I feed my almost 2yr old female husky Orijen. I want to eventually feed her the model prey diet. Unfortunately, we just moved so we have a lot on our plate.

Basically I am looking for possibly adding something to her kibble to be even better. Maybe Fish oils for her coat? Or a raw egg? I read that Orijen already has whole eggs.

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you.

Adding fish oil certainly won't be harmful, but there also isn't a lot of evidence to support that it is super beneficial either. So far evidence suggests that there might be some small benefit for arthritis in dogs and cats, so go ahead and add a tiny amount if you want. However, Orijen is like the Ferrari of commercial dog foods, so it's not like your mistreating your dog until you can get her on a raw diet. She'll be fine. You can add a raw egg though, they love it. Just not every day obviously.

Just remember to schedule a 24 hour fast for your girl before she starts the raw diet. It'll clear her system AND ensure that she is hungry when you first give her food she is not used to. Don't despair when she won't eat at first, it'll come. Nature has a way Here's a picture of Rjúpa when I started her on raw:

^ This is EVERYTHING!

Andrew, you haven't addressed your goal for adding something to your dog's food. There are so many things you can dress a food up with it's mind boggling. It would be beneficial to both yourself and potential responders to identify your primary goal(s) for an additive. What exactly do you hope to achieve by adding something to the diet? What shortcomings in Orijen are you hoping to make up for? No amount of additives is going to make the diet as good as a prey model raw. I don't say that to be negative about kibble or put raw on a pedestal but simply to state things as they are. You'll get much better advice if you share exactly what your supplemental goals are.

Honestly, softer fur! Her coat is already pretty soft but I know it can get better. Especially on model prey, I read also about coconut oil can help? Also Amon other things, like scratching which I notice she still will do even if I give her k9 advantix II. Not a lot of it, but still some irritation maybe.

i would post a picture but I can't seem to find out how on my iPad


Edit: I also am interested in dental hygiene. Only recently did I learn of additives that can help that. "Proden PlaqueOff" is one. Any recommendations on others like it or this one in particular? My plan was to add this and the occasional raw meaty bone 1-2 a week.

I would be careful about adding supplements/additives without a need. Just like in people, if the dog doesn't have a deficiency, adding supplements can actually harm health.

Orijen is a pretty awesome food and should be plenty of nutrition for most dogs, unless they have a distinct diagnosed deficiency.

How about giving your dog good chews for dental health? Chewing on a bone would be the best thing for good teeth.

AnyaLuv wrote:

I would be careful about adding supplements/additives without a need. Just like in people, if the dog doesn't have a deficiency, adding supplements can actually harm health.

Orijen is a pretty awesome food and should be plenty of nutrition for most dogs, unless they have a distinct diagnosed deficiency.

How about giving your dog good chews for dental health? Chewing on a bone would be the best thing for good teeth.

That is a good point. I think if I were to add anything it would be this plaque off or something like it. It is supposed to be powdered seaweed, and i bElieve another user on the forum even gave positive reviews about it.

As far as dental treats I read they don't really help all that much. Whereas, I would do bones for teeth and other benefits as well. Would the bones alone be good enough for her teeth?

Would adding this seaweed be the final thing to a good diet? Orijen, powdered seaweed, raw meaty bones.

You may not need the Plaque-off--good nutrition and good bones can be plenty for good hygiene.

Not all dogs react well to it--the seaweed can irritate stomachs and some people have concerns about the ingredients. By dental chews, sorry, id idn't mean treats, I meant good marrow bones and such.

If you're concerned about her teeth, you would be better off getting her used to daily tooth brushing--we also use a squirt mouthwash that works wonders on my dog's teeth and gums (She had teeth removed and so doesn't chew bones at all, so she gets a lot of build-up/sore gums--Proden Plaqueoff did nothing for her and upset her tummy).

We use CET Oral Hygiene rinse and CET toothpaste

Okay, her teeth aren't bad or breath by any means. But, I want to prevent something in the future.

I'll stick to the Orijen and good bones and keep an eye on them.

