# Orijen vs. Acana: What is the true benefit to either?



## Jacksons Mom

Just curious.

Jackson is a 16lb healthy active Yorkie or Silky Terrier [[I really don't know--tend to think he's Silky]]

Anyways. I know that higher protein causing kidney problems is a total myth but I also understand not all dogs do well on higher protein either. I know Yorkies are 36x more likely to get a liver shunt than all other breeds combined but I've always been a believer in grain free higher protein diets for dogs.

Jackson has been eating Acana Grasslands for maybe 3-4 months now and seems to be doing fine and well on it. I also bought a little 1lb bag of Go! Endurance (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=2293&cat=8) that he seemed to enjoy even better than Acana. How does this rate against Orijen?

He likes Grasslands WAY better than the Prairie (chicken based) flavor. When looking at Orijen Regional Red, the ingredients just seem ALOT better... with four out of five top ingredients being meat and ten total. Protein in RR is 38% while Acana is 33%. So it doesn't seem like THAT much of a leap. Crude fat in RR is min. of 18% while Acana is 17%. Fiber in RR is 3.0% and Acana is 3.5%. So the actual guaranteed analysis doesn't seem to differ a whole lot yet ingredients seem a whole lot better in Orijen RR?

Anyways, I'm just curious if there's a real benefit to eating Orijen over Acana? Or I guess it just differs from dog to dog? 

Jackson is active, not Border Collie active (lol) but active. He gets walked M-F for 35 mins per day. He gets about 10-15 minutes of fetch with either frisbee or tennis ball almost every day. He goes swimming in big in-ground pool about 2-3x per week usually for about 20 minutes per 'session' (at my dads house). He goes to my dads house usually on average 2x per week where he runs and runs with dads 2 dogs all over the place. He gets to the dog park typically once a week (Saturdays) where he gets 2-3 hours there. He also goes to a local beach once every other week.

Is Orijen typically more appropriate for active dogs such as he? or should they be more active? 

I dunno, just trying to gather more info on the whole protein thing. 

Thanks for any help:biggrin:


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## STPFAN

Yhere is no real benefit between Orijen and Acana. There made by the same company...Acana is just lower in protein with the same quality as Orijen!
I use to feed the Acana Grassland myself and the dogs actually liked it better and the stools were more consistent then when they were feed Orijen. 
Having the same quality and being a little cheaper had me sold!


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## ann g

My german shepherd has been on Acana wild prairie for 6 weeks now, he likes it but had more energy when he was on Wellness lg brd adult, he was doing and looking better over all on wellness. He is moderately active, regular walks lots of playtime in yard, but I haven't really seen any big improvements with the grain free acana. I agree with stpfan, acana being made by same company but at a lower price is great. but I also wondered about the high protien levels and amount of activity your dog gets.


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## kevin bradley

this whole, "some dogs don't do well on high protein" is for the most part a bunch of garbage. 

99% of people having issues with a food like Orijen or Acana are simply feeding too much of it. 

I believe the primary difference between Orijen/Acana is meat content. Certainly for almost all dogs, more is better so I'd opt for Orijen if possible. I'm working through a batch of Acana at the moment but will likely step up to Orijen in the near future. 

Best Dry food available. If Orijen is an A+....Acana is an A. Net/net...feed Orijen if you can. If you want to save a few bucks and opt for Acana, I sure as hell wouldn't lose any sleep over it. While you are fretting over this decision...some poor soul is feeding Diamond or Natura products :wink:


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## ziggy29

Orijen is considered a little higher quality by most and is higher in meat protein, and to the extent that more meat is better, Orijen would be the better food. Having said that, Acana is still better than 98% of the kibble out there -- so if your dog loved Acana Grasslands more than just about any of the other high quality foods you've tried, I see no harm with "treating" him to this in his rotation from time to time.


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## Jacksons Mom

Thanks guys! 

