# taking my girl off of orjen nexxt best thing?



## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

my breeder and the people at the pet store told me orjen wast the best dog food it is grain free

however after seeing the vet at 75 pounds loosing 10 pound in a month the vet told me to try something else after upping her intake she still didnt gain 

anyone know a really healthy dog food you would recc? i was thinking maybe something with grain in it but healthy?

my cat cant lose weight my dog wont gain lol 

i was thinking california natural or wellness maybe? anyone know what food keeps your doggs nice and thick where you dont have to feed lots of it?


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## koda girl (Feb 15, 2010)

Someone posted this link on another thread, I think it is great to learn about the different foods out there. I am looking to change also, I am thinking about going with Innova Large Bites.
Good luck.
Dog Food Reviews | Dog Food Ratings


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

koda what u on now?


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Orijen is renowned as the best dog food, however, it could be the worst food if it doesn't work for your dog. Whatever works for your dog is what's good. 

Some good kibbles with grain that I would use are:
Blue Buffalo (but right now this food seems to have a lot of controversy around it)
Nature's Variety: Prairie
Wellness
Merrick (At least I think it has grains... I know their Before Grain line doesn't though). 
Innova

Other grain free diets I would recommend are:
Taste of the Wild (what I currently feed).
Nature's Variety: Instinct
Merrick: Before Grain
Acana
Blue Wilderness
EVO
Wellness CORE


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## koda girl (Feb 15, 2010)

My girl is on Royal Canin GS. My problem is she is too thin. I have really been looking at all the different foods, it's not easy as there are so many of them. Like I said I am thinking about Innova or Nature's Variety, not sure I should go with grain free though. My food is almost finished so I have to decide by tomorrow.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

on that site all the five star or most of the five star foods are close to or actually are grain free

koda i dont think our dogs with high metobolism will gain weight with grain free they need carbs


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## koda girl (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks Pets4Life, I agree with you about the grain free. The Innova Large Bites is not GF and it was under the 4 stars. So I am thinking it should be a good food. I also like the idea that it is large bites. The RC GS she is on now is also large and I think it helps to slow down her eating a bit.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

wait if my dog is only 15 months cant i go back to puppy food till she is 2?


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> my breeder and the people at the pet store told me orjen wast the best dog food it is grain free
> 
> however after seeing the vet at 75 pounds loosing 10 pound in a month the vet told me to try something else after upping her intake she still didnt gain
> 
> ...


Where do you live?


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I switched Stosh from Orijen to TOTW. I did a taste test for him with some of each food in different bowls and he went nuts over the TOTW and he's doing really well on it.


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## MrsMiaW (Sep 25, 2010)

pets4life said:


> koda i dont think our dogs with high metobolism will gain weight with grain free they need carbs


Not trying to start anything here, but grain-free doesn't mean carbohydrate free. There are carbohydrates in grain-free formulas, like sweet potato and blueberries, etc. With that being said, you have to find the best food for your dog and if it isn't grain-free, that is certainly ok.

My GSD and my hound mix are both on TOTW and they are doing very well. They look fantastic, have great energy and love the food. Not to mention, we rarely have any loose stool now, whereas before, our GSD had some solid, some loose and I knew that wasn't healthy for him. (They were on a food with grains at that time).


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I guess you can't tell until you try another food. I amfeeding a dog "Go" right now to a dog. So far, so good. tOTW has a lot fewer calories than Orijen. If you use it, be sure and up her intake enough.


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

If you have a Tractor Supply nearby the 4 health they sell is one of the 4 star rated foods and has worked real well for my dogs.
I have a friend who has dobermans that have trouble putting on weight easily and she was told to take foods containing corn out of their diet, and it's working, so I'm wondering if you want to put weight on a dog would adding a food with corn in it help, I know those foods arent' always looked on as best but if the dogs needs it and it works....


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

pets4life said:


> my breeder and the people at the pet store told me orjen wast the best dog food it is grain free
> 
> however after seeing the vet at 75 pounds loosing 10 pound in a month the vet told me to try something else after upping her intake she still didnt gain
> 
> ...


Take a look at timberwolf food, per cup it has the most calories I have seen in the foods I have looked at. It has a high rating 5 * and it is grain free. They have had recalls, but so have most human foods that we are eating every day. We are on Acana now after orijen didn't agree with her. Seems to be ok with Acana.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

Diamond Naturals is a four star food too. Since we have tighten the Belt I am trying that for my dogs. It's almost half the price for 40 pounds. So it's a good cheap food. At least from the reviews I've been reading online.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

pets4life said:


> my breeder and the people at the pet store told me orjen wast the best dog food it is grain free
> 
> however after seeing the vet at 75 pounds loosing 10 pound in a month the vet told me to try something else after upping her intake she still didnt gain
> 
> ...


