# Orijen Puppy Large Dog Food



## Fay (Apr 21, 2009)

Can you tell me how much to feed a 4 month old lab? He weighs 47 pounds now.
thanks.


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## dogfood_admin (Jun 16, 2008)

Fay,

Click Here to visit the forum , I'm sure your question will be answered quickly.


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## Chris2 (Jul 2, 2009)

I have been doing a lot of research on the best dry food to feed my Newfoundland puppy and some of the info that I have read states that the high protein content of this food is not good for puppies, specifically large breeds. Can anyone validate or negate this info? I really appreciate any feedback from anyone feeding the large breed puppy food to their puppy.

Thanks


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## icecannons (Sep 4, 2009)

Chris, 

ingredients.The high protein is not as issue for large breeds as it depends on the protein source. Orijen uses high-quality protein and what should concern you would be the calcium and phosphorous levels as most grain free kibble have a high percentage of those minerals. I have found through research that Orijen uses low-ash meat.


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## Ali1 (Aug 27, 2009)

I have a 1 year old shar pei puppy and i am feeding her large breed puppy food from orijen. Is this a good choice, id love any type of feedback please. She already has bad skin and is kind of skinny so im trying to put more meat on her bones and get rid of her itchy dryskin


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## Claudio (Oct 19, 2009)

I have been feeding my goldendoodle Orijen large breed puppy formula for the past three weeks and I have noticed a difference in his stool. He goes about three times a day, it is consistent, and not as large as it used to be with other foods. He took to it right away and finishes his bowl in about 30 seconds. The breeder had been feeding him Iams, which I changed as soon as I got home. I felt attracted to Orijen because of the no grain and heavy on meats formula which goes in accordance with the diet that dogs or wolves have followed in their evolutionary history. I am very happy with Orijen, the quality of the ingredients, and absence of empty calories found in grains. I do not anticipate changing my dog food for the rest of his life.


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## Chris3 (Oct 22, 2009)

I have been feeding my Siberian Husky pup a large breed food, but the kibble is not large, and she just swallows it. I then changed to Innova, and found a disturbing truth... that she is allergic to Barley. I changed for a larger kibble, but my question is Orijen Large breed a large kibble or a smaller kibble?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

The Orijem puppy has smaller kibble than the Large breed. I love this food I also love California Natural. California is great stuff.


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## Christine4 (Nov 13, 2009)

My newfie was on Orijen about 8 months. Before that he was on Wysong. He developed nicely till recent blood test. His creatinine level shot up to 165 vs normal high at 140. When he was on Wysong, his creatinine is around 120 something area. 

The only difference is the high protein content. I am going to shift him back to another kibbles with lower protein content.


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## Tabea (Jan 24, 2010)

Hey I fed my dog orijen large puppy, and the fact that it has 40% protein, is good for adult dogs, but bad for puppies, my dog had explosive diarrhea for like 2 month after eating this food. There are other good grain free dog foods on the market with less protein that a puppy can eat. Like Go! natural grain free, which has 34% protein.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

What people forget about Orijen puppy formulas is that the protein is coming from meat sources not grain sources that are hard for any dog to digest.

Check the site....50% of the energy is coming from protein which is based off of 6 meats..25% from fruits and veggies and 25% from fat. Better to have your puppy getting 40% protein from meats than 25% protein from rice, barley or oatmeal......or even worse corn, meat by product or corn gluten.

Not trying to defend Orijen puppy or saying it is the greatest puppy food on the planet, but the numbers don't lie. It just may not be right for your dog. Ahhhh the food rollercoaster....we've all been on it.

I would rather feed my dog high protein from meat sources than feed it any type of grain.


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Eric if you won't say it I will, Orijen large breed is the best puppy kibble made today. You should take a look at my dog and feel how soft he is. Remember German Shepherds have very rough fur. NOT MINE, IT'S soft as a babys butt. Check him out

http://3toestony.shutterfly.com/


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

lol....I agree with you Jess.


Orijen Puppy is certainly super food for your dog.