My local store actually carries the Regional Red, which I was happy about, as well as the sample bags. So I tried the sample last night, mixed it with some of the Grasslands and of course he left the Acana Grasslands in the bowl and only ate the Regional Red, ha! He always does that with new food though but stool was perfect. I'll see how it goes through this sample bag. I hope it does well with him because I do think Orijen is better. I probably will continue to rotate with Acana and Orijen (Grasslands and RR). I think that'd be a good rotation since both seem to be his fave kibble ever..... just wanted to update.  

I wanted to add Go! Endurance into the rotation too since it seemed like such a great food and he loved the sample we got! But when I went into the store yesterday, it was sooo much more expensive? Why, I don't know. It was $8 for a 1lb bag of Go! Endurance... ONE pound. I got the .88lb bag of Orijen RR for like a tiny bit over $3. A 5.5lb bag of Acana Grasslands is $14 here. I think the Orijen RR is only a little over $1 more. So its worth it to me!


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## SaltyDog

kevin bradley said:


> . While you are fretting over this decision...some poor soul is feeding Diamond or Natura products :wink:



Yep, my poor dog eats Evo and unless I see a change in the formula she will NOT go back to Orijen. My puppy is on Orijen Large Breed Puppy and I just ordered her last bag of it. By the time she is done with her current bag and the bag on the way she will be between 13 and 14 months old....at that time, I will move her on to Evo as well.

I've tried Orijen 6 Fish (3 different bags mfg at 3 different times) and they can't keep it down...ever  I've also tried Orijen Adult which my adult looked less than steller on and certainly did not eat it with gusto. Having said that, both of my dogs have (and still do) eaten Orijen Large Breed Puppy which both of them eat right up and looked (and look) great on. If I were to take both of them back in the future to Orijen it would be the LBP formula....possibly I'd try the Red formula. Someone else on this forum had the same issues that I did with Orijen Adult in which they too liked LBP better. I know it doesn't make sense....it's the exact same formula, just the nutrient analysis is a smidge different. I don't get what the change is, but somebody else noticed the same thing I did, so I'm not crazy.

To answer your very first question....the difference between Orijen and Acana is the fresh meat content in Orijen. Honestly, I think that Acana Grasslands should carry the Orijen name.


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## jiml

my dog strongly prefers acana (any flavor) over orijen


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## Jacksons Mom

jiml said:


> my dog strongly prefers acana (any flavor) over orijen


It's funny how they pick and choose, isn't it? 

Jackson likes both it seems. Acana Grasslands he seems to really like, but last night I put half Orijen Regional Red in it and half Grasslands and he only picked out the RR  he seems to devour the RR a little faster, ha. If there's only Grasslands in the bowl, he WILL eat it and like it, but he definitely seems to like RR better. :biggrin:


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## jiml

yeah, trixie loves all the acana grainless flavors. I really only tried orijen 6 fish because she loved acana pacifica. 

for me orijen would be much easier to obtain than acana


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## Play Fetch

There is a difference though between Acana and Orijen Regional Red, that has been overlooked. The level of glucosamine and chondroitin in Acana is more than twice as much as in Regional Red. The reduced protein level in Acana (60%) compared to Regional Red (75%) makes Acana a better choice for older less active dogs. They can really benefit from more glucosamine and don't need that much protein. Both brands are made by Champion in Canada, in my opinion presently the best dogfood manufacturer in the world. Both brands rank very high on every dogfood site you might visit. Both are grain free. Most allergies in dogs are caused by grain and corn, not by the meat contents.
Hope this helps by making a choice between the two brands.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

kevin bradley said:


> this whole, "some dogs don't do well on high protein" is for the most part a bunch of garbage.
> 
> 99% of people having issues with a food like Orijen or Acana are simply feeding too much of it.
> 
> I believe the primary difference between Orijen/Acana is meat content. Certainly for almost all dogs, more is better so I'd opt for Orijen if possible. I'm working through a batch of Acana at the moment but will likely step up to Orijen in the near future.
> 
> Best Dry food available. If Orijen is an A+....Acana is an A. Net/net...feed Orijen if you can. If you want to save a few bucks and opt for Acana, I sure as hell wouldn't lose any sleep over it. While you are fretting over this decision...some poor soul is feeding Diamond or Natura products :wink:


couldnt you have said some poor soul is feeding purina or eukanuba products? i mean that would leave noone on the boards offended. many here feed diamond, and natura so of course that would offend some lol


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## kevin bradley

It was tongue in cheek, RC. Probably kind of poor taste on the joke front. 

