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Looking for input on Moxy's current food...

1.9K views 12 replies 9 participants last post by  Hedgey  
#1 ·
Alrite, here's the scoop, i was feeding Science Diet Large Puppy food to her. Everything was going great, except at my moms (who is a very vocal in home dog trainer and breeder) feeds her 3 dogs BARF diet. Thats  Viva a Golden Retriever, Chiclet or Chiccy one of her Golden Doodle puppies that they couldn't let go and my big adorable retarded baby Zuma, who's a Great Dane. She feeds them all the same food, which comes from a freezer dedicated to them, which consists of a single thawed chicken carcus each/per day, except for Zuma getting 2. She buys these from a poultry store locally, they're basically whats left after the breasts, wings, thighs and all the "people" stuff is off. So needless to say she despises dry kibble, and i can understand to a degree why, but as much as she hates dry kibble is about how much i hate having to thaw a chicken carcus in my sink everyday on top of having a freezer dedicated to it. ANYWAY, Science diet was going fine for me, but the only dry food my mom thinks is acceptable is this Orijen organic natural dog food, and i finally said enough and my lil Moxy girl seemed to have gotten sick somewhat and wouldnt eat almost anything. She had like one of her 4 meals from the two days, but i knew if i put something new in front of her that shed wolf it down no matter how sick. So i got the Orijen, all is well, i was just curious to see if anyone more knowledgable would help me and look at the website and check out the facts and analysis and give me their opinion on this stuff and its suitability for a boxer according to what we know, cuz i dont doubt its a good food but it doesnt necessarily mean its the best one for my destructive lil princess. Thank u sooo much in advance guys


http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/ ... Large.aspx
 
#2 ·
Moxy may have gotten sick because you have to gradually change a dog's food. We have never personally fed our dogs Orijen food, but I did look at their website. They seem to have a high standard in how it is made and the ingredients used, which personally, is very important. We have never been fans of science diet, but that is just us, and never fed it to any of our dogs. For years, we had always fed Wellness Super5Mix because of the ingredients. When we adopted Gill, he did not do well on it and we switched everyone gradually to Eagle Pack Holistic Select Dog Formula. My wife has always compared the ingredients in dog foods, as well as dog treats.....you would be surprised what is in some of these foods and treats. Ingredients and how the food is made is very important.

bbrownster
 
#3 ·
The protein is way to high for our boxer babies and may cause problems for them when they are older.  I would feed something with 23% to 28% protein until the growth plates close around 18 to 24 months.  

Check out the dog food analysis website and remember to switch over slowly 1/4 new first week 3/4 old, up 1/4 cup of new each week until all new.


www.dogfoodanalysis.com
 
#5 ·
Yes definitely check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com here is the direct link to the Orijen foods http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food ... &si=orijen

Orijen is an excellent food, but all the formulas (including the puppy foods) actually contain too much protein for a puppy.  You should check out some 5 star foods for your pup with a protein content of no more than about 26%-28%.

Your mom is not feeding her dogs enough variety in raw foods either.  They should be getting offal and other sources of meat besides chicken.  I would politely suggest to her to check out these sites:
http://leerburg.com/feedingarawdiet.htm
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm#top

and more from our sticky here
http://www.boxerforums.com/modules.php? ... pic&t=2102
 
#6 ·
IMO Orijen is a great brand of dog food.  This is a grainless type of kibble. They produce this food in their own manufacturing plant and go into detail about their quality control, manufacturing and raw ingredients sourcing on their website - IMO very impressive in these times of dog food recalls. For those who are interested their website makes for an informative read.  :emtthumbs:

I switched over ( from Canidea) to Orijen's Adult two bags ago and my dogs are doing fine. :)  The thing with the high protein levels is you need to look at overall calories in the food.

Protein, carbs and fats all contribute to the overall calories and the body process the proteins, fats and carbs at different rates. Protein are processed by the body the fastest and offer quick energy.  Here are some comments from their own FAQ section on their website.


Note: Boxers are not considered a large breed so it is not necessary to select large breed formulas

**************

[color=red:1m8v7g3s]
[i:1m8v7g3s]Q: WILL HIGH PROTEIN DIETS CAUSE MY DOG OR CAT TO BE FAT?

A: NO. ORIJEN has quite the opposite effect.  As ORIJEN is high in protein, dogs and cats typically show an increase in lean muscle mass after a month or so.  ORIJEN is low in carbohydrate, so most cats and dogs actually lose body fat when fed ORIJEN.

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Q: DOES HIGHER PROTEIN STRESS THE KIDNEYS?

A: NO. There is no study in science to show a higher protein diet has any negative effect on the kidneys of dogs or cats.  In fact, scientific studies show quite the opposite; dogs with poor kidney functions or dogs that had only one kidney showed improved health on higher protein diets.