Between the ingredients, the nutrients and the fact that the company actually makes the food at it's own factory is a plus. It's all up to your dog if they'll eat it 
Take time to transition your dogs and they should not have a problem with the food, and you'll sleep well at night knowing your furry friends are eating well.



BTW - The only foods on the market that are actually made by the actual dog food company are:
Champion Pet Foods (Orijen and Acana)
Merrick Pet Care (Merrick, Before Grain, Whole Earth Farms)
Fromm Family (Fromm)
Natura (Evo, Innova, Karma, California Natural)

If you don't know, you would be amazed at how many so called premium pet foods are made in factories that produce low grade foods. I still think that brands like Wellness, Taste Of The Wild, Solid Gold to name a few are good foods, (certainly better than most) but you have to question the production.


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## Baylee (Feb 22, 2010)

My puppy is an American Bulldog crossed with Australian Shepherd. When I brought her home at age 5 months (she was 40 lbs at the time) I started feeding her Orijen Large Puppy 70% protein, 30% fruits and veggies, no grains. For the first few weeks I mixed the food with her old dog food, Science Diet, to slowly switch her over. Eventually, over a three week period she was eating just the Orijen Large Puppy. She was having a hard time with her stools. It was inconsistent - often she had diarrhea but sometime it would be fine. She also didn't "dive" into her food - it almost seemed like she forced herself to eat it. The other thing was that her breath was strong and she began excreting some very fishy smells from her butt. I thought maybe she had issues with her anal glands. I decided to change her food to Acana Large Puppy to see if the food was the problem (Acana is made by the same company as Orijen, but 55% protien, 25% fruits and veggie, and 20% grain). She actually liked this food, wanted to eat it, and her fishy smell went away from her breath and butt. In the end I think the smell had to do with the quantity of Omega 3 oils in the Orijen - it was just too much for her - and I think my dog really needs some grains in her diet. Both foods give her a beautiful coat, and are equally good in terms of nutrition and quality, but it really depends how your dog reacts to and "processes" a product.


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## Michelle6 (Feb 12, 2010)

Eric,I totally agree with you.A lot of these premium brands use the infamous Menu foods as their manufacturer.Their is bound to be cross contamination,not cleaning all the crap food ingredients,before producing the better quality ones.Also some of these so called premium foods are the same crap as the grocery store quality foods-just at a higher price.No matter what the price people need to read the ingredient list!!


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## Kasey (Feb 28, 2010)

I have an Australian Shepherd, she's 12 weeks and I was feeding her Nutra nuggets since 8 weeks.. ive now started to research and found that it had bad stuff in it like the other commercial brand dog food so i've bought Orijen puppy food because it seemed to be the best ingredients and i wanted her to have a high protein and fat to put a little more weight on her. It just seemed like a really good dog food and it seemed to fit perfect to what i wanted for her and it's all natural just like everyone has been saying....my problem is though, i'm still mixing it with her nutra to wean her off of it and switch to the orijen but she doesnt seem to like the orijen at all but loves her nutra nuggets so i know this is gross but i tried them myself and the nutra did seem to taste better even though they were both gross lol but i just wish she would like the orijen because i want her to live a long time and not have health problems that are associated with the commercial brand dog food...what are your thoughts? should i try another food? or stick with the orijen?


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

try mixing the two with some warm water so as to make a gravy. Let it sit for about 5 minuets or so. This will help blend the two together and mask the taste.

Also per cup mixture....start with like a quarter or less cup of Orijen and add your current brand to equal one cup. It might take you 14 to 20 days to switch her.


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## Kasey (Feb 28, 2010)

Thank you very much. She started to eat it a little last night so I think we are making some progress if she turns her nose up again I will definitely try that. Thanks.


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## Henry (Mar 11, 2010)

I also recommend adding a bit of water to dry kibble to make that gravy and to help the animal take it down and it adds to a bit for hydration and you can even take a bit of dry and stir it in to make a crunchy snack inside, Good for teeth in my opinion and also better than canned as I often see other pets appear overweight on the canned 'mush' that to me is translates to eating a bunch of taco bell bean burritos. Imagine how that feels afterwards? 