As far as bones... Knuckle bones with frozen meat is what I used to give her before we moved. Now, there isn't a good pet store around here, but plenty of butcher shops. I thought I'd try there. Any suggestions what to ask for?

If they sell beef by the side, just ask for a bags of scrap bones. The best teeth cleaning bones forv Ami have been the vertebra with all sorts of connective tissue and a little meat. The fleshy stuff acts as dental floss For general chewing, the bones left from making boneless short ribs are his favorite.

Hi all. I just joined. I was going to ask a ton of questions in my intro thread but it looks like this is a good place for at least a couple of them. I just adopted an 8 year old male. As I am on a version of the paleo diet myself (I follow MarksDailyApple.com), and believe that better food makes for better health, I started with Orijen Regional Red. He had no problems switching from the rescue's food. I have to admit that I was overwhelmed with the choices for dog food now. I expected to see the normal stuff, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Blue Buffalo and I honestly thought I would have more trouble finding Orijen. Anyway, I'm divorced, pay child support and will soon be helping to put kids through college so, while I completely believe in the good food thing, I also believe in the law of diminishing returns and that, all the Orijen in the world won't help him if I can't afford to pay my mortgage. So I looked at the Blue Buffalo ancestral stuff but was turned off by all the additives. Everything else I looked at seemed to be close in price to the Orijen which is why I went with that. So, my question is, where do you get the most bang for your buck? If Orijen is the Ferrari of dog foods, what is the Honda Accord/Subaru Outback? I realize that I could feed Snickers dog chow and he would survive but I do want him to thrive. I'm wondering if there's a "thrive" food that's noticeably less expensive than Orijen or not so much.

Also, the first day we got him, I have him a 12" bully stick, which he loved and promptly devoured. The next day we were in the pet supply store again so I got him a big, smoked hambone. Again, love, again, devoured. And as much as I want to spoil my guy, I can't afford to give him these things every day. Now, as per my own diet, I get all of my meat and dairy from a local farm. The local farm sells raw (grass fed) beef bones by the bag ($3.70/lb). I was worried about getting them for Snickers due to breakage and choking but after reading this thread I'm thinking I could use these.

TIA!!

My boy gets a raw beef bone a day for chewing - I buy them $2 per bag, frozen (anywhere from 8-15  or more bones per bag depending on the kind - rib, neck, blade etc.  We have a small, local Mennonite butcher)  I do worry about teeth but I also like that the chewing is keeping his teeth beautiful clean and free of tartar (but then, he's only 3 so maybe that's normal for his age?)

I feed Taste of the Wild, High Prairie Formula (32% protein, 18% fat, a 4-5 on Dogfoodadvisor.com)  I either buy at Tractor Supply on sale for 45 ish a 30# bag, or Chewy.com auto delivery (first time is a nice, fat coupon but to get free shipping, you have to order 2 bags to meet the amount)  Also, it looks like Amazon also has the 30# bag about 45 with free shipping.

Another option is the Tractor Supply 4 Health brand, grain free - 1 or 2 of the formulas has, I think, 28% protein and is somewhat cheaper.

I thought Ami's teeth might be getting a bit gummy on the 4Health which is why I switched to the TOTW - also a neighbor whose dog was having terrible skin issues and TOTW was recommended by their vet.  Since my son's dog was really itchy and its easier if they eat the same food, I went with the TOTW.  Itchiness did not go away but the pudding poop I was dealing with did.  BOth dogs have beautiful coats, tremendous vitality and like the food well enough that it can be used as a treat.  Even the vet remarked on how wonderful his coat is - soft, thick luxurious and glossy.  I'm satisfied.

I've never used the bully sticks - they are really expensive and very high in fat, if I remember.  I do use an occasional, American sourced, rawhide bone for indoor chewing (the raw bones are too messy  )  We are retired and have to be careful with expenses so, our choices may not be the elite but I think they are at least fairly healthy ones.  (I have to follow gluten free diet and THAT is expensive!!!)

Hope this helps.

