# Acana experiences



## Liz

Orijen was too much for my spoo, but she does great on Acana. We tried one of the grain-free varieties, Prairie, and she's thrived on it. However, we haven't tried the new formulation.

I have heard some people say their dogs do better on grain-inclusive foods. You may have to try both to find out for yourselves.


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## ziggylu

I switched Cosmo from Innova to Acana Wild Prairie last month. He's had a few ear infections so I wanted to see if going to grain free would help. He's still young( 8 mos now, 7 mos when I changed) so I was also uncomfortable with Orijen so went with the Acana instead. the Wild Prarie is 33% protein and was much lower than than all the Orijen's I looked at. 

He seems to be doing well on it and his ears have been much better. However he doesn't seem to like it much. He doesn't eat with the same gusto. He did get some dental implants just prior to my switching him though so I won't try changing again until after that comes out as that might have slowed his eating down I"m thinking.


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## Camille

I feed my little girl Acana small breed and she does great on it. She has a really sensitive stomach and will get loose stool anytime she has even a slight change in her food but with acana the transition was pretty smooth, only had soft stool for about a day. She enjoys it alot and i find her coat doesn't matt when on this food as well. You dont see as much difference in coat quality i find with foods like with some shiny coated dogs but thats the big difference i found. that and a softer coat.


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## neVar

Acana is a very nice food. Go And Now are another 'newer' (been out 2- years?) foods on the market that i really like. "now" is the grain free version


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## Camille

neVar said:


> Acana is a very nice food. Go And Now are another 'newer' (been out 2- years?) foods on the market that i really like. "now" is the grain free version


I LOVE the "Go" brand especially for cats but it is SOOOOO expensive. This is why i chose acana in the end, still great ingredients and a bit more affoardable at 25$ a bag.


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## ziggylu

Since this thread was started I've recently switched Cosmo from the Prairie formula to the Pacifica and Orijen Regional Red(one in the AM and one in the PM). We're still struggling with ear issues so I wanted to get him on a different protein to see if it was the chicken since we were on Innova before the Acana Prairie.

I also wanted to change my Greyhound off of his CA Natural Lamb and Rice. he's been on this since a baby due to allergies and sensitive stomach but I wanted to be proactive and find something before Proctor and Gamble started messing with Natura's formulas. The Acana Lamb and Apple formula looks like a perfect fit for him but the non-grain free formulas aren't available in the US. I called to ask Acana about this and unfortunately they list milk thistle as a food additive and, while approved in the US as a supplement, it is not approved as a food additive. Disappointing. They said they are researching changing their non-grain free formulas to meet US standards. 

Also disappointing is that their Acana (grain free) Grasslands is a lamb based food that contains chicken fat. I know I feed lamb as my dog can't tolerate chicken and that wasn't uncommon.....


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## Jkline65

*I feed Acana*

I feed Maggie Acana Grain Free...I have purchased it online but we now have a holistic high end dog food store in my town so I buy it there. I have been very happy with it. Maggie has Addison's so I have to use good food. I would anyway but...It is expensive. I joke if my parents and most of friends had any clue what I spend for dog food they'd stroke out. When I go to my neighbors and see the bag of Beneful they are feeding their lab my heart races. 
All that to say I have not had any issues. She eats it fine. I add water to soften it up some and because of her Addison's I am instructed to put some salt on her food. Kosher all natural sea salt from Trader Joe's (They didn't tell me use that I just do.) I was gonna step up to Orijen (same company) but I think there is too much protein in it for her. She's not the most active dog in the world and she's pushing 8. Anyway, that's my opinion on this one....
(she does have some brutal gas on occasion though) :argh:


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## schpeckie

I just switched the girls (7 months old) yesterday from Royal Canin puppy food to Acana Prairie Harvest Adult, and they love it! Good digestion and their poopies arenot soft.