Just my thoughts...


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Henry, any dog food that uses citric acid as perservitive as does Orijen, you should not added water, as it can add to bloat. I feed my kibble dry(yes this is my food). I do feed a little canned after he finishes his kibble but only about a quarter of a can. You should also take water away about a half hour before feeding and a half hour afterwards, lol, but I usually do not do this, I just don't fill his water bowl up until after he eats, but sometimes there is water in his bowel.

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=2300&cat=8


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

Orijen Large Breed Puppy is my all time favorite kibble for both puppies and adults. Excellant ingredients...excellant nutrient analysis. And yes, I like this formula just a bit better than Orijen's adult formula.

Fear nothing with this food! A true All Life Stages food!


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## lovemynewf (Apr 2, 2010)

I've been using Orijin w/ my two dogs for a few months. My mixed breed dog used to itch like crazy (she looks like a labradoodle). The itching completely resolved and her coat is beautiful. Her gas is unbearable... The big problem is with my 3.5 month baby newfie. She is very thirsty all the time and pees like crazy. The vet and I decided to treat her for a presumed UTI. After a full course of antibiotics, she still has the symptoms. I know puppies... and I'm a human doc. They pee a lot, but her thirst is abnormal. I'm starting to think I need to change her off Orijin. I'm concerned about her kidneys and I will get a creatinine level later in the week. Anyone have any thoughts on this...? Oh... and her gas is also lethal too.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

I can tell you that the higher protein, grain free recipes will make your dog drink more. I wish I had a scientific answer as to why, but I haven't met a dog owner yet who hasn't mentioned this fact. The good thing to this though is that most dogs do not consume enough water during the day and this promotes that.

As far as the gas? My two do not have this problem on Orijen. The had nasty gas though when they were on the lesser brand Wellness.

Also, a natural digestive enzyme (not one full of synthetics) might help with the water intake (yet I would not be concerned with that) and it might help with the gas as it aids in the breakdown of the food. Splitting Orijen into 3 feedings a day instead of two might also help this. Although Orijen is far superior to other kibbles, it is still processed and a digestive enzyme or whole foods supplement is highly recommended.


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## Peter_Ronaldson (Mar 21, 2011)

hey lovemynewf,
i had the same problem with my dogs waaay too much gas , my vet recommended holistic select lamb,since the orijen people had changed their recipe.seems its been happening to alot of dogs . worked like a charm i will NEVER use orijen again.plus he said it protein levels are way too high for big pups. this dog food has no track record its too new only about 4 years out. he said wel see what all the side effects will be soon.


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## Marshall (Apr 23, 2010)

I researched lots of dog foods and came up with the Orijen large puppy brand for my Bernese. Big mistake. My puppy had bad diarrhea on this food -- like chocolate milk, with the best stools being like a thick chocolate shake. We took him to the vet and ran all sorts of tests to make sure it wasn't the food, but it was. When we switched him to a food with less protein, his stool became normal.

Maybe I'll try using the adult formula once he's older.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

did you transition him very slowly? depending on what he was used to eating, it could have been a big shock to his system. overfeeding will cause diarrhea as well. ive seen people who are feeding 6 cups a day of a food like purina, switch to something like evo or orijen, and keep feeding the same amount, but in almost all cases, the amount needed for maintenance on grocery store foods is much higher than that of more meat dense, higher calorie foods.

of course, it is completely possible that orijen just doesnt work for him for whatever reason. ive yet to see a dog food that works for every dog.


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## Marshall (Apr 23, 2010)

derek,

Yes, we transitioned very slowly -- over the course of about 9 days. Before that, he was eating Kirkland brand (but his stools were a little soft on that product as well). After the Orijen, on the advice of our vet, we fed him i/d (which I think is made by Science Diet). That's when his stools became regular. I didn't like the i/d product for long-term because it has a lot of grains and less protein than "premium" brands (although it was just as expensive as the so-called "premium" brands). We then slowly switched him to Natural Balance's L.I.D. (Sweet Potato and Venison), which seems to agree with him. I hope that's a good food.


