Help Karen, what am I doing wrong!!

[Amy and Annabelle]

So my husband and I had a discussion over Champion dog food and the recent issue. We decided to switch from Orijen to the Fromm grain free chicken. Especially since there was a big price increase at the place I get her food. Annabelle has been on Orijen since I switched her off of the breeders Purina crap. She has never been one to love her food. When I first bring in a new bag, she will go and sniff it, that is about as much interest in food she has ever shown. So I thought it would be easy to switch her over. I was wrong. My plan was to do half 1/4 new/3/4 old, then new/half old, then 3/4 new/1/4 old over the course of 4-5 days. But she won't eat the new. She eats the old and leaves the new in the bowl. Next meal I try to give her the new she left. She walks away. I tried to give it to her the next day. I could tell she was really hungry, but wanted nothing to do with the new. I tried hand feeding her the new, she turned her nose up. My granddaughter who Annabelle adores and would eat anything she gave her, tried hand feeding her the new, she wanted nothing to do with it. I finally broke down and gave her the old after about 30 hours of not eating anything. She of course gobbled it up and begged for more. I am now out of the old. What should I do? 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Well, the first thing I need to know is which Fromm formula did you get? There are only two grain free Fromm formulas that contain chicken: Chicken Au Frommage and Surf N Turf, both from the Four Star line. If you chose the Chicken Au Frommage, chances are that she doesn;t like it because it has way less animal protein than her Orijen, and since it's a single protein formula, it probably tastes pretty bland to her. When switching foods, you really need to try match the proteins and the macronutrient profile as much as possible. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

It was the au frommage. Earthborn was my second choice, but I can't afford to keep trying dog food on her and her not eating it.Would Earthborn to be a good choice or should I try something else that would be better.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, so again, it is not the brand that matters so much as the specific formula. The dog doesn;t know if the label on the bag says Fromm, Earthborn or Orijen, lol. We need to look at the ingredients and the macronutrient percentages. You went from a food that contained chicken, turkey, and four different kinds of fish to a food that contains only chicken. You went from a food that contained 38% protein and 18 % fat to a food that contains 26% protein and 16% fat. No wonder she doesn't like it, lol. 

If you want to stay with Fromm, a better choice would have been the Surf & Turf, which contains duck, chicken, and salmon, and has a protein content of 30% and a fat content of 19% (fat makes food taste good to dogs...and people too, lol). 
Your best bet might be Earthborn's Primitive Natural formula. It has a whopping 38% protein just like Orijen and 20% fat, and contains turkey, chicken, and whitefish, so it's a lot like Orijen in both ingredients and macronutrient profile. 

I would try that. But there are no guarantees that she will like it. Buy the smallest bag you can find.
I would not transition; I would give her only the Earthborn. It is similar enough to Orijen that she should not have any digestive issues with it. 
And when you take the food away after a period of time and then try to give it to her again, it's very important that it be stored in an airtight container to remain fresh and appealing. 

[c zoomer]

Just wondering....my condo newsletter arrived this time with an article on pet poop.  Along with statistics about how much poop our 400 + dogs produce, they casually mentioned that the dogs were excreting some of the proteins contained in the new high protein dog foods, pointing out it attracted vermin.  Karen, how does this jibe with what you've learned?  Can they get too much protein from these new dog foods?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You have some very creative and imaginative writers on that newsletter staff, lol. But they need a basic course in the physiology of digestion. Their information is absolute hogwash, and somebody should call them out on it.  

Excess protein is stored as body fat. It isn't "excreted", and while excess protein intake does result in higher urine output, that wouldn't attract vermin. Moreover, since protein makes up only a third of a dog's diet even in the highest protein dog foods, and much less in the average dog foods, there is no excess protein to be "excreted", even if that were possible. Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of every body system and function, rarely is there any "excess". 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm also wondering exactly what kind of "vermin" they are referring to, and why they think it is attracted to protein foods. When I think of "vermin", I think of rats and mice, and they eat carbohydrates almost exclusively. 

What a crazy thing to put in a newsletter, lol! Where do they come up with these ideas, I wonder. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I keep thinking about this condo association's newsletter. It is so strange.

Wouldn't the main focus be on asking the dog owners to pick up the poop and dispose of it properly? Vermin can't very well be attracted to something that isn;t there, protein or not. Why talk about what kind of food the dog owners feed? They don;t seem to be approaching the issue from any kind of logical angle. Maybe you need to elect a different board of directors, or a different association manager, lol. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

Thanks, I will have to check out the pet stores. See what they have. I have noticed that because of limited space, most of them only carry part of the line of a brand. At least the ones I shop.
It wouldn't seem so wasteful if shelters took opened bags of food. But I can certainly see why they don't. In the meantime, I have her back on Orijen. But I do still need to find a backup. The closest pet store that carries the Orijen, doesn't carry Earthborn. Nor do they carry the Fromm surf and turf formula. I need to spend day getting it figured out. She is such a picky eater. I do put her un-eaten bowl of food in an airtight container.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I find many stores, especially the smaller ones, will order a formula for you if they carry that brand but not the specific formula. You can also try Chewy or Petflow. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I see there are 2 Pet Supplies Plus in Ann Arbor, which looks to be not too far from you. My local PSP orders specific sizes and formulas for me, and they also match chewy's prices, so that may be an option for you. They kept Jack's food in the formula and size bag I needed in stock, and they are doing that now for me with my new pup's food.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I also see that there are several stores within a few miles of you that carry Earthborn: 

https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/where-to-buy/earthborn

[Amy and Annabelle]

Thanks I will have to check those out. I know the Family Farm and Home carry Earthborn, just not sure they carry the formula I need. Plus if I go in there I just may come home with some baby chicks and a coup. It was a close call last year.