Tell Shane Happy Birthday. Give him a hug for me.


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## monkeys23

*shrug* I switched to Acana from Evo after the buyout.

Their favorite was by far Grasslands, but they liked the others fine too. Only reason I didn't get Orijen was price difference. I was very pleased with how well they did on Acana overall. It was the last kibble I fed before going raw.

If I had to feed kibble again I would feed Lily Orijen and Scout would get Acana. Scout seemed to do better on the slightly lower protien in Acana, whereas I could tell Lily needed bumped back up that little bit.


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5

kevin bradley said:


> this whole, "some dogs don't do well on high protein" is for the most part a bunch of garbage.
> 
> 99% of people having issues with a food like Orijen or Acana are simply feeding too much of it.
> 
> I believe the primary difference between Orijen/Acana is meat content. Certainly for almost all dogs, more is better so I'd opt for Orijen if possible. I'm working through a batch of Acana at the moment but will likely step up to Orijen in the near future.
> 
> Best Dry food available. If Orijen is an A+....Acana is an A. Net/net...feed Orijen if you can. If you want to save a few bucks and opt for Acana, I sure as hell wouldn't lose any sleep over it. While you are fretting over this decision...some poor soul is feeding Diamond or Natura products :wink:





kevin bradley said:


> It was tongue in cheek, RC. Probably kind of poor taste on the joke front.
> 
> Tell Shane Happy Birthday. Give him a hug for me.



thanks man..ill be makign a vid of him and posting it..of him with his busy bone


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## withawye

*Acana vs Orijen*

A rep from Champion explained to me that the Acana was designed for smaller dogs or people who found the Orijen just a bit too much protein. Some dogs just can't handle the protein or aren't active enough.

They are both made in the same factory with the identical quality of ingredients. Don't think one is "better" than the other. It's just the amount of meat which results in a slightly higher cost and slightly higher protein level.

There is no one type fits all solution, find our what works for your dog or what ingredients they may be sensitive to and adjust the type. The beauty of the Champion products is once you find the right "mix" you're still getting the highest quality dog food on the market.


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## Jacksons Mom

withawye said:


> A rep from Champion explained to me that the Acana was designed for smaller dogs or people who found the Orijen just a bit too much protein. Some dogs just can't handle the protein or aren't active enough.
> 
> They are both made in the same factory with the identical quality of ingredients. Don't think one is "better" than the other. It's just the amount of meat which results in a slightly higher cost and slightly higher protein level.
> 
> There is no one type fits all solution, find our what works for your dog or what ingredients they may be sensitive to and adjust the type. The beauty of the Champion products is once you find the right "mix" you're still getting the highest quality dog food on the market.


This thread is from 2010. 

But thank you for the explanation! 
I've been feeding Acana on and off (but mostly on) with pretty good results since 2010.


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## Morsemouse

Hey I have a question- we were using Natural Balance for our Morse until they were bought up by DelMonte. I am running out of my pre-buy out stock and I am looking to switch Morse. His ears (he is a cockapoo) flair up with chicken and wheat products and Natural Balance kept that in check. We are looking to upgrade Morse's food in the process.

Does anyone here have experience with a dog who had transitioned to Acana with these problems? What did you find?


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## InkedMarie

Morse mouse: are you using Natural Balances limited ingredient foods? If yes, take a look at Natures Variety lid, Zignature, Canine Caviar, Canidae Pure....those are other lid foods. Acana isn't a lid food but their singles line may work.


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## Morsemouse

InkedMarie-

I will give that a try- yes we are using lid and you are the second person to mention canine caviar. 