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## SaltyDog (Mar 10, 2010)

When I switched my puppy to Orijen Large Breed from Wellness Super5 Large Breed, I did so over 3 weeks. I also feed three smaller meals a day rather than one or two larger ones. Puppy has no problem with it and now I rotate her with Orjen 6 Fish and Honest Kitchen Embark. No problems at all. 

Science Diet has stool hardners in it....which is why the stool firmed up. It's a vet diet, not a good diet.

If your dog is doing fine on Natural Ballance, then keep her on it


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## Goldie (May 1, 2010)

Jess points out a very valid point about the citric acid.

I wish they would remove this from the food. The Acana doesn't have
citric acid in some of the formulas. 

Perhaps it is time for everyone concerned to start emailing and phoning them
about the citric acid and get them to remove it


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## Cheryl3 (May 7, 2010)

hi: i too researched and thought Orijen was the way to go but when i got to the Pet Depot the salesperson advised Acana instead as he was concerned about the high level of protein and kidney problems. he suggested Acana. my 2 boys and my 1 female love it -all rottis -incl one who has always turned his nose up to kibble. both boys seem ok stool wise but my girl is very runny. my other female is expecting and she's not real keen on it but does finish her bowl. the pup is on Acana large breed puppy food. she's eating it and stool seems ok. she's 7 weeks and alrady crate/house trained. sorry brag moment. 

my question is this? how do i know if the runny stools etc are just part of the changing of the food or the actual food itself. i went thru a $68 bag in 5 days btwn the 4 dogs - all rottweilers. it's expensive but one bitch is expecting and i'm planning on breeding the other next heat. the puppy i just want to give the best start i possibly can? should i be doin more research? thx for the help cheryl


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

High protein from a meat source is great for dogs, the salesman you talked to is 100% wrong!! All the protein in Orijen comes from all the meat they have in the product.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=protein

Now with that said Acana is a great food and you have picked out a very fine dog food. I would recomend some good vitimins (not to much) and a little meat and an egg once in awhile. I am not a big one for raw chicken (or eggs) because of how they are rasied today, but some cooked chicken is great for dogs(no spices at all, nothing). 
The link I left you is a great site. Check out the left side and start reading.


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## buddy97 (Mar 29, 2010)

everyone please beware of high protein under one or both of the following conditions: (based on the old studies that cause so much internet misinformation)

1) your dog IS ACTUALLY A RAT that just looks like a dog (chihuahua owners, please look carefully, LOL)

and

2) all the protein your dog gets is from corn gluten, not meat

otherwise, more modern research has proven high protein from quality meat sources is not detrimental to a dogs growth (though high Calcium absolutely is is large breed pups) or kidney function


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## Darlene (May 12, 2010)

I Love Orijen for my Little Pomeranian Bailey. I use to feed her Cesar, thinking I was giving her the best. I switched to Orijen around November 2009. The grocery store brand that I was feeding her, I thought was the best, was about %15.00 a bag, it usually lasted about a month. Bailey's fur was already soft, but with Orijen it's made her fur Super Soft. She had dark stools at first but now it's pretty normal. The Orijen is about $5.00 more for a small bag and it lasts Bailey 2 months. I have reccommended this food to my daughter who will be getting a Lab/Shepard mix puppy very soon. I give Orijen 100*****************


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## Anya (May 25, 2010)

There are NO studies proving that high-protein diet leads to overdevelopment of large breed pups. 
What has been proven that too much of ANY food could lead to issues.


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## Jessica4 (Aug 13, 2010)

Hi,
I just wanted to mention something about a few posts above that suggested adding water to Origen Large Breed Puppy. I've read on several websites (Whole Dog Journal and DogFoodAnalysis.com and the German Shepherd Dog Forums mostly in the forums) that many people have had real problems with adding water to Orijen. I love this dog food and it has done wonders for my Aussie, but there is something about the way it is made that makes it hard for dog to digest when it is soaked in water. Just a thought.


