should i go for higher or lower protein dry food?
 

I brought my 4 month old puppy a pack of Acana grassland when i got him 2 month ago, he likes it and finally finished it. I dont like the kibble size from Acana and Im now thinking to switch him to Orijen puppy or Castor & pollux organix puppy formula. One is 2x percent protein level and one is 40 percent protein level. Another bonus for orijen is grain-free but my puppy doesnt have allergy from grain. The problem is he poop frequently ( 4 times daily ) and his stools are little loose. Another problem is his hair are thin and I can always see his skin , So which one should i go for???? NEED your suggestion

Acana and Orijen are my all time favorite kibbles right now. I really admire and respect Champion Pet Foods. Orijen kibble is the same size as Acana, btw. Also, Acana and Orijen are high in protein and calories so less food needs to be fed. How much are you feeding? Over-feeding is often a problem. Jackson is 15lbs and 2 yrs old and gets 1/2 cup per day of Acana/Orijen kibble mixed with wet food. A puppy will need a bit more since they're growing, but I never follow the guidelines on the bag.

Other high quality kibbles with smaller pieces that come to my mind are Fromm, Wellness Small Bites, Nature's Variety Instinct, Go Endurance, etc.

The kibble size of Orijen puppy are smaller than Acana all life stage one.

Okay, I'll ask a second time. Jeanie - ARE YOU SELLING THIS FOOD?

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!! And I answered your PM.

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!! And I received a PM, which you sent this morning. ;)

The reason we try to address this Lifes Abundance issue immediately, is bc this is against the rules - and very unfair to other LA sellers (in this section).

Thanks!

Jeannie that is inacurate that dogs dont develop corn allergies unill 4 or 5 yrs old. I know that from my yorkies and the rate of corn allergies of yorkies on here. You shouldnt give out inacurate info that isnt backed up by studies

I also feed Orijen.... My izzy LOVES it... I was very nervous about the higher protein but we tried it and has she has been on it ever since....she is also fed prepared Raw food... she gets lots of protein and does fine....

Please re read my post. I did not say that dogs don't develop corn allergies until they are 4 or 5.' Please do not rephrase my posts

I said that MANY don't develop them til they are 4 or 5. Meaning that just because it is not alergic to it's food now, does not mean that it will not develop an alergy to it 4 or 5 years down the road.

I did not give out inaccurate information. My daughters dog did not develop an allergy to corn until he was 4 or 5 years old. Had she not been feeding him a food with corn in it for 4 years he would not have developed the alergy to it.

This is my original post

if i feed my puppy orijen how do i know if its not good for him?????

What are some signs that your dog is allergic to their food? I feed both my yorkie and shih tzu Wellness small bites. Wellness also makes canned food . the organic canned food is loaded with protien. It is highly rated , and expensive , nearly $3 per can. I have not fed my girls that yet, but have it in the pantry.

I don't like to look at a food and judge it based on if it's just 'high protein' or if it's 'low protein' or whatever. Looking at the ingredient list will give you a better basis. The first 3 ingredients, IMO, should be meat (either chicken, chicken meal, etc)... NOT by-products, corn, corn gluten meal, wheat, or soy, etc.

Grain-free is what I agree with feeding but I also think it's become a 'fad'... Natures Recipe, for example, has a grain-free food out now but it's pretty much potato-heavy and still not really very much meat content. So simply seeing 'grain-free' on the bag doesn't always mean it's going to be a good food.

Also, looking at the factory or plant the food is made in is very important. Make sure the company is not outsourcing ingredients from China, and things like that.

Dog food is complicated and controversial. The way I see it, it's just like with people... you have those who live off TV dinners and McDonald's, and you have those who shop all organic, and eat healthy every single day.

People who eat terribly, smoke heavily, etc. can live perfectly normal lives.

Just like the person who exercises, eats excellent and "does everything right" can drop dead at age 30 from a heart attack. Or a person who never smoked a day in their life can die from lung cancer. That's life.

Just because a dog does "well" on Eukanuba or Pedigree or Purina doesn't necessarily mean they're eating as good as they could.... but it also doesn't mean they're going to be unhealthy dogs and die young either necessarily. I personally would never feed it because I don't agree with the ingredients, and I don't like the amount of recalls it has, etc, but those are my personal feelings that I've researched heavily. That's not to say Jackson doesn't get to enjoy a little Cesar wet food every now and then, or a Milk Bone, I just do it in moderation... just like people.

You gotta do for your dogs what you personally decide is right... but in the end you can't place blame and say 'this dog didn't live as long as this one because it ate better food.' There's too many other factors out there. Do your research, and feed what you feel works best for your dog.

Anyways, it's just my personal preference to feed grain free, low carb, meat protein rich foods. Ultimately, though, I think it's what works best for you and your dog. :) I've done alot of research and have finally settled that this works best for Jackson!

All I know is that from the time izzy was about 14 weeks till about 7 months old she either DID NOT like the food or had runny stool... or was not playfull...That how I could tell.. She was not eating enought so she would throw up Yellow bile in the morning etc...

Now she is eating GREAT and she loves the food and treats. She eats once in the morning ( 1/2 c. Orijen) and once in the evening (2 Primal Nuggets).. During the day she get u.S.A made chicken jerky, zukes mini, natural balance L.I.D treats and/or cold baby carrots... She is heathly as ever :)