# Canine Caviar to Acana



## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

Riley has been on Canine Caviar since August of last year and was doing GREAT on it!! I always switch formulas with each bag... from Wild Ocean to Open Sky... the past few bags... he will have soft stool for the first couple of days... He has been on this bag of Open Sky since a week ago Saturday and his stool just will Not firm up... this morning it was runny... I opened a can of pumpkin this morning and he ate some. I will see how the stool is, this evening. Also this bag and the last bag... he wasn't really finishing his meals.

I had called the store in DC where i usually get it to find out they had Pulled all of the bags of the Open Sky from their shelves because they had several customers complain that their dogs were breaking out in Hives. They were waiting for Canine Caviar to get back with them and said they would let me know something as soon as they heard back. That was over a week ago.

What do others feed their pups?
I am thinking of switching back to Acana, which I had fed, before Canine Caviar.


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## mdbflorida (Feb 28, 2013)

Wow, we switched to Canine Caviar in August we use the Chicken and Pearl Millet and haven't finished to switch to one of the others to balance the protein like they suggest. My dogs love it and the stools have been the best since being on it. Firm! Is it possible it is the treats or something else they are eating. Let me know what you hear back


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

Fromm is popular with SMers! My two are mainly on dehydrated or frozen raw and I'm not the biggest fan of kibble but I do have it as part of Emma's rotation once in a while, for now. She's had Fromm Game Bird and now is on Fromm Salmon Tunalini which she is enjoying. She's also had Addiction Viva la Venison and liked that a lot too.


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## Snuggle's Mom (Jan 3, 2008)

Chrissy and Snuggles both eat Fromm Whitefish and Potatoes and are doing very well without any problems. Also, I compared that variety to others and found it was the lowest in protein.


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## ladodd (Jan 8, 2012)

All three of mine have been on Acana for about a year. We were using Grasslands. But, I saw a thread that mentioned Lamb being a " hot" food for allergies. Addie did do quite a bit of scratching. I switched to Duck and Bartlett Pear about three weeks ago. The itching is sooo much better. Never had any poopy issues.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

mdbflorida said:


> Wow, we switched to Canine Caviar in August we use the Chicken and Pearl Millet and haven't finished to switch to one of the others to balance the protein like they suggest. My dogs love it and the stools have been the best since being on it. Firm! Is it possible it is the treats or something else they are eating. Let me know what you hear back


Yeah... I was really Happy with Canine Caviar... Riley is on their testimonial page on the website.


Ohhhh My Gosh what a CUTE Pic. On your signature!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

ladodd said:


> All three of mine have been on Acana for about a year. We were using Grasslands. But, I saw a thread that mentioned Lamb being a " hot" food for allergies. Addie did do quite a bit of scratching. I switched to Duck and Bartlett Pear about three weeks ago. The itching is sooo much better. Never had any poopy issues.


Yeah... Riley had a Maaajor reaction to Primal raw - Lamb... Broke out in RED Hives all over. He's kind of sensitive... :huh:


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

I was happy with Riley's #2 tonight.... LOL

It was more solid than it has been all week... Perhaps because of the pumpkin. I had my purse with me on our walk and was ready to walk over to get a bag of Acana. The pet store is 1-block from my house. I gave him a little more pumpkin tonight. We'll see how it goes the next couple of days.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

mdbflorida said:


> Wow, we switched to Canine Caviar in August we use the Chicken and Pearl Millet and haven't finished to switch to one of the others to balance the protein like they suggest. My dogs love it and the stools have been the best since being on it. Firm! Is it possible it is the treats or something else they are eating. Let me know what you hear back


Hmmmm.....
it could be some biscuits he got in his BarkBox this month!!!! :blink:


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## mdbflorida (Feb 28, 2013)

Mine got those biscuits too they love them and the duck ones! Some times the treats will do it because it is a change.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

mdbflorida said:


> Mine got those biscuits too they love them and the duck ones! Some times the treats will do it because it is a change.


