Orijen Adult Food

BoxerDevotee · #1 10-12-2009, 06:58 AM

After a good deal of research, including the Dog Food Analysis site, I will be switching my 14-month-old boy, Bertie's kibble to Orijen Adult on Wednesday. I intend to phase it in over ten days. I would be very grateful for any advice or tips from members who have experience of this food. Thanks.

Cami · #2 10-12-2009, 07:48 AM

I just started transitioning my girl over to the 6 fish version last night.
She has always been a good eater and when I brought it home and opened the bag I offered her two pieces.
In her mouth they go and out her mouth they went! She looked at me and then started to re-investigate the two pieces now laying on the kitchen floor.
DH grabbed about 10 more pieces. She then realized that if she wanted what he had she needed to eat the two she spit out. She ate them and went to him. I told him to not give them to her but to let her smell his hand and if she pawed at his hand she would show us that she actually liked the taste. In less than 2 seconds she was pawing at his hand, he opened it and she gobbled the pieces up.
Ate it mixed in with her regular kibble (Solid Gold) for dinner last night and for breakfast again this morning.
Hopefully we both have great results with the new food!

**The true test though was if the cat would eat it. My cat thinks she is a dog and Cami won't eat unless the cat is next to her. Cami always gets the first mouthful of her food and then spits out a couple of pieces for the cat to have. It is a losing battle as I have tried to get the cat to NOT eat dog food for over 6 years now. They are just a pair and it is a part of their daily ritual. I offered the cat a piece and she nearly took a finger off! She gave it a paws up!

BoxerDevotee · #3 10-12-2009, 09:31 AM

Sounds promising, particularly if your cat likes it - cats have pretty good taste :-) Thanks for your reassurance. Changing a dog's diet can be a challenge. Perhaps we can compare notes occasionally during the transition period...I've heard that it can take a dog's digestive system quite a time to adjust to a switch to Orijen but, given all the positive reviews I've read, I think it will be worth it. Fingers crossed!

dmjp · #4 10-12-2009, 08:38 PM

Hi, we have our Zeus on a rotation of all three orijen foods. the adult, 6 fish and red meat. Zeus has always loved all three, and any other dogs/cats that roam into our house ALWAYS go straight for the food dish. So i hope you have as much luck as we did, as Zeus was a picky eater before we put him on this food.

BoxerDevotee · #5 10-13-2009, 04:17 AM

Rotation seems a good idea - it makes for a more enjoyable diet and, at the same time, keeps the immune system on its toes. I will probably do the same. How long do you find it takes to phase in a change of variety?

dsmit · #6 10-14-2009, 07:17 PM

I switched Tyson about 1.5 months ago to Orijen 6 Fish and he is doing great. He loves it. After another 3.5 months, I want to swich him to the Orijen Regional Red.

BoxerDevotee · #7 10-15-2009, 01:10 PM

Thanks. Still transitioning... Bertie loves it too, and his poops - some of them were very runny - are already fewer and normal. Very promising. I think we have hit the jackpot with this food!

perrymcg · #8 10-15-2009, 01:30 PM

We usually transition over a period of 10 days or so. But depending on the dogs stomach it may take a little more for them to adjust.

BoxerDevotee · #9 10-17-2009, 06:27 PM

Bertie is transitioning well. His first two or three daily poops have firmed up and are absolutely normal, but the last one is usually very runny. I'm hoping that once the transition is over, in five or six days time, this last bowel movement will normalise.

My only concern about the Orijen kibble is its size. Before I switched him, he was on a large breed kibble (James Wellbeloved Turkey and Rice) which he was forced to chew, and this helped to keep his teeth clean; whereas the Orijen kibble is so small that he wolfs it in no time and, sooner or later, he will get a build-up of tartar, unless I give him a daily chew that will help to keep it at bay. I don't think he would be too happy if I started brushing his teeth at this late stage, and I want to avoid giving him bones. Can anyone recommend a good product for dental hygiene?

perrymcg · #10 10-17-2009, 08:37 PM

I am not sure if this would help at all, BUT you can get bowls that will slow his eating down. Maybe if you slow the amount he can get at once, he might actually take his time and chew it. If not yeah a chew/dental bone daily or every second day might help as well.