# Orijen 6 Fish Feeding Portion for 5-6 Month Puppy



## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

I recently switched to Orijen 6 Fish for my 5.5 month old GSD puppy.

She LOVES this food. And the poop is a lot better than it was when she was on Orijen Large Breed Puppy. I still have not noticed the "glossy healthy fur" everyone talks about who have their dogs on Orijen 6 Fish, but I guess it looks okay to me.

But their feeding recommendation (Six Fish Dog | Orijen) states that an "active" dog weighing 20 kilos should only get 2 cups a day. 

This seems a really small amount as I have been feeding my dog 2.5 to 3 cups a day of Orijen Large Breed Puppy and she is still quite skinny. 

Is it okay to adjust the portion upwards based on "how she looks"?


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## Ace GSD (May 30, 2014)

I was going to feed my 5 months this also but then i see calcium 1.4-1.7% and phos 1.1-1.4 %.
2 cups is not enough for your dog cause thats for adult size 20 kg and your dog is just a baby and maybe around 35 kg adult size . i would say around 3-3.5 cups for your dog and adjust based on how she looks.


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## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

Ace GSD said:


> I was going to feed my 5 months this also but then i see calcium 1.4-1.7% and phos 1.1-1.4 %.
> 2 cups is not enough for your dog cause thats for adult size 20 kg and your dog is just a baby and maybe around 35 kg adult size . i would say around 3-3.5 cups for your dog and adjust based on how she looks.


Are those calcium and phosphorus levels "bad" for a 5 month old puppy?

I got the impression that some people switch early to an adult food, some people wait until the pups are a year old, and in the long-run, it doesn't matter a whole lot?


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## Ace GSD (May 30, 2014)

arctic said:


> Are those calcium and phosphorus levels "bad" for a 5 month old puppy?
> 
> I got the impression that some people switch early to an adult food, some people wait until the pups are a year old, and in the long-run, it doesn't matter a whole lot?


The thing about High calcium is that it promote rapid growth that might cause skeletal problem in later life for the dog. I been feeding my 5 months old adult food also . i feed him Fromm lamb and lentils Lamb & Lentil Dog Food - Technical Analysis.
However the calcium/phos level is not as high... its 1.3/1.1. Im curious what others have to say too. There are so many pros here that have 20-40 years experience with german shepherd and im sure they will be here soon.


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## Oldschool (Sep 23, 2011)

We raised our last two pups on Orijen Large Puppy and because they are active we had to increase by 50% the recommended portion size on advice from our vet. She felt the pups were too thin and she wanted to see a bit more meat on their ribs in case they ever had to fight a sickness. 

Adult food is for dogs beyond the growing stage. The nice stools will come with time.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

arctic said:


> Is it okay to adjust the portion upwards based on "how she looks"?


It's perfectly fine to adjust the quantity upwards based on your dog's condition, and in fact you should always feed to condition rather than strictly following the guide. Keep in mind that because this is an adult food, the feeding guide is based on what a 20 kilo adult would need, not a 20 kilo puppy. Puppies need as much as 1-1/2 to 2 times as much nutrition as an adult of the same weight - this will vary depending on the age of the puppy, and feeding guides are just estimated amounts. 

**I did not think 6 Fish was recommended for puppies, but I looked online, and it does show guidelines for puppies:


> 1-1/2 to 3 months, feed twice adult amount, 3-6 months feed 1-1/2 times adult amount, and 6-11 months feed 1-1/4 times the adult amount.


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## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

I haven't really done a scientific analysis, but based on a short sample size (5-6 days), it seemed like she smelled more while eating Arden Grange (which contains maize and rice).

She absolutely LOVES the Orijen 6 fish. Noticeably more than the Orijen LBP. It seems like she has less of the doggy smell. And it also seems like she is scratching herself less. 

In any case, I'll have her go through the bag and see if I can spot any noticeable changes.


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## Ace GSD (May 30, 2014)

arctic said:


> I haven't really done a scientific analysis, but based on a short sample size (5-6 days), it seemed like she smelled more while eating Arden Grange (which contains maize and rice).
> 
> She absolutely LOVES the Orijen 6 fish. Noticeably more than the Orijen LBP. It seems like she has less of the doggy smell. And it also seems like she is scratching herself less.
> 
> In any case, I'll have her go through the bag and see if I can spot any noticeable changes.


Thats awesome ... Smell less and scratch less is good. Im just a bit unsure on the high cal level


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## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

Just an update on Orijen 6 Fish.

I have had her on this for a few weeks now and is has made a really significant difference.

Her poops are HEALTHY. When she was on Orijen LBP, it was always soft and sometimes pudding-like. With Orijen 6 Fish, they are firm and retain form, better than even with Arden Grange (which has grains)

Her doggy smell is LESS. She stunk while on Arden Grange. It was noticeable with Orijen LBP. With Orijen 6 Fish, the "doggy smell" is not even noticeable to me anymore.

Her tear drops are gone. She always used to have a running left eye of tears, basically since I got her from the breeders. I even took her to the vet who provided some eye solution. With Orijen 6 Fish, the tear drops are gone!


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## Ace GSD (May 30, 2014)

Good for you and the puppy sir ! I cant wait to feed Ace this food.... I went to a retailer the other day , she gave me sample and Ace love it.


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## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

Ace GSD said:


> Good for you and the puppy sir ! I cant wait to feed Ace this food.... I went to a retailer the other day , she gave me sample and Ace love it.


It's definitely done some noticeable good for her. Her coat also feels wonderful.

I'm surprised at the big difference it made even within Orijen lines. Large Breed Puppy just did not agree with her whereas 6 Fish is making her visibly HEALTHY.


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## Glacier (Feb 25, 2009)

My pup is currently on Acana Pacifica and we hope to move him to Orijen 6 fish after we finish this bag. He also had pudding poops on the LBP formula and seems to have a sensitivity to chicken eggs, the 6 fish formula is the only Orijen formula that doesn't feature eggs. He was on Farmina and completely broke out in hives and was scratching his fur out, now that we have omitted the chicken eggs he's doing fine. Glad to see your pup doing so well.


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## arctic (Jun 20, 2014)

Glacier said:


> My pup is currently on Acana Pacifica and we hope to move him to Orijen 6 fish after we finish this bag. He also had pudding poops on the LBP formula and seems to have a sensitivity to chicken eggs, the 6 fish formula is the only Orijen formula that doesn't feature eggs. He was on Farmina and completely broke out in hives and was scratching his fur out, now that we have omitted the chicken eggs he's doing fine. Glad to see your pup doing so well.


Good luck with the switch. So far so good, although my puppy's shedding is going out of control right now. Guess she's losing her puppy coat.


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