# Go Natural or Orijen?



## Desiree (May 29, 2007)

I've been looking for a really good dog food for when I switch Eros to adult food, and I think I've narrowed the list down to two. Now I need help deciding of course! Eros seems to prefer smaller sized kibble, and I'm really not sure how big either of these are. After doing some research I think I would like to feed him either Go Natural or Orijen, which are both grain-free. Have any of you tried either of these brands and how did you and your furbaby like it? How big is the kibble? Is there anything you dislike about them?

Eros loves when I cook salmon or any fish for that matter, so I think he'd really like Orijen's 6 Fresh Fish (70% veterinary inspected meat/30% vegetables, fruit, and botanicals):

_Ingredients:
Fresh salmon (includes chinook. coho and sockeye species), salmon meal, russet potato, herring meal, fresh lake whitefish, sweet potato, fresh lake trout, fresh Northern walleye, freshwater cod, fresh herring, sunflower oil, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherals, a natural source of vitamin E), sun-cured alfalfa, dried sea vegetables (brown kelp, Irish moss, dulse and bladder wrack), leeks, psyllium, crab shell, rosemary, lecithin, apples, black currants..


TONIC HERBS AND BOTANICALS 
Chicory root (FOS), licorice root, fennel seed, zea mays, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, rosehips.


ORGANIC MINERALS
Iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate.


PROBIOTIC MICROORGANISMS 
Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product..


PREMIUM VITAMINS
Mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E), choline chloride, vitamin A, vitamin D3, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12, folic acid, biotin, pyridoxine (source of vitamin B6).


Guaranteed Analysis 
Protein 44.0% 
Fat 18.0% 
Carbohydrate 18.0% 
Moisture 10.0% 
Fiber 2.5% 
Calcium (min.) 1.4% 
Calcium (max.) 1.6% 
Phosphorus (min.) 1.1% 
Phosphorus (max.) 1.4% 
Omega-6 2.4% 
Omega-3 1.3% 
Glucosamine 700 mg/kg 
Chondroitin 250 mg/kg 
Microorganisms 80M cfu/kg 
pH 5.0 
Ash (min.) 6.5% 
Ash (max.) 7.0% 
Botanical Analysis 
Chicory root 500 mg/kg 
Licorice root 400 mg/kg 
Fenugreek 350 mg/kg 
Marigold flowers 300 mg/kg 
Sweet fennel 300 mg/kg 
Peppermint leaf 300 mg/kg 
Chamomile flowers 300 mg/kg 
Dandelion 150 mg/kg 
Summer savory 150 mg/kg 
Rosehips 150 mg/kg 
Vitamins 
Vitamin A 34 kIU/kg 
Vitamin D3 1.9 kIU/kg 
Vitamin E 450 IU/kg 
Vitamin K 2.5 IU/kg 
Vitamin B12 443 IU/kg 
Thiamine 50 mg/kg 
Riboflavin 46 mg/kg 
Niacin 240 mg/kg 
Pan. acid 40 mg/kg 
Pyridoxine 32 mg/kg 
Biotin 0.6 mg/kg 
Folic acid 2.8 mg/kg 
Choline 4400 mg/kg 
Ascorbic acid 65 mg/kg 
Beta carotene 0.66 mg/kg 


AMINO ACIDS
Taurine 0.22 mg/kg 
T. Lysine 1.8% 
T. Threonine 1.7% 
T. Methionine 1.3% 
T. Isoleucine 2.1% 
T. Leucine 2.1% 
T. Valine 2.2% 
T. Arginine 3.3% 
T. Phen. 1.4% 
T. Histidine 1.1% 
T. Cystine 0.5% 


MINERALS
Sodium 0.25% 
Chloride 0.6% 
Potassium 0.7% 
Magnesium 0.09% 
Sulphur 0.4% 
Iron 270 mg/kg 
Zinc 270 mg/kg 
Copper 20 mg/kg 
Manganese 20 mg/kg 
Cobalt 0.5 mg/kg 
Iodine 6 mg/kg 
Selenium 0.4 mg/kg_