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## Jkline65

Yeah I noticed a difference in that right away too. She was on Eagle pack when I got her, so I switched over slowly. She did have some diareah the first few days but I attribute alot of that to the stress of the move. In one house for 6 years and bam next day she's with me....but once we got past that, it's easier to clean the yard and they are smaller too. Ok this is gross Im moving on :amen:


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## ItzaClip

hello, I have lots of experience with imy store and grooming clienst and also have pursued many nutrition seminars to learn more, i ama raw fan as well. Orijen and acana are made not far from me, we have very good results, biggest downside i find is it being too rich for some dogs. orijen is better for sensitive or allergic dogs that cant have the rice or oats. most dogs can do well on the regular acana, as thereis no wheat/corn. i find the meat is more meals vs fresh deboned but dont see a big slide in dogs quality of coat/nails etc from the acana vs orijen. i do prefer the lamb/apple and provincial line, but if a dog is not sensitive to the rice or oats then they usually are fine on the regular acana line. the provincial line and orijen have more potatoe and not oats or rice, this can be an issue if your dog has a yeast infection as its higher gylcemic index and can feed that(you will have obvious ears infection, red skin, rashy, etc type symptoms). i have had afew clienst that still had bad gas on acana so i finally told them to try horizon, go or now, which is lower and i like it. you can also add an enzyme to help thier tummy adjust. hope this helps!


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## whitepoodles

LOVE Acana Pacifica.
I choose to feed fish based diet as a result of both allergies to chicken, etc... and the fact that salmon is not like chicken or beef injected with various growth hormones.
My dog Cole enjoyed Acana Pacifica from puppyhood, my other dogs (some) are on Fromm Salmon and Veggies formula.
They love it and I have two dogs whose hips scored OFA Excellent on both Acana Pacifica (fish based) and Fromm Salmon/Veggies.
I dont use Acana duck or shicken based.
Origen I tried but the protein level is exorbitant and can actually hurt young puppies and cause food related Hip dysplasia and joint pain. I found Acana is great at only 30% protein which is medium and not as high as 40% in Orijen which also is too rich and can give them very loose stools. 
It is great if you feed Origen which is so high in protein to Nordic breeds and other working dogs who truly work the field or are racing, but a dog who has mild activity level, goes for a walk 1 hour per day, you can do more harm with 40% protein as opposed to the Acana's 30%..
MHO


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## CharismaticMillie

Before I fed raw I tried Acana Pacifica with Millie. She did excellent on this kibble and I highly recommend it for someone who wants to feed kibble. I prefer the lower protein content of Acana as I am not convinced that extremely high levels of protein are necessarily optimum. 

I personally believe this based on the fact that the protein in a raw, natural diet (the most natural you can get) is generally not higher than 20-30%. Therefore, my view on uber-high protein kibbles has changed a bit. I think Acana is an excellent choice!


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## whitepoodles

ChocolateMillie said:


> Before I fed raw I tried Acana Pacifica with Millie. She did excellent on this kibble and I highly recommend it for someone who wants to feed kibble. I prefer the lower protein content of Acana as I am not convinced that extremely high levels of protein are necessarily optimum.
> 
> I personally believe this based on the fact that the protein in a raw, natural diet (the most natural you can get) is generally not higher than 20-30%. Therefore, my view on uber-high protein kibbles has changed a bit. I think Acana is an excellent choice!


Millie:
Totally in agreement with your logic here. Also if one takes Pat Hastings' seminars and I have attended a few, she is the one who changed my philosophy about giving puppy food to my puppies.
I used to experience several cases of Panosteitis with my young pups while growing but ever since I switched from puppy food to maintenance med. level protein such as (no less than) 26-30% I have experiences great results and 2 of my dogs, both Cole and Lola have OFA Hips Excellent score.. so it does say something.
Pat Hatings attributes many skeletal problems in young growing puppies to the high level of protein in their diet and I could agree with her more. I really like Pat Hastings , she is a wealth of knowledge and I would highly recommend her interesting seminars if she comes to your area.