We are pretty sure at this point it is wheat and chicken (as can be common with Cocker Spaniels, I believe) - thank you for pointing out other options


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## bett

skipping the "which is better" , don't let the dog be the judge because they could like something like baneful (hope i 'm not offending anyone but it is crap).
read and research, drive yourself batty like we all do, and then hope the dog thrives on your choice.


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## bobulldog8

Some things to keep in mind about orijen. They are known as ingredient splitters, meaning they use tons of different meats to make it appear there is more meat in their foods, when in actuality a lot of competitive brands have more meat or just as much. Another thing is they use a lot of legumes and get a lot of their protein from them. Orijen is a good food but it isn't the end all be all/clearly the best food on the market some people make it out to be. Personally i recently went back to evo, because they are getting more protein from animal nutriments which i believe is the most important part of kibble. Just trying to give some perspective.


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## Shamrockmommy

Interesting, bobulldog. I liked Acana for my guys up until they "improved" the formula with lentils and beans. Then I had terrible itchy dogs and bigger poop to pick up.

I prefer Evo for my cat, I haven't been "brave" enough to try it on my dogs. (I don't like my cat as much as my dogs LOL). Although at this time he's hanging out monorail kitty on the back of my computer chair LOL.


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## AngelaPrimanti

bobulldog8 said:


> Some things to keep in mind about orijen. They are known as ingredient splitters, meaning they use tons of different meats to make it appear there is more meat in their foods, when in actuality a lot of competitive brands have more meat or just as much. Another thing is they use a lot of legumes and get a lot of their protein from them. Orijen is a good food but it isn't the end all be all/clearly the best food on the market some people make it out to be. Personally i recently went back to evo, because they are getting more protein from animal nutriments which i believe is the most important part of kibble. Just trying to give some perspective.


This is so very true about Orijen. The label is designed to deceive consumers from the first ingredient to the last.

The other thing I find interesting is that on Dog Food Advisor, the same types of ingredients that other foods are criticized for, Orijen is not. On Chewy.com all you see are 5 Star ratings but I know people and have read many stories of very poor results that seem to never make it in the reviews like other foods on Chewy.com. When I called Orijen about the several recalls the company has had they referred to them as "bag exchanges." How sick is that.


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## LProf

Shamrockmommy said:


> Interesting, bobulldog. I liked Acana for my guys up until they "improved" the formula with lentils and beans. Then I had terrible itchy dogs and bigger poop to pick up.
> 
> I prefer Evo for my cat, I haven't been "brave" enough to try it on my dogs. (I don't like my cat as much as my dogs LOL). Although at this time he's hanging out monorail kitty on the back of my computer chair LOL.


I am using the single protein Acanna kibble, rotating between the Duck and Lamb. It has grain, but it is Oats, which my dogs seem to be tolerating very well. It is stated to have 25% protein. Good stools, bigger, but not that much, good energy level and keeping the weight under control. So far, I am very pleased with this food.


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## Dr Dolittle

Protein excess does not cause kidney failure.....but......protein is amino acids and that's what your dog needs, just like us. the fact is though, almost every dog food is higher than what a typical dog needs every day. it's like us. We might need about 4 oz of steak but when we go to the steakhouse we order 12 oz, 16 oz, or more! that extra protein gets broken down by liver and kidneys and basically stored as fat, hopefully to be burned but not if you are a couch potato. What we should want is just the right amt of protein but that doesn't sell dog food these days, not with the meat frenzy. If your dogs kidneys and liver are healthy, they can handle that workload, but if the dog has gotten older and kidney function has deteriorated, the extra workload can be taxing and the nitrogen, a by product of breaking down meat protein , can start building up in the blood,and the excess phosphorus in the meat, from usually bone, causes further damage to these already overworked kidneys. this continues over time till the nitrogen starts to waste away muscle, the dog starts losing weight, drinking a peeing more, and when the vet does blood work, we kind about 25 % of kidney function is left? that's why a lower protein diet as the dog ages can be very beneficial in reducing the risk of kidney disease. in most vet literature now, the topic is more the quality of the protein than the amt, meaning lower mineral levels from purer sources. Dogs with higher Clarke needs actually should get more fat, since fat burns twice as many calories as carbs and protein and there is no additional burden on the organs. the protein in these worked dogs really is not much higher. we know this from army dogs in the jungles of Vietnam to mushers up north! eating sometimes diets with 50 % fat! and not needing much more protein? we tend to glamorize and demonized certain ingredients and nutrients based on....myth...than try and stick with the science as we know it. By the way, Origen's philosophy goes against EVERYTHING we know about amino acid needs of domestic canines. it is hype, and dangerous type to dogs who don't have the healthiest kidneys!