Has your dog had any GI testing to check for something like EPI? Overview - EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency 

Those rating systems....just take a quick read through here...
The Dog Food Project - Grading kibble - easily?
The Dog Food Project - Common Fallacies of Dog Food Reviews


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

hello not yet vet wanted me to try new food first she said if switching doesnt work then we will test her 

i think i am gonna go with puppy innova or wellness


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## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

I used to feed my dog EVO but she didn't do as well as the Innova Red Meat. One, Evo was like rocket fuel with the no grain high protein and she was a high metabolism kind of girl (too bad I'm not)...Once she hit two...everything slowed down, one because of age, and two because of meds.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

evo is a lot like orjen both i imagine can be great for the right dog 

i remember i fed these foods to cats because a lot of cats are pron to getting so fat these food kept them lean and muscle


may i ask those of you who feed grain free how many cups do you feed? 

right now i am on five cups i think she is getting thicker could be my eyes though her stools though runny one second hard the next so still must swich going to the store tommorrow i think 

orjen max dose for the largest most active breeds is 4 and a half cups a day but these are adult dogs 15 month old gsd is still a pup


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## Mika140 (Jan 8, 2011)

I haven't really heard of any dogs on Orijen that lost that much weight, unless there was a health issue going on. 

The dogs I know of with health issues that didn't handle Orijen well and lost weight at the time only ended up doing ok on something like Pro Plan Performance. I can't imagine any normal energy food is going to add weight if your dog lost that much while on the Orijen. 

10 lbs seems like A LOT of weight for a 75 lb dog to lose in a month. My dog lost about 7 in a month and it was during a terrible flare up of IBD. If you try out another food and your vet doesn't want to do more testing, I'd get a 2nd vet opinion and push for some tests.


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## 3ToesTonyismydog (Dec 27, 2009)

That sounds very odd to me. How often are you feeding??? You should be feeding twice a day and Orijen is is fact the BEST dog food made today.....

*The A list*
*1. **Orijen*
2. Acana, Harvest, pacifica & grassland Only.
3. Horizon Legacy
4. Taste of the Wild, wetlands & prairie, ONLY.
5. GO, grain free /Endurance Only.
6. Fromm, 4 star.
7. Merrick, grain free
8. Wellness Core
9. Blue Wilderness
10. Acana, the rest of Acana products.
11. Artemis
*The B list*
1. GO, the rest of their products.
2. The rest of Merrick
2. Evangers
3. Timberwolf
4. Fromm, the rest of their products.
5. Instinct
6. Wellness *super 5 mix*
7. Now, Grain free. 
8. Solid Gold
9. Precise Holistic Complete, Only.
10. Pinnacle
11. Natures Logic
12. First Mate
13. Kirkland or Natural Domain, Costco!
14. Now, the rest of their products.

*The C list*
*1. **Nutrisource*
*2. **Chicken soup for the dog lovers soul*
*3. **Exclusive*
*4. **Pure Vita*
*5. *Canidae, Grain Free ALS, Only.
*6. **Wellness *
*7. **Earthborn*
*8. **Evo*
*9. **Annamaet*
*10. **Organix*
*11. **Natural Balance, not all are good!*
*12. **Whole Earth farms, this well move up!*
*13. **Premium Edge*


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> my breeder and the people at the pet store told me orjen wast the best dog food it is grain free
> 
> however after seeing the vet at 75 pounds loosing 10 pound in a month the vet told me to try something else after upping her intake she still didnt gain
> 
> ...


 
I would get a 30% protein/20% fat performance food.

The best ones are Annamaet Ultra, Dr. Tim's, Red Paw, Precise Endurance.

Close second is Eukanuba Performance 30/20 or 28/18.

Good ones are Eagle Power Pack, Pro Pac High Performance, Healthwise Active and Pro Plan Performance.

The other foods you mentioned are overpriced and all marketing.

And that list above is a joke. That guy has never used most of those and he is not an expert.


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## Girth (Jan 27, 2011)

I feed totw as well and I like the results I've seen. The gang eats it with no problems. Plus the nightime feeding I will add a little beef heart or sardines mixed in with the kibble. Both those are fairly cheap at the store I shop at.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

Girth said:


> I feed totw as well and I like the results I've seen. The gang eats it with no problems. Plus the nightime feeding I will add a little beef heart or sardines mixed in with the kibble. Both those are fairly cheap at the store I shop at.


 
One thing that is not talked about much when it comes to why foods with grain are better for hard keepers is that grains, particularly corn, have a group of enzymes that make the whole digestion process more complete. Many believe that grain is just caloric and that is why, but it is actual the enzymes in the grains that make digestion more efficient.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

> One thing that is not talked about much when it comes to why foods with grain are better for hard keepers is that grains, particularly corn, have a group of enzymes that make the whole digestion process more complete.


