# Soooo torn on food. Advice?



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

So my soon to be wife and I are getting a puppy the end of May. We have done lots and lots of research on foods and we are torn. We want to do best for our little guy.

We heavily researched Raw and we both loved the idea but we just came to the realization that we don't have the time for it. I'd love to do it but New house, getting married in June and getting a puppy our time is going to be thin enough!

So, I think I have narrowed the foods down to: Orijin, Acana and Fromm. Love all three but am torn on which one...

I love how great Orijin would be for our dog, but the price! We are in Canada and it would be $80 a bag plus tax so about $90... 

Acana - I like that we have different choices for flavour. Mix up the proteins however, I don't like that the Large Breed Puppy has Oats. I know this will mean more pick-up.

Fromm - love it Thus far from my research, the only store that sells it, doesn't love it. She says she doesn't like the amount of "filler" it has. NOT my opinion just going on what she said. The other thing that worries me about Fromm is that we can only find ONE store that sells it. What if they decide to stop carrying it? 

I know no one can say to me X is 100% the best and I know it will depend on our little guy which one he likes and takes best but I am just looking for some advice. 

What do you think?


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

And just for fun:


----------



## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

My personal opinion is that I prefer Orijin or Acana my last shepherd loved the Acana and I loved the ingredients... althought I cant get it here in Nova Scotia where I am so my dog is on GO!


----------



## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Hi from Ottawa 

I feed Fromm, there are only two stores that carry it near me: Bark & Fitz and Global Pet Foods. I use Global Pet Foods as they're a few dollars cheaper and easier to get to, for a large bag of Fromm four star grain free it's $90.99 now, they just upped their prices a few weeks ago. The LBP which Delgado was on until just after he hit one was $68.99 

As for the sales lady, I'm glad you're doing your own research. I've found store clerks in pet stores are so hit and miss in their actual knowledge 

If the store does fail to carry it, try online vendors. Most will give you free shipping over a certain amount and it will save you gas money and time having it brought to their dog. 

Also Fromm does offer a "buy 12 bags, get one bag free" customer card


----------



## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

I don't think there's a huge problem with oats in a puppy food. I wouldn't keep my dogs on puppy food very long anyway! But then I'm one of those raw-food people who starts puppies off on raw right away.


----------



## vukc (Dec 22, 2009)

It is a good thing that you are doing review right now about your future puppy food.
Do you know on which type of food is your puppy being weaned off right now?

Orijen and Acana are both good dry dog food choices.
Most of the dogs are doing great on these foods, however some tend not to agree well with the high protein content.
I guess, best you can do is to try one or the other with your new puppy and see how it goes. Your proof will be in the stool.
Slow transition from the current dry food to the new Orijen or Acana is the key here.
If you decide to go with Orijen or Acana my suggestion would be to go for one of the following: 
Acana: Wild Prairie or Pacifica.
Orijen: 6 Fish or Regional Red (little over priced in my opinion)

I would not go for Large Breed Puppy type food from either line because I see no point in that as I think that above stated types are suited for all life stages and all breeds.


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

mandiah89 said:


> My personal opinion is that I prefer Orijin or Acana my last shepherd loved the Acana and I loved the ingredients... althought I cant get it here in Nova Scotia where I am so my dog is on GO!


Thank you 



Shade said:


> Hi from Ottawa
> 
> I feed Fromm, there are only two stores that carry it near me: Bark & Fitz and Global Pet Foods. I use Global Pet Foods as they're a few dollars cheaper and easier to get to, for a large bag of Fromm four star grain free it's $90.99 now, they just upped their prices a few weeks ago. The LBP which Delgado was on until just after he hit one was $68.99
> 
> ...


Thanks! Orijin and Acana (I know, same company) also have a buy 12 get the 13th free. I guess my issue with Fromm four star (Does anyone else thing that four start is a stupid name? Sounds like something is wrong with it!! haha what's it missing to make it five star??) Is that the price would be that same as Orijin. Fromm gold would be cheaper.