_Go Natural Now! Grain-Free Turkey with Duck:__

INGREDIENTS

De-boned Turkey, Potato Flour, Pea, Apple, Whole Dried Egg, Pea Fibre, Tomato, Potato, Flaxseed, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E) , Natural Flavors, De-boned Salmon, De-boned Duck, Sun Dried Alfalfa, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lecithin, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Fruit: ( pumpkin, bananas, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, papaya, pineapple), Vegetables: ( carrots, lentil beans, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, garlic), cottage cheese, zeolite, Vitamins: ( vitamin A, vitamin E, Vitamin C, niacin: source of Vitamin B3 thiamine mononitrate: source of Vitamin B1, pyridoxine hydrochloride: source of Vitamin B6, Riboflavin : source of Vitamin B2, Vitamin K, beta-carotene, inositol: source of Vitamin B8, d-calcium panthothenate, vitamin D3, folic acid: (source of vitamin B9) biotin, source of vitamin B7 or H, vitamin B12) , Minerals: (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite) , Prebiotics: (chicory root extract, mannanoligosaccharides), Probiotics: lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, enterococcus faecium, bifido bacterium thermophilum), Ascorbyl-Polyphosphate, Digestive Enzymes: ( dried trichoderma viride fermentation extract, dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract) , Kelp, Taurine, DL Methionine, L-lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Marigold Extract,L-Carnitine, Dried Rosemary.

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min) 26% 
Crude Fat (min) 16% 
Crude Fiber (max) 4% 
Moisture (max) 10% 
Calcium (min) 1.2% 
Phosphorus (min) .8% 
*Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min) 2.5% 
*Omega 3 Fatty Acids (min) .5% _

<div align="center">Thanks for your time!
Desiree & Eros


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## wooflife (Aug 8, 2007)

Hi Desiree, 

My guys have been on Orijen for a few months and will probably keep eating it as a supplement to a raw diet. I like it - they like it. The kibbles are not really tiny but they aren't large either. Izzy is 3.5 lbs and doesn't have any trouble with it. 

I give it a good recommendation if your dog likes it - definately try to get a sample though, some dogs don't like it. 

Leslie


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## Desiree (May 29, 2007)

Thanks for the input Leslie


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## Missy&Maggie (Jun 17, 2007)

I had Maggie on Orijen puppy food and she liked it. The kibble size was like Leslie said in the middle. The Orijen and the Go Natural are very different foods. The Orijen is 44% protein while the Go Natural is only 26% protein. I debated about switching Maggie to Orijen adult food, but decided to go with Canidae impart because so many people on here use it and like it. Food decisions are so difficult for our lil ones. There are so many choices! I guess it all depends on what you are looking for in a food. Good luck with your decision, Desiree! :biggrin: 

Oh, and like Leslie suggested, maybe try to get samples of each and let lil Eros decide.


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## Desiree (May 29, 2007)

> I had Maggie on Orijen puppy food and she liked it. The kibble size was like Leslie said in the middle. The Orijen and the Go Natural are very different foods. The Orijen is 44% protein while the Go Natural is only 26% protein. I debated about switching Maggie to Orijen adult food, but decided to go with Canidae impart because so many people on here use it and like it. Food decisions are so difficult for our lil ones. There are so many choices! I guess it all depends on what you are looking for in a food. Good luck with your decision, Desiree! :biggrin:
> 
> Oh, and like Leslie suggested, maybe try to get samples of each and let lil Eros decide.[/B]


Maybe that was a bad example for the Go Natural since I'm not even sure where to get the Go Natural Now line they have. Here's a better example that I know I can find for sure, and it's 80% meat, 20% vegetables/fruits, 0% grain so it's closer to Orijen's protein level at 42%. I will try to get Eros some samples to test them, but I just wanted to make sure no one had bad experiences with either first. Thanks for the advice 

*Go Natural Grain-Free*

_INGREDIENTS

Chicken Meal, Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Meal, Potato, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols (vit. E), Herring Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Tomato Pomace, Natural Flavour, Salmon, Duck, Salmon Meal, Duck Meal, Salmon Oil, Whole Dried Egg, Flax Seed Oil, Brewer’s Yeast, Pea Fibre, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Chicory Root Extract, Mannanoligosaccharides, Pumpkin, Apples, Carrots, Bananas, Blueberries, Cranberries, Lentil Beans, Broccoli, Spinach, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Protease, Lipase, Garlic, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Enterococcus Faecium, Bifido-bacterium Thermophilum, Vitamins (vit. E, vit. C, niacin, inositol, vit. A, thiamine mononitrate, d-calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vit. K, beta-carotene, vit. D3, folic acid, biotin, vit. B12), Minerals (zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), Ascorbyl-polyphosphate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Rosemary._


_GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min) 42% 
Crude Fat (min) 20% 
Crude Fiber (max) 2.5% 
Moisture (max) 10% 
Calcium (min) 1.8% 
Phosphorus (min) 1.2% 
*Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min) 3% 
*Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min) 0.5% 
_

Edited the guaranteed analysis for this since I pasted the wrong one the first time for some reason. Thanks for all the comments guys it's nice knowing what you all think


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## carrie (Aug 24, 2004)

either sound good, nice quality food... but massimo would get deathly ill on such a high protein diet. he's supposed to stay between 20-22%. so canidae lamb/rice is what my kidz are on. surprisingly, both love it. and most importantly, massimo can handle it. 
(he's also on phenobarbital and we have to take his liver in to consideration).