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## PoodlePowerBC

I loved the Origen idea, started my pup on Origen for Large breed puppies when he first arrived (breeder was feeding Costco brand), but he had very loose stools. So I tried switching to Acana (small bag Wild Prairie 60%protein, 40% fruits & Veg & 0% grain) and he changed to runny stools. After reading as much as I could find on the Forum, wanted to try Fromm, but it's not easily available in my area, so I chose Taste of The Wild SalmonProtein (25% no grain). The very next stool was 90% better and the following day he was firm and down to 3 movements a day  I ad 1 tsp natural yogurt to his am meal, and raw tripe and heart to his lunch & dinner. Is working for us.


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## whitepoodles

PoodlePowerBC said:


> I loved the Origen idea, started my pup on Origen for Large breed puppies when he first arrived (breeder was feeding Costco brand), but he had very loose stools. So I tried switching to Acana (small bag Wild Prairie 60%protein, 40% fruits & Veg & 0% grain) and he changed to runny stools. After reading as much as I could find on the Forum, wanted to try Fromm, but it's not easily available in my area, so I chose Taste of The Wild SalmonProtein (25% no grain). The very next stool was 90% better and the following day he was firm and down to 3 movements a day  I ad 1 tsp natural yogurt to his am meal, and raw tripe and heart to his lunch & dinner. Is working for us.


Poodlepower BC: 

You changed your dog to Taste of the Wild Prairie... This is not fish based. You had runny stools most likely because your dog was/is allergic to Chicken and other proteins which are not fish based.

You then switched him to Taste of the Wild SALMON which is FISH based and his stools went back to normal.

Acana PACIFICA is multiple fish based diet (not only Salmon). 

I have no doubt had you tried Acana PACIFICA you would of noted that your dog would of done on Acana as well as he does on Taste of the wild Salmon, since both are fish based protein. 

Acana like Fromm also has fish formulas and their food is awsome. But I never use anything else from either Acana or Fromm which is not fish based.


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## PoodlePowerBC

whitepoodles said:


> Poodlepower BC:
> 
> You changed your dog to Taste of the Wild Prairie... This is not fish based. You had runny stools most likely because your dog was/is allergic to Chicken and other proteins which are not fish based.
> 
> You then switched him to Taste of the Wild SALMON which is FISH based and his stools went back to normal.
> 
> Acana PACIFICA is multiple fish based diet (not only Salmon).
> 
> I have no doubt had you tried Acana PACIFICA you would of noted that your dog would of done on Acana as well as he does on Taste of the wild Salmon, since both are fish based protein.
> 
> Acana like Fromm also has fish formulas and their food is awsome. But I never use anything else from either Acana or Fromm which is not fish based.


Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my previous post. I was also looking for a food that was lower in protein for my pup


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## whitepoodles

PoodlePowerBC said:


> Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my previous post. I was also looking for a food that was lower in protein for my pup


Ok, this then makes sense.

However I am puzzled, why would you feel that a stand. poodle puppy consuming 30% protein (Acana Pacifica) will not do as well on this amount of protein vis a vis Taste of the Wild which is only 25% fish based protein.

From past and current experience and having two dogs which rated Excellent on OFA Hips score both were fed from puppyhood Acana Pacifica 30% and I find this was a great food for growing puppies, and one which protein level never compromised their skeletal structure nor caused any growing pain (Panosteitis) 

I would actually not want less than 26% to 30% protein for a growing puppy.

How old is your dog ?


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## whitepoodles

Itzaclip:

I absolutely LOVE your bicycle, and am wondering where did you purchase it from.

I am not lazy taking my dogs for walks but I feel that this will make them trot at a higher speed than just trotting along side me leashfree.

Where did you buy it and what is the name of this awsome exerciser


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## PoodlePowerBC

I am supplementing with raw organic heart & tripe.
We are also currently doing tons of training with Salmon & liver treats. I feel he is getting enough protein. When the training slows down, I may decide to try Acana again. I'll just have to get past the extremely fishy smell  (Taste of the wild is not as fishy smelling).My pup is 15 weeks old.