DunRingill said:


> I don't think there's a huge problem with oats in a puppy food. I wouldn't keep my dogs on puppy food very long anyway! But then I'm one of those raw-food people who starts puppies off on raw right away.


How long would you leave them on puppy food? 

I love the idea of raw, I really really do however, I just don't think we can keep up with the work and pre-made Raw will make us go bankrupt haha


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

vukc said:


> It is a good thing that you are doing review right now about your future puppy food.
> Do you know on which type of food is your puppy being weaned off right now?
> 
> Orijen and Acana are both good dry dog food choices.
> ...


He will be coming from Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy which I don't want to keep him on.

No puppy food, that is something I will look into.


----------



## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Yes you're correct, Fromm Gold is cheaper and still a very good quality food. My poodle is a very picky eater and so I switched her to the four star line because of the variety. When Delgado was old enough then I switched him to the same so they both eat the same kibble

If I had to choose between Orijin and Acana, I would choose Orijin personally just because I do really like the ingredients. Both my dogs do really well on Fromm so I have no reason to switch but if I did have to I would switch to Orijin


----------



## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I think all three are great foods. Orijin I couldn't afford but did try it for a month and my dog did fine. I liked the price of Acana but unfortunately she was allergic to something in it. Fromm is what we settled on and she does great on it.


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

I guess my only issue with Acana over Orijin is, is there going to be THAT big of a difference in cost? You would feed less Orijin. 

If I am talking about a $10 a month difference then I think I'd go with Orijin however, I know Fromm Gold would make a pretty big difference


----------



## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

Sibze said:


> How long would you leave them on puppy food?
> 
> I love the idea of raw, I really really do however, I just don't think we can keep up with the work and pre-made Raw will make us go bankrupt haha


I don't really know, maybe 6 months at the latest! I tend to think that the whole special puppy food thing is mostly marketing. 

As to raw.....I've been feeding raw for about 20 years. Not sure exactly how much I spend per month for my current 2, but I'll guess $80 - $100 per month? I can get chicken back for between 55 and 75 cents per pound, depending on how much work I want to do. Pork neck bones run about $1.29 per pound unless I can get them on sale. Green Tripe I buy frozen, and also a really gross beef liver and kidney mixture that they absolutely go nuts over. I think a good kibble is actually more expensive!


----------



## Szarek (Jan 18, 2013)

I Wanted to give you some advice that i am going thro right now. I am no expert at all but i currently have a 16 week old puppy. I i ran into diarriah multiple times because of food. so an advice the breeder gave me and it actually works is that if he got diarreah give him Eukanuba food and it actually helps like magic it turns right away to hard stools. but also be carefull because one time i had giradia and round worms. 

My puppy was weaned on raw and i wanted to give him the best. the breeder told me mix with eukanuba for a good transition the only reason she is saying Eukanuba because it has allot of probiotics in it and it will firm it up but she told me dont feed it all the time. so long story short i switched to Orijien LBP and he would have good stools in the morning and then loose stools as the day goes in and then i was getting really frustrated. I took stole sample to make sure its not any worms or parasites and the test came back negative so it was the food. The food is the best on the market but some times what the vet and the breeder said was the food might be to rich for him.

I am back now on Eukanuba and going to transition him to Earthborn and see how will do on it. don't get me worng i will switch him again on Orijien because i believe its the best but as of now. i have done allot of research about earthborn and barley found anything negative and it is still high quality food but lower protien in it.

I forgot to say i also tried instinct and it was also to rich for him.

As soon as he sitills down i am also gonna try to mix with the earth born the instinct raw. Have you looked into that? I heard also that orijien in the process of coming out with there raw line as well. its a bit pricey but it is absloutley worth it. I would highly recomend researching the instinct Raw which is out now and also the orijien raw when it comes out.

I hope this helps and I will let you know how the earthborn works.


