Dog Food?

[Kayla Jean Ashley]

We've had Bella on the same dog food since she was a puppy, Nutro Puppy Max. She really doesn't care for her kibble at all, in fact she will not eat it at all (we went on a three day period of trying to see if she was just being stubborn but she really won't) unless it's mixed with Pedigree wet food. Now this works but its only temporary and I don't really think this is nutritious, I've looked and it really isn't that good.

I went online one day and found all of these scary stories of people's pets randomly getting sick after eating Nutro brands. That certainly got me concerned. After looking at every grocery store in our area and the single pet store I've come to the conclusion that none of the stores in my area offer the type of dog food I'm looking for. I've found a brand I like but I already know that it isn;t in my area adn was wondering what you guys thought of the brand. Some people complain of diarrhea in their dogs after switching to this food but I'm not so sure if that's because of the food or if they just up'd and switched their dogs. The dog food is Origen. Thanks for any input.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Orijen is awesome and is about 1Billionx better than Nutro. Just join the Food Group and you will see all of our discussions on high-quality foods. The whole reason for the start of that group was because of those scary recalls in summer 2007 where so many lost their beloved pets. I am still battling with the after-effects on my chihuahua - kidney issues from bad treats.

You will also find there are other brands the Food Group recommends as well - just in case Orijen doesn't work for Bella.
Come join!

Oh - and people complaining of diarrhea: that is because switching from any food can cause some disruption and you need to do it gradually. It may take a week or two to get them used to the new ingredients. Orijen is a big change from Nutro (high quality and GRAIN FREE), so it is to be expected. And sometimes grain-free doesn't work for all pets. Karen's (Food Group founder) dood Jack thrives on Orijen; for example, but my Peri has done better on a food with some grains (Fromm). So you have to find what works for your Bella. Whatever you choose, there will be some transition (aka runny poos) at first.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup

THE FOOD GROUP

We are 336 members strong. JOIN US !

Also, when you are searching for foods , go to the companies website and find a Store Locater. The good foods are not sold in the regular pet stores. I drive 16 miles to get food. It is worth every mile

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I love Orijen! I prefer the raw diet, but I always have Orijen at home for when I forget to defrost the meat or I run out. Raw isnt for everyone (it took me a while to get used to it as Im vegetarian), and kibble is soooo convenient and not messy.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kayla Jean, I see you have joined The Food Group since you posted this. Welcome! Bella is on her way to better nutrition and a healthier life!
You have a big assignment ahead of you. Go to TFG and start reading through the huge "Commercial Foods- the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" Discussion. This is your basic education about dog food. Alternate assignment is to look thru the many other discussions in TFG and choose a few that interest you. (We will be having a pop quiz...just kidding)
I am willing to bet we can find Orijen and just about any other quality food in your area. But not at any grocery store, Target, Walmart, etc. and probably not at Petco or Petsmart, either. You want to find small independent pet supply stores; sometimes farm & garden shops carry them too, and even doggy daycare centers.
Off to find you some retailers in your area.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Will this work? They carry Orijen:

Chase Farm Veterinary Hospital
35 Ventura Drive
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Phone: [phone]

Otherwise, there are a couple of places in Falmouth that carry Orijen, Fromm and several other top-notch brands.

[Kayla Jean Ashley]

Thank you so much, this about a ten minute drive :). It's actually closer than Petsmart, where we've been getting Nutro. I can't wait to get her eating well.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Glad to help. Call them first to make sure they have it!

[lisa]

check out www.petfooddirect.com
they have it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

They're out of stock on most of the Orijen products.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

http://www.doggiefood.com/orijen.html

I order from this company all the time. I order the Zukes Mini treats - best prices I have found. On the top of the first page, there is always some kind of % off coupon which works out to be the shipping costs.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I used to feed Nutro but it is NOT a good food any more. My 12 year old lab-mix was raised on it and until we got Ned and joined dk, I did not know that the formula had been changed and the quality was poor. We did quite a bit of switching around for a while trying to find the best kibble to meet the needs of our three dogs - we did not want to use different foods for them. As to the dog not eating, Ned is not interested in food unless he is stealing his brothers' - he doesn't do this any more. We just out wait him. If he is hungry, eventually he WILL eat. What we have found though is that Ned prefers to eat once a day and at night. We put his full day's food into his bowl in the mornings now and he usually eats it at about 11:00 or later when the lights are out. Funny little guy. Healthy dogs will not starve themselves.

[laurie lehr]

Jasper did the same thing with the Nutro food . We switch him very slowly to Blue Buffalo and mixed some chicken and rice and veges. with it .