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## whitepoodles

PoodlePowerBC said:


> I am supplementing with raw organic heart & tripe.
> We are also currently doing tons of training with Salmon & liver treats. I feel he is getting enough protein. When the training slows down, I may decide to try Acana again. I'll just have to get past the extremely fishy smell  (Taste of the wild is not as fishy smelling).My pup is 15 weeks old.


OMG, you had me so worried I ran down to my kitchen to take a close look at the ingredient listing on the Acana Pacifica as well as the protein %.

I have no idea where you got the 60% protein information, but my bag clearly states 33% protein and 18% fat. Sorry I was off by 3% protein.

Please check your bag again, I am sure it says 33% protein not 60%.
I dont believe any kibble is at 60% protein, not even Orijen that is very high in protein... I believe they are at most 40% or a bit lower 

Let me know where you got your info. re: 60% protein in the Acana Pacifica ??

LOL I do agree with you about the fishy smell, I guess it is the lobster shells they are grinding into the food. I believe that there is lobster shell in Acana Pacifica and no doubt this is really what gives it the extra edge HEW !!!! you are right does not smell that great.

But.... you are also feeding Tripe and whether canned or raw (green) the smell is horrible and makes Acana Pacifica smell like Dior perfume by comparrison to raw Tripe and/or canned one


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## PoodlePowerBC

Again I was mistaken and changed it. Sorry, my bad. I read the 60% fish as 60% protein  
And the tripe I have is raw (Kinda yellow), it's frozen bits that I chop and add and I haven't noticed a smell. Maybe I'm just sensitve to fishy smells? My boys also get raw bones, gotta be some protein there, so till he's done training I'll stick with the TOW. Scared to change again ... tired of the loose stools 
Thanks


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## whitepoodles

PoodlePowerBC said:


> Again I was mistaken and changed it. Sorry, my bad. I read the 60% fish as 60% protein
> And the tripe I have is raw (Kinda yellow), it's frozen bits that I chop and add and I haven't noticed a smell. Maybe I'm just sensitve to fishy smells? My boys also get raw bones, gotta be some protein there, so till he's done training I'll stick with the TOW. Scared to change again ... tired of the loose stools
> Thanks


LOL dont worry, its midnight.
I wish I can get fresh or frozen green tripe. I dont know where I can get it but it will be great. For Tripe I purchase the cans Tripette which are made in BC and it is the next best thing to the fresh Tripe.. 
If you know anyone that can ship Tripe from your source all the way to Montreal, pls. let me know. Thanx.

P.S. I also give raw bones. Keeps them happy and their teeth in great condition. I never have to scale them.

Ofcourse you should stick to the food your dogs do well on. I will look into TOTW, Not every store here in Montreal carries it.. but it is always good to find out about alternate foods and how they work for other dogs. Thanks for the info.


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## georgiapeach

shellbeme said:


> I'm still kind of confused on why Acana would need a grain free line when they Orijen already? And do you think the Acana grain free (I believe it's lower protein) is more along the lines of what I'm looking for?


You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that the Acana's grain free version is a little lower in protein. This is why they have this version - for people like us who want grain-free, but we don't want such a high protein. 

I don't feed Acana, but instead feed Taste of the Wild. The reason is that TOTW is less expensive. I've heard great things about Acana!


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## whitepoodles

georgiapeach said:


> You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that the Acana's grain free version is a little lower in protein. This is why they have this version - for people like us who want grain-free, but we don't want such a high protein.
> 
> I don't feed Acana, but instead feed Taste of the Wild. The reason is that TOTW is less expensive. I've heard great things about Acana!


The Acana food is more expensive sold in the U.S. rather than in Cda. since it is a Can. made food. Same thing with Fromm and other U.S. made dog food brands.. They cost much less in the U.S. than in Cda. Duty, customs etc.. figure prominently in the U.S. dog food when it is shipped and sold on Canadian soil.

I guess Acana was very intelligent in marketing a food with a normal level not too high not too low protein level and also great product for the money. Most canadians I know are wide eye open to the prices that some well known U.S. foods fetch here in Candian stores and so Acana is a god sent to us folks who cant afford to pay $80.00 and up for U.S. made good quality pet foods.


