# Does anyone know of a kibble of better quality than Orijen?



## Maybelle (Jan 29, 2014)

My question is the title. Does anyone know of a kibble of better quality than Orijen?

Dry Dog Food | Orijen

Also, Acana dog foods are a more affordable sister-brand to Orijen. They are both made by Champion Petfoods. Acana is a little cheaper ($60 for 28.6 lb as opposed to $71, if ordered online) because it has a slightly lower % of protein, a slightly higher % of carbohydrates (with the inclusion of oats and potato), and less variety of meat (Arcana has 3 meat sources, where Orijen has a minimum of 6 depending on the formula and as many as 16).

Both companies follow the same "Biologically Appropriate" philosophy, which includes regional ingredients from good sources, and making the kibble from fresh (never frozen) ingredients.

ACANA PET FOODS | Acana

Backround:

I'm a single young man. My current dog, Maybelle, is my first dog. She's my pride and joy, the apple of my eye. So naturally, I want to spoil her(health wise, not behaviorally! we are currently seeing a trainer). I make decent money, so being single, I don't have many expenses. I've been feeding her Acana and Orijen kibble, because it's the best stuff that I can find. Eventually, I intend to start making my own raw food. I imagine myself making it once a week or month, vacuum sealing daily portions and freezing them. But for the time being I'm busy, low on freezer space, and maybe a little lazy, so she's still on kibble.

Any feedback would be appreciated! I'm pretty happy with Orijen but I was curious if there's a superior kibble out there.


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## boomer11 (Jun 9, 2013)

something better than orijen is canned food. it isnt heated to extreme temperatures so it retains its moisture. i feed ziwipeaks sometimes. look at the ingredients. quality stuff. 

then next to that would of course be the packaged premade raw. both cost a lot of money to feed imo.

when i do feed orijen i supplement with ziwipeaks. my dog sometimes isnt excited to eat orijen but will gobble it up without coming up for air if i supplement with a can of ziwipeak.


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## sniper and marley (Feb 2, 2014)

Orijen Is the highest quality kibble out there. That's what I was feeding both my German shepherds which, became real costly what I'm feeding now is merrick. Merrick is made in Texas and is comparable to Origen because of the high protein. Both merrick and orijen are at 38% crude protein. Merrick also has a lot more flavors to choose from like pork, buffalo, duck, beef and chicken. Merrick has a non grain free and grain free to choose from. Merrick is half the cost of orijen depending on where you get it. 


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

You could also serve up some raw (or slightly cooked) meals along with the other suggestions! Steve Browns Homemade Dinner Mix is added to your own ground meat. Pretty simple: Measure - Mix - Stir - Feed! See Spot Live Longer™ Homemade Dinner Mixes | Product Catalog
Info: Healthy Dog Food Dinner Mixes
"When mixed according to directions, See Spot Live Longer™ Homemade Dinner Mixes *are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adults and for all life stages."*
_"Ingredients: dried spinach, ground flax seed, dicalcium phosphate, oyster shell powder, dried spirulina algae, psyllium husk powder, organic dried kelp, sea salt, inulin, chelated minerals (iron, zinc, manganese and copper amino acid chelates), vitamin E, choline chloride, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3, vitamin B12."
_
"See Spot Live Longer™ Homemade Dinner Mixes blended with fresh lean meats (lightly cooked or raw) make the most nutritious and delicious meals you can serve your dogs. It's easy. Just add 2 tablespoons (4 for puppies) of our special mix to one pound of fresh beef, chicken, turkey, or lamb, and add a can of sardines or fish oils weekly."
You can use grocery store ground chuck (plain "hamburger" usually has way too much fat in it), Jennie O ground turkey, and Perdue ground chicken to change it up! Everyone agrees to disagree on amounts of raw food fed. Some feed 2% some up to to 6% of their body weight. You can find a calculator here: Calculate 
If you choose to cook the meat, you can put meat into boiling water for a minute or two and then rinse thoroughly to remove grease (dogs cannot digest cooked grease).
Might be something do-able for you to "spoil" your girl!

Moms


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Where is 3toesTony when you need him?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I am sure he is locked in some epic battle somewhere with sable123, just not here anymore.

That said, For many Orijen is a great food; for others not at all. There are many very good dog foods on the market.


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## s14roller (Nov 18, 2010)

If she does well on them, no need to change...both are top tier foods.


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## Waldi (Jun 14, 2013)

I have been using ACANA for my puppy and adult golden and and it is very good food.


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## marksteven (Aug 2, 2008)

jocoyn said:


> I am sure he is locked in some epic battle somewhere with sable123, just not here anymore.
> 
> That said, For many Orijen is a great food; for others not at all. There are many very good dog foods on the market.