Anecdotally, I have noticed this with the corn containing foods and poor keepers. For dogs who can not tolerate corn, is there another option that works well?


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

Samba said:


> Anecdotally, I have noticed this with the corn containing foods and poor keepers. For dogs who can not tolerate corn, is there another option that works well?


Yes the enzyme Amylase, but the natural compound in corn is more effective because of the way it is distributed and some of the other compounds that are not in commercial enzymes.

It is rare that a dog cannot tolerate corn, as rare as rice. I think people blaim corn with no scientific proof. 

That said the better foods with corn will essentially "cook" it twice so it is fully gelatinized.

As I said above, it is not because corn makes them gain weight as much as what it does to make the food more available.


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## redsox10 (Jun 12, 2010)

My dog was on Orjen. The protein amount was to high and he had loose stools. I switched to Nature's Variety Prairie. He is doing well with this. We are now looking at a raw food diet. Anyone doing this?


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

redsox10 said:


> We are now looking at a raw food diet. Anyone doing this?


I feed a raw prey model diet and my dogs are all doing fantastic on it. Luna was 7 months old when we switched, and the other two have been on raw since we adopted them.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

i bought innova large bites for now i saw eagle pack there it had corn in it i wanted to try it out i think i am gonna get a bag of that also but i dont know if eagle power pack and eagle pack are the same? 

sable are they the same? please let me know? also i cannot find out the carb content in eagle pack?


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> i bought innova large bites for now i saw eagle pack there it had corn in it i wanted to try it out i think i am gonna get a bag of that also but i dont know if eagle power pack and eagle pack are the same?
> 
> sable are they the same? please let me know? also i cannot find out the carb content in eagle pack?



Eagle Pack is the name of the company. "Power Adult" is the formula I mentioned.

Eagle Pack - Natural Pet Food - Dog Formulas


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Hey Sable......My dogs are eating off the "bottom C list"...except the few that are lucky enough to eat the Kirkland food located on the B-list!!
hahahahaha!
OMG...is all I can say.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

robinhuerta said:


> Hey Sable......My dogs are eating off the "bottom C list"...except the few that are lucky enough to eat the Kirkland food located on the B-list!!
> hahahahaha!
> OMG...is all I can say.


Well, expect the Dog Food Police to come a knockin. If I were you I would flush all that bad food and get empty Orijen bags from someone else and play the Dog Food Police game.

Deny all knowledge of grains, especially corn.

:crazy:


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## Portbrix (Apr 7, 2011)

Diamond Naturals can be found at Costco- It is the same thing as Costco Brand Kirkland Dog Food. It can be bought at around $25 for a 40lb bag. Taste of the Wild is also made by Diamond, it is a higher grade food than Diamond Naturals/Kirkland Brand dog food. I have used this and know many who have.


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## Marines02 (Dec 2, 2010)

I feed my boy Chicken Soup fot the Dog large breed.
I t'sreasonably priced and rated 5 stars out of 6 by dog food analysis


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

redsox10 said:


> My dog was on Orjen. The protein amount was to high and he had loose stools. I switched to Nature's Variety Prairie. He is doing well with this. We are now looking at a raw food diet. Anyone doing this?



Yes, we feed raw in the morning - prepackaged raw - Nature's Variety and Primal is what our pet store offers. Whole Foods also has a raw section for dogs and cats. Evening meal is Orijen with half a can of Evangers or leftover protein from out meals. Our dog also did well on Nature's Variety grain free, but our pet store stopped selling it so now it's Orijen. Feeding raw, even only for one meal has worked wonders for our dog, no fussiness, good poop, improved skin, less itchiness.

To the original post, have you tried adding some can or cooked meat, egg, etc to your dry? My new dog and the old one would never eat dry kibble plain.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

update my vet saw my dog she looks healthy and beatufiul vet said her current weight is perfect i fed her five cups a day spaced out twice a day to get her here vet really likes it her size


ok one other problem she still poos once in a while her poo looks like buttersctoch pudding?? WE de worm and de flea her again and my vet ordered me to give her some can pumpkin today and some natural yogert. 

sometimes the outside of her poo is hard and firm but when i pick it up with pooper scooper the inside of the poo is buttescotch pudding?


