# Orijen vs Nature's Variety Instinct



## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

I have managed to narrow my food options down to Orijen Puppy and Nature's Variety Instinct (duck/turkey). From what I have read both foods have excellent protein sources, are grain free and have quality ingredients. 

They seem very similar to me and I am not sure if there is something I may be missing to make one better than the other. I like that Orijen uses free range meat sources but I also like the advertised "freeze dried raw coating" from Nature's variety. Any suggestions/ opinions would be much appreciated. 

(I apologize if this seems like a repost. I noticed that there is a similar thread but the recommendation seemed to be a RAW diet which is not possible for me at this time.)


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## Loki Love (May 23, 2010)

I'd venture they are equally good - it will come down to cost, availability and what your pup prefers/does well on  If it were me, I'd go with Orijen because I like supporting Canadian companies


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## Clamothe (Jan 20, 2011)

Loki Love said:


> I'd venture they are equally good - it will come down to cost, availability and what your pup prefers/does well on  If it were me, I'd go with Orijen because I like supporting Canadian companies


I like where Orijen is sourced better, I also like that they include fish in their adult formula for the omega 3s. I also have better coats on Orijen then I have had on Instinct.


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## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks for the input! I was leaning towards Orjen because they seem like such a great company but Instinct seemed like a great food. Unless there is a huge difference in price I think I will be going with the Orijen.


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## Hallie (Nov 9, 2008)

Orijen is a little cheaper around here when compared to instinct. Orijen is about $38 for a 15lb bag whereas instinct is $35 (rabbit) for a 13lb bag. The instinct chicken is cheaper than orijen but I believe it is the only one that is. Hallie loved the rabbit and did terrible on orijen adult but great on orijen regional red.


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## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

I am going to take a trip to the local feed store and compare prices this weekend. I am probably going to start her off on Taste of the Wild as this is what the breeder feeds and then slowly transition to Orijen.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Loki Love said:


> I'd venture they are equally good - it will come down to cost, availability and what your pup prefers/does well on  If it were me, I'd go with Orijen because I like supporting Canadian companies


I can NOT find Orijen in my area. I'm hoping someone will decide to carry it soon  The nearest store (on the store locator) is an hour away. Sigh.
FWIW, my dogs have been on NVI and did well.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I feel like they're pretty close to equal. I think Orijen is a little step up. I just like where they produce their food, and I think the meat content is a little bit higher. NV Instinct sources their rabbit from China, FYI. Some people are concerned about that stuff. But I think both are really nice foods. I've fed NV Instinct and Jackson did very well on it, but did gain a tad bit of weight (and I wasn't over-feeding at all, I was feeding less than the bag recommended). He does really fanastic on Orijen Regional Red, but not really Orijen Adult (he got gassy, and this is a dog who is never ever gassy, and he pooped a bit more). I do still feed NV Instinct canned food to him. I liked that Instinct doesn't have potatoe in it, as a lot of grain-free foods seem to be really potato-heavy and lacking in the meat department.


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## BlackShadowCaneCorso (Feb 3, 2011)

We have used both Orijen and their slightly cheaper version ACANA. The dogs have done well on both foods and both are easy to find for us because one of the local board kennels carry them. ACANA is the cheaper of the 2 here and also carry a grain-free versions.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Why not do a rotation of both? That way you get the benefits of both products.


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## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I have spoken with her breeder and she highly recommended Taste of the Wild supplemented with some raw. I can not do an entirely raw diet right now but I could definitely supplement with Nature's Variety raw. If for any reason she does not do well with this combination I am going to switch her to Orijen. 



BlackShadowCaneCorso said:


> We have used both Orijen and their slightly cheaper version ACANA. The dogs have done well on both foods and both are easy to find for us because one of the local board kennels carry them. ACANA is the cheaper of the 2 here and also carry a grain-free versions.


I was very interested in their grasslands formula but unfortunately it is not available at any of my local stores. 



kafkabeetle said:


> Why not do a rotation of both? That way you get the benefits of both products.


