# Anyone feed Origen?



## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

I'm thinking of switching to Origen 6 Fish. 

What do you like or dislike about this food? 

Have you seen any improvements in coat?


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## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

Do you mean Orijen? I was feeding Bella the Orijen fish formula for a while; then it became hard to find - and it's way expensive! I think any other comparative but more affordable brand is just as good - I have her on TOTW fish mixed w/bison formula....didn't notice one difference after switching her.


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## KuroSaya (Jun 3, 2011)

I've recently gotten orijen 6 fish. I feed mainly raw though the kibble is used as a low end training treat or small snack.

Saya so far likes the taste she thinks it smells and taste good. Since it's not given as full time diet I don't know how she would do on it. Taste wise Saya give it a 10.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

I have fed Orijen (all of the varieties) to my fosters and they have all done well on them.

I did notice better coat, and a healthy slimming down (just more noticeable muscle mass, less pudgy looking) of the dogs on the food, but they were all on crappy whatever they fed at the shelter before they came to my home.


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## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

yeah, sorry...Orijen....

Well, I read on the amazon reviews that it contains black currant, which is supposed to be poisonous for dogs. 

I feed Wellness CORE right now and am trying to figure out if switching would be worth the extra money.


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## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

Oh and also...

some of the 1 star reviews reported loose stools and potential liver problems due to the high protein content...

But, I feed high protein now and haven't had any problems.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

I used to feed Orijen until they did a formula change. My dog can't handle it now with all of the lentils. I feel it's a good food but not worth what they charge for it now. Even though price doesn't matter too much for me since I have Chihuahua, I can't see paying a high price for nothing special. There are plenty of foods that are just as good, if not better, that don't charge such a ridiculous price IMO.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Aidan eats Orijen Adult and Six Fish. He loves it. I haven't seen a coat change, mostly because I switched to Orijen in my quest to find a dog food Aidan enjoys eating. He has always eaten a high quality dog food. I have nothing negative to say about Orijen.

Black currant doesn't appear on the list of ingredients on the bag or on Orijen's website for the two foods Aidan eats.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

TheOtherCorgi said:


> yeah, sorry...Orijen....
> 
> Well, I read on the amazon reviews that it contains black currant, which is supposed to be poisonous for dogs.
> 
> I feed Wellness CORE right now and am trying to figure out if switching would be worth the extra money.


I wanted to clarify this. Some products sold are called currants but are actually small dried grapes. A real currant from the genus Ribes are not known to be poisonous to dogs. If the 'currant' is cheap then it is likely really a dried grape which IS dangerous.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

There are better foods out there, especially with that price tag...

http://www.freshwaterfish.com/system...ter 2011.pdf

MARKET UPDATE

Freshwater Fish is always looking to expand its market reach and to strengthen existing markets – even non-human ones! We recently signed an exclusive arrangement with Alberta based Champion Petfoods, whereby we sell all minced by-products to them and they in turn buy all the product we have to offer. 

We began working with Champion in 2005 when we sent them samples of minced by-products for testing after it was extracted from fish during the filleting process. Prior
to sending the product to Alberta, we had been paying to have the waste trucked to a rendering facility in Winnipeg. After the samples were tested by Champion, a product was developed that met their high quality specifications.

This business brings in several hundred thousand dollars in revenue for a product that previously cost us money to dispose of – and we’re thrilled to be building on a relationship that dates back more than five years.

On October 28 we welcomed Champion Petfoods team members Jeff Johnston (Nutrition, Research and Product Development Manager) and Andre Minnaar (Quality
Assurance Manager) into the plant so they could conduct their quality assurance audit and plant tour.

While visiting our facility, Jeff relayed the following message: “At Champion Petfoods we have been extremely pleased with the freshness and quality of the raw material we
receive from Freshwater Fish. We are proud to be affiliated with one of the best sources of raw freshwater fish protein in the world. Freshwater Fish is one of our key raw material supply partners and the growth and reputation of our products is directly related to our high quality raw materials.