----------



## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

Sibze said:


> Fromm - love it Thus far from my research, the only store that sells it, doesn't love it. She says she doesn't like the amount of "filler" it has. NOT my opinion just going on what she said. The other thing that worries me about Fromm is that we can only find ONE store that sells it. What if they decide to stop carrying it?


This food fixed stomach problems for my and my brothers dog. Different breeds. We order online =) so much cheaper and convenient.


----------



## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

Shade said:


> Also Fromm does offer a "buy 12 bags, get one bag free" customer card


any idea how to do this if we buy online?


----------



## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

Neko said:


> any idea how to do this if we buy online?


I'm not sure, the card I have stays at the store and they stamp it each time I purchase a bag. Contact your supplier and ask, otherwise contact Fromm. They might give you a card and you just forward the card back along with the receipts


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

So, I am a numbers guy and here are some things I went through:

Acana Pacifica around here is $65.99 for a 13kg bag or $5.08 a KG. 
Feeding is 480g per day for active and 320g for non active (based upon him being 80 pounds... that's what the dad weighs in at)
So with that, if I used 400g's a day for a month, that's 12,000g's a month or 12 kg's so $60.91 per month without tax.

Now Origin:
$79.99 for a 13.5kg bag or $5.93 a KG. 
Feeding is 375-500g per day for active and 275-400g for non active. So with that, if I used 375g's a day for a month, that's 11,250g's a month or 11.25 kg's so $66.66 per month without tax.

For $6 a month. I think Orijin would be a better choice, no?

Now fromm Gold is a lot cheaper:
$62.99 for a 15kg bag or $4.20 a KG. 
Feeding is 488g per day for active and 396g for non active. So with that, if I used 420g's a day for a month, that's 12,600g's a month or 12.6 kg's so $52.91 per month without tax.

So based upon him being 80 pounds I would save about $14 a month going on Fromm. Not sure if that's worth it or not...

What do you guys think now?


----------



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Neko said:


> any idea how to do this if we buy online?


Call your online vendor and ask
With mine, all purchases have to be through them and I have to save the UPC and put them in the envelope (Nature's Logic) and send back to them. The free bag will be the cheapest variety you have bought in that size.


----------



## mego (Jan 27, 2013)

Depending on the kind of calcium level you want to feed, Acana's regular all life stages grain-free foods (regionals) are options for your puppy too, not just the Acana puppy one. 

We feed Acana wild prairie and on the bag it says 31% protein, 17% fat, 1.2% calcium / 0.9% phosphorous and are having really great results with it. I think Pacifica should be appropriate too. 

Like others have said, Orijin might not be much more expensive to feed, but for here I dont think that much protein agrees with my puppy and she does great on the Acana.
I haven't tried fromm but have also heard good things about it!


----------



## Allie512 (Sep 28, 2010)

Jumping in here as I have the same questions. I was feeding C&P Organix for many years to Allie (7.5 year old GSD) and for the past year to my rescue, Ziggy. Organix was sold to Merrick and in Feb. Merrick started producing the food. Both dogs have loose stools and Allie in particular is having problems - stool samples have tested negative for both. I would like to switch and have narrowed down to Acana wild prairie and Fromm. Acana is a wild card as they have never been on grain free and Allie needs a food with a low ash content (Acana is 7.5 ash); Fromm is 5.6 ash but I am not sure what formula Fromm - the store in Las Vegas will have to order it for me. Any input would be appreciated.
Thank you.


----------



## GermanShepherdDog (Mar 26, 2012)

I'd go with either Orijen or Acana. However, if you're looking for a cheaper alternative that's still a great brand of dog food, Merrick Grain Free is the way to go. I don't like Fromm as many of their foods seem to have too many fillers in them.


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

I think I am leaning towards Acana right now. I like the fact that we can change the proteins from time to time rather then just Orijin adult. 

I know Orijin has different "flavours" as well but they are even more expensive


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

So, still pretty torn on this.

