Nutrisource vs Canidae vs Orijen

Comments

• BradA1878

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Well, we feed Orijen and really like the food. We don't feed it exclusively tho, and will switch to other dry food every now and then. Orijen doesn't work for everyone tho, there are a few people on this forum who have not had good results with Orijen.
  
  Canidae is a good food to, and with some supplements would probably give you what you need and be a million time better than what the average pup gets to eat. So if it fits your budget better I wouldn't feel like you were doing your pup wrong by feeding Canidae by any means.
  
  So, since we feed Orijen, I'll answer your questions based on that:
  
  o1. Is Orijen really worth it? I've never had a pup before so I'm trying to be extra cautious...it's kind of pushing my budget, but if you all sincerely believe it's worth it I don't mind spending the extra money
  > I think, if you can comfortable afford it, it is worth it. You should give you dog the best you can within your means. If it is pushing it on the price for you then go with a 5 start food and don't lose any sleep - a five star food is still a REALLY good food.
  
  o2. About how long will a 30 pound bag of food last me? [ for the 8 week old shiba ] [ 2 weeks? 1 month? seriously, I have NO idea lol. ]
  > I asked my wife, she thinks it would last around 2 months.
  
  o3. And do I HAVE to buy the nutrisource & phase the new food into it? I'd hate to stress him out more by giving him completely new food when he gets here but I'd rather get him off the stuff as quick as I can, not to mention the fact that the money put towards that food could easily go to better food [ petfooddirect only sells a 25 pound bag for $25 ]
  > yes, you should ease your pup into a new food.
  
  
  It's really nice to see that you are putting this much thought into what to feed you pup. )
  
  That's my $0.02.
  
  ----
• ivanmeza03

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Oo right now im feeding kiba with castor and pollux organix and Avy with Avoderm, you could take a look at halo or timberwolf to...
• okiron

  June 2008 edited November -1

  k9cuisine.com has free shipping for everything over $50
  
  I'd go for the Orijen first and if that doesn't work for the pup then go for the Canidae. I like to go from top then work my way down.
• brandon_w

  June 2008 edited November -1

  For my adult shiba a 15lb bag of dog food lasts two months. He gets a cup a day or a little less, if I'm handing out extra treats. A puppy of course will eat more, how much more, I don't know, I've never had a puppy. I'd guess a 30lb bag would last at least two months though.
  
  My dog does really well on Orijen, but like Brad, I rotate my dry kibble. Right now he is on Solid Gold's Bark at the moon. There is a lot of food info on here. The good part is that you will get to try a lot of different foods over the years as you don't want to feed your dog the same thing forever. You want to rotate. Of course you will only want to be trying the foods that are worth your money.
  
  The Whole Dog Journal is your friend, buy their issues from earlier this year that cover grain free, and with grain dog foods.
• tsukitsune

  June 2008 edited November -1

  My male Shiba came to us on Nutrisource Lamb & Rice and once we integrated him to our food of choice (eagle pack holistic salmon/anchovy/sardine meal) we noticed within weeks a vast improvement in his coat, teeth, BM's and energy.
  So we changed from a 3 star to a 4 star premium food and saw a difference. We stick with Eagle Pack because it works, its affordable, I stand behind the ingredients, and there are different protein sources to choose from.
  
  I'm sure you will figure it out once you weigh your dog's preference, your vet's opinion and your research. It takes a special animal caretaker to truly be concerned!!
• ljowen123

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Jazz is on Solid Gold Bark at the Moon as well - her next rotation will be with Orijen. It takes about 2 months as well for me with my adult shiba.
• JessicaRabbit

  June 2008 edited November -1

  I feed my dogs Orijen 6 OCean Fish, I feed my Shikoku puppy Orijen Puppy, and my cats eat Orijen Feline. I swear by it and my dogs love it, as do my cats. My furry kids are in extrordinary shape.
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Thank you SO MUCH for the help guys! </b>
  
  I was really paranoid that he'd be going through a 30 pound bag in like two weeks haha [ really, $10 extra every month & a half or so isn't so big a deal ] & good news is that I've actually found some boutiques that sells both Canidae & Orijen [ about 30 minutes away ] but it saves on shipping! [ though, unfortunately, I might have to ship the Nutrisource in, I'll see if I can find an 8 pound bag since I wont need more then that ] Solid Gold sounds like another good one too.
  
