# Has anyone had problems on orijen? or opinions?



## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

I started giving my dog orijen because my mom's dog eats it and he seemed to like it more than canidae. He still doesn't eat nearly as much as he should, but I think this is something I'm going to bring up with the vet on tuesday. No normal dog should be starving themselves to the point where his hipbones and ribs are sticking out!

Ever since going on it he's had dandruff, had days where he's lethargic and grumbly (he'll lay on the couch half asleep and do a low growly whine periodically) and just generally doesn't seem to be doing well on it. But for the life of me I can't figure out what he'd be allergic to in it. The only thing I can think of is all the herbs that are in it? 

I'm going to change foods but I want to see what my vet says first, so I don't just buy another food that he's allergic to in some way.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

It's uber-high in protein... Like, twice as much as normal dog foods.

Most dog foods are somewhere around 20% protein, sometimes a bit more sometimes a bit less, but Orijen's around 46% protein. So it's very high, which normally would be okay for very active dogs as long as they access to a lot of fresh water all the time.

Maybe it's the super high protein that your dog's not reacting well too?

I rotate between Orijen and Now (that has a regular protein content) because they're both grain free.

Orijen is a very high quality food but that doesn't mean that it's the best for every dog.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

Is it higher in protein than Innova Evo? We had him on that for about 6 months and he did ok on it.


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## BarkNaturalPetFood (Feb 13, 2008)

Orijen is great for many dogs. Double check the amount that you are feeding, because Orijen is HARD to convert because the package lists dog weight in Kilos so you need to convert to lbs. Second, realize that with a grain free food, you won't have to feed as much as with a food like Canidae. Overfeeding may cause the lethargy that you are describing. If diet is correct, perhaps try a fish based formula and see if that helps the skin. Additionally, moist foods and or fish oil supplements really help skin conditions. Also, it takes up to a month for the body to fully adjust to a different diet, so stick it out if you haven't yet.
I personally use Orijen for 4 cats and I love it.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

I don't think over-feeding is an issue. He's actually lost a ton of weight (which he didn't have much to lose) since going on it and he's not a big eater. This is something I have to discuss with the vet on tuesday because I'm tired of the cycle of refusing to eat and starving himself to the point of being skin and bones and making himself ill. He has bounced back within the last few days and he ate a ton of food the last 2 days in a row. I started mixing a little bit of wellness canned duck and potato and it seemed to perk him up.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

i had looked at orijen, but the high pricetag, and high protein turned me off. then i looked at wellness core... still too high. so i went with taste of the wild. the protein content is much lower than other grain-free foods, and so is the pricetag. my girls are thriving on it! they both put on much needed weight, and my brindles coat totally transformed. her coat was always rough, coarse feeling and kind of dull. now her coat is so shiny and soft! i never thought i would see it that way! but thats just a suggestion. hope everything goes well!


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## Canadian Dog (Nov 3, 2007)

Molly has been on Orijen since I brought her home as that's what the breeder fed her. She was up to 4 cups a day but in the last month or so her appetite has decreased and she's not gaining weight as quickly and seems to be leveling off. She has been 50 pounds for over a month now - the vet said she's a good weight and is slender under all that hair. So far I haven't had any problems with the Orijen.


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## Motebi (Apr 8, 2008)

Orijen is great for working dogs but I would not feed that kind of kibble to the regular dog unless he has the workload of a sleigh dog.  
Why not switch over to another high quality kibble like Pinnacle (grain free, but low in protein) or Solid Gold "Barking at the Moon" (if you do insist on high protein. ) Timberwolf Organics isn't bad either. 
I swore off dry dog food and moved on to an all natural raw diet. Never looked back.


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## Cheetah (May 25, 2006)

I'll probably try Orijen with Shippo when we get into flyball. I'd love to see how he does on it. The store down the street JUST started selling it, so I'm really excited.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

Cheetah said:


> I'll probably try Orijen with Shippo when we get into flyball. I'd love to see how he does on it. The store down the street JUST started selling it, so I'm really excited.


no places around here are selling it yet. if so i maybe would try a small bag. i got a great deal at the store a couple weeks ago though. they had a bunch of discounted food because they overstocked. i got a bag of solid gold (4lb bag) wolf cub for $5. we are saving that small bag for vacations and things because i like the food, and since its a small bag its easy to pack. might use it for camping this summer  i have to get more food today so i will have to look to see if there is any more good deals!

MOTEBI- how is that pennacle, have you fed it? i have read over the ingredients online but i couldnt find a price and there are no distributors around me that carry it. i like the ingredents, whats the price like?


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## Motebi (Apr 8, 2008)

Hi GreatDaneMom,

I fed it to my Dane actually and he did really well on it.  Haven't bought it in two years though, but back then it was about $38 for 30 pounds. I just liked the fact that it was grain free and not too high in protein.


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## GreatDaneMom (Sep 21, 2007)

Motebi said:


> Hi GreatDaneMom,
> 
> I fed it to my Dane actually and he did really well on it.  Haven't bought it in two years though, but back then it was about $38 for 30 pounds. I just liked the fact that it was grain free and not too high in protein.


protein is one reason why i was looking at it. i ended up putting my girls on taste of the wild right now, and theyre doing great on it, but ive always been looking around for pennacle


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

I didn't get to see my regular vet yesterday (sigh). I asked the vet about orijen and he said the protein level is fine. Even so I think I'm going to try a different food because of his dandruff. The vet said it might not be food related but it seems pretty coincidental that it came back after putting him on orijen.

As far as his not eating, he says he's perfectly healthy and just fussy.


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## Gizm0 (Mar 13, 2008)

After switching my dog from Nutro to Orijen his fur is soo much shinier and smoother. He's more active a lot smarter. Its high quality food thats well worth the money in terms of my dogs health and my peace of mind.


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

Annamarie said:


> I didn't get to see my regular vet yesterday (sigh). I asked the vet about orijen and he said the protein level is fine. Even so I think I'm going to try a different food because of his dandruff. The vet said it might not be food related but it seems pretty coincidental that it came back after putting him on orijen.
> 
> As far as his not eating, he says he's perfectly healthy and just fussy.


Not sure how long you fed it Annamarie, but keep in mind when switching to a higher quality food, it often takes up to 3 full months to fully be in his system and other foods and their by-products to be out. Often dog's systems will purge impurities just like people during this change over.


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## Annamarie (Oct 14, 2007)

he was on home made before that so he wasn't getting crap food. i just couldn't stomach handling the meat with the nausea and i was never confident he was getting proper nutrition. 

Since adding 1/3 a can of wellness or merrick's to his food he's doing a lot better, but I'm switching to solid gold once the orijen runs out. he just didn't do well on it.


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