Yeah... And he really doesn't get treats like that.... I will stop them and continue with a teeny bit of pumpkin... Each meal till he's all good again. 

I will keep you posted though about what that store finds out from CC.


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## maltese manica (Nov 6, 2012)

I just switched from Acana to Canine Caviar (lamb) and they love the stuff and I have noticed that their bowel movments have improved!


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

I had given Riley some pumpkin which got him back on track!! He still gobbles the Canine Caviar down just as he did over a year ago when he first started eating it. 

I always keep my eyes open for new foods... But I have to stop and remember how many foods I had tried and how long it took until I finally found a food he does so well on and he was so excited to eat.


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## mdbflorida (Feb 28, 2013)

Glad he is doing well. Yes, we are still on it too and both boys love it


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

A friend of mine who feeds CC let me know last night that she is going to try Orijen. Apparently they have taken the potato out of the original, six-fish and regional red formulas. I bought a starter bag of the six-fish last night which I fed last night and this 

I am not thrilled about how Canine Caviar is or actually isn't handling the situation with the bags in the Pro Feed on MacArthur Blvd. in DC. They still have their bags pulled and CC is in no hurry to address it or even get back to them. 

I myself have had shadiness more than once with Canine Caviar's customer service. I would just love to find a food where I feel confident about the company, one who has a customer service who answer my questions and where I don't get the run around from their Reps. 

I had just bought two bags of CC off of chewy.com. 
Apparently I am able to send them back free of charge. I am thinking if this Orijen works out well then that is what I will do. I fed Orijen Puppy in the beginning.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

These two things were brought up on another dog Forum to bring stuff to my attention:


*ONE:*
The MAXIMUM phosphorus allowed according to AAFCO is 1.6%. 

The buffalo formula is 1.5% MINIMUM. Meaning it could be a lot more. It also is 2.0% calcium. Wild Ocean is Calcium 2.4% min, Phosphorus 1.7% min. The other formulas are fine, the duck is low in ash.

I had been wondering how CC could claim that their foods met AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines with a phosphorus value higher than the allowable limit. The AAFCO max is 1.6%. One of CC's formulas is 1.7% min. While looking at their site to get everything straight (was going to ask my dog's nutritionist how this could be possible) I came across something interesting. When clicking on the grain free varieties I went to the feeding guidelines page for each 'flavor'. This is where their statement of AAFCO certification is. I believe it is the Wild Ocean formula that is 1.7% min phosphorus. On the Wild Ocean feeding page it does say it meets AAFCO guidelines. Very confusing since that is not possible. At closer look it reads that their Chicken and Millet food meets AAFCO guidelines. They use their statement from the chicken type for all foods (which is not correct). So it appears that some are not approved but they have decided to make it appear that they are (unless I am missing something).


*TWO:*
Was just reading one of their brochures/papers (I wouldn't call it a White Paper since it doesn't really source anything) and HOLY CRAP, did you read/see this:

Quote from CC: ""I am A *buildup of protein waste products causes kidney or liver damage*. High-protein diets often promote foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy products. Some experts believe a diet rich in these foods can increase your risk of heart disease. *A high-protein diet may cause liver or kidney problems because the body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of protein metabolism.*""

Those bolded parts are absolutely false / wrong. I'm actually shocked they not only put that chronic myth in there, but that *no one* caught it...???!! High protein diets DO NOT cause any liver or kidney damage in dogs or humans. There are a billion journal articles that cover this exhaustively (for humans and dogs); geesh, go to the Mayo Clinic website or any other reliable site and search this issue. Kidneys and livers work the same in humans and dogs.