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## Amanda4 (Aug 20, 2010)

I have a 9 month old female Akita-- and she has been on Orijens Large breed since she came home to me. Before I got here I had done all my research as to what to feed her- her breeder (surprisingly) had her and the rest of her litter on a food that was grain based (it has been documented that Akitas have sensitivities/allergies to certain grains- especially corn) There was only a brief period where she experienced loose stool- and this happened when I was switching her foods in the beginning. 
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my vet (i moved to a new area after getting her) actually recommends Orijens and even supplies it to her clients in the area. 
My akita- Kira- has been doing great on her Orijens Large breed kibble- she has loads of energy,and a beautiful coat. My vet is pleased with her growth and weight. 

The only thing that had me thinking of changing from Orijens was the cost of the food- since Kira is a large puppy, the large bag of this food lasts only 3 and a half weeks. But I cant bring myself to deprive my pup of a great start to her life. In the end it is worth it! Anyway In short my puppy loves Orijens and I recommend it to anyone who is able to afford this great food!


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## CNB (Sep 14, 2010)

I have always fed Orijen to all my pets (5) since the day I acquired them. I love the company, I love the food and rest easy at night knowing I feed the best commercial dog food to my babies. I must say I am disappointed in the lack of product knowledge and support local retailers have. My boyfriend is always kicking me for my Orijen spiels. I work at a local veterinary clinic and got into a very heated debated with our Hills (Yuck!!!) regarding food at a staff meeting. I passionately feel this is an amazing food.
Recently I acquired a male DDB, and he just isn't thriving on the food (dull, flaky, dry coat, loose stool, etc.). He is 4 months old. Does anyone have any idea of another orijen product that may help wit his coat but is appropriate? Any suggestions?


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## GermanSheperdlover (Nov 15, 2009)

Here is part of the New Large breed puppy.

Fresh boneless chicken*, chicken meal, fresh boneless salmon*, turkey meal, herring meal, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, fresh boneless turkey*, chicken fat, (preserved with mixed tocopherols), fresh whole eggs*, fresh chicken liver*, fresh boneless lake whitefish* fresh boneless walleye*, sun-cured alfalfa, pea fiber, fresh boneless herring*, organic kelp, pumpkin, chicory root, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, 

And part of the old Large breed puppy.. 

Deboned chicken, chicken meal, turkey meal, russet potato, lake whitefish, chicken fat, sweet potato, whole eggs, turkey, salmon meal, salmon and anchovy oils, salmon, natural chicken flavour, sunflower oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried brown kelp, carrots, spinach, peas, tomatoes, apples, psyllium, dulse, glucosamine Hcl, cranberries, black currants, rosemary extract, chondroitin sulfate, sea salt.


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## Joseph_Reilly (Feb 23, 2011)

My German Shepherd 1o week old puppy LOVE Orijen puppy food i had her on raw she stoped eating so when i give her Orijen Palin went nuts for it!!!!!!!!! So i think is a Great dog food. Some dogs and puppys will take to it and some will not. My Palin loves it!!!!! So thank you so much Orijen THANK YOU!!!!! Joe Reilly from the west Village New York City Dog Walker and am the Best Dog Walker!!!!!!!! : )


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## James4 (May 6, 2011)

I had my puppy (Mastador - a Black Lab/Mastiff cross) on this food for 4 months (from 10 weeks to roughly 6 months - he's just over 60 pounds @ 6 mos). It ended up giving him brutal diarrhea, and he ended up with a bowel infection so bad that he was crying when he went to the bathroom, and was refusing to eat this food. For reference, I had just had my dog in at the vet for his 6 month shots 2 weeks earlier, and the vet said he was in excellent health. 

Had to take him back to the vet ($400) for antibiotics and something to kill all the bad bacteria in his stomach, and he was put on special food from the vet to re-balance the proper enzymes in his digestive system. Vet said the food was bad, and too much protein (I did notice on one bag it listed the protein as 70%, and a later bag @ 80%). After we finished the treatment and vet food (a huge bag of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet canine Intestinal HE28), his stool was back to normal (solid and soft) and now he's on Innova puppy food and very healthy. 

