Hi everyone,

So we have half good mornings then it gets worse throughout the day with the boys on Orijen.

Morning poops about half of it is firm and formed then it turns soft and then throughout the day it is diarrhea so we are thinking too high protein that the boys can't handle.

With Ranger we thought that once the giardia cleared up we would go to solid poops but they aren't getting any better and he is clear of giardia as is Parker.

So we are looking for something that is going to be able to firm up the stools.

We found this food and would like opinions on it. It's not a puppy food so not too sure if it is going to be suitable but we like the fact that it is fish based and sweet potato too.

Simply Nourish Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato and Salmon

Ingredients:

Dried Sweet Potato, Salmon Meal, Salmon, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dried Carrots, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Ferric Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Choline Chloride
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein Not less than 24.0%
Crude Fat Not less than 12.0%
Crude Fiber Not more than 5.0%
Moisture Not more than 10.0%
Calcium Not less than 1.5%
Phosphorus Not less than 1.0%
Potassium Not less than 0.70%
Zinc Not less than 175 mg/kg
Selenium Not less than 0.20 mg/kg
Vitamin A Not less than 20,000 IU/kg
Vitamin E Not less than 200 IU/KG
Omega-6 Fatty Acids*Not less than 1.8%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids*Not less than 1.6%
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)*Not less than 10 mg/kg
Beta carotene* Not less than 10 mg/kg
Lycopene*Not less than 1.0 mg/kg

Anything any one else can recommend would be great.

Both the boys seems to be itchy as well so we are wondering if they have an allergy to something in Orijen. Would a allergy test give us good results in what they allergies are? Any one have experience with this?

How much are you feeding of Orijen? That could be the cause of the runny stool...

I don't like foods that are potato heavy and the first ingredient is dried potato so personally I would vote no. If in fact the Orijen is causing upset tummies their other brand Acana isn't as rich... That would be my next step.

They get 2.75 cups a day (over 3 feedings).

Least it is Sweet potato rather than normal potato.

For Acana could I go the Grain free Pacifica?

I would first cut back to 2- 2 1/4 cups a day and see if it makes a difference... Even when my dogs were on kibble they never had more than 2 cups a day.

The pacifica is a nice formula if you're looking for fish based.

Ranger is 4.5mths and Parker is just 6mths and underweight so should they still be cut back?

What formula of Orijen are you feeding now?

I was about to reply when Kristina did....but I'm with Kristina. Almost 3 cups of Orijen a day seems a bit much unless they are extremely active.

They are on Orijen Large Breed Puppy

Hi RangersMom!
My new pup Noah..also had Giardia when we got him.. so I feel your pain.. IT did clear up with the meds also.. He was on Eukanuba puppy and all of a sudden, one day, wouldn't eat it anymore.. needless to say we r on food number 4! He is now on Purina Pro-Plan and he loves it.. We tried Blue Buffalo Basics.. and he had constant diarrea...Noah is 7mos and 39 lbs.. my vet says he is small.. but he is my first dog.. so I'm not sure.. but good luck with your babies.. put some plain white rice in their food.. that helps with diarrea

I would cut down to 3/4 cup 3x daily- cutting down by 1/2 cup total. See if it makes a difference in stool. If it gets better- but not totally I would take it down another 1/4 cup daily total.

Hi there, your Noah is gorgeous. We are strictly grain free here so adding white rice is not an option for us but thanks.

Alright we will try that arooroomom and see how it goes over the next few days. DH bought a new 30lb bag of the Orijen anyways so we need to go through it lol What's is a good average weekly weight gain for the boys? Ranger 4.5mths and Parker 6mths (underweight from his previous home).

I agree with Kristina too - It is a very protein dense food, so you can feed much less than you would of other premium kibbles. Cato got about 2.5 cups of kibble when he was eating the Blue Buffalo Wilderness. Now, we feed raw and he seems to really enjoy that.

He has a sensitive tummy too, so we alternated between Blue Wilderness Salmon/Duck and Acana (various flavors)

Thanks Megan

I would agree with Kristina.
Yes, an allergy test would identify all allergies (food, plants, etc.)

arooroomom wrote:

How much are you feeding of Orijen? That could be the cause of the runny stool...

I don't like foods that are potato heavy and the first ingredient is dried potato so personally I would vote no. If in fact the Orijen is causing upset tummies their other brand Acana isn't as rich... That would be my next step.

Orijen is no more protein dense than similar foods that don't have these problems. The problem with Orijen is that it is made by a company with almost no experience in making a premium food. A few years back Champion made supermarket and convenience store brands.

If you google "problems with Orijen" you will find similar complaints from every diet forum and breed forum in existence. The other problem with Orijen is the fiber is all wrong. There is nothing in Orijen to support intestinal flora, the natural flora.

If you want a good food and you live in Canada try Nutram or Inukshuk. Both of these are made by companies that know what they are doing.

You shouldn't be pressured because The Dog Food Police think it is good, because the truth is it is crap. Most people never buy a second bag.

TooManyHuskies wrote:

Orijen is no more protein dense than similar foods that don't have these problems. The problem with Orijen is that it is made by a company with almost no experience in making a premium food. A few years back Champion made supermarket and convenience store brands.

If you google "problems with Orijen" you will find similar complaints from every diet forum and breed forum in existence. The other problem with Orijen is the fiber is all wrong. There is nothing in Orijen to support intestinal flora, the natural flora.