The _only_ time excess protein might be a concern is if there is an already diagnosed health issue specifically tied to protein issues (ie, already diagnosed liver or kidney disease). And on that note, some vets are even saying protein restriction in liver/kidney disease isn't really needed *(awesome article, a must read, very journal-sourced)*: http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/Myths_of_High_Protein.pdf 

For anyone needing an excellent White Paper about protein in dogs' diets, this one is excellent: http://files.championpetfoods.com/OR...hite_Paper.pdf

If such a big mistake is in Canine Caviar's brochure, I'd be really concerned what else is wrong in there. It seems to be_ such a great food for so many dogs here,_ but I hope the company really knows what they're doing/saying. That type of oversight/mistake is not good at all =(. Hopefully it's not indicative of larger mistakes and untruths. I hope they correct it.


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## puppydoll (Jul 11, 2013)

Theresa,
The article from Orijen is not found. The Orijen puppy formula is rather high in protein at 38%. I thought that was too high for maltese.

Also, I am interested to know what pumpkin does. You are talking about the pumpkin in a can, the same you would use to make a pumpkin pie? It's actually making me hungry, lol.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

puppydoll said:


> Theresa,
> Also, I am interested to know what pumpkin does. You are talking about the pumpkin in a can, the same you would use to make a pumpkin pie? It's actually making me hungry, lol.


Pumpkin (preferably organic and it must be REAL pumpkin, not pie filling) is a great source of fiber for a dog - it can help regulate if you're pup is experiencing either diarrhea or constipation.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

puppydoll said:


> Theresa,
> The article from Orijen is not found. The Orijen puppy formula is rather high in protein at 38%. I thought that was too high for maltese.
> 
> Also, I am interested to know what pumpkin does. You are talking about the pumpkin in a can, the same you would use to make a pumpkin pie? It's actually making me hungry, lol.


Hi Jane,

Not sure why the Orijen white paper isn't coming up... if you google Orijen White Paper it will pop right up... it is in a PDF form. 

Higher protein levels are fine, and a lot of breeds, whether small or large actually Thrive on a higher level of protein.... as long as the dog is Healthy to begin with. High protein levels will not cause kidney damage.

It is also depends on the diet... whether it is plant protein or animal protein [meaning coming from meat...] - You don't want the protein to be High, in the food, if it is only coming from plant protein... You will notice that the grain free formulas are usually higher in protein levels because it is coming from animal protein. Dogs are classified as omnivores. They can survive on a diet of either plant or animal origin if it is balanced and diverse. But to "Thrive" and not merely survive, dogs should have a source of animal protein in their diets... which is why a Lot of dogs also Thrive on a raw diet.


Pure Pumpkin... [not the pumpkin pie filing...] is good for pups with soft stool... it is Fiber so it will help firm it up. It is good to have on hand if you decide to switch foods. They sell cans of organic pumpkin in the higher end boutiques, here in the city.


I bought a bag of Orijen Six-Fish this past Sunday and Riley has been eating it since Sunday evening. I switched him cold turkey and have had Zero Issues. It has only been 1-week, but he seems to be doing fine on it. It takes about 8 - 12 weeks on a food though to see whether or not a pup will do well on it... and for a true food trial, you are to only feed the food, no treats or any extras. I have been thinking about switching him to Nature's Variety premade raw... for at least one of his meals... if not both. I had him on raw about a year and a half ao and he really was thriving with that. 

I have even thought of home cooking lately. I'm just nervous about that because I would want to make sure he is getting all of the needed nutrients. I would have to research a little more on that and maybe speak with a pet nutritionist.


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

From PetMD about Protein:

Focusing on Protein in the Diet | petMD


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## RileyDC (Apr 20, 2011)

Update: 
Have been feeding Riley the Orijen kibble and he has been doing amazing on it so far!! He will even eat it with no topper... 

So Glad to get off and away from Canine Caviar. I just went through the emails back-and-forth with Dawn Barraco and the Macarthur Blvd. Pro Feed regarding the issues with the last bag he was eating and there is no way I would feed it... I really believe now that it was because of that bag Riley ended up at the Friendship Animal Hospital!! :-(


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