# Got my new Orijen dog food!



## goonmom (Mar 28, 2013)

I just bought my first bag of Orijen Adult dog food! I'm excited. I'm switching my dogs from a prescription diet (Royal Canin Urinary S.O.) and a Limited Ingredient Diet (Natural Balance Duck & Potato) and gradually getting them both on this food. The lady at the store seemed to think it wasn't a good food for dogs that aren't very active, but I told her I wanted a high protein diet for a dog that needs an acidic diet to ward off any bladder infections/Struvite Crystals. (Along with Berry Balance which should be arriving today!)

I'm hoping we won't have any trouble with the food just because the dogs aren't super active (though, they have been more active with foster puppies in the house!).

Thanks everyone for the recommendations for food, etc. for my dogs.. Can't wait to get them switched over completely and hopefully see it help Joon with some allergy issues and keep Goose from getting any crystals.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Remember to feed a quarter cup or so less than the recommended amount!


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Keep an eye on his stools as well. Origen is great but some dogs get loose stools on it because of the richness. 
Also yeah a lot of dogs gain weight on it so keep an eye out for that as well. 

If either of those is a problem Acana made by the same company is slightly less rich but still a high quality food. 

This coming from someone who feeds Origen and Acana depending on the dog.


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## goonmom (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks Taquitos and Flaming! I'll definitely feed a LOT less than the bag recommends. I was going to get Acana because the lady at the store recommended it, but they didn't have any of the Adult Small Dog for Acana (cheaper than all the specialty ones). So we'll see how this goes!


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## Pippa's Mom (Nov 17, 2012)

Definitely keep an eye on the stools, Orijen gave Pip the worst runny/soft stool ever.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

and don't forget gas.
Manna gets really bad gas if she eats too much Origen (as in I give her another scoop because i forgot i already gave her one). I swear I need a gas mask some days, though I found alternating Acana and Origen keeps everything happy. We feed 30pound bags so we're going to start alternating bags.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

goonmom said:


> Thanks Taquitos and Flaming! I'll definitely feed a LOT less than the bag recommends. I was going to get Acana because the lady at the store recommended it, but they didn't have any of the Adult Small Dog for Acana (cheaper than all the specialty ones). So we'll see how this goes!


The adult Acana small breed formula has grain which is why it's cheaper.

And I find that dogs tend to LOSE weight on Orijen (my foster dogs at least ?!?!), and you usually only have to worry about loose stool if you are feeding too much. It's very concentrated!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

taquitos said:


> And I find that dogs tend to LOSE weight on Orijen (my foster dogs at least ?!?!), and you usually only have to worry about loose stool if you are feeding too much. It's very concentrated!


Because of a stocking problem and ship time my dogs got a bag of Blue Buffalo, grain inclusive.

They all gained weight. Even Jack. 

Apparently some dogs are like people and carbs just turn into fat. Empty calories, I guess.


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## goonmom (Mar 28, 2013)

Taquitos- Oh, I'm glad we didn't get the Acana Adult small breed formula then! Glad you said that!


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I think your dogs should do fine on Orijen. If they are starting to gain weight you can always lower the amount you are feeding. On another note I LOVE SG Berry Balance. For about a month I fed it everyday. Now I only feed it once every monday. It helped get rid of my dogs crystals fast.  We had been on lots of different antibiotics that never helped. Good luck with it.


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## goonmom (Mar 28, 2013)

Damon'sMom said:


> I think your dogs should do fine on Orijen. If they are starting to gain weight you can always lower the amount you are feeding. On another note I LOVE SG Berry Balance. For about a month I fed it everyday. Now I only feed it once every monday. It helped get rid of my dogs crystals fast.  We had been on lots of different antibiotics that never helped. Good luck with it.


Exactly! I'm excited to get them on a good food. They'll be having their first taste of it tonight with a 25%/75% mixture-- they wanted to get fed at around 3 when I mixed the food together.  And I've heard nothing but good reviews on the Berry Balance. I just got it in the mail (I ordered it from Amazon yesterday morning!), and now the question is.. where to find a 1/8 tsp measurement?! Hahaha!


