over again to Fromm 4 Star Salmon Tunalini ( ~$70 for a 26 lb bag on Chewy.com) when his LBP was running low. Again I weaned him into his new food once more and by the time I got to feeding just Salmon Tunalini, I had a dog that loved his food AND had nice firm stools. Moral of the story is that it's honestly a trial and error thing that depends mostly on what your dog likes/tolerates but you can definitely increase your chances of getting it right from the get-go by choosing a high quality food such as Fromm or Origen. Fromm LBP didn't work for me but that was because it turns out my dog is grain intolerant so switching him over to a grain free diet proved to be the best solution.


----------



## amburger16

I recently started my puppy on Fromm Prairie Gold LBP (red meat, not sure if there is another flavour) and he absolutely loves it. Like.. I could use it as a treat reward he loves it so much. My only issue with it is that the kibble is so small and he just inhales it so quickly.


----------