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## whitepoodles

Shellbeme:

Origen is way too high in protein. 
When you have show dogs and coat to upkeep it is well known that foods very high in protein will fry the coat and may cause skeletal deformity in young puppies if fed a very high protein diet.
Most dogs cant assimilate such a high protein level unless they are a working dog, doing show circuit specialing or mushing or are dogs out in the north living an outdoor life where protein levels are mandatory in order to maintain them healthy.
Our poodles are not working dogs and if they are they are not as hard worked as some breeds or the nordic breeds who mush or live outdoors. They are basic home pets etc.

Too high a protein is well known to cause some deformities and growing pain in many large breed puppies. 

Acana was smart in devising a food that is not too high and not low in protein which is geared for the show dog and pet that has moderate activity level and also took into consideration that too much protein will actually not benefit the dog rather cause more harm especially in the large breed and non working dogs.

Given we have a breed that its coat is very important to thier show careers and basically having sensitive stomachs and are finiky eaters by nature, I feel that Acana and other medium protein level good dog foods came about.

I see more and more people leaving Orijen and moving on to lower protein level kibble because it does tend to make stools runny, as some dogs find it very hard to digest such a huge amount of protein.
Then again to each his own. Some swear by orijen, some dont. Whatever works best for your dog is what one should use.


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## bura4

Hi all, I was just thinking about changing kibble for Igor (we feed him fish4 dogs now - 26% protein, 11% fat) and since he is sooo skinny, I thought of getting a bag of Orijen to fatten him up, but having read this, I decided to try Acana instead... He is a skinny rat, at 2 years of age he weighs 20 kilos and even my vets say he should be fatter... Hope Acana does the trick


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## whitepoodles

bura4 said:


> Hi all, I was just thinking about changing kibble for Igor (we feed him fish4 dogs now - 26% protein, 11% fat) and since he is sooo skinny, I thought of getting a bag of Orijen to fatten him up, but having read this, I decided to try Acana instead... He is a skinny rat, at 2 years of age he weighs 20 kilos and even my vets say he should be fatter...* Hope Acana does the trick *




Bura4:
I can assure you from personal experiences with feeding Acana to fussy and at times skinny dogs that it will do the trick for you. 
I have raised puppies and show dogs on Acana and have but wonderful experiences with this food. If your dog is allergic to grain as my dog is, then Acana will do the trick as it has high protein and fat content but NOT as high as Orijen which I will never feed to a standard poodle, way too much protein and can cause skeletal (structural) problems if fed on this high protein food from puppyhood. My opinion is go with Acana if you have a dog that needs to put on weight. Another great food which is also fish based with some duck in it and grain free is the FROMM (four star) Surf & Turf, though more expensive than Acana.
My boy Cole has been on Acana since he was a puppy and is in excellent weight and muscle tone to date (5 yrs. old) and has hips OFA Excellent. 

There is also an excellent home made food (raw) which you can give to your dog called SATIN BALLS this in combination with Acana will surely put weight on them and fast. Google Satin Balls and it will give you the recipe. Alot of handler give it to their dogs to put weight on them during the show circuit.

Good luck.


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## CharismaticMillie

I could be wrong, but I believe only the grain-free varieties of Acana are available in the United States.

I feed a mixture of raw and Acana Pacifica to Tiger. He does well on the Acana. Millie ate Acana Pacifica before I switched her to prey model raw. She also did excellent on it.


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## whitepoodles

Chocolate millie/ Bura4:
You are not wrong, Acana (Pacifica grain free fish based) is made in Canada and also available in the U.S. although I am not sure that every store carries this brand in the U.S. you will have to get in contact with the Acana rep and ask them where it is available or just google on line .

Pet Food Warehouse chain stores do carry it and it can be purchased at their stores, I have no idea if the PFWH stores are in every state in the U.S. though.

I just could not believe when I got a lower quote $$ from the U.S. store by comparrison to the Can. store selling the Acana, since it is a Can. made food I was shocked to find out that in the U.S. they ask for it less than in Canada.. really bizare but true.