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

I fed Zoey Orijen puppy food and she was very gassy and her poop stuck really bad; I fed her less than recommended on the side of the bag and the food calculators but it didn't matter. The people where I bought Orijen said I was feeding her way too much - Zoey is 31 lbs and fed her about 2 cups (supposed to be 2 1/2); they stated people with 80 lb dogs only feed one cup per day. I was transitioning her off of Orijen as my Vet wanted her on something lower in protein (vs regular puppy food) and I settled on food in the 25%-28% range anyway but Zoey did love the food. I have to question the validity of feeding a large dog very small portions if that's how you need to use a food like Orijen.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Dog Person said:


> I have to question the validity of feeding a large dog very small portions if that's how you need to use a food like Orijen.


Not everyone has a chow-hound. I can get just about 3/4 of a cup of food into my 25lb dog, most days. Some days, not even. 

Also, frankly, lower amounts = Higher food drive = Easier training for the others. They're not starving by any means, but they're also not FULL. Not that the dogs who really are chow hounds are ever, ever really full or will ever stop being on a mission to find food, but I only have one of those. The other two will go 'eh, had enough' and stop taking or working for treats. 

So, for my 4 dogs (12, 20, 25, and 45-50-somethinglb puppy) we use 5 cups of Wellness Core a day - over half of it going into the growing puppy. No one's acting like a lunatic, no one's under weight, the picky eater eats enough not to look like a skeleton, and the others still have some motivation to work to get their food. Works out pretty well for me.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

I free feed Manna and at 65pounds she'll eat roughly 2 cups on a slow day and up to 6 (rarely) if it's a exciting hyper day. Gas...sometimes but not overly and her poops are firm enough (soft but still solid enough to pick up)

On occasion she'll over eat (when fi feeds her for some reason) but those are the days where everyone is so busy she gets bored and has the boredom munchies. I try and limit her to 3 cups on those days but sometimes I forget. That's why we alternate with Acana because it helps on those days.


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## BlueDiamond (Mar 18, 2013)

Acana grain free formula kibbles are the same size as orijen


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Dog Person said:


> I fed Zoey Orijen puppy food and she was very gassy and her poop stuck really bad; I fed her less than recommended on the side of the bag and the food calculators but it didn't matter. The people where I bought Orijen said I was feeding her way too much - Zoey is 31 lbs and fed her about 2 cups (supposed to be 2 1/2); they stated people with 80 lb dogs only feed one cup per day. I was transitioning her off of Orijen as my Vet wanted her on something lower in protein (vs regular puppy food) and I settled on food in the 25%-28% range anyway but Zoey did love the food. I have to question the validity of feeding a large dog very small portions if that's how you need to use a food like Orijen.


That's WAY too much. My 45 lbs foster got 1 1/4 cup?!?!


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

BlueDiamond said:


> Acana grain free formula kibbles are the same size as orijen


yes same size but Acana is lower in protein and I think also fat, though I might be wrong about the fat content.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Dog Person said:


> I fed Zoey Orijen puppy food and she was very gassy and her poop stuck really bad; I fed her less than recommended on the side of the bag and the food calculators but it didn't matter. The people where I bought Orijen said I was feeding her way too much - Zoey is 31 lbs and fed her about 2 cups (supposed to be 2 1/2); they stated people with 80 lb dogs only feed one cup per day. I was transitioning her off of Orijen as my Vet wanted her on something lower in protein (vs regular puppy food) and I settled on food in the 25%-28% range anyway but Zoey did love the food. I have to question the validity of feeding a large dog very small portions if that's how you need to use a food like Orijen.


 WOW 1cup a day for an 80 lb dog... that makes Orijen more cost effective... (Does that mean you can feed a 100 lb youngster 2 cups aday?)...


