# New to dog food, and to my new pomeranian



## E J (Dec 23, 2013)

Hey guys,

I've been trying to look everywhere for the best food for my Pomeranian pup (3 months old), I had no idea about foods and went with what my vet recommended Royal Canin, which is what Kisha (my dog) has been eating for the last month. Then I decided I would research dog foods, then I started to think my vet was an idiot. The reality is I live in Mexico, and the only options I have are Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Proplan, and commercial brands like pedigree, etc.

Today I found 1 retailer in another state that sells all premium foods online (Acana, Orijen, blue buffallo, TOTW, etc). And I'm just about to pull the trigger on Orijen Puppy, but then I read somewhere that Orijen had TOO much protein for a pomeranian dog, is this true?

Which food would you recommend the most (all cost about the same, since shipping and taxes make the most of the cost the difference between each 28lbs bag is around 5-8 Usd, so don't take price into account)

Thanks in advacne for all your help

Emilio


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

welcome!!!


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Honestly, Royal Canin is a fine food. I've seen lots of yorkies do very well on it. I'm not sure if the ingredients are different in Mexico or not though. I do trust the brand though. It's just... pricey which kind of sucks. 

I've always honestly had the best luck with Acana. I feed the Duck & Pear Limited Ingredient food.


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## NutroGeoff (May 15, 2013)

Welcome! Poms are fun. As for the food goes, the Royal Canin is a pretty good one. I know that there are some dogs that do pretty well on it. I could not honestly tell you what they do differently for the breed specific formulas between dogs like shih tzus and yorkies but I know that it is a pretty well established company. My mom's dogs actually eat Nutro Ultra. It's similar to Blue. The older one has been eating it for about 5 years now and has been very healthy ever since. The young one is only 2 and has been eating it since we got her.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

I'd go with Acana over Orijen. Both made by the same company, but Acana tends to be better digested by the average house pet, IMO.


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## E J (Dec 23, 2013)

Thanks all for your help, I have researched everything you have told. Unfortunately I don't have time to feed him raw which as I understand would be the best, since I am out to work most of the day. I have gone with Orijen Puppy and will se how Kisha goes on it (I'm starting to believe the too much protein for her size is BS unless you are overfeeding in which case there is too much of everything), but will keep Acana in mind for the next bag to compare, I decided Orijen because Acana has no puppy formula in grain free version, and where I'm buying it they don't carry the Acana puppy they only carry the grain free versions. Thanks again to all!


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## Shamrockmommy (Sep 10, 2009)

WElcome! You know, the best thing to do is to pick what you think is best and then try him on it. 
I had bad luck with Orijen as well, but liked Acana. Royal Canin and Eukanuba are decent, I know plenty of breeders/show people who feed only Euk. and their dogs look beautiful. I would feed it if I couldn't get anything better quality. 

Good luck  If he does poorly on Orijen, then give something else a try.


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

E J said:


> Thanks all for your help, I have researched everything you have told. Unfortunately I don't have time to feed him raw which as I understand would be the best, since I am out to work most of the day. I have gone with Orijen Puppy and will se how Kisha goes on it (I'm starting to believe the too much protein for her size is BS unless you are overfeeding in which case there is too much of everything), but will keep Acana in mind for the next bag to compare, I decided Orijen because Acana has no puppy formula in grain free version, and where I'm buying it they don't carry the Acana puppy they only carry the grain free versions. Thanks again to all!


If a kibble is *All Life Stages*, then puppy kibble isn't necessary. If it's all life stages, it'll say it somewhere on the bag. I Googled "Is Acana All Life Stages?", and came up with this from Dog Food Advisor, which is pretty reliable: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/acana-dog-food-grain-free/


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## aRcaNum (Dec 27, 2013)

Acana or Orijen by Champion Pet foods of Canada...period


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## Candyd (Apr 11, 2013)

More than 90% of all dog kibble made with grains are full of mycotoxins (especially zearalenone and ochratoxin A). Dozens of analysis made in laboratories have confirmed it. I can't give the brands' names because of the risk of libel action, but if you're interested to know, you can send me a private message.
There is no upper acceptable limit concerning protein percentage for dog foods. No study has ever found one in dogs. Actually, most kibble brands are close to the lower acceptable protein limit for dogs, and many brands use vegetable proteins (such as corn gluten meal) which have a very low biological value.
Orijen isn't made for all dogs, but not because of its high protein content, but because it's a dense food. Anyway, its quality is considerably higher than Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Pro Plan or Pedigree, which are far too expensive for their real value. If your dog doesn't digest Orijen well, you can try Acana, or something less dense, with less fat.


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Candyd said:


> More than 90% of all dog kibble made with grains are full of mycotoxins (especially zearalenone and ochratoxin A). Dozens of analysis made in laboratories have confirmed it. I can't give the brands' names because of the risk of libel action, but if you're interested to know, you can send me a private message.
> There is no upper acceptable limit concerning protein percentage for dog foods. No study has ever found one in dogs. Actually, most kibble brands are close to the lower acceptable protein limit for dogs, and many brands use vegetable proteins (such as corn gluten meal) which have a very low biological value.
> Orijen isn't made for all dogs, but not because of its high protein content, but because it's a dense food. Anyway, its quality is considerably higher than Royal Canin, Eukanuba, Pro Plan or Pedigree, which are far too expensive for their real value. If your dog doesn't digest Orijen well, you can try Acana, or something less dense, with less fat.


While I tend to agree with your last statement regarding Orijen, the rest of your post is simply an opinion. If you have links to actual scientific studies supporting your assertion, please post them. Otherwise, it's just innuendo & rumour.


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## Candyd (Apr 11, 2013)

I was a member of an association which made dozens of analysis of brands of kibble with the LDA 22 laboratory, and I had access to these test results. Dozens of brands are contaminated by mycotoxins, especially zearalenone. The main source of contamination is grains, and corn is heavily contaminated. If you want more information about it, you can ask the Pr Annie Leszkowicz who is a toxicologist. A report from the AFSSA admits that contamination of pet food by mycotoxins such as zearalenone is possible, as there is no upper acceptable limit of mycotoxin contents in pet foods in Europe.
About proteins, studies that have shown kidney damage because of protein in excess have been done on rats. But I don't know a single experiment done on carnivores which has shown kidney damage done by a high quantity of animal protein with a high biological value. Meat has a protein content on dry matter which is between 40 and 65%. AAFCO lower acceptable limit concerning protein content in a dog food is 18% for adult dogs, and 22% for puppies and reproduction. Most kibble brands have a protein content which is much closer to 18% than to the usual 40-65% of meat.


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