I agree with you , would love to know who nominated Orijen as
the best Kibble? I know its probably the richest which plenty of
GSD dogs like mine cant tolerate it. i guess maybe the bag with 
the highest cost is the best


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## GSDNVR (Sep 13, 2013)

Mine loves and tolerates orijen extremely well
No GI issues whatsoever 


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

It is the one I recommend as a substitute when travelling or for those emergencies (power failure in blazing summer when meat goes rank) - or if you choose for any number of reasons not to feed raw .

they try their very best as a responsible company to provide the best nutrition , including an effort to maintain digestive enzymes by processing at the lowest safe temperature --- 
In conversation with the maker he did acknowledge that dogs benefit from added digestive enzymes to pull maximum nutrition out of the food . I would say that is a good plan -- and more important for other kibbles.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

jocoyn said:


> I am sure he is locked in some epic battle somewhere with sable123, just not here anymore.
> 
> That said, For many Orijen is a great food; for others not at all. There are many very good dog foods on the market.


lol:wild:


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## GSDNVR (Sep 13, 2013)

carmspack said:


> It is the one I recommend as a substitute when travelling or for those emergencies (power failure in blazing summer when meat goes rank) - or if you choose for any number of reasons not to feed raw .
> 
> they try their very best as a responsible company to provide the best nutrition , including an effort to maintain digestive enzymes by processing at the lowest safe temperature ---
> In conversation with the maker he did acknowledge that dogs benefit from added digestive enzymes to pull maximum nutrition out of the food . I would say that is a good plan -- and more important for other kibbles.


Agreed 100%
Also acana is very very high quality



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## blackshep (Aug 3, 2012)

Orijen and Acana are what I had my dog on. I feel they are one of the best kibbles out there, however my dog did not tolerate them well. But she didn't really tolerate any kibble well. lol

I changed her to raw, and oh my, what a difference! I'd say, if you're open to raw, that is the best thing, it's just so good for them! But if you go with a kibble, I think Orijen is one of the best on the market. 

I feed their dehydrated treats in training class, they are single protein source, freeze dried with no fillers.


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## GSDNVR (Sep 13, 2013)

I like the blue ridge beef line of ready made raw products

I feed that as a supplemental snack in conjunction with kibble


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

Has anyone tried their freeze-dried food yet? 
Regional Red | Orijen

I saw it in my local pet store, but it's much more expensive than feeding raw would be.


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## Sri (Apr 25, 2013)

carmspack said:


> In conversation with the maker he did acknowledge that dogs benefit from *added digestive enzymes* to pull maximum nutrition out of the food . I would say that is a good plan -- and more important for other kibbles.


Do you recommend any particular brand?


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I've tried others when my dog went through a spell of not being thrilled to eat it, to the point of missing meals all the time. Many that I actually really liked, he liked, the company was good. (Pioneer Naturals, made by Great Life). 

Unfortunately, he did not look anywhere near as good on anything else. So, back we went. He is now on the Adult, until I go back to work next month, but he still doesn't look as good as he does on the 6 Fish, which means when I start getting a paycheck again, back he'll go on it. *sigh*


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## marksteven (Aug 2, 2008)

Well, i think the "Best Kibble" is the one your dog does well on. Believe it or not, mine does fantastic On Purina Pro Plan Sensitive stomach/Fish
I dont think an EPI dog would do well or benefit from Orijen


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Whole Dog Journal does a review of commercial dog foods. Last I knew they made it available free on their website. 
That aside, when my 4 yo was a pup, I tried the best kibble I could find = loose stools gallore! Went with a less "high" one and she did fine. Sooo - it is going to depend on your dog.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

What is the best is subjective... I look for grain free, whole food, no by-products, no chemicals, no fillers, etc etc.

I like Orijen, Acana, Merrick, Nature's Variety Instinct, Go!, Now...

I've met with several representatives during my career, and was very pleased with the in-depth discussions I've had with Champion Petfoods (Orijen, Acana), Merrick, Percurean (GO and Now)... Those are the three "brands" I most commonly recommend because of my experience with them and my product knowledge.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Quality to me depends on the health and condition of the dogs. I don't feed Orijen but my adult dogs are very healthy, no allergies, no broken or decayed teeth, haven't been to the vet for any GI issues since....I can't even remember, I think it was over 5 years ago Coke had a bad bought of diarrhea and that's when I switched to the food we use now (FWIW Coke is not a GSD). Dogs are active, they don't smell, don't get ear infections, nice shiny coats. Lots of people stop to ask what I feed. I don't supplement because the dogs are really healthy, never had to.


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