Brinkley and Orijen

[Heather & Brinkley]

Hey guys! I will also post this in the food group but I wanted to get everyone's everyday opinion. We switched Brinkley to Orijen six months ago or so. For the first four months he scarfed the food down. He's not one to scarf food...I never have to worry about him overrating. He stops when he's full and eats when he is hungry. But as of late, I've noticed that he is less interested in his food. He will still beg for regular food, which we don't give him. Sometimes he will get up in the middle of the night, go downstairs, eat the food in his bowl and then go back to sleep, but he isn't nearly as interested as he was previously. Yesterday, I was gone most of the day but my parents said he didn't eat at all. This morning I switched out the old food with fresh food and he didn't eat it. Just now, he went over to his bowl, sniffed it like he was hungry and then walked away without eating. I really wanted him to eat and do it on his own, so I sprinkled some chicken broth on the food. He ate all the chicken broth in the bowl and some of the food, but not much. He's definitely not sick but could he be sick of his food?

He's very active and I want to make sure he's eating enough!
Thanks in advance!

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

I am waiting for answers, because Ginger does the same thing.  Same eating habits, same food.  Thanks for posting.

 

[Moe]

Me too. Mine is 6mo old and has stopped eating the Orijen unless we mix in something.

[Willow and J]

Maybe try putting "toppers" on, or switching food? He may be just tired of the same old same old. That has happened to Willow too, which was a surprise to us since she's very very very food oriented. We tried switching to different formula within Orijen (puppy to 6 fish to regional red); tried putting a spoonful of yogurt, pumpkin, or sweet potato (canned) mixed with kibbles; and at the moment, she's on Taste of the Wild, also grain-free. All three worked for us.  

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Riley did exactly the same thing.  I think it's a combination of a slowing down of growth and some boredom.  The food is good and they won't starve themselves that's for sure.  I do now add a couple of tablespoons of different toppers. Some days it's a little boiled minced beef or tuna or cottage cheese and that works just fine.  I am definitely not going to switch to another food except I may sometimes use the Acana  grain free varieties ( though I haven't done so yet) TOTW or the other recommended grain free foods are not available here so I have less options to work with. As I really believe in Orijen I'm sticking to it.  RIley has been on it now since he was 11 weeks and he's had no problems whatsoever, he's very healthy.  

[Kimberly Keenan]

Bindi used to eat Orijen but I switched to Acana about 6 months ago. It's a little cheeper too. I also would switch between the different flavors of Orijen to change things up. That may help also.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

How old is Brinkley? Sometimes, a change in eating habits can reflect a slowing of growth. Even after dogs have reached their full skeletal growth, they continue to gain lean mass, and their metabolism will reflect this. After they've gained their full adult muscle and bone mass, they may require less food.

I also find that their eating habits do go through cycles, sometimes related to the seasons. They may go through periods when they are more or less interested in their food, and if they are showing no signs of illness, have normal energy, etc., it's fine.

Many people rotate formulas to prevent boredom, and lots of foods are designed for this. There is no reason you can't switch to a different Orijen formula and alternate with each bag.

Toppers are fine, too, if you are absolutely sure that the dog is not ill. Tempting a dog to eat when there is illness brewing can be very dangerous. It can exacerbate pancreatitis and certain GI diseases or illnesses. So the general rule of thumb is that if a dog tells you he doesn't want to eat, believe him, especially if there is any vomiting or other signs of nausea or digestive problems. A normal healthy dog will not starve himself.

It doesn't sound like Brinkley is ill, though, so I would consider switching formulas. Or you could just wait it out and let him eat as he sees fit.

[Heather & Brinkley]

Hey! He turned 2 in Nov. He was the runt of the litter so he still has a few more pounds to gain. He is 60 lbs now. I will try to switch to a different flavor. Of course right after I bought a new bag. Maybe I will have both bags and switch back and forth every other day.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

This is what happened with Daisy. At first she ate (Orijen) it like no tomorrow and then after a few months she became finicky. We switched over to Acana Pacifica (no problem in the switch)...it's been 1-1/2 years now and she eats it like she did the first day. She finishes every last morsel.

The other thing is we do not feed on demand IMO that creates the "I can eat it later" attitude. So she gets 1 rounded cup in the morning and 1 rounded cup in the evening. That's it except a few homemade jerky treats sometimes when she plays really hard. Daisy is 70 lbs.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Cooper was the same too. She lost interest when she was around 1 yr 4 months. I switched flavours each time i got a new bag - around once a month, and she was definately less iterested by the end of the bag. her interest would perk up again with the new flavour. it also helped when I cut back the amount she was getting too

[Heather & Brinkley]

Thanks everyone! I will try some toppers...and I will switch out favors. Hopefully that will make a difference!

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

Thanks for the question .we have been having the same issue with Bailey

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

My dogs are on Fromm and I mix flavors and rotate formulas all the time and we have never had a problem.