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## LProf

LProf said:


> I am using the single protein Acanna kibble, rotating between the Duck and Lamb. It has grain, but it is Oats, which my dogs seem to be tolerating very well. It is stated to have 25% protein. Good stools, bigger, but not that much, good energy level and keeping the weight under control. So far, I am very pleased with this food.


I just discovered from the Acanna web site that they are doing the same thing to their Singles line. It may be time to once again look for a new kibble. Really frustrating with these dog food companies.


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## AngelaPrimanti

LProf said:


> I just discovered from the Acanna web site that they are doing the same thing to their Singles line. It may be time to once again look for a new kibble. Really frustrating with these dog food companies.


Yep, red lentils + green lentils + green peas + yellow peas + garbanzo beans. How stupid do they think the public is?


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## LProf

AngelaPrimanti said:


> Yep, red lentils + green lentils + green peas + yellow peas + garbanzo beans. How stupid do they think the public is?


I don't get it. What do they have to gain? The owner of the store I shop in, when I asked why they were changing the ingredients, told me that Acanna told him to get rid of the oats and increase the meat protein level.


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## leaveittoweaver

LProf said:


> I don't get it. What do they have to gain? The owner of the store I shop in, when I asked why they were changing the ingredients, told me that Acanna told him to get rid of the oats and increase the meat protein level.


It's called ingredient splitting. So lets say that they didn't use red and green lentils and only used red lentils. The lentils would be higher up on the ingredient panel. Same with the peas. Does that make sense?


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## Shamrockmommy

I used to LOVE acana regionals. It was pretty simple, meat n potatoes and then your veggies and herbs. The dogs did really super on it. I loved it! T hen they legume-ified them. Now they're doing the same to the singles line! Why in the world?!?

I will never feed or recommend champion foods again. Not every dog needs to be eating peas and lentils.


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## LProf

Shamrockmommy said:


> I used to LOVE acana regionals. It was pretty simple, meat n potatoes and then your veggies and herbs. The dogs did really super on it. I loved it! T hen they legume-ified them. Now they're doing the same to the singles line! Why in the world?!?
> 
> I will never feed or recommend champion foods again. Not every dog needs to be eating peas and lentils.


Me too, so now I have to switch again. What food do I now go to, given I need a lower protein, no flaxseed kibble?

This is really getting to me. Once Farmina is available locally where I am, I plan to try the Cod and Orange to see how my boys do on it. He also has a lamb and Blueberry, which might work.


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## Shamrockmommy

LProf, I honestly am at a loss as to what to suggest to you at the moment! 
Not trying to get hysterical or anything LOL but it is rather challenging to find a decent food.

Farmina looks really good also, the dogs and cat thought it was addicting! Still waiting on chewy to get it and also have asked 3 local pet food supplies to carry it but not with much success. 

Currently 2 dogs of mine are on 4Health grain free. Been about 3 days on it and already super sensitive Darby is chewing her front legs and feet frantically. That means she's getting yeasty on this food after it being well under control on Fromm and PetGuard. So, looks like I may put her back on that. Echo is doing fine, although I really can't tell digestion wise because she's on an antibiotic for a sebaceous abscess. 
The other 2 are on Merrick grain free, and I read that it is way high in phosphorus, but they eat it. The chihuahua will eat anything, the poodle will starve himself. He really does not care about food. 

Pain. In. the. butt.