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Q: IS ORIJEN SUITABLE FOR A LARGE BREED PUPPY OR DOG?  

A: YES.  The main dietary concerns for large breed puppies and dogs are assuring appropriate calcium and energy levels in the food.

CALCIUM: The ideal calcium content for large breeds is thought to be between 1.0 and 1.4% on an
 
#7 ·
Okay I also switched to Orijen 4 months ago I did a gradual switch over a 3 week period and at first my dogs did very well. Yes it is very high in protein and I do not recommend it for a growing puppy because of this. About a month into feeding solely Orijen I just couldn't stand how gassy my dogs were. It was a musical stench that I just could not deal with. We were only feeding 2 cups per dog, one in the morning and one at night with a bit of yogurt. We then switched to Taste of the Wild which is also grain free and the musical has finally ended! I highly recommend this food! We are on the Pacific Stream Formula and they have such nice glossy coats.
 
#8 ·
Not for nothing, but getting your facts about protein from the manufacturer is not exactly an unbiased source. Of course they are going to brag about how great they are  :D  I would not feed Orijen to a puppy either, I would consider it after 18 months though.  There is much debate about protein but you have to weigh the risks.  Too much of anything has the risk of being dangerous, IMHO.  I am considering a switch to Orijen for my ambull, I think it's a great food for large breeds.  It's just difficult to find around here.

Btw, Orijen dry cat food is currently being linked to cat deaths in Australia.  

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cat ... 62012.html
 
#10 ·
Really? Deaths in Cats. I have not read that one yet, interesting. Its so hard nowadays, you just want a food that is actually healthy, not full of chemical preservatives and is in the best interest of your pet. I would love to feed a raw diet to my pets but it just isn't feesable for me anyways.

I am a firm believer in a grain free diet though. Have you ever seen a dog go into a corn field and munch on some corn or eat some oats or barley? Then why would you put it in their food? Its just a filler IMO. Same with Beet Pulp.
 
#11 ·
Well, yes some grains are mostly filler and some grains are nutritious cheaper sources of protein. Some grains are easier for dogs to digest and some like corn are not. It all gets down to dollars and sense and what the public is willing to spend. Grains are not bad for dogs but there are better more nutritious options.

Not everyone wants to or can afford to spend $55 on a 30 lb bag of dog food and the manufacturers know that and provide products accordingly. Whatever it takes to make a buck!
 
#12 ·
actually ..yes i have seen a dog go into a freshly harvested corn field and eat silage that spilled.  :)  i have also seen dogs scavenge through garbage cans and consume anything edible. i also caught a dog rummaging through my compost bin and its absolutely all vegetable matter.  


from The Dog Food Project
All scientific evidence points towards the fact that dogs, while not true carnivores, are opportunistic, carnivorous scavengers. Cats on the other hand are true, obligate carnivores, requiring animal protein to survive. There is a difference between a carnivorous scavenger and an omnivore though - dogs lack the dental characteristics, longer digestive tract and specific enzymes of true omnivores like humans. That is the reason why they can not digest grains and vegetables unless they are "predigested" by processing, mincing/grinding, breakdown by enzymes, or fermentation through bacteria. Once converted, they are fully available to the dog.

Compared to herbivores a dog's digestive tract is much less specialized for digesting grains, or carbohydrates in general for that matter - especially in their raw, unprocessed form. However, dogs are not true carnivores but opportunistic feeders and can digest and utilize the starch from grains in dog food that has been converted by the cooking process. Digestibility depends on quality and type of grain used: rice (72%) is for example more digestible than wheat (60%) or corn (54%). Dogs can absorb the digestible carbohydrates from rice almost entirely, of the other grains about 20% are not absorbed. Indigestible fiber from grains contribute to intestinal health.

Beet Pulp, the isolated fibrous material from sugar beets, is another ingredient that has an undeservedly bad reputation. It is a very gentle, beneficial source of fiber that is not only generally very well tolerated, but also has specific properties that make it suitable as a source of nutrition for the beneficial bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract. The sugar is almost completely removed, what is left in the pulp is only about 1/5 the amount of sugar that you would find in a serving of carrots of equal size. It is also colorless and does not turn a dog's coat turn red, like urban legends claim. The argument that beet pulp is an "unnatural" ingredient is often brought up, but people who present this complaint seem to forget that it is also not natural for dogs to eat highly processed commercial products with a carb content of generally 40% and more, and a moisture content of only around 10% as opposed to a more natural 60-70%. Added fiber is required to make such formulations work for the pets who eat a dry diet.

This does, however, not mean that your dog will thrive on a diet mainly made up of poor quality grains or grain fragments, which is what most cheap foods are. Whole grains, including their entire complement of nutrients are much more valuable - and this does not only apply for a dog's diet, but for humans as well!