Thank you for sustainably harvesting and processing such a high quality freshwater fish product.” We are so proud of this success story and look forward to working more with Champion Petfoods in the future!


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

TheOtherCorgi said:


> yeah, sorry...Orijen....
> 
> Well, I read on the amazon reviews that it contains black currant, which is supposed to be poisonous for dogs.
> 
> I feed Wellness CORE right now and am trying to figure out if switching would be worth the extra money.


I would look at the actual ingredients to determine whether a food contains a particular ingredient, rather than taking someone's opinion off Amazon... since, you know, the ingredients list on a package is legislated for correctness, where as Amazon reviews are not.  I'm sure some dogs get loose stools on Orijen... just like some dogs get loose stools on Wellness CORE, or any other dog food for that matter. And finally, there are no studies that indicate that high protein diets are dangerous to healthy adult dogs in any capacity.

It sounds like you just really don't want to feed Orijen, and that is totally fine, but don't make up reasons for it.



Kathyy said:


> I wanted to clarify this. Some products sold are called currants but are actually small dried grapes. A real currant from the genus Ribes are not known to be poisonous to dogs. If the 'currant' is cheap then it is likely really a dried grape which IS dangerous.


They are called Zante currants though, and would probably be referred to as such on an ingredients list. It is a moot point though, since neither grapes (including Zante currants) nor red or black currants are on the FDA's Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) list for pet foods and would require FDA approval (including being listed on the GRAS list) to be included in dog food sold in the USA.

Meggels, could you please explain why that article that you posted makes Champion a bad company? I just don't see a problem with fish innards, bones, tails, heads, going into dog food. Heck, I've even eaten fish heads and tails, and bones (although not on purpose), and those are all definitely things that many dogs would not hesitate to eat, nor would harm them.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Alannah didn't do well on it so we haven't tried it again since she was young. I do believe it's a great food though. We do feed Acana. It seems to be a bit easier on her belly.


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## bowie (Apr 26, 2010)

Here are the ingredients:

Whole salmon*, whole herring*, salmon meal, herring meal, Pollock meal, whole flounder*, boneless walleye*, boneless northern pike*, boneless lake whitefish*, salmon oil, herring oil, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas, pea fiber, canola oil, sun-cured alfalfa, yams*, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, Red Delicious apples*, Bartlett pears*, cranberries*, blueberries*, kelp*, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, Enterococcus faecium.

No black currants.

And to answer the original question, I have fed my dogs Orijen in the past. My dachshund did very well on it, good body condition and coat, but that was back before they switched from potato to lentils. The others didn't do so great they had loose stools and a lot of gas, so it really depends on the dog.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Gem eats the 6 fish, she does great on it.


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## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

Uh, I wasn't "making up reasons' not to feed it lolzies. Where did you get that? Because I was asking questions about some reviews on Amazon? Do you want me to copy and paste the one star reviews I found? 

Are you a PR rep for Orijen 6 or something? I mean, I'm not saying the food sucks. I'm just asking about it. 

I was actually just curious if anyone else had experienced the problems that the other reviewers had. 

It is an extremely expensive food (I'm not in a place where "money doesn't matter" and I don't want to sink that kind of money into it with out really researching it first).

Alllll righty. Moving on. 

I had fed Fromm's for YEARS but recently stopped because my dogs stopped eating it as well and their coats lost some luster. I really really loved their ingredients but something must have changed or maybe there is inconsistancy in their batches. 

Now that my puppy isn't really a puppy, I feel more comfortable switching to a grain free diet for both my dogs. 

I'm not completely sold on Wellness CORE for some reason and don't have any loyalty to it. It was just something I felt safe switching to in the mean time to get them off Fromm's while I looked for a kibble I could really stay with that produces good coats and general health and wellbeing. 

I'm also looking into Avoderm, Acana, Blue Buffalo, and a few others.