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## Dr Dolittle

leaveittoweaver said:


> It's called ingredient splitting. So lets say that they didn't use red and green lentils and only used red lentils. The lentils would be higher up on the ingredient panel. Same with the peas. Does that make sense?


Ingredient splitting is one of the tricks. the other is Meat First. Real meat is mostly water weight so a small amt goes right to the front if the ingredient panel. EVERYBODY does that now. has nothing to do with the quality of the product,just a trick to look good. meat or chicken meal is dry so all that weight is the real protein source. Laws are funny. Blue buffalo in a magazine ad will say meat is always first in their foods! but on their website they add "which means that ingredient is the most in the food." That is actually a lie but there are no rules to what you say on a website. they can't say that on the bag or the ad which are strictly controlled. the only accurate way to determine quality of the meat sources is checking the calcium and phosphorus, the lower the better, and the better sources. The higher it is the more junk it is. There are no honest ingredient panels in regular dog food that I know of. they all have to play the game now, whether it is a sound researched food or a fad junk food.


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## MollyWoppy

Dr Dolittle said:


> There are no honest ingredient panels in regular dog food that I know of. they all have to play the game now, whether it is a sound researched food or a fad junk food.


Have a look at Farmina. (usafarmina.com) I'd be interested to hear what you think of their ingredients and what they disclose on their website.


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## FarminaND

Shamrockmommy said:


> LProf, I honestly am at a loss as to what to suggest to you at the moment!
> Not trying to get hysterical or anything LOL but it is rather challenging to find a decent food.
> 
> Farmina looks really good also, the dogs and cat thought it was addicting! Still waiting on chewy to get it and also have asked 3 local pet food supplies to carry it but not with much success.
> 
> Currently 2 dogs of mine are on 4Health grain free. Been about 3 days on it and already super sensitive Darby is chewing her front legs and feet frantically. That means she's getting yeasty on this food after it being well under control on Fromm and PetGuard. So, looks like I may put her back on that. Echo is doing fine, although I really can't tell digestion wise because she's on an antibiotic for a sebaceous abscess.
> The other 2 are on Merrick grain free, and I read that it is way high in phosphorus, but they eat it. The chihuahua will eat anything, the poodle will starve himself. He really does not care about food.
> 
> Pain. In. the. butt.


Please tell me which stores.


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## FarminaND

Dr Dolittle said:


> Ingredient splitting is one of the tricks. the other is Meat First. Real meat is mostly water weight so a small amt goes right to the front if the ingredient panel. EVERYBODY does that now. has nothing to do with the quality of the product,just a trick to look good. meat or chicken meal is dry so all that weight is the real protein source. Laws are funny. Blue buffalo in a magazine ad will say meat is always first in their foods! but on their website they add "which means that ingredient is the most in the food." That is actually a lie but there are no rules to what you say on a website. they can't say that on the bag or the ad which are strictly controlled. the only accurate way to determine quality of the meat sources is checking the calcium and phosphorus, the lower the better, and the better sources. The higher it is the more junk it is. There are no honest ingredient panels in regular dog food that I know of. they all have to play the game now, whether it is a sound researched food or a fad junk food.


The measure of Ash, which includes calcium and phosphorous, is the only way to tell the quality of the animal proteins. Our foods have the lowest ash per unit of animal protein on the market. 

For example, our Chicken Ancestral Grain will test at 34% protein (30% mininum), 92% of that animal source, and still test at 6.50% total ash.

Our Wild Boar will test at close to 40% protein (37% minimum), 95% of that animal source, and test at 7.30% total ash. This is a red meat formula, 42% Wild Boar.

No legumes are used to influence the results.


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## MollyWoppy

That's exactly why I wanted Dr D to check out Farmina's site. They are the only company I could find that willingly displays ash content on their web-site. No hiding it, no beating around the bush, no making you call up to ask, no classified information. Having to call all the time was just a pain and in the end made me suspicious as to why they would make it so difficult. 
I wanted to know ash levels because my cat, who, if I'm not very careful, is prone to UTI and bladder crystals.
Also been telling my local store about it for a couple of months now as I would prefer to support them and purchase it there. And, just the other day they told me someone else had asked about it too. I guess unless you can afford a huge nationwide TV or magazine ad campaign, a lot of it is still word of mouth and recommendations from other pet lovers on internet boards.