I think my dog just doesn't take this food well, or perhaps I got a bag that was bad - my best friend has 2 dogs about 6 months-1 year older than my own on the exact same stuff (1 golden retriever @ 1 yr, one yellow lab @ 1.5 yrs) and they have been fine.


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## Alex7 (Apr 3, 2012)

We are soon getting our bullmastiff puppy and are very much considering Orijen due to its super reviews.

A vendor who doesn't carry Orijen though told us that it's the worst food we could give our dog since we live on a warm Mediterranean island with a very comfortable winter and steaming hot summer.

Does anyone know whether there is any truth in that, or is he just discouraging us to buy his Eukanuba? Could it be that Orijen is really made for the cold North American climate and that we should look elsewhere for dogfood?


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## Malissa (Dec 9, 2011)

I have a 10 wk old Great Pyr and have done my research well before even adopting her. I was really impressed with the Orijen and even more impressed that it is Canadian based and no CHINA parts there of. I started Andorra on Orijen at 8wks when i got her....she was on purina puppy chow so I did a slow transition and found that she just loved the food but had extreme gas and very loose stools. I didn't go over the set quanity listed for her weight. Sadly i had to give up Orijen and now she is on NOW! grain free large puppy and she loves it and everything is on schedule! She is even more energetic! I wanted the best i could provide for her and sometimes the Best isn't always the most expensive. At her last vet check she was 9wks and 26.8 lbs the Vet was very happy with her progress.


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## suzanne4 (Feb 6, 2012)

OH PLEASE HELP I ADOPTED MY BEAUTIFUL AKITA WHEN SHE WAS 3 YEARS OLD SHE IS NOW 4 & A HALF YEARS OLD & I AM JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT BLOAT! WHEN SHE CAME TO ME SHE WAS ON OL'ROY (YES DISGUSTING)I DID ALOT OF RESEARCH & STARTED HER ON TOTW WITH NATURAL GREEN TRIPE MIXED IN,IT TOOK AT LEAST 10 DYS FOR HER BODY TO GET USE TO THE FOOD & SHE LOVED IT,THEN THE RECALL I STILL GIVE HER SOME TOTW TOPPED WITH TRIPE BUT I AM GIVING HER MORE ORIJEN DRY FOR ALL STAGES WITH NATURAL GREEN TRIPE MIXED IN & SHE REALLY LOVES IT BUT WILL THIS HELP HER WITH BLOAT??????? I AM TERRIFIED THAT SHE IS GOING TO DIE FROM BLOAT,ONE TIME HER WHEN SHE WAS JUST STARTING TOTW (I THINK) SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS PREGNANT!! & ME THE ONE WHO RESEARCHES ALL DID NOT KNOW WHY HER TUMMY WAS SO BIG!! SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF SHE IS ON THE RIGHT FOODS NOW PLEASEEE!MY SON & I WOULD DIE WITHOUT HER & SHE HAD SUCH A HARD LIFE BEFORE US THAT I WANT HER TO LIVE TO A RIPE OLD AGE A HEALTHY ONE OF COURSE!SHE SEEMS SO HAPPY & HEALTHY ON HER ORIJEN WITH NATURAL GREEN TRIPE MIXED IN BUT IS THIS WHAT SHE NEEDS TO STOP BLOAT?PLEASE E-MAIL ME OR I WILL CHECK BACK THANK-YOU AKITA LOVER FROM CAPE BRETON N.S.


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## Forrest_Litke (Aug 15, 2012)

To suzanne Hallet I took my 4 month old golden retriever to our vet today and learned about the bloat issues wt large breeds. There is a surgical proceeded to attached the stomach to the interior wall which prevents bloat because the stomach can no longer twist. I plan to have the procedure done when we neuter our golden. Our vet has developed a technique which he pumps air into the stomach thus expanding the stomach which also results in a smaller incision and easier method to attach the stomach to the dogs inner wall which will prevent bloat from ever happening.


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