elementbcs Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 I am looking to switch my girl Cedar over to a different food as she has been having some digestive problems lately, and has always had trouble keeping weight on. I want something that will also be good for her skin/coat and joints. I found a new local store that carries a couple really good brands of food, including Orijen, Instinct, Innova, Evo, Acana, Taste of the Wild, and Dog Lover’s Gold. I think I've narrowed it down to EVO or Taste of the Wild... in your experience, which of these have worked the best for you? Or should I also consider those other brands? I've heard good things about Orijen as well. I am leaning more towards Taste of the Wild at this point... is it a good food/worth the price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anda Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ouzo is on TOTW - Roasted Bison. He liked it for a while, now he's going through being picky again. His sensitive stomach took very well the switch. Haven't tried Evo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 My dogs eat Evo. My older dog eats the reduced fat Evo. The puppy eats the regular stuff at least until she is full grown. I just talked to nutritionist last week and she really likes the reduced fat Evo for all dogs - I don't think she meant growing puppies. I have noticed that my older dog has completely quit scratching since she has been eating Evo. Her s cratching has been an ongoing problem for a long time. I tried to feed some Orijen and the puppy did just fine but Ellie got the poopers. Origen and Evo are always rated right there at the top of commercial dog foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Border Collie Girl Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I feed both my 2 1/2 yr old & my 6 mo old Orijen. They are both very active, have healthy teeth, coat & nails. I feed less than with any other food we have tried, never had stomach issues (poops included), and mostly they love it. Went to a seminar that was put on by one of our local holistic vets & I took the Orijen pamphlet with me. She feeds raw to her pets but she considers Orijen the top choice of kibble. It is sourced within 200 miles of the factory, fresh ingredients brought in daily & is shipped to more than 40 countries so they have to follow protocol for all countries. My dogs even love the fish version. And if you want to hear a longer version of this story, I believe Orijen saved my cats' life when vet's recommended Prescription Science Diet...bad stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 i have a dog using TOTW wetlands (only) and she is gaining weight with less food, very active. She is allergic to corn and canola oil (which is in the other versions of TOTW) It all depends on each dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 We use TOTW bison. We've also used the fish one. THey liked it fine but now no one seems to want to eat it. Could be cause I feed raw too and they're holding out for raw. I'm going to switch back to the fish one next time. THey didn't seem to have any issues switching between the 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewie'sMom Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I've been searching for the "best" kibble. Right now Lewie is on TOTW which he seems to enjoy but I've noticed that he's got some pretty stanky butt-breath. When this bag is gone I'm putting him on Orijen to see how he does. Bottom line though, raw is best, IMHO. I just wish it didn't get so pricy or keep me in the kitchen so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Now that you say that Patty, I notice that Dew (her teeth look wonderful) has butt breath in the morning. I just thought it was morning breath but I don't remember her having it before. I don't get that close to the other dogs mouths that often so I don't konw if they have dragon breath or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I've been searching for the "best" kibble. Right now Lewie is on TOTW which he seems to enjoy but I've noticed that he's got some pretty stanky butt-breath. When this bag is gone I'm putting him on Orijen to see how he does. Bottom line though, raw is best, IMHO. I just wish it didn't get so pricy or keep me in the kitchen so much. Do you know there's a place near Grand Haven that sells raw for pets? Products like chicken/turkey I can get cheaper elsewhere, but they've got lamb, buffalo, beef hearts/tripe/organs at a good price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I'm assuming that's somewhere in MI not CO? I've found places that sell prepared raw food for the dogs but OMG it's way to expensive for me and 4 dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewie'sMom Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Do you know there's a place near Grand Haven that sells raw for pets? Products like chicken/turkey I can get cheaper elsewhere, but they've got lamb, buffalo, beef hearts/tripe/organs at a good price. No, I didn't know that. Details, please! PM me if you don't want to say publicly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheStacks Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I have been down this road. EVO gave us upset stomach issues and the fat content proved to be too much for Fenn. We ended up with a nasty GI issue that cleared when he went off the food. Both dogs were on TOTW for a while and their coats were dull, shedding was bad and they did not seem to be thriving on it. I am now using the Acana Grain Free (Grasslands for Fenn and Pacifica for Zoey) and they look amazing. We have been using this for several months. Each dog will react differently, but with experimenting I finally found what works for us. That's my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberviewfarm Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I also had digestive issues with the EVO and Innova foods, I have one on CA naturals herring formula now that does well. I was considering switching her to the TOTW fish formula to see if it would help her keep weight on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRipley Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 I've been feeding Rip the Orijen 6 Fish formula (I feed my other dogs raw). I'd like to transition him to raw eventually but I've only had him a little over 3 months and I've had other things to worry about. He does tend to have a sensitive tummy but he does well on this food. It is very expensive, I think just about the most expensive kibble out there. But you don't have to feed very much of it. From what I hear, lots of dogs have trouble with EVO and do better on Orijen or TOTW. I don't think they are as high in fat. I chose the fish formula because shortly after I got him I suspected he may have had issues with chicken. Not sure that's the case -- his digestive system may have just been out of whack (shelter tummy). Anyway, for variety, I'd like to try feeding him the regular Orijen formula as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elementbcs Posted June 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Yeah, the more I've been looking into it, it seems like Orijen might be my best bet to try, even though the price of it makes my eyes water. But it seems like she would be eating about half what she is eating right now (Diamond) so it might just about even out. I am just sick of her having soft stools (and occasional blowouts) and tummy issues. Her coat and condition are great on Diamond, however. The cost would be worth it to me to have her healthy and happy. She's my special lady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRipley Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Cute pic of Cedar Rip's about 33-35 lbs and only eats 1.5 - 1.75 cups a day of the Orijen (depending if I'm doing a lot of training with treats -- not that he'll gain weight but his tummy gets upset if he has too much of anything). Have you tried adding enzymes and probiotics to her food also? I add Prozyme and TotalBiotics to Rip's meals also. Plus some cooked sweet potato. Sweet potato is excellent for soothing the digestive tract. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 My guys have been on TOTW, EVO, and Dog Lover's Gold before and they all did well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninso Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Both my dogs eat Orijen. Both do great on it! Both (42lbs and 37lbs) eat 1 1/2 cups per day (versus 2 to 2 1/2 cups they were having to eat of Wellness Core to maintain weight). Lovely coats, lovely teeth, lovely breath, lovely stools (wait, did I really just say that?). I really think it comes down to each individual dog though and you won't know how a dog will react to a food until you try it. Pick one, try if, if you don't like it pick another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted June 5, 2009 Report Share Posted June 5, 2009 Pick one, try if, if you don't like it pick another. Actually you should do this anyhow. About every 3 or 4 months I switch foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4ever Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Pick one, try if, if you don't like it pick another. Actually you should do this anyhow. About every 3 or 4 months I switch foods. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Actually you should do this anyhow. About every 3 or 4 months I switch foods. We used to do this, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixx Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 I originally had Seek on the red meat Evo to gain weight. Then FirstMate with blueberries, which she loved at first. She is so dang picky! Now she is on Royal Canin Active Special 25. It's for super active dogs, and has a border collie on the package, haha (not why I chose it). She loves the RC. I also give her raw chicken necks once a week. I haven't heard much about orijen. Seek hated Dog Lovers Gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel_55 Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 We feed Angel the red meat EVO and she loves it (she's 34 pounds, we feed her 1 cup a day). She has pretty much stayed at the same weight, she has plenty of energy and her coat is very shiny (and no loose stool). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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