Pet
Food
Review

Product review - Orijen Pet Food

Orijen is something a little different, and is getting good reports from pet forums online. It is aimed, I guess at the RAW feeders who want a food that is full of meat and does not contain the usual grains that are found in most commercial pet foods.

There is no denying that Orijen food contains good quality ingredients. It can be compared to the new Applaws food which has recently been introduced. And there has been a lot of comment on the internet forums about the food - with good comments coming I think mainly from those who are in the RAW feeding camp. I guess this is a much more convenient way to feed than buying raw meat and all the necessary ingredients to make a raw diet complete.

There seems to be little or no independent research on feeding high protein/low carb diets to dogs other than one I have found which suggests that they may be good for weight loss.

If you are thinking of changing to a food such as Orijen then you would be well advised to do so gradually over a week or two to avoid digestive upset, because this is a lot different to the usual pet foods available. It is also quite expensive, but then that's what you might expect from a high meat content food.

This is what they have to say about their product:
ORIJEN's Biologically Appropriate concept is simple: include the fresh, whole foods that nature intended cats and dogs to eat, and exclude ingredients like cereal grains that your dog or cat is not evolved to eat. High-protein, low-carbohydrate and Grain-FREE, ORIJEN diets feature farm-fresh ingredients in a Biologically Appropriate ratio of 70 percent meat, 30 percent fruit and vegetables, and zero grain (70/30/0). Made with a diversity of fresh (but never frozen) meats - including free-range chicken and turkey, fresh whole eggs and wild-caught regional fish; ORIJEN's grain-free recipes match the evolutionary diets of dogs and cats and promote their peak physical well-being.

There is a comprehensive range of products available from ORIJEN: for dogs there is ORIJEN Puppy, ORIJEN Puppy Large, ORIJEN Adult, ORIJEN 6 Fish and ORIJEN Senior; for cats and kittens there is ORIJEN Cat and NEW for 2009 - ORIJEN 6 Fish. The products are available for purchase in a vareity of bag sizes from the Trial Size bag of 400g, through the 2.5Kg, 7.0Kg and 13.5Kg.

New product from Orijen - Orijen Regional Red

This is what the company say about their new product - you make up your own mind as to what's marketing hype and what is appropriate to your pet!

"Loaded with premium red meats, ORIJEN’s REGIONAL RED is made with high inclusions of wild boar, lamb, heritage pork and bison—all raised ‘free-range’ within our region, passed ‘fit for human consumption’ and delivered FRESH each day.

"Free of inappropriate grains and carbohydrates, ORIJEN’s REGIONAL RED features regional fruits and vegetables including russet potatoes & black currants from local prairie farms, apples & cranberries from the interior orchards, and organic sea vegetables from the North Pacific tidal range.

"Caught off Vancouver Island, fresh (never frozen) salmon provide a superb source of Omega-3 (DHA and EPA) that support a vibrant skin and hair coat,—your dog's outer symbol of health and vitality.

"Bridging the gap between good nutrition and peak health, ORIJEN’s veterinarian selected botanicals include sweet fennel, dandelion root & peppermint leaf—all of which mirror the natural instinct to forage for grasses and weeds while serving to nourish and tone the digestive tract.

"Made exclusively in our award-winning, family-owned factory, ORIJEN’s REGIONAL RED is a natural and delicious way to assure the peak health of your dog—no matter what his breed or size."

INGREDIENTS
Fresh deboned wild boar, fresh deboned lamb, lamb meal, russet potato, fresh deboned pork, peas, salmon meal, whitefish meal*, herring meal, fresh deboned bison, fresh whole eggs, potato starch, fresh deboned salmon (a natural source of DHA and EPA), alfalfa, sweet potato, fresh deboned walleye, salmon oil (naturally preserved with vitamin E), pea fiber, psyllium, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, apples, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, black currants, chicory root, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, organic kelp, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, zinc proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, iron proteinate, vitamin B6, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, selenium, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.

*orijen whitefish is made with flounder, halibut and cod caught wild from the north pacific ocean.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min.) 38.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 18.0%
Crude Fibre (max.) 3.0%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%

This is a Rolls Royce product at Rolls Royce prices! Expect to pay around £67/13.5kg

*** For more information and the Orijen range, try GJW Titmuss