I have never done rotation feeding and was worried that it might be a bit much for a puppy. If she doesn't have an overly sensitive stomach I think this is something I would love to do in the future.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Arrie said:


> Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I have spoken with her breeder and she highly recommended Taste of the Wild supplemented with some raw. I can not do an entirely raw diet right now but I could definitely supplement with Nature's Variety raw. If for any reason she does not do well with this combination I am going to switch her to Orijen.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just a quick FYI, 2 of my dogs were raised with rotational and both of them have iron guts. The dog I didn't do any rotation with now can't handle a lot of stuff. I think if they are started out being introduced to more things (slowly, one at a time) , they don't "develop" a sensitive stomach  (If you (general) ate nothing but chicken and baked potatos for a year and ate a steak dinner with baked beans, you would probably be pretty sick the next day.)


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> I can NOT find Orijen in my area. I'm hoping someone will decide to carry it soon  The nearest store (on the store locator) is an hour away. Sigh.
> FWIW, my dogs have been on NVI and did well.


 Jenny, check out www.petflow.com

They're designed for auto delivery but you can order without signing up. Thats where I got my mid size bag of Orijen fish, as soon as they carry the larger bags, and Ginger does well on it as well, I'll be signing up with them. Good prices and awesome shipping prices, if you have to pay (free for most). Check them out on FB as well, you can get free shipping


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## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> Just a quick FYI, 2 of my dogs were raised with rotational and both of them have iron guts. The dog I didn't do any rotation with now can't handle a lot of stuff. I think if they are started out being introduced to more things (slowly, one at a time) , they don't "develop" a sensitive stomach  (If you (general) ate nothing but chicken and baked potatos for a year and ate a steak dinner with baked beans, you would probably be pretty sick the next day.)


This is very interesting. Would feeding different flavors of the same brand have the same effect? I may buy smaller bags of both so that she can have some added variety as she grows. I hadn't considered that I could potentially cause her to develop food sensitivities.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

InkedMarie said:


> Jenny, check out www.petflow.com
> 
> They're designed for auto delivery but you can order without signing up. Thats where I got my mid size bag of Orijen fish, as soon as they carry the larger bags, and Ginger does well on it as well, I'll be signing up with them. Good prices and awesome shipping prices, if you have to pay (free for most). Check them out on FB as well, you can get free shipping


Awesome! Thanks Marie!  Do your dogs do well on Orijen AND THK? I know you feed both; I feed THK at night. (Though tonight they got kibble).



Arrie said:


> This is very interesting. Would feeding different flavors of the same brand have the same effect? I may buy smaller bags of both so that she can have some added variety as she grows. I hadn't considered that I could potentially cause her to develop food sensitivities.


My idea isn't scientific, it's just what's worked for me  I usually rotate brands, but if I don't (my dogs go cuckoo for Merricks grain free line) I rotate the protien source.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

Jenny,
Boone has been on Orijen adult and Acana adult. He is still a paw licker, chews his ears etc which is why I got a box of THK's Zeal. He just doesn't care so much for it, alone anyway. I'm mixing it with the Embark and they will all eat it. I just transitioned him onto Orijen fish...I want to see if this helps the paw licking etc. I am also just starting to transition Ginger over to the Orijen fish, I'd prefer to have those two on one food, if possible. Katie's on Wellness Core reduced fat. We're taking an Honest Kitchen break for a short while, while I see if there's any improvement with the fish. When they do eat THK, its at breakfast. Easier for me to make it as sometimes STeve feeds them in the afternoon. He just doesn't "get" how to make it, at least my version of right LOL


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## Arrie (Feb 1, 2011)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> My idea isn't scientific, it's just what's worked for me  I usually rotate brands, but if I don't (my dogs go cuckoo for Merricks grain free line) I rotate the protien source.


I think I will give this a try, I like the idea of introducing different protein sources. This also seems like it would keep her from getting bored with her food.


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