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## PDXdogmom

MollyWoppy said:


> That's exactly why I wanted Dr D to check out Farmina's site. They are the only company I could find that willingly displays ash content on their web-site. No hiding it, no beating around the bush, no making you call up to ask, no classified information. Having to call all the time was just a pain and in the end made me suspicious as to why they would make it so difficult.
> I wanted to know ash levels because my cat, who, if I'm not very careful, is prone to UTI and bladder crystals.
> Also been telling my local store about it for a couple of months now as I would prefer to support them and purchase it there. And, just the other day they told me someone else had asked about it too. I guess unless you can afford a huge nationwide TV or magazine ad campaign, a lot of it is still word of mouth and recommendations from other pet lovers on internet boards.


Actually, there are two other brands of dog food that list the ash online and as part of their regular guaranteed analysis: Annamaet and Dr. Tim's

But I agree that most companies make it so you have to contact them about it and even then you might not get an answer.


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## MollyWoppy

I'm sorry, I did know about Dr Tims. I bought some of his food for her some time ago but she wouldn't eat it. Annamaet I never looked at.


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## PDXdogmom

LProf said:


> Me too, so now I have to switch again. What food do I now go to, given I need a lower protein, no flaxseed kibble?
> 
> This is really getting to me. Once Farmina is available locally where I am, I plan to try the Cod and Orange to see how my boys do on it. He also has a lamb and Blueberry, which might work.


I used to feed Acana also long ago. There have been so many changes to the formulas over the past 4 years that it doesn't seem recognizable anymore except for the botanicals.

Don't know if I've mentioned it before; but have you looked at the Canidae Grain Free Pure formulas? They have 6-7 primary ingredients and no flaxseed. One of my dogs did well with the Pure Land formula that I used in rotation. It has 25% protein . . . think the other formulas may have more.

CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Land® Dry Dog Food with Fresh Bison


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## Shamrockmommy

FarminaND said:


> Please tell me which stores.


First I contacted Weber Pet Supermarket in Fairfax, VA. They told me that Zeiglars is not their regular supplier but called them anyway, since I was so interested. Then Zeiglars told them that they are "holding the food for a month to test on their OWN dogs before they release it to the stores." 
Um. Ok.

The next place was A Dog's Day Out in Leesburg, VA, who didn't know of Zeiglars as well but were "going to look into it." They were pushing Orijen on me. No thanks!


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## Jacksons Mom

LProf said:


> I just discovered from the Acanna web site that they are doing the same thing to their Singles line. It may be time to once again look for a new kibble. Really frustrating with these dog food companies.


Are they really?! UGH.... Jackson does sooo well on their Duck food. 

Thank goodness Farmina should be ready soon.


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## Jacksons Mom

PDXdogmom said:


> Actually, there are two other brands of dog food that list the ash online and as part of their regular guaranteed analysis: Annamaet and Dr. Tim's
> 
> But I agree that most companies make it so you have to contact them about it and even then you might not get an answer.


Precise, Now/Go, and Fromm list them on their charts too (you have to click the PDF's but they're on the site).


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## LProf

Jacksons Mom said:


> Are they really?! UGH.... Jackson does sooo well on their Duck food.
> 
> Thank goodness Farmina should be ready soon.


Yep, that is the route I plan taking once it is available for me locally. I got a sample of the Cod, and my guys really seemed to like it. I will also try the 30% protein chicken.


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## mayayoung

i'm sure a lot of people have explained this to you already, but i'm going to put in my opinion anyways...

orijen is made of 75% - 80% meat, while i believe acana is 50% - 65% meat. I like the acana grasslands formula too. A lot of people have been saying dogs that are not particularly active do better on acana because orijen is too rich, so i've been afraid to try it (it is one of the most expensive dog foods out there!!!). If Jackson is doing well on the acana, i wouldn't change it, since it's a great food.


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