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Dog Person said:


> I fed Zoey Orijen puppy food and she was very gassy and her poop stuck really bad; I fed her less than recommended on the side of the bag and the food calculators but it didn't matter. The people where I bought Orijen said I was feeding her way too much - Zoey is 31 lbs and fed her about 2 cups (supposed to be 2 1/2); they stated people with 80 lb dogs only feed one cup per day. I was transitioning her off of Orijen as my Vet wanted her on something lower in protein (vs regular puppy food) and I settled on food in the 25%-28% range anyway but Zoey did love the food. I have to question the validity of feeding a large dog very small portions if that's how you need to use a food like Orijen.


Sounds like you were feeding the amount for 31 KG (~70lbs), not 31 lbs. From the Champion website:


> 10-20 kg / *22-44 lb 1¼ - 2¼ c *
> 20-35 kg / 44-77 lb 2¼ - 3¼ c


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

Zoey was a little over 16 weeks when we got her. 

CptJack- She is not a chow hound as she will self regulate but if you are feeding a dog way too little substance some dogs will be on a constant prowl to get food all the time. If feeding a lot less food is working for you that's great but my opinion ~ and it's just that, an opinion ~ that keeping a dog on an empty stomach for training purposes is a little cruel. If the dog doesn't want to eat the food at least it's up to them. I train Zoey before feeding and lessen the food at feeding time, but that's what I do and it works for me.

Gingerkid -From the Orijen puppy food web site:

That’s why we suggest starting with the guides below, and then monitoring his weight and adjusting his rations as needed. We also recommend that you feed him twice daily and that you remember to always keep fresh, clean water available to your beloved puppy.



Feeding
WEIGHT
of PUPPY 

AGE of PUPPY in WEEKS 
6-12 WEEKS 12-16 WEEKS 16-28 WEEKS 28-52 WEEKS
CUPS / GRAMS CUPS / GRAMS CUPS / GRAMS CUPS / GRAMS 

1-3 kg / 3-7 lb ¾ - 1¼ / 90-150 ¾ - 1 / 90-120 ½- 1 / 60-120 ½ - ¾ / 60-90 
3-5 kg / 7-12 lb 1¼ - 2¼ / 150-270 1 - 2 / 120-240 1- 1½ / 120-180 ¾ - 1¼ / 90-150 
5-10 kg / 12-20 lb 2¼ - 3 / 270-360 2 - 2¾ / 240-330 1½- 2½ / 180-300 1¼ - 2 / 150-240 
10-15 kg / 20-30 lb 3- 4¼ / 360-510 2¾ - 3½ / 330-420	2½- 3¼ / 300-390 2 - 2½ / 240-300
15-25 kg / 30-55 lb 4¼- 5 / 510-600 3½ - 4½ / 420-520	3¼- 4 / 390-480 2½ - 3¼ / 300-390
25-35 kg / 55-70 lb ADULT ADULT 4- 5¼ / 480-630 3¼ - 4¼ / 390-510 

As for not listening to the bag - Plug in 16 weeks and 31 lbs with 480Kcal/cup into a food calculator and it will tell you at that age she needed over 2 cups of food based on the caloric value. Less calories per cup will equate to more food.

Orijen may be a great food but it seems that there is no way to give anybody advice on how much to feed the super premium foods. The bag is wrong, the calculator is wrong and some people "just know" that you feed 1/2 or 1/4 of what you would feed a puppy/dog on a normal food.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Dog Person said:


> CptJack- She is not a chow hound as she will self regulate but if you are feeding a dog way too little substance some dogs will be on a constant prowl to get food all the time. If feeding a lot less food is working for you that's great but my opinion ~ and it's just that, an opinion ~ that keeping a dog on an empty stomach for training purposes is a little cruel. If the dog doesn't want to eat the food at least it's up to them. I train Zoey before feeding and lessen the food at feeding time, but that's what I do and it works for me..



...I am completely bewildered by the idea that 2 cups of food for a 30lb dog is anything but 'stuffed to the gills' honestly. I mean. Where does it GO? It's not even substance. 3/4 cup of food a day and my 25lber is DONE. Not counting training treats as part of that ration at all - if I use a training treat it's SUBTRACTED from that amount because he's full. Ditto that the two girls who get 1/2 and 1/4 cup of food a day. They're not fed less so they'll train, they're fed less because with that quality of food they're OVER it with any more. Well, Kylie gets some subtracted since she trains with a complete food/kibble, but that's just her second meal for the day. The almost 50lb puppy can't put down 2 cups of food in one go and won't touch food again for a couple of hours. 

