Champions to Zignatures

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Sorry Karen, I tend to be long winded! Lol

Question, we attended the big Pet Expo recently and my name was entered for Zignatures dog food and Fussy Cat cat food which I am assuming is a joint company so I can trust Fussy Cat? Well much to my surprise I won and teh bigger surprise is they sent me a gift certificate for both; a 27# bag of Zignatures kibble and a case of Fussy Cat can food! Since Josie is a punk and has turned her nose up to any and all Orijen and Acana, I'm thinking of switching her to the Zignatures? I still can't believe my OCD food hound won't eat her Champion food?? Since she turns her nose up can I just do a quick switch or do I need to slowly transition? Last question, Orijen Adult is their primary and I mix a flavored Acana every 2-3 months as a boredom buster. Is there one Zignatures flavor that would be recommended over another to start or does it matter?? TIA.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay so all of Zignature's formulas except for one (Zssentials) are limited ingredient formulas. They're all grain-free, but they're all lower in protein than the Orijen formulas. I honestly don't think that a dog who turns her nose up at all of the Orijen and Acana formulas is going to like a Zignature formula better, but I guess it won't hurt to try. 

You should be fine doing a cold turkey switch rather than transitioning. The Turkey or the Zssential formulas are closest to Orijen in terms of macronutrient percentages, so you might start with one of those. I'd stay away from the Kangaroo formula, it's lowest in protein and you also want to keep some proteins in reserve, just in case you ever have an issue down the road where you need a "novel" protein. 

Fussie Cat is made by the same company so I would say you can trust it. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Jolene, I would tell that Sassy girl to eat what you put out for her because its the best! :-}  And use the Zignature in treatballs and/or as a topper for the Orijen.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Sassy LOVES the Orijen and Acana it's miss Josie whose the boob. Sassy inhales the Orijen and Acana to the point I have to switch slow feeders regularly! So far Josie is eating the Zignatures and not leaving the bowl? Sassy is intrigued why the food smells different! Lol. Josie is such a desperate food hound I just don't understand why she won't eat the Orijen/Acana?? Without the eating those anal glands of hers have been gagging me!

[Deborah Brown]

It's early days.  Sometimes something new is interesting for awhile.  But you should consider that something in the Orijen/Acana doesn't agree with Josie. It took me years to figure out my Charlie couldn't eat white potato.  Many grain free formulas use potato instead but he would balk at these foods. That's just an example but consider that Josie's needs might be different than your other dog and maybe related to the anal gland issue as well.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Orijen and Acana no longer contain white potato, and haven't for a while now. :)

But dogs don't really understand cause and effect; they don't associate the fact that they ate that food off the kitchen counter this morning with the tummy ache they have this afternoon. So even if there were an ingredient in a food that didn't agree with the dog, that wouldn't cause the dog to not want to eat it. They're smart, but not that smart, lol. 

I do agree that they are usually temporarily interested in something new; this is why a rotation diet usually works well for a picky eater.

[Deborah Brown]

Give them more credit!  If the dog still has a tummy ache from breakfast, he might not want to eat dinner.  You might coax him to eat a favorite irresistible treat but he might not be willing to eat kibble.  In Charlie's case, I could often hear the rumbling from his tummy and he was always gassy so I bet he wasn't anxious to wolf down another meal.

Of course, white potato was just an example.  I can't begin to guess at Josie's issues.  That's what makes it so tricky.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, having a tummy ache or some other health issue could cause a dog to turn up his nose at food. 

A sensitivity that caused other symptoms, though, (for example, allergy type symptoms) would not. Jack is very allergic to ragweed, but he doesn't know that's what makes him so itchy or that he shouldn't go outside because the pollen count is high, lol. He cannot tolerate beef, it would put him in the ER with an IBD flare, but I guarantee you he would eat a steak if he had the chance. 

I don't think though that there is any reason to suspect that Josie has any food sensitivities. You usually do see some other signs besides the dog not liking their food. :) 

Some dogs are just picky eaters. Many, in fact.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thanks, Josie is my odd little doodle fur baby? From the day we got her she was a grazer, she'd grab a kibble or two then run behind a chair to eat it. It was exhausting watching her. When we switched to Orijen she was finally inhaling her food but now she turns her nose up and walks away, sometimes grazing and other times just plain refusing? What's funny is she is my food driven dog and has horrible begging habits, in spite of my constant correcting? My girls don't get leftovers because I use a lot of garlic and onions. Josie is the one I have to watch as she'll put anything in her mouth, alive or dead or even just fits in the mouth! If she doesn't eat it she's rolling in it! If I add yogurt, eggs or even coconut oil (Karen that's why I asked about it earlier), she'll eat, stepping away from her bowl just a few feet?? They were at the vet for vaccinations and annual check up just a couple months ago and all was well. Josie does have major anal gland issues, always has? Actually I didn't know what an anal gland was until she came along, ick! The vet actually expressed hers at the last visit and was shocked to see how impacted one side was, it actually pooped like a balloon several times?? Now that she's not eating again she's beginning to stink, she actually leaked on the sofa next to me and woke me from a dead sleep gagging (sorry if tmi)! She's inhaling the Zignatures right now so we'll see how long it lasts, heck it was a free bag anyways. Nothing in her personality or mannerisms have changed so I don't believe it's a health issue? Maybe even though she's a foodie, she gets bored with repetitive flavors??? Very frustrating to say the least. Thanks again for the input and sounding blocks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Stick with the Zignature, it's a very good food. When the bag is finished, you can try another formula and rotate with each bag to keep her interested. 

The different formulas have different fiber percentages, and that's something you should look at when choosing one, since she has anal gland issues. The Turkey formula contains 6.5% fiber, which is very good. The Zssentials only has 5%; not bad, but not the best. 

The Trout & Salmon, Duck, and Lamb  formulas also have 6.5%, so I would look at those when you're ready to rotate. The Whitefish is only 5%. 

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Thanks Karen, I'll make a note. Very helpful and very much appreciated.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I misread and maligned poor, sweet Sassy.  Ned is not a foodie but happens to love Orijen also.  Next romp he will have a talk with Miss Josie.  I hope she likes the Zignature better.  I wonder if you may have to feed them different foods?  Ned does not eat every meal.  He began to eat better when we began the Orijen, but he still doesn't eat every meal.  I think he self monitors so he doesn't overeat at meal time.  Of course he doesn't self-monitor grabbing the things he shouldn't eat from the back of the counter. I can't figure out how he does it.

[Deborah Brown]

We switched to Zignature about a year ago and my doodles still love it.  We previously fed Orijen but one of my dog has some sensitivities and they didn't have a recipe that worked for him.  All three are doing well on Zignature.