Taste of the wild is very good and very affordable. Just got to keep an eye out for recalls since diamond has bad habits. Loki is so very picky but he will gobble it up. Any other brand and he'll turn his nose up. The little snot even turned down evo! If that's still a bit high there is awalmart brand called like pure balance I think. I'm sure someone is cringing now but you gotta do what you gotta do to keep a roof over your head.

Regular old raw meaty bones from the grocery store is a nice treat. Some say not to give knucklebones but I haven't ever had any issues. Maybe if you have a senior avoid them though as they are quite hefty.

Any thoughts on Acana? Seems to be similar to Orijen but a little less expensive.

Glorth.....Acana is an excellent kibble. I believe same manufacturer or processing plant as Orijen, there's a connection between the two, can't remember what it is, lol, but yes excellent and comparable to Orijen.

FYI, Orijen and Acana are both made by Champion pet foods. Here is what I got back from customer service:
While there are many differences between ACANA and ORIJEN, both diets reflect our belief in creating Biologically Appropriate foods from Fresh Regional Ingredients.



Five of the main points of difference are summarized below:



1. MEAT CONCENTRATION: ORIJEN is made with 75-80% meat, while ACANA has between 50 to 70%, depending on the formula.

2. PROTEIN: ORIJEN diets range between 38% and 42% protein, while ACANA features protein levels of 27-35%.

3. CARBOHYDRATE: ORIJEN diets have less than 25% carbohydrate NFE, while ACANA diets are typically below 30% carbohydrate.

4. AMOUNT OF FRESH MEAT: ORIJEN is made with up to 60% fresh meat content, compared with ACANA which ranges up to 35%.

5. MEAT VARIETY: ORIJEN features a minimum of 6 different meats, compared to ACANA which contains 3 different meat ingredients.



Put simply, we believe ORIJEN is the best dry dog or cat food worldwide. Although lower in protein and total fresh meat content than ORIJEN, ACANA provides unbeatable value and a price point that makes Biologically Appropriate pet foods accessible to a wide range of pet lovers.



If you have any other questions or I can be of further assistance please do write back.

Haha, there you have it, thanks for the added info. Imho, Orijen is more appropriate for working dogs, and the Acana, better for the non working dogs. The working dogs, especially in the winter months when they work harder require the added protein. Again, I think Acana will work just as well for you as the Orijen, maybe better, and if it fits your price range, the switch will be better for you too.

I feed my puppy Acana. Being from Canada, it's pretty easy to find in most speciality pet stores for a good price. I bought a 30 lbs bag of Puppy and Junior Acana for about $67 CDN or about $50 usd. My 15 week old loves it. Orijen and Acana are made my Champion like others said, no evidence of recall. I thought of switching my puppy to TOTW but after seeing all the recalls, I decided not to. Not sure what food I will feed him as an adult but definitely a good kibble with only 22-24% protein as Acana is over 28% for most adult food. Orijen is extremely high in protein because the brand is focused more for working dogs etc...

I have recently fully transitioned Mylo to Orijen puppy..He's been loving it and has been eating it for about three weeks. I used to feed him a half cup breakfast and one full cup for dinner.. But now I have split the feeding portions to three. Half cup at 7:30am|Half cup at 12:30pm|Half cup at 5:30pm.
However now after taking notice about Acana..I like that it's basically the same stuff but lower protein so Mylos next bag of food will be Acana wild prairie. I love the Orijen but it does seem too high in protein for Mylos moderate activity level.
I wonder if I should still do a long transition period like how I did from Dr. Tims to Orijen..? I say this since Orijen and Acana are practically the same thing so maybe the transition won't be so big for Mylo, whatcha think? Plus there is a $10 difference with Acana compared to Orijen over here where I'm at.

Because of the protein levels being significantly higher with the Orijen, I think a moderate transition should be fine, I would take maybe the last 3 days worth of the Orijen and transition, instead of a week. Just monitor his poops, although I imagine his poops shouldn't make a drastic change, normally the higher the protein the possibility of more poop, since quite often high protein is too rich for most dogs. I too have been in search of the food I would like to have both girls on that is a higher quality than TOTW, my choices have been narrowed down to Earthborn, Fromm, and leaning towards Acana.