The difference between having the Oats in the puppy food and going with a Regional that is grain free, do you think there would be a big size difference in the stools? I.E the amount that would be needed to be picked up?

I'm also going to look into the Merrick Grain Free.


----------



## Jd414 (Aug 21, 2012)

Can someone point out the "fillers" in fromm

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



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

Merrick is a good food, but I would advise against their grain-free line for a pup until it is at least a year old. All of their grain-free formulas are quite a bit higher in calcium than I'd be comfortable feeding to a large breed puppy. 

I don't have any problem with foods that contain grains, as long as they are not the primary ingredient, though I would still try to avoid corn, wheat, and soy.


----------



## skier16 (Feb 21, 2013)

I picked up my puppy about a week in a half ago and she was having loose stools with a fromm LBP and eukanuba LBP mix (breeder fed). had a stool test done she had coccidia, vet said to just go to 100% fromm since her stools were already loose. within 1 day her stools were perfect and the small kibble size is easier for her small mouth to chew. they have won me over.


----------



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

Jd414 said:


> Can someone point out the "fillers" in fromm
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Well, it depends on the formula, but just picking a random one (Salmon Tunalini, for this example) - peas, russet potatoes, pea flour, tomato pomace all in the top 6 ingredients. That's not to say that Fromm is not a good food ... All kibbles (and canned foods as well) have some fillers. In my opinion, Fromm is one of the best foods on the market.


----------



## SusiQ (Jul 27, 2007)

Orijen Adult dog food is 69.49 for 28 lbs. on doggiefood.com - free shipping and no tax.


----------



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

SusiQ said:


> Orijen Adult dog food is 69.49 for 28 lbs. on doggiefood.com - free shipping and no tax.


Right now, if you're a new customer, you can also take 17% off that price using the coupon code NEW17. Free shipping for orders over $49 and tax, I believe depends on where you live, but should be tax free unless you live in Rhode Island, where they are located.


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

I live in Canada though... 

It's made in Canada and we pay more. Ya, that makes sense


----------



## Jd414 (Aug 21, 2012)

Ken Clean-Air System said:


> Well, it depends on the formula, but just picking a random one (Salmon Tunalini, for this example) - peas, russet potatoes, pea flour, tomato pomace all in the top 6 ingredients. That's not to say that Fromm is not a good food ... All kibbles (and canned foods as well) have some fillers. In my opinion, Fromm is one of the best foods on the market.


Do any of those ingredients have any nutritional value for a dog?

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Gsdmama79 (Mar 5, 2013)

DunRingill said:


> I don't really know, maybe 6 months at the latest! I tend to think that the whole special puppy food thing is mostly marketing.
> 
> As to raw.....I've been feeding raw for about 20 years. Not sure exactly how much I spend per month for my current 2, but I'll guess $80 - $100 per month? I can get chicken back for between 55 and 75 cents per pound, depending on how much work I want to do. Pork neck bones run about $1.29 per pound unless I can get them on sale. Green Tripe I buy frozen, and also a really gross beef liver and kidney mixture that they absolutely go nuts over. I think a good kibble is actually more expensive!


I agree. We saved lots when we switched to raw. Also, while it is more time consuming than kibble, it isn't that bad. We just bought in bulk and put a couple days worth in the fridge and threw it down for chow time.  we fed 4 protein sources each week (our crew had been on for quite a while) and it was a cinch. The most time consuming part was when we picked up a load and divided it up into smaller containers. Took a couple of hours on a Sat or Sun once per month. No big deal  regarding your choices on kibble, I like the Orijen. From what I saw, everything looked great coming out and their health was tip top. It's a great food. (Sorry to be crude, but there isn't a very polite way to say it.)


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Sibze (Jan 30, 2013)

Not really sure why this was moved... Wasn't talking about just puppy food. Was talking about all foods...

Anyway, I think we are going to go with Acana. A little cheaper but still a 5 star...