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## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

Here... lol 

As I write this my 17 lbs Bischon Poodle is in the vet hospital after liver shut down yesterday. Looking for the best food on the market for my dog I researched and read the rave reviews for Orijen all natural food. I decided to place my dog on it. She has been on it for a little over 3 months. She refused to eat the past couple of days. I took her to the vet. The high protein level in Orijen food had put my dog into liver shutdown. I fed her according to recommendations. Protein needed for a small dog is 10-13 % Orijen 39%. No where does Orijen put a warning on their food stating that it could be detrimental to small dogs. I would never recommend this product for a small dog. I would never use it for any dog of mine. The normal level of liver enzymes should have been 70-100. My dogs after being on Orijen for 3 months 750. The risks are too high think carefully and make sure you consult your vet. I would hate to see anyone go through what I've experienced with my dog.

According to blood tests our Maltese dog, after a month and a half of Orijen, has abnormally high liver enzymes. A quick Google search of "Orijen liver damage" yields numerous results. You will notice it is even a search suggestion as you're typing it in.

The consensus seems to be that these problems are caused by the high protein content of the food. Many of the cases describe liver failure after a few months of Orijen. Thankfully we caught it relatively early before it got to this stage.

It may well be a great product for some, but please check the dietary requirements of your particular breed by body mass. We bought the product with the best reviews on the market without checking this fact.

In our defence, despite these potential dangers, the Orijen packaging reads "For all breeds and life stages", has a chart to determine correct dosage (which we used) and is covered with reassuring writing such as "NOURISH AS NATURE INTENDED", "brimming with goodness to nourish your dog completely" or "Loaded with the protein-packed fish ingredients (80%) your dog is evolved to eat".

Please do your research and if you are already feeding it to your dog, I strongly suggest you have blood tests done like we did.


I did not buy this, was thinking about it. I read the ingredients. Then I read only the 1 star reviews. I am glad I did. Black Currants are an ingredient and are quite dangerous for dogs. Here is an article I found: [...]
I love the other natural ingredients and hope they remove this one soon so I can order this.

Black currants are toxic to dogs just like grapes and raisins. Also rosemary has been found to be a nerve toxin in some dogs. Please check out.


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## bowie (Apr 26, 2010)

TheOtherCorgi, Annamaet is a good choice (though also very pricey), Dr Tim's is an excellent food as well. People have been raving about Farmina so that may be worth checking out. 

I don't think it is true that high protein diets cause liver problems...maybe I'm confusing that with kidneys.


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## TheOtherCorgi (Sep 18, 2013)

Sorry to keep posting...It looks like the reviewer who said it had black currants is an internet troll... 

So, I think I'm going to order a smaller bag to see if the girls like the taste. If they do, we'll give it a go.


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

We tried Pepper on it when she was a puppy but it was too rich for her and gave her really loose stools. I don't think it was the fish formula though.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I did have some issues with loose stool when Watson was on it. Not terrible, but he would poop once on a walk, then the second time it would be super loose and make a mess. He's on probiotics now and a different kibble and is fine, so it's hard to say if he would have that issue on every kibble and the probiotic is helping, or if it was related to Orijen. Otherwise I liked it. I don't feed it now mostly because of cost and because I can't get it locally, and because I've been trying out other brands, but I wouldn't hesitate to try it again.

I'm feeding Dr Tim's and Nature's Variety Instinct now. His coat seemed to lose some luster on Dr Tim's, but it's coming back and that may have been related to this winter being so dry.


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

I can only speak for the Puppy food, but Jax has thrived on Orijen Puppy. He was on Kirkland when we picked him up at 8 weeks. Moved him to Wellness Puppy (non-grain free) and although he enjoyed it, he had incredibly bad gas on it. 

Needless to say, as soon as we made the switch to Orijen he has flourished. Great muscle growth, kept slim, soft, great looking coat

I'm not sure if I'll keep him on it once he reaches adulthood as there are many great foods for a cheaper price. Right now though, no complaints from me


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

bowie said:


> TheOtherCorgi, Annamaet is a good choice (though also very pricey), Dr Tim's is an excellent food as well. People have been raving about Farmina so that may be worth checking out.
> 
> I don't think it is true that high protein diets cause liver problems...maybe I'm confusing that with kidneys.