If you want a good food and you live in Canada try Nutram or Inukshuk. Both of these are made by companies that know what they are doing.

You shouldn't be pressured because The Dog Food Police think it is good, because the truth is it is crap. Most people never buy a second bag.

I trust the original poster has done their own homework and decided.on orijen because it really is the best kibble available. It matters little to me and many others how long a company has been around. What does matter is the ingredients, the condition my dog is.put in because of it and the state of my dogs BM because of the food.

Orijen is rich and is very high in protein content. You can read the analysis.on the back

Don't feedthe inukshuk its not a very good quality food and certainly wont provide help for a dog with digestive upset.

FWIW the only food he has ever suggested, that I might actually feed, was annamaet. Otherwise don't bother heeding his advice.

If my holistic.vet, trained extensively in nutrition, states that orijen is the best kibble, I believe it really is.

You can google search for anything, and if you want, can find the negative twist to fit your goal. Just saying

Origen Large Breed Puppy isn't meant for puppies below a certain range. Their feeding chart, for example, BEGINS at 55 lbs. You might want to try an All Life Stages variety.

I apologize for the typos, I was on my phone

TooManyHuskies wrote:

Orijen is no more protein dense than similar foods that don't have these problems. The problem with Orijen is that it is made by a company with almost no experience in making a premium food. A few years back Champion made supermarket and convenience store brands.

If you google "problems with Orijen" you will find similar complaints from every diet forum and breed forum in existence. The other problem with Orijen is the fiber is all wrong. There is nothing in Orijen to support intestinal flora, the natural flora.

If you want a good food and you live in Canada try Nutram or Inukshuk. Both of these are made by companies that know what they are doing.

You shouldn't be pressured because The Dog Food Police think it is good, because the truth is it is crap. Most people never buy a second bag.

TMH - Thank you for your post but sorry I have to disagree with you on all you have said about Orijen been a "crap" food. And as for your recommendations, I would never feed either of them because to me they are definitely not a good choice. I would never subject my dogs to eating corn or wheat especially when this breed has a well known intolerance for both. Dogs do not need either and they sure are not part of their natural diet. Any company that uses either in their product I stay well clear of since it is such an inferior filler ingredient.

mheath0429 wrote:

TooManyHuskies wrote:

Orijen is no more protein dense than similar foods that don't have these problems. The problem with Orijen is that it is made by a company with almost no experience in making a premium food. A few years back Champion made supermarket and convenience store brands.

If you google "problems with Orijen" you will find similar complaints from every diet forum and breed forum in existence. The other problem with Orijen is the fiber is all wrong. There is nothing in Orijen to support intestinal flora, the natural flora.

If you want a good food and you live in Canada try Nutram or Inukshuk. Both of these are made by companies that know what they are doing.

You shouldn't be pressured because The Dog Food Police think it is good, because the truth is it is crap. Most people never buy a second bag.

I trust the original poster has done their own homework and decided.on orijen because it really is the best kibble available. It matters little to me and many others how long a company has been around. What does matter is the ingredients, the condition my dog is.put in because of it and the state of my dogs BM because of the food.

Orijen is rich and is very high in protein content. You can read the analysis.on the back

Don't feedthe inukshuk its not a very good quality food and certainly wont provide help for a dog with digestive upset.

FWIW the only food he has ever suggested, that I might actually feed, was annamaet. Otherwise don't bother heeding his advice.

If my holistic.vet, trained extensively in nutrition, states that orijen is the best kibble, I believe it really is.

I agree with your vet Megan, Orijen is one of the best kibble around.

Fenrir wrote:

Origen Large Breed Puppy isn't meant for puppies below a certain range. Their feeding chart, for example, BEGINS at 55 lbs. You might want to try an All Life Stages variety.

Cameron, yes their feeding chart for adult weight starts at 55lbs but I know the weights of my boys parents and previous litters and if they are anything to go by my boys will be upwards of 65-70lbs.

You all make a very big mistake believing the marketing of the foods you support. Many of these companies do no testing and don't even employ a nutritionist. Were you all aware that the fish in Orijen is actually waste from a plant in Canada? The company that sells to Orijen actually put out a press release bragging that is was selling fish by-products to Orijen that prior was costing it money to throw away.

Megan, also your holistic vet probably has never competed with any dog. If he or she did, her approach to nutrition would be completely different.

For people in the US, there are no better more tested brands than Dr. Tim's or Annamaet. Real foods, honest marketing and real testing. Dr. Tim Hunt has an in-house kennel of 50 dogs plus all the teams that used the food for nine years before it was sold to the public. Three of the top PHD's including Reynolds & Aldrich are involved.

If you believe that your dog is a person, then you will continue to be vulnerable to dishonest marketing and very bad dog foods.

I find it interesting that you claim we are falling susceptible to dishonest marketing when none of the brands we feed market at all. It's usually only the lower-quality brands that market their dog food.

TooManyHuskies- if you cannot back up your claims on Orijen with a reference to a legitimate article or press release, you will be warned for continuing to spread misinformation and hearsay.

THM - Thank you for your post. I have found the article you spoke of.

Since my boys stools are getting no better with the lowered feeding amount and have lost weight since lowering it among finding this article I'll be switching them to a raw diet, at least then I know what goes into their bodies.

I don't race or work my dogs, so I guess i don 't have to worry about feeding "real food" lol