  I'd never heard of rotating food until now, but It definitely makes sense. I can't imagine eating the same thing over & over, so I imagine the pups / dogs can't either.
  
  It's funny, as with myself, I'm really not very health-concerned at all, but when it comes to any of my pets I become a total nut ~
• Leonberger

  June 2008 edited June 2008

  I think most of us here share that with you. And the ones who don't are as careful with themselves as they are with their dogs/cats.
• Romi

  June 2008 edited November -1

  My dogs didn't do well on Orijen. I still think its a fantastic food, but it just didn't sit well with them. I switched them to Evo Small Bites (chicken) and they like it a lot and seem to be able to digest it better. I agree with Rina - Just make a list of the top 5 foods you like, try one, if it doesn't work out, get the next option, etc, etc.
• ivanmeza03

  June 2008 edited November -1

  romi - in that case buy the small bags so you dont spend $250 in food... lol
• Ryu

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Ryu's been on a ton of different food while we were trying to find the perfect fit for him. When we got him he was on Innova puppy and then he was on Science Diet (I know! I know! terrible), then went to Nutro, then Nutro Ultra with salmon meal, then back to Innova puppy, and now he's on Innova Evo. He does MUCH better on Innova Evo especially when we mix it with Honest Kitchen Embark for dinner. His coat is super soft and shiny, teeth are white and he devours it! :-)When we move to the mainland, I'm going to try Solid Gold and Orijen as other options.
• tobyshiba

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Hmm, well ... Toby was weaned onto Diamond puppy ( horrible! ) when we got him from the breeder. It took a good month of transition and then he loved the Eagle Pack sm/med Puppy. I'll probably put him on the Salmon Eagle Pack once he hits a year old. The fish should do great for his coat.
  
  I think Eagle Pack is a really great food. Both my cat and dog eat it. Theres also other great foods out there, that have been mentioned. Canidae, Solid Gold, Innova, California Natural. Its good to look for Holistic foods -- and make sure they spell it right! Companies will fool customers by incorrectly spelling the word on their packaging. They are allowed to spell it wrong on purpose, and lie about it, since its a smart way to snag sales. Always check the ingredients of the foods.
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  So I definitely have to buy smaller bags in case he turns his nose up at the food haha :O
  
  & to think I thought it would be as simple as finding a healthy food & giving it to him ;D~
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Just thought I'd post that I am EXTREMELY excited! I found a little boutique about 15 minutes away from where I live called the "Dog Bark Bakery" & the owner is an absolute sweetheart! He carries Solid Gold, Canidae, Orijen, Innova, only healthy dog foods! Even all his dog treats are all organic [ and he also bakes & sells a million treats as well ]! I'm so glad to have found someone so nice in the area. On top of it he knew wha a shiba was~!
  
  He told me to come back in a week where he'd give me all the samples of each food for my pup to try when he gets here so that I don't get stuck with a bag of food the dog doesn't like.
  
  & to top it all of his prices are really good.
  
  Sorry, just so excited I had to post it! [ also went & scheduled an appointment with the vet, who also knew what a shiba was! I'm ecstatic haha :D ]~
• tsukitsune

  June 2008 edited June 2008

  Thats great! Support like that is awesome!
• JessicaRabbit

  June 2008 edited November -1

  That is awesome. It is also really great to be able to support a small independent business.
• okiron

  June 2008 edited November -1

  That's wonderful You got real lucky.
• Leonberger

  June 2008 edited November -1

  That's great! For both you and the shop, since they seem to have a new client :-)
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Definitely, I can safely say they'll have me as a customer for life. [ though they've earned it! It takes a lot to impress me ;) ]
  
  I picked up some healthy treats too! Zuke's Salmon Mini Naturals Dog Treats & Sojo's Good Dog Blueberry Cobbler treats. ~
• tobyshiba

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Zuke's treats are great! I used them as training treats for Toby, and he loves them. The peanut butter ones.
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  That's what the owner of the store said! Good for training [ I guess as their small??? ] I didn't get the peanut butter ones cause I have that peanut butter kong stuffing :)~
• zoiegirl

