Acana dog food

BarbV said:
I haven't figured out if I can get Acana easily in my area, but I know I can get Orijen. It's the same company, and I'm not clear yet as to the differences in the product.

I have decided though to start the transition this weekend.
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The biggest difference that I noticed between Acana and Orijen is that Orijen has a much higher protein content (42%) versus Acana's (32%) for the Grasslands (lamb) formula. I like that Acana is a higher protein food, but isn't WAY too high in protein either. Especially since I keep hearing mixed information about very high protein being both good and bad for dogs. I figure with Acana it's a safer happy medium since it's only 32% protein.
 
Shetland Sheepmonster said:
The biggest difference that I noticed between Acana and Orijen is that Orijen has a much higher protein content (42%) versus Acana's (32%) for the Grasslands (lamb) formula. I like that Acana is a higher protein food, but isn't WAY too high in protein either. Especially since I keep hearing mixed information about very high protein being both good and bad for dogs. I figure with Acana it's a safer happy medium since it's only 32% protein.
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Acana also makes a version with grains. So if you want to try it with grains you can or you can mix it. I have a friend that will buy a grain and a grain free one and do a mix.
 
BarbV said:
Thanks for the poop update! Yes, I do care about that! One of the reasons I've delayed switching is that both my boys have healthy digestive systems with their current diet, and I'm cautious about switching to something that may not work for them.

I haven't figured out if I can get Acana easily in my area, but I know I can get Orijen. It's the same company, and I'm not clear yet as to the differences in the product.

I have decided though to start the transition this weekend.
Click to expand...

The place I get my dog food from just got back from some dog food conference and Orijen/Acana people did a little presentation. So I decided to call them and ask since they told me about the quality prior to me trying the food. They said the difference between the Orijen and Acana is Orijen has more protein (that's why it cost a little more) and Acana has a little less protein which makes it possible for them to make a lamb version. Acana also has a version with grain.
 
I've not found the Acana close by, but I did buy a bag of the Orijen today and have started to mix it into the pup's old food.

I may continue to do this because the protein content is very high (42%) with Orijen. I will need to go back to previous threads to research the pros and cons of such a high protein.
 
High Protein Diet and Water

Hi guys!

Now that I've started the switch over to Orijen, I've been reading more about ensuring sufficient water intake with a high protein diet like Orijen (42%).

Some suggestions include: mixing water into the kibble or adding a little soft food

First of all: Is this a valid concern?
Second: If I supply sufficient fresh water throughout the day, can I trust my pups to drink what their body demands? or do I need to introduce water in other ways as suggested above?

Thanks in advance!
 
Need some advice here!

Further to my last post on Orijen, it's been less than 1 week since I started the switchover.

So far the proportion of Orijen to their old food is about 1:4 ratio. I was going to start bring that to about a 1:3 ration next week.

But in just the last few days, I've noticed their water intake has more than doubled. More times than not, their water dishes are totally dry when I check them.

So far stools seem to be fine, although Indy had a slight amount of loose stool the first day.

Really appreciate any advice on high protein diets now that I'm making the switch.

Thanks in advance
 
BarbV said:
Further to my last post on Orijen, it's been less than 1 week since I started the switchover.

So far the proportion of Orijen to their old food is about 1:4 ratio. I was going to start bring that to about a 1:3 ration next week.

But in just the last few days, I've noticed their water intake has more than doubled. More times than not, their water dishes are totally dry when I check them.

So far stools seem to be fine, although Indy had a slight amount of loose stool the first day.

Really appreciate any advice on high protein diets now that I'm making the switch.

Thanks in advance
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Barb, I would really be cautious with the higher protein diet. After loosing my little Zoe to kidney failure, I would really hesistate to put any of my dogs on a high protein diet. Your boys are pets and they are not out doing competitions or excercising heavily so they really don't need the extra protein. I have read that shelties often have kidney issues with high protein diets. It may be something that you may want to research more. I just listed a website for the food that I'm feeding my girls in another thread, it is Nutrisource and it has no corn products in it at all. I switched them from Iams to this food and the difference in their coats is amazing! So much softer now and they are glossy. Here is the link, http://www.nutrisourcedogfood.com/products/adult. They have a tab where you can find the dealers that sell their product as well. My girls love it! What I also like about it is that is has Glucosamine and Chondroitin in it for their joint health. Anyway, take a look at it. The link I gave you goes right to the page with the ingredients and the percentages of proteins, etc.
 
Thanks for the info!

I'm really starting to rethink this decision to switch to Orijen. I would have been happier with Acana (which is the same company, but less protein content, but it's not easily available near me). I know there are others using Orijen on the site, and welcome to hear their experience with it.

I checked out Nutrisource, and unfortunately, it also does not appear to be available anywhere near me.

I think I'll head back to the dog food analysis site and do some more research. I think I read that the Chicken Soup for the Dog's soul line is pretty good, and I know I can get that.
 
Hello again,

Just found these links that attempts to debunk the myth that high protein is hard on kidneys. (Shaun, I'm certainly not poo-pooing - no pun intended - your comments. They are totally valid and given me enough cause to be concerned about my choice to continue my research).

http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/protein.html

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=protein_myth

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/protein-requirements-senior-dogs-you-might-be-surprised

I found other links along the same line.

The common thread in the above and other links I found is that it is not the quantity of the protein, but the quality of the protein. A poor quality protein (e.g. shoe leather was given as an example) could cause kidney issues. However, they seem to claim that a high quality protein is easily digestible by the liver, therefore, does not cause stress on the kidneys. High quality protein converts to Amino acids - and that apparently is the goal.

But how much is too much? That's the one piece of information that I cannot seem to find. I still can't say. I found some sites that gave recommended levels, though noted that these sites were "hosted" by dog food companies.

I look to those feeding raw, and guess that the protein levels their pups receive far exceed even the highest protein levels in dry kibble. True or False?

What I've not discovered yet is why my pups are drinking so much water since I started making the switch. Is this a concern, and what should I do about it?
 
No idea why the pups would be drinking so much water. Maybe Orijen has a higher sodium content? Regarding not being able to find Acana, you might want to ask the place you bought the Orijen from if they can order a bag of Acana when they do their order for Orijen since it comes from the same manufacturer. That's how I got my bag since no one carries Acana around me either.
 
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