# Orijen for Pomeranian puppy? Or stick with TOTW?



## 54321bam (Nov 19, 2011)

Hi everyone, found this forum online. Looks very informative and was hoping for a answer to a question I have.

I recently got a Pomeranian pup (3 3/4 months almost 4 now) and the Pet store (yes unfortunately from a Pet store as I live in HK. I did my research first though) and they were feeding it TOTW High Prairie Canine, not puppy formula. As no where in Hong Kong sells TOTW other then the pet shop itself, which I don't feel like giving them anymore money, I was considering transitioning him to Orijen which I found online.

I've read tons of reviews on how Orijen is the considered one of the best. Would the switch be a good idea for my Pom in general or stick with whats good? Could I also do a switch every couple of months to keep it different? 

Hoping to further contribute to this forum! TIA!


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

It totally up to you. TOTW is a good food, I do think Orijen is better. Rotational feeding is great as well. I say give the Orijen a try (for a couple of months) see how your pup reacts, if all is well, add it to the rotation or stick with it for good!


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

54321bam said:


> Hi everyone, found this forum online. Looks very informative and was hoping for a answer to a question I have.
> 
> I recently got a Pomeranian pup (3 3/4 months almost 4 now) and the Pet store (yes unfortunately from a Pet store as I live in HK. I did my research first though) and they were feeding it TOTW High Prairie Canine, not puppy formula. As no where in Hong Kong sells TOTW other then the pet shop itself, which I don't feel like giving them anymore money, I was considering transitioning him to Orijen which I found online.
> 
> ...


wow a pet shop that feeds totw hi prairie thts a new one.
if you found orien online im sure you could find totw online as well. I personally prefer totw to orijen. totw always produces nice stools for me. I am not a fan of feeding foods with over 36 percent protein or under 30.


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## 54321bam (Nov 19, 2011)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> wow a pet shop that feeds totw hi prairie thts a new one.
> if you found orien online im sure you could find totw online as well. I personally prefer totw to orijen. totw always produces nice stools for me. I am not a fan of feeding foods with over 36 percent protein or under 30.


hahah it is Hong kong after all. They claimed to be breeders and showed a license which is why I ended up taking the pup from there. Definitely not easy finding a reputable place in HK/China!

Unfortunately the online shop that I ordered from does not carry TOTW. They carry pretty much everything else except it! Which is why I want to give it a try. But because I've been feeding regular (not puppy formula, sorry not sure if it makes a difference) would it matter if I switched it up or not? I'd love to keep it the same to be honest but I've heard so much about Orijen.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

I'd stay with TOTW if he/she is doing well on it.


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## 54321bam (Nov 19, 2011)

Jack Monzon said:


> I'd stay with TOTW if he/she is doing well on it.


What would qualify doing well on it though? Hes a very energetic pup who always finishes his food. His stools are solid except a few times here and there.


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

I would give Orijen a go, just do a slow switch and make sure to mix the foods first because Orijen is much higher protein and has a lot more meat, you don't want him/her to have any digestive upset. To be honest though, I'd recommend Acana before Orijen, same company, same great quality, but I prefer a more moderate protein content, especially for a dog that isn't working or doing agility... just my two cents.


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## Jack Monzon (Jul 25, 2010)

54321bam said:


> What would qualify doing well on it though? Hes a very energetic pup who always finishes his food. His stools are solid except a few times here and there.


Let's see:

• Energetic
• Always finishes his food
• Stools are overwhelmingly solid

That qualifies as doing well to me. 

He's also been eating TOTW since before you got him, and he's still very young. It's unwise to start shuffling around this early unless your dog is doing terribly. Switching to Orijen because dog-food hobbyists on the Web rate it as one of the top foods is not a good reason to switch foods, in my opinion. And TOTW itself is a highly, HIGHLY respected food; it's not like you have him on Purina Puppy or something low-grade like that. 

You don't have a compelling reason to switch foods. You haven't had this puppy long, right? If I were you, I'd continue feeding TOTW for at least a few more months. I'd then do an honest, thorough assessment then about how well he's doing. I'd spend my time now focusing on obedience training and having fun with the puppy while he's a puppy, not reading ingredient lists, switching foods, and cleaning up diarrhea.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

you want to switch from a good food to another good food because
you don't want to spend more money in the store where you purchased
your pup. is that a good reason to switch food especially if the pup
is doing well on his orginal food? i switch my dogs kibble from bag to bag.
i also keep different brands of can food on hand. i never fed puppy food to my dogs.



54321bam said:


> Hi everyone, found this forum online. Looks very informative and was hoping for a answer to a question I have.
> 
> I recently got a Pomeranian pup (3 3/4 months almost 4 now) and the Pet store (yes unfortunately from a Pet store as I live in HK. I did my research first though) and they were feeding it TOTW High Prairie Canine, not puppy formula.
> 
> ...


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Does the online store also sell acana provincial? I prefer it to Orijen, same company, slightly less protein. The only reason is that Orijen is very high protein I had to feed my dog so little of it in order to keep him in shape, he ended up scavenging in order to satisfy the hunger pangs by eating poop and stealing off counters. Just like Orijen, acana comes in several varieties (chicken, fish, lamb, bison) so its good to rotate for variety.


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## 54321bam (Nov 19, 2011)

doggiedad said:


> you want to switch from a good food to another good food because
> you don't want to spend more money in the store where you purchased
> your pup. is that a good reason to switch food especially if the pup
> is doing well on his orginal food? i switch my dogs kibble from bag to bag.
> i also keep different brands of can food on hand. i never fed puppy food to my dogs.





Jack Monzon said:


> Let's see:
> 
> • Energetic
> • Always finishes his food
> ...


You guys both make good points. I guess I'm being totally paranoid being a new parent. I actually firstly bought Royal Canin and the pet shop says that stuff is crap! Ahh...still far too much to learn with having a new pup. 

I was considering Acana which they did have on the website (it is a HK website). I'm pretty certain I can't cancel my order anymore so I will keep the Orijen puppy I ordered on hand for the time being and we'll see how TOTW goes for now. Thats a good portion of dog food at my place I won't be using! Haha. Trial and error I suppose. Anyways thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated!

BTW! Are there any recommendations you guys have as far as TREATS go? I only feed his regular food as a treat to get him to do the simplest of tricks for the time being as I'm again paranoid about giving him something unhealthy.


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## DogLuver (Oct 19, 2011)

I think TOTW, Orijen, and Acana are all great foods. I have a great dane pup who eats Orijen and has been doing great on it. My golden retriever has an iron stomach, so for him I rotate each 30lb bag with Orijen and Acana, all flavors. 

The thing about TOTW is that it is great quality (ALMOST as good as Orijen/Acana), but for a much lesser price...unless you live in Canada. Compare prices, as all 3 are great foods. In Canada, I've chosen Orijen/Acana over TOTW, simply because TOTW is slightly more expensive here....must be because Orijen/Acana are made in Canada while TOTW is not??? Just a guess. If I could get TOTW for the $30-$40/30lb bag like others brag about, I would stick with TOTW forsure, that's a great deal for quality kibble!


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