----------



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

Jd414 said:


> Do any of those ingredients have any nutritional value for a dog?
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


They all have some nutritional value ... If you go to Fromm's website and look at any of their foods, each ingredient in the ingredient list is a clickable link. When you click on an ingredient it will open a page explaining why that ingredient is there and what purpose it serves in the food. All foods include ingredients that many consider 'filler', and most 'filler' is there to serve a nutritional or processing purpose.


----------



## stu1951 (May 30, 2012)

*Food*

I buy Kirkland puppy food from Costco
Good price great product


----------



## Pandora (Feb 29, 2012)

One of my dogs turned 20 years old in March and is still bouncing and frisking around. She has always been an outside dog, her preference. My GS turned four April 5. Her coat is soft and glossy, her health superb, her behavior delightful. I feed Taste of the Wild bison-venison kibble I get at TSC, but I augment with various ingredients: ground bison; organic eggs; chia gel; organic peanut butter; wheatgrass powder; kelp powder; organic poultry; carrots. The bison meatballs I make usually include ground organic oats, carrots, eggs, sometimes cooked quinoa. From my experience, a dog can learn just about anything with the help of those meatballs!
Given the choice, my dogs prefer scrambled eggs to raw, steamed meaty bones to raw.


----------



## KumoWarrior (Mar 20, 2011)

*Raw Food*

We have been using Wendy Vollhard's raw food... our dog seems to love it... and it is convienient for us as it is on auto-ship. The only thing we have to add is meat... we use Bison because it is not modified.

Anyone else using Wendy food? Is your experience good or bad?

Oh, we also feed her Natto. Good for people anyway, my adopted dad lived until 106 when he was murdered on the highway by a drunk driver with six dui's. His wife lived to be 105.


----------



## Jo Gilmour (Aug 10, 2011)

*go raw*

How much time does it to put a few chicken necks, lamb off cuts, vegetables, boiled egg, etc, into a bowl and feed your puppy.
You will pay for not feeding raw in the long term.
Feeding Raw is fun, the dogs dont smell, their poop does not smell.
They grow up with strong healthy bones.
They grow old with good teeth, and no arthritis.
I wonder if you "just dont have the time" to feed a pup (which would take all of 10 min to prepare. However will you have the time to walk and exercise your dog for the next 12 to 15 years?
Try it its well worth it.


----------



## gEEksWag03 (Oct 25, 2012)

Jo Gilmour said:


> How much time does it to put a few chicken necks, lamb off cuts, vegetables, boiled egg, etc, into a bowl and feed your puppy.
> You will pay for not feeding raw in the long term.
> Feeding Raw is fun, the dogs dont smell, their poop does not smell.
> They grow up with strong healthy bones.
> ...


There is way more to feeding raw than this. Where is your organ meat. How bout the puree of the veggies, as dogs can't process veggies like we can and they need to be blended. It's a process and while it's worth it in the long run. I think a high quality kibble is just as good.


----------



## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

I wish diet was all it took to keep a dog healthy for life. 

Here is a raw option I'm looking into for my sensitive gut husky and to supplement my other two dogs. Champaine Enterpises - Products. It is the only affordable way I could feed "raw" here and for the number of dogs I have. This may be available in Canada, it might be worth looking into.

I have three ravenous dogs and I really can't justify paying $80 for a 33# bag of dog food. I've been feeding Taste of the Wild and been happy with it. At $50 a bag it is not cheap, but it is much more affordable than Fromm or Orijen.


----------



## CliffordDog (Aug 19, 2012)

*Slowly changing from Embark to Zignature*

Our boy has had a very sensitive stomach since he was 12 weeks old. Our vet recommended Embark, which really helped him. It is very expensive but nothing else worked. Clifford is now 15 months old and in the last month have been adding Zignature (turkey based) to his food. This is a grain free product just like Embark. It only has a 4 star rating but there are not a lot of dog foods around that are minimal ingredients made with turkey.


----------