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

The foods look good. I would just make 100% sure that the salmon is wild-caught. That is a lot of salmon for every day, even if wild caught. Salmon has PCB's and mercury in it and even for humans, experts recommend not eating it every day. 

The salmon food is very high protein. I would maybe double check info on the Web to make sure that's OK.


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## giselle79 (Aug 8, 2007)

Hi, I've been feeding Maxi Go Natural Grain Free formula since he was 4 months. He was having problems with the puppy food and was starting to become a finickitous eater. I still remember the day I came from Petcetera with the new bag of food, I've never seen Maxi eating so well. I even tried it myself, the kibble is small and is not hard, so there's no need to moisturize it, and the taste is really good (sorry, I can't help to say that) but it tastes even better than most dog treats.
Regarding poops quality, Maxi's never had diarrhea after the food change and his poops are small, easy to pick up and non-sticky (either to the surface nor the coat). It might seem gross but I there say it's good quality poop after good quality food.
I don't have any complains with Maxi's coat, and his energy level is excellent, he can walk for more than 30 minutes, I get home exhausted and he's still running. :smheat: 
I've written a long opinion. In short, we love Go Natural.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

44% is a bit high but I do like that it also contains sea kelp. Iodine is a 
vital addition to help maintain pigment.


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## Desiree (May 29, 2007)

> The salmon food is very high protein. I would maybe double check info on the Web to make sure that's OK.[/B]


It's hard to say for sure since it appears to be something that is still being debated, but I find the arguments that do not believe high protein is harmful to be better supported. The only thing they all seem to agree on is that a high protein diet may be bad for a dog that already has kidney problems. It also isn't advised for large breed puppies because it can cause them to get hip displasia or other bone/joint problems.

_Can I feed too much protein?

The answer to this is yes and no. In theory, if a healthy animal eats too much protein, some gets excreted in the urine and the rest just gets used as calories or is converted to fat and does not cause any harm. If you dog has a kidney problem, however, high protein diets are not recommended. The other factor is that next to marketing, protein is the most expensive ingredient in the food and why pay for more than you need. Most pet food companies strike a happy medium and meet the minimum recommended requirements and add a little extra to be safe. 

Does high protein cause kidney disease? 

No. This myth probably started because, in the past, patients with kidney disease were commonly placed on low-protein (and thus low-nitrogen) diets. Today, we often put them on a diet that is not necessarily very low in protein, but instead contains protein that is more digestible (therefore producing fewer nitrogen by-products). These diet changes are made merely because damaged kidneys may not be able to handle the excess nitrogen efficiently. In pets with existing kidney problems, nitrogen can become too high in the bloodstream which can harm other tissues. 

Unless your veterinarian has told you your pet has a kidney problem that is severe enough to adjust the protein intake, you can feed your pet a normal amount of protein without worrying about "damaging" or "stressing" your pet's kidneys. Also, keep in mind the fact that you are not "saving" your pet's kidneys by feeding a low-protein diet._

Protein Requirements for Good Nutrition

_Q. There are a lot of myths about pet food. Can you address some common ones?

Dr. Hofve: 
High protein diets do not cause kidney disease. In humans and dogs, a reduced phosphorus diet helps manage symptoms when kidney disease is *already present*. This effect is less clear in cats. Protein and phosphorus are found together in meat, so in order to reduce phosphorus, protein also has to be limited. However, many experts feel that—especially for cats—it is much more important for the cat to eat and maintain body weight than to try to feed any particular food. If the cat doesn’t like a food and won’t eat it, the resulting loss of weight and body condition can be as deadly as kidney disease itself._ High Protein Diets do Not Cause Kidney Disease

I guess my other concern is that Eros may become nice and plump on Orijen since the extra protein is converted to calories, but the makers of Orijen think otherwise:

Q: WILL HIGH PROTEIN DIETS CAUSE MY DOG OR CAT TO BE FAT? 

A: NO. ORIJEN has quite the opposite effect. As ORIJEN is high in protein, dogs and cats typically show an increase in lean muscle mass after a month or so. ORIJEN is low in carbohydrate, so most cats and dogs actually lose body fat when fed ORIJEN. 

Do any of you that fed/feed Orijen think it made your baby put on a lot of weight?


As for the fish here's what Orijen has to say about eating fish daily:

Q: FRESH FISH: Do you test fish for heavy metals? 

A: Yes. Although our fish are fished from clean northern lakes, our supplier provides us with heavy metal and mercury test results. All our fresh fish are fit for human consumption, meet all Government of Canada food regulations for daily consumption, and are a world-class source of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids. Orijen Pet Foods FAQ

<div align="center">Desiree & Eros


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