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Finding the right food can be hit and miss with some dogs. It just depends on the dog. I loved califronia natural but harley was iffy on eating it he like Innova but his poops were too stinky and a weird color so i switched to TOTW. and not they're perfect-small and firm and not super smelly. Some dogs get horrible gas on Candaie but others do great. It just a matter of figuring it out. So dont be afraid to switch it up if its not just quite right.
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited June 2008

  Thanks Natalie! Hopefully I'll be able to find some foods that are perfect for him :)~
• StaticNfuzz

  June 2008 edited November -1

  You have been given good points..........
  
  Across the board I have had the best luck with Canidae for many dogs that have been fostered. But I usually use more than one brand of kibble once initial food adjustments are made. IMO, over time Canidae alone does not provide enough “umph” to get a lush coat.
  
  Given the current situation with Timberworlf I just picked up Orijens Oceans 6 which I just noticed has a protein ratio of 41%, wow! On average most adult dog foods are around 24% to 26% protein so in my case it will be used only as garnish for our Shibas to boost their diet of Canidae and to see how it goes. From what I have observed some Shibas can really “pork out” on too high of protein or on a poor corn based diet.
  
  It’s a good idea read the labels and alter the feeding plan accordingly. Some dogs flat out can not handle too high of protein/calories in their daily intake unless they are getting a heavy duty work out, for example in agility or fly ball class 3 times a week. The Jindos we have had in foster could not tolerate large amounts of high protein food at all. It varies and you will need to figure it out based on the dog’s situation.
  
  As a suggestion, make any food changes gradually and don’t go over the top with too much of a rich food product per feeding. Base you feeding plan on the individual dog’s health, activity, weight gain, digestion/ bowel habits, and coat condition.
  
  Certainly be sure to get some smaller sample intro sized bags before investing in a large bag of kibble so you can find out what brand works best.
  
  Bon Appetit to your fur family
  Snf
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Thanks for the advice~!
  
  I was kind of worried about the high level of protein as well. [ is that good for a pup though? ]
  
  I'm sure every dog is different as well :)~
• brandon_w

  June 2008 edited November -1

  SnF is correct that a high protein diet could lead to your Shiba gaining weight, but that is really only if they are not getting exercised properly and they are overfed. I wouldn't always go by what the label tells you to feed, I feed Nemo 1 cup per day, most labels tell me I should be feeding him 1.5-2 cups a day.
• StaticNfuzz

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Well I would say there are as many varying opinions as there are pet diets.
  
  Too much protein and depending on genetics it can spur on very sudden growth spurts resulting in aches and pain in larger breed dogs as bones are developing. (In rare cases with incorrect mineral absorption it can cause some warping or bowing in the limbs. It is very rare and most often seen in race horse foals requiring diet change and orthopedic intervention while the limbs are still pliable.)
  
  So we are back to the fact that metabolism and absorption is different for each individual.
  
  Here are some links to investigate. I would say be practical and look for a happy medium in terms of protein levels vs activity. Nutrition should be derived through feeding a good quality food. As a rule of thumb the higher the protein the less food you need to feed.
  
  The Whole Dog Journal is a good resource on brands and quality.
  
  Here are some links selected because they site "some" veterinary opinions and actual research.
  
  www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/pdf/bartges_dogfancy2004.pdf
  
  http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/short/132/6/1685S
  
  Snf
• Sangmort

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Thanks Brandond & SnF [ especially for the articles ] I guess it can depend on a number of things, and just finding a healthy balance. :)
  
  & I will definitely be subscribing to the Whole Dog Journal as I hear it is a valuable resource.~
• Akira Inu

  June 2008 edited November -1

  Akira has been through several different kinds of food. He was eating Royal Canin when i got him. I read up on food and tried to get him on EVO but it never settled well with him. Then i fed him Wellness Puppy. And now i have him eating Canidae. I have taken to mixing his dinner with canned Merrick(very expensive won't last) and canned Canidae. I would love to feed him Honest Kitchen mixed with his Kibble at night but it seems very costly also.
  
  For me right now Canidae seems the best balance of cost and value. And it is easy enough to find in local stores.