So. I don't even know. Very different experiences there, for sure, but I wouldn't call 30lb dog 'self-regulating' at 2 cups of food a day. I'd call that a chow hound. That is a LOT of food for a dog her size.


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

CptJack said:


> ...I am completely bewildered by the idea that 2 cups of food for a 30lb dog is anything but 'stuffed to the gills' honestly. I mean. Where does it GO? It's not even substance. 3/4 cup of food a day and my 25lber is DONE. Not counting training treats as part of that ration at all - if I use a training treat it's SUBTRACTED from that amount because he's full. Ditto that the two girls who get 1/2 and 1/4 cup of food a day. They're not fed less so they'll train, they're fed less because with that quality of food they're OVER it with any more. Well, Kylie gets some subtracted since she trains with a complete food/kibble, but that's just her second meal for the day. The almost 50lb puppy can't put down 2 cups of food in one go and won't touch food again for a couple of hours.
> 
> So. I don't even know. Very different experiences there, for sure, but I wouldn't call 30lb dog 'self-regulating' at 2 cups of food a day. I'd call that a chow hound. That is a LOT of food for a dog her size.


Don't be bewildered ... because basically what you are saying is that by someone (me) going to a couple of different food calculators and putting in her age (some have this - she was a puppy at the time), weight along with the caloric value of the food and the fact they calculate the starting point as a little over 2 cups a day - they are wrong in the feeding amounts. Based on your experience and not a food calculator (which everybody reverences here) dogs need a lot less food than these calculators are telling us, even from places like the Dog Food Advisor. I can see feeding less than the bag or a little less than the calculator but are all these calculators wrong? If yes, then why do so many people reference them?


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## BlueDiamond (Mar 18, 2013)

Can I say something... I have a 4 month old right now, and its my 5th dog. If I put 2 cups of shit food down a day, or 2 cups of orijen, my pup will eat all of it regardless. She doesn't know "this foods better" and she definately aint thinking "ooh im so stuffed I cant even finish this bowl. It takes her the same amount of time to eat the same amount of either food. Basically, what Im trying to say is.... the answer is in the poo. Keep a close eye on it. Get the poo right, and you got the food right.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

BlueDiamond said:


> Can I say something... I have a 4 month old right now, and its my 5th dog. If I put 2 cups of shit food down a day, or 2 cups of orijen, my pup will eat all of it regardless. She doesn't know "this foods better" and she definately aint thinking "ooh im so stuffed I cant even finish this bowl. It takes her the same amount of time to eat the same amount of either food. Basically, what Im trying to say is.... the answer is in the poo. Keep a close eye on it. Get the poo right, and you got the food right.


Here here. 

I didn't realize it was for a puppy. 2 cups still seems like a lot for a 30lb puppy. When I was dog sitting a friend's husky/GSD mix (6 months, ~40lbs), he was getting 2 cups a day of Pedigree!


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## BlueDiamond (Mar 18, 2013)

I dont know if OPs dog is a puppy, im just saying... you could start at what the bag says but the answer of how much to feed is in the poo. That is all.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

My 18lb AKK eats 2/3 cup of Acana a day, and my 9lb papillon eats 1/2 cup of TotW. According to two prominent food calculators, to maintain that weight on "typical" exercise (we walk about an hour and a half to two hours a day, plus some play at home), Casper should be getting approx. 1.26 cups per day of his food and Crystal should be getting .9 cup per day of hers. They would most definitely be fat if I fed them that. 