Annamaet is not that pricey, I pay $30 for 20 lbs on Chewy, even got a coupon for wag and bought it for $24. It's cheaper then I paid for Nutro with my last dog and it is probably better. Victor is another food that is good except it is high in ash


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

Dog Person said:


> Annamaet is not that pricey, I pay $30 for 20 lbs on Chewy, even got a coupon for wag and bought it for $24. It's cheaper then I paid for Nutro with my last dog and it is probably better. Victor is another food that is good except it is high in ash



I think they are referring to the grain free, which is pretty pricey.


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## meggels (Mar 8, 2010)

To the OP, I have been very happy with Nutrisource grain free's.

My hound mix is on the chicken formula and my frenchie is on the fish formula and both are doing very very well. My frenchie especially, I am very pleased with how soft his fur has gotten. Stools are great. It's pretty budget friendly compared to some other grain free's. And I trust the company it comes from. Maybe will be one to consider.


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

We've fed Orijen in the past and our dogs did fine on it but at $80 per 29lb bag, it wasn't worth it. We've now, however, started feeding them Acana Pacifica (got a free 29lb bag) and I almost hate that my dogs are doing so well on it. lol It's also very expensive but Charlie doesn't stink anymore, has no dandruff (very noticeable on her) or greasy fur. Our elderly poodle will even eat it and he hates kibble usually.


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## bowie (Apr 26, 2010)

meggels said:


> I think they are referring to the grain free, which is pretty pricey.


Yeah, the Aqualuk is 84.99 on chewy.com


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## doggiepop (Feb 27, 2014)

i switch kibble often. i have a variety of can food that i use as a topping.
most of the time i have 2 or 3 different brands of kibble on hand.
i sometimes feed one brand for a couple of days then i switch to another
brand. sometimes i feed brand A in the morning and brand B in the evening.
i only use the preminum brands of kibble and can.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I missed that grain free was mentioned. I guess if you have to feed grain free and fish based your looking at more expensive foods.

Victor has their fish based grain free 30 lbs. for $57 and it has 8.24% ash which is high but is close to Orijen at 8%. I fed Victor and Zoey did well on it. http://www.victorpet.com/#!sport-dog-food-store/ci6h

Victor tends not to get mentioned much but is a pretty good food. It is high protein (33%) although not as high as Orijen and low fat (17%) and carbs (I think 34%) and they claim to get 75% of their protein from animal sources. Apparently never been recalled.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

TheOtherCorgi said:


> Uh, I wasn't "making up reasons' not to feed it lolzies. Where did you get that? Because I was asking questions about some reviews on Amazon? Do you want me to copy and paste the one star reviews I found?


Because you gave the impression that you were taking very seriously the reviews on Amazon. And from statements like this:



> yeah, sorry...Orijen....
> 
> Well, I read on the amazon reviews that it contains black currant, which is supposed to be poisonous for dogs.


Seriously... Amazon is not a reputable place to get detailed information about _any_ product, except for whether people are generally satisfied with it or not. I mean, if you saw someone claiming it had black currants in it and were worried about it... all dog food companies list the ingredients on their websites. Research is great, and I would never discourage someone from researching it. But if you're trying to research something, the source matters. 

I'm not a PR rep for any company. I just hate it when people make things up or take misinformation from a random source (i.e. Amazon reviews) and accept it as true. There have been a lot of those stupid infographic things going around on my FB lately that have such ridiculously bad information and yet people accept them as true and pass them on and the misinformation continues to spread. :frusty:

Anyway, there are lots of great kibbles out there other than Orijen, and even "The Best" foods don't work for every dog.


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## Boomer4 (Apr 2, 2014)

I was feeding my Lab 6 fish. Started to be lethargic, tests done and kidney levels slightly elevated. The vets don't believe it was the food. Thinking maybe Zukes jerky? Anyways switched his food and no more jerky and retested blood work, all good. Just put him back on 6 fish and will retest blood work in a month. I am really torn to weather i should put him back on or try something else. was thinking of Acana pacifica. Any thoughts?


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