# Orijen-more or less?



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

For those of you that feed Orijen:

I am going to another province for a month and will be moving around a lot, including to some remote locations. I have decided to try my dog on Orijen and some dehydrated raw (like THK) for a month.

I have not fed kibble since my dog was 5 months old. Wondering if those of you with active dogs feeding this stuff could give me an idea if you find you need to feed more or less than directed on the bag?

Of course i will go by feel (ribs) and know that the amounts on the bag are just guidelines. But, since I am feeding it short term only, I was just wondering how those guidelines apply to your active dogs.

My dog does eat between 4%-5% of his body weight a day in raw. He is an adult, about 20 kg or 42lbs.

Ideas appreciated.


----------



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Here's a handy calorie calculator. The better foods (or at least the more helpful ones) put the number of kcals/kg or per measuring unit on their labels, though surprisingly (and unfortunately) they are not required to. Not sure if Orijen does or not, but here goes:

http://www.mycockerspaniel.com/mer.htm


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

When you come through our way. I'll have some RAW for you if you need it for a few days. If you have access to refrigeration for any length of time I can get you what you need.

The thing I found when I was feeding Orijen was that I followed the directions basically to the 'T' and she did well on it. I didn't have to give her any more than what the bag said and she didn't lose weight, just drank a lot more water which goes with the territory.

FWIW Orijen has 483 kcal per cup and the site that Maren linked us to says a 20 kg dog moderate activity working dog needs 1748kcal or 3.6 cups a day. Funny that on the Orijen site for that weight of a dog they say 2.5 cups of food.


----------



## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I keep my big boy on the slim side but even at 94 lbs he only gets 2.5 cups of Orijen a day. Your dog could be more active but with the weight diff, I wouldn't think he could burn enough to need more than what my male eats. I wanted to put a little weight on him for our upcominmg trial, went to 3 cups, he gained very quickly, less than 2 weeks he is filled out nicely. 2 cups and a chicken thigh also got a weight gain. I'd have a porker if I fed what the bag recomended


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Okay so according to Geoff and Michelle I likely do not need to start by adding more to the recommended amounts. I was going to go for 3 cups a day (it says 2-3/4 cups for dog my size) but I will start with the recommended amount.

Interesting about that calculator recommending more....

I am trying him on one meal of raw and one kibble a day to see if it agrees with him. He certainly was excited about it, didn't even chew any of it, just swallowed it down. Of course this is the same dog that jumped my fence last winter with the deep snow, went to the neighbours and stuffed himself until he was sick (visably larger/bloated) on an open bag of Alpo](*,) ](*,) He is not exactly a picky eater:lol: 

Geoff, when I come your way I plan on leaving the dog with my husband in T.O. so I can visit dogs (and party with my sister) unencumbered  Thanks for the offer though


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Geoff, when I come your way I plan on leaving the dog with my husband in T.O. so I can visit dogs (and party with my sister) unencumbered  Thanks for the offer though


LOL! Maybe we should rent a wheelbarrow to get yourself and sis back to the hotel safe!! 

I'll have some good slop here for Farley to bring back to T.O. when you go back though. One of our local RAW suppliers she breeds Tollers too though more for competitive obedience from what I seen, they probably would've loved to see him work. 

The only thing I can see about the Orijen not requiring a whole extra crapload to keep weight on an active dog is the protein is in the 42-44% range where most other kibbles I've seen are in the 27-28% range for protein. 

I think I remember Connie saying that dogs use fat and protein like humans use carbs. Just a guess on my part though.


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Geoff Empey said:


> I'll have some good slop here for Farley to bring back to T.O. when you go back though. One of our local RAW suppliers she breeds Tollers too though more for competitive obedience from what I seen, they probably would've loved to see him work.


On Tollers and comp ob, I noticed that the top Toller in Canada in Ob this year trains with a Sch club and has a TR3 and OB3 listed. I was unaware that you could participate in some, but not all the phases. The breeder and handler (different people) are both from QU.

Feel free to pass that breeder my e-mail info. If she will be in the GTA or northern Ont in the month of Oct, maybe we can hook up, especially if she is willing to "hide" for me!