I don't tend to pay much attention to back of bags or online calculators. I might start with their recommendations, but I watch my dogs, and if they start to get chunky (I like this weight chart), I cut back on their food.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Crantastic said:


> My 18lb AKK eats 2/3 cup of Acana a day, and my 9lb papillon eats 1/2 cup of TotW. According to two prominent food calculators, to maintain that weight on "typical" exercise (we walk about an hour and a half to two hours a day, plus some play at home), Casper should be getting approx. 1.26 cups per day of his food and Crystal should be getting .9 cup per day of hers. They would most definitely be fat if I fed them that.
> 
> I don't tend to pay much attention to back of bags or online calculators. I might start with their recommendations, but I watch my dogs, and if they start to get chunky (I like this weight chart), I cut back on their food.


I really feel like all of the bags say "based on average exercise" but really... what are the dog food companies considering "Average" exercise?


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> I really feel like all of the bags say "based on average exercise" but really... what are the dog food companies considering "Average" exercise?


The only dogs I've met who could eat based on "average exercise" are sled dogs, line hunting dogs and net dogs....basically manual working dogs


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

gingerkid said:


> I really feel like all of the bags say "based on average exercise" but really... what are the dog food companies considering "Average" exercise?


Compared to most dogs I know, my two are getting above-average exercise, although I don't think of it as above-average at all. I actually had some ladies stop me in the park the other day and marvel at the fact that I walk them for almost two hours every day. "Most people wouldn't do that," they said. I attended a big on-leash hike a couple weekends ago; we all walked for 45 minutes and at the end, a few of the people (all with medium-sized dogs) were talking about how all of the dogs would be "so tired after that walk." I know that a lot of posters here exercise their dogs much more than I exercise mine (with urban mushing, dog sports, long off-leash runs, etc.), but even an hour-long walk seems to be more than the average dog gets. My dogs would be so fat if I fed them the recommended amount and cut their exercise by half.


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## BlueDiamond (Mar 18, 2013)

A lot of people feed bag requirements to pets. A lot of pets would eat more than the requirements. Lets be real, dogs scavenge and beg for food. Im sure you all heard this before... its what your dog does best on.. or what the owner thinks is best. Only you see your dog and its poo everyday


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

A lot of dogs are fat, too.


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## BlueDiamond (Mar 18, 2013)

Mines a 4 and a half month old female pitbull pup she eats acana wild prairie about 3/4cup 3x a day, weighs about 35 lbs. She does run free with other dogs and kids pretty much whenever though. Definately gets a lot of exercise. I think puppies do need a good amount for what they need to grow, and then you can adjust more or less to be at a good weight when adult. Its all about the condition, the coat, and the $ h! T. A perfect example of its breed


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

BlueDiamond said:


> A lot of people feed bag requirements to pets. A lot of pets would eat more than the requirements. Lets be real, dogs scavenge and beg for food. Im sure you all heard this before... its what your dog does best on.. or what the owner thinks is best. Only you see your dog and its poo everyday


So the side of the bags are wrong and I can agree to that - sell more food. The calculators are wrong. I fed Zoey and she was gassy and her poo stunk. But when I fed her the same amount of Pinnacle everything was OK. Orijen does have more protein than Pinnacle but the calories are about 50 calories difference. So based on her poo everything was right. Your pup sounds like it is a little more active than Zoey was/is and is approximately the same weight that she was and you are feeding yours about 1/2 cup more a day which seems about right for the size difference.

Yes, dogs will scavenge and beg but Zoey isn't too "in your face" about it. She very rarely counter surfs and 
I leave my lunch on the table weekday mornings and she has only grabbed something once. She is a dog, that is food and she leaves it - why, it doesn't appeal to her or she's satisfied food wise. I expect her to be a dog and get into things. She leaves the garbage alone but she loves rabbit poop.

I've never seen anyone here give the advice of take the food calculator amount and start at 1/2 that amount and then adjust from there. It's always been said use what the calculator says and adjust from there ... cutting 1/2 or more of that amount wouldn't enter most people's minds. 

Zoey was getting a bit chunky about a month ago and I attribute that to not being active due to winter and lack of exercise. It stays light out later now so there's time to get to the park/dog park and she's getting more exercise. She is also eating a less premium dog food which has about 100 kcals/cup less than Orijen or Pinnacle. But she still is getting her 2 cups which at times she leaves and I adjust accordingly.


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