Orijen Puppy Food Question

[The Food Group]

Heidi is coming home on Saturday and I went on Chewy.com to order her Orijen puppy food. I had two choices - "Original" which comes in a 5 pound bag and another one that comes in a 4.5 pound bag. I don't know the difference and don't know which one I should order. Help! 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think that "original" is the Canadian formula and the other one is the new USA formula, but you should call Chewy to confirm that. It doesn;t really matter which one you get, as long as you are planning to always order it online and won't be buying it from a local store; if you think you might want to buy it locally, get the 4.5 lb bag of the new USA formula. 

All of that aside, it is crucial that you do not change your pup's food for at least two weeks after she comes home. Don;t add anything new to her diet for 2 weeks, either. Give only whatever the breeder has been giving her, even if it's not the best food or treats in the world. After 2 weeks, if all is well with her digestion and her stool you can begin to transition her to the Oijen. Make only one change in diet at a time. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm so impressed that your breeder feeds Orijen. That speaks very well of her! So many breeders use cheap food, and it always makes me wonder what else they are skimping on. :) 

[Joan Bollaert]

Get the original. I'm thinking the other one might be for large breed

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nope, definitely not the Large Breed, they sell that separately. I think it's the Canadian versus the USA formulas. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

https://www.chewy.com/orijen-puppy-large-breed-grain-free/dp/45847

Large Breed Puppy isn't even offered in a 5 lb bag, lol. 

[Jenny and Cooper]

Hi Mary, I was confused about it too when I heard the "Original" came out.  Cooper was on Orijen Large Puppy Breed then Adult formula for a while then I just recently switched him to the new "Original" formula.  The difference I learned is that the new Original formula is 85/15 vs the old 80/20.  The kibble on the new formula is also smaller than the old one.  Cooper seems to like it more, he is now more willing to eat his kibbles :)  Supposed to taste better but I haven't tried it myself.  lol

The chewy.com website is a bit confusing.  For the old formula they call it "5-lb bag (original)" but it's the Adult formula.  The 4.5 lb bag is the "Original" which I believe is the new formula one.  Like Karen said, one is made from USA and the other is Canadian formula.  I would also recommend the getting the new USA formula which is called "Original".  I'll attach picture of my bag.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jenny, there is an "Original" Adult formula, but in this case, Mary is asking about the Puppy formula for a brand new pup. It doesn't have the word "Original" on the bag, or go by that name with the puppy foods. Chewy is offering an "original" version of every single formula along with the newer formula on their website for ordering pruposes. Here's the link so you can see what she means: https://www.chewy.com/orijen-puppy-dry-dog-food-286-lb-bag/dp/45844

[Jenny and Cooper]

Aaahhh yes I get it now. I thought there was only one Original. lol I remember the man at the store told me they were getting rid of the Large Puppy Breed and just replacing it with the Original. Maybe I heard wrong. I didn't realize they carry just "puppy" but that would make sense. I agree Chewy.com has the word "original" next to the 5 lb bag, but it should really be USA or Canada. What's confusing is they are calling the new formula "Original" for the adult bag. :/

Ok so Mary would need the "Puppy" (ORIGINAL MADE IN USA) lol and not my "Original". Thanks for the clarification.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This whole thing is a nightmare for me, lol. I have to re-do the recommended brands list and I'll have to type out a novel for Orijen and Acana, lol. At least Orijen only has 6 or 7 formulas. Acana has three different lines, with several formulas in each one, and they are all different for Canada versus USA. 

[Jenny and Cooper]

Yikes!!! That's a lot of work in making us a new dictionary on Orijen & Acana!

You know I have to add that Cooper's stool has gotten firmer, darker and not as moist as when he was on the old formula. :) That's probably because of the 85/15 right???

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That 85/15 doesn't really mean much; that's just the proportion of animal ingredients (protein) to plant ingredients (carbohydrate) by volume.  The actual macronutrient percentages are 38% protein, 18% fat, and about 28% carbohydrate. (The other 16% are water and fiber). In the old 80/20 formula, it was almost identical. 38% protein, 18% fat, 15% for fiber and water, leaving the carbohydrate percentage at about 29%. It may be that the change of ingredients is what made the difference for Cooper. There are some ingredient changes between the two formulas, primarily in the amounts and types of proteins.

[Jenny and Cooper]

I see. You are a walking Orijen dictionary. Lol Kind of deceiving though, I thought I was getting a bit more protein since it went from 80 to 85. Well, I'm happy with the new formula though. He eats better and his poops are easier to pick up. Haha! :)