The raw I give to supplement some of my dogs if they are on the lower weight scale is Satin Balls, so the raw and kibble mixture is there but I never feed raw with kibble at the same time as the dog's system digests raw differently than it would digest kibble, so I give kibble during the day and raw at night.
Hope this helps.


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## bura4

Ok, thanks for replies, I will go for Acana Pacifica then. I live in Poland so the other brands you mentionned are not available here.


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## bura4

I got a small bag of Acana Pacifica at the show and also a tiny one of Acana Ranchlands and Pacifica is much more of a hit with Igor!! We will stick to it then!


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## whitepoodles

bura4 said:


> I got a small bag of Acana Pacifica at the show and also a tiny one of Acana Ranchlands and Pacifica is much more of a hit with Igor!! We will stick to it then!


Excellent choice !

Both of my dogs, Cole and Lola are Hips (OFA) Excellent and have been only on Acana Pacifica and home cooked food (at times) raw (only the Satin Balls for treats).

Acana Pacifica has 32% protein and is much safer to feed than the very high protein Orijen. Acana is also grain free so you are in good hands.

Good luck.


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## Bronson Bear

whitepoodles said:


> Shellbeme:
> 
> Origen is way too high in protein.
> When you have show dogs and coat to upkeep it is well known that foods very high in protein will fry the coat and may cause skeletal deformity in young puppies if fed a very high protein diet.
> Most dogs cant assimilate such a high protein level unless they are a working dog, doing show circuit specialing or mushing or are dogs out in the north living an outdoor life where protein levels are mandatory in order to maintain them healthy.
> Our poodles are not working dogs and if they are they are not as hard worked as some breeds or the nordic breeds who mush or live outdoors. They are basic home pets etc.
> 
> Too high a protein is well known to cause some deformities and growing pain in many large breed puppies.
> 
> Acana was smart in devising a food that is not too high and not low in protein which is geared for the show dog and pet that has moderate activity level and also took into consideration that too much protein will actually not benefit the dog rather cause more harm especially in the large breed and non working dogs.
> 
> Given we have a breed that its coat is very important to thier show careers and basically having sensitive stomachs and are finiky eaters by nature, I feel that Acana and other medium protein level good dog foods came about.
> 
> I see more and more people leaving Orijen and moving on to lower protein level kibble because it does tend to make stools runny, as some dogs find it very hard to digest such a huge amount of protein.
> Then again to each his own. Some swear by orijen, some dont. Whatever works best for your dog is what one should use.


that is very old, outdated information.
Its the high calcium that is the problems with puppies, not the protein percentage. 

I know plenty of people who feed high protein/raw to show dogs and their coats are great.

It really varies by individual dog.

Another thing people should look into if your dog has problems with grain free foods, is the potatoes. Some dogs dont do well digesting potatoes.


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## CharismaticMillie

Bronson Bear said:


> that is very old, outdated information.
> Its the high calcium that is the problems with puppies, not the protein percentage.
> 
> I know plenty of people who feed high protein/raw to show dogs and their coats are great.
> 
> It really varies by individual dog.
> 
> Another thing people should look into if your dog has problems with grain free foods, is the potatoes. Some dogs dont do well digesting potatoes.


This is what I was told by multiple vets as well. Calc./phos. ratio is far more important than protein in growing puppies. That being said, after feeding prey model raw and comparing the protein that I feed my dog in the most natural diet possible (which is ~20-25% and thus lower than, say Orijen), I am not entirely convinced that super high protein is always optimum.

And I definitely agree about potatoes. Not a species appropriate ingredient by any means.


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## bura4

I personally believe in the 'It varies by the dog' phrase. My boy does not do well on raw, vomits any kind of bone, is allergic to chicken and will not touch raw fish (I do not live in the USA and many prepared frozen foods are simply not available here or expensive enough to make it out of the question). I did try raw, I did try cooked, he was still having gunky ears and eyes. I did feel guilty then, of not doing things right, because i *believed* raw was the only correct kind of food to give to my pup. It wasn't. 
He did well on TOTW, and fish