CHanged her food again to a new kind of wellness that is for dogs with weak stomachs it is called wellness simple food solutions rice and lamb formula my vet thinks my dog may have issues with chicken and or fish 


if this does not work vet ordered me to try a food called MULGA SOUP? OR mulga stew? Something like that? another food for dogs with sensative stomachs anyone heard of it? My vet told me to try duck if lamb doesn twork!! 

my vet thinks it has to be a food issue because my dog to her seems perfect health energy and size 

i wanted to try eagle pack but vet said corn no no no no no no NO! She told me to throw eagle pack out the window.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

ekkk her new food only got 3 stars that is not a good rating i was hoping for at least 4 stars min  


Wellness Simple Food Solutions Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

pets4life said:


> ekkk her new food only got 3 stars that is not a good rating i was hoping for at least 4 stars min
> 
> 
> Wellness Simple Food Solutions Dry Dog Food | Review and Rating


 
wellness imports some of the ingredients from china. Thats an automatic keep away for me.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

There is nothing wrong with your dog you are just feeding too much. Try Original Eagle Pack and start with 3 cups a day and see how her weight is after a week.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

If you want to understandable dog food ratings, take a look at Whole Dog Journal's annual list. Their website lists the criteria so you can understand what they are talking about and it also gives you an idea of what to look for in an ingredient list. 

Now I'll tell you that I was delighted to find the pet store equivalent of big box stores were selling top rated dog foods. When I switched to adult food with the youngest resident here, I was very happy with the ingredient list. My dogs love the food. And they had pudding poop. So to feed that food I had to supplement. I got turned on to Best Breed (working formula for the youngster who burns a gazzlion calories zipping around the yard alone - GSD for Mr. Geezer who zips less overall and gains weight.) No more pudding poop! Dogs like the food, dogs eat well. Jr. is still thin but she is still growing, has a ton of energy & a well-muscled butt.

As someone else said in this, the best food is going to be what works for your dog. One caution, remember to switch foods gradually - blending old and new gradually until you phase out the old over several days.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

Best Breed looks like a very good diet. I could tell right away that it is made by Ohio Pet Foods where Annamaet, Dr. Tim's, Blackwood and Verus are made.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

sable i wanted eagle pack they said another company bought them out and they are gonna weed eagle pack out now? My vet got upset at the thought of corn though. 4 or 5 cups a day is what my vet wants 3 cups is too small that is why she was too thin before. My vet wants her to stay at this size she said hr size is perfect now. Shes not big or fat but not too thin. 


what does everyone think of the new type of wellness? I wonder why it got a 3 stars and other wellness has 4 or 5 stars wierd.


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## sable123 (Jul 11, 2010)

pets4life said:


> sable i wanted eagle pack they said another company bought them out and they are gonna weed eagle pack out now? My vet got upset at the thought of corn though. 4 or 5 cups a day is what my vet wants 3 cups is too small that is why she was too thin before. My vet wants her to stay at this size she said hr size is perfect now. Shes not big or fat but not too thin.
> 
> 
> what does everyone think of the new type of wellness? I wonder why it got a 3 stars and other wellness has 4 or 5 stars wierd.


Eagle, Wellness & Holistic Select are all owned by the same company. Eagle started Holistic Select and then sold out after Wellness sold out.

http://www.berwind.com/wellpet.htm

They are owned by Berwind, share ingredients and are all made in the same plant in Indiana.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

This is a email I got from Natural Balance today on their food

Thank you for contacting Natural Balance and for your interest in our products. In regards to your concern about our ingredients, please know that ALL of our products are manufactured here in the United States but we do have to out-source some ingredients. About 94% of our ingredients are from the United States, 4% from New Zealand (Lamb & Venison), less than 1% from Europe (minerals), and less than 1% from Asia (an amino acid supplement Taurine, which is ONLY available in Asia at this time). 

All of the protein used in our products is from USDA inspected facilities as well. All of our products are also tested from start to finish ensuring that there are no contaminants and that they are safe to feed. Natural Balance has a strict testing policy to insure the safety of our products in which we test ALL of our products for nine different contaminates. These contaminates include Salmonella, E. coli, Ochratoxin, Zearalenone, Fumonisin, Melamine, Cyanuric Acid, Aflatoxin, and DON (Vomitoxin). We post all of our test results online at http://naturalbalance.us/for our customers to view through our Buy With Confidence Program.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,


*Heather Acuff, B.S.*
Animal Nutrition
Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.
[email protected]
(800) 829-4493


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

may i ask how long do u give a food a chance to see if it is the right one for your dog?


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I've been told 2 months but my personal opinion would be that it depends on what's coming out the other end. I once mixed in a tiny bit of a new food into my dog's old and the outcome was the most horrible explosive diarrhea I've ever seen. I didn't try again.


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

ohh ic so a month or a few weeks of loose stools after a switch from foods isto be expeccted i assume?


i settle for mull stew lamb and rice for the next couple of months didnt wanna go with wellness i added in a bit of organic plaine yogert


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