I am looking to stop in and visit one Toller breeder on the way to the French Ring Champs, but she breeds for field mostly.


----------



## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Both my dogs (70 lb Malinois and 95 lb LabX) get 1 1/2 cups of Orijen fish twice a day. Had a hard time getting weight on the mal when he was younger, but he seems to be doing well on the Orijen. Cutting back a little now that he's three. The Lab would eat until he was a waddling end table, but bad hips force me to keep him on a near starvation (just ask him) diet. 

I think those quantities are about what the bag recommends, but I haven't checked in while.


----------



## Steve Patrick (Sep 25, 2008)

I have fed Orijen to 'Fred 'the Older Dog now for 15 or so months, i find it excellent kibble, as regards the amount of food he gets depends on the weather conditions, 
Plus i always keep the Dogs to want to eat just that little much more than i give them
He is 22 months old and weighs in at 83 lb, Fit and full of go with not an oz of fat on him


----------



## Talia Brandisi (Sep 15, 2008)

My Gsd 95lbs, gets LOTS of exercise and we love the 6 fish formula he gets 1 cup in morn and 1 @ night. He also gets some differnt fresh meats added at feedings such as chicken, venison...not alot just enough for variety. he loves feeding times! 

We love Orijen!:lol:


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Michelle Kehoe said:


> .... I'd have a porker if I fed what the bag recomended


Yeah, this is pretty common, I understand, with kibble feeding suggestions: The recommendations are pretty heavy.

I'd probably start with 80% or so of what the package says and watch the dog's waistline carefully (from above him) to make sure that the hourglass isn't turning into a pickle..

My experience is that this is the first place to show on anything but a senior large breed. (The tuck-up as viewed from the side at the level of the dog doesn't show as fast.)

On senior larger breeds, they can start packing it on around the neck and shoulders and really fool us if we are watching just the waistline.

JMO.


P.S. My dogs would all welcome the opportunity to eat themselves into waddling end-table shape. :lol:


----------



## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Steve Patrick said:


> ..... the amount of food he gets depends on the weather conditions ...


Steve, how much difference in calorie needs do you see between summer and the coldest part of winter?


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Connie Sutherland said:


> Steve, how much difference in calorie needs do you see between summer and the coldest part of winter?


I know that you didn't ask me, but I feed up to a half pound more a day of raw in the winter vs. the summer.

Dog 41-43 lbs

Summer 1.5 to 1.75 lbs of raw per day

Winter 1.75 to 2.0 lbs of raw per day


----------



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Jenn what about just feeding Farley N-R-G? Not much more expensive than Orijen and available at most of the boutique pet food places in Ontario. Even if you feed half and half?


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

I will be feeding some NRG as well. I know where I can get it in ON.


----------



## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Thanks to you guys for helping me figure out amounts.

Okay, I just fed Orijen for 1.5 months.

I fed 2.5 cups a day (over two feedings) and he maintained his weight (42 lbs) exactly. He got slightly less exersice than he is used to.


I fed both the chicken and fish formula. I seemed to notice that he got kinda itchy on the chicken formula, better on the fish. Makes sense to me, I have noticed if I feed more than about 40% chicken in his raw diet, he seemes to get some generalized itchiness.

Coat and energy levels seemed the same as on raw.

Poos a lot bigger even without grain in it!

Kept catching the dog trying to drink out of the toilet as I am not used to him emptying his water bowl so quickly on raw.](*,) 

Overall I was happy with the product and would use it again if I was on the road.

Back to raw now:-D


----------



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Kept catching the dog trying to drink out of the toilet as I am not used to him emptying his water bowl so quickly on raw.](*,)


Yeah, isn't that the truth...since hubby lost his job, we switched from 80-90% raw/10% canned to 70% EVO kibble/20% canned/10% raw and they drink waaaaay more from the water bowl. I find myself refilling several times a day. I especially see how important it is for cats to be a canned diet now! (they have a low thirst drive and being on nothing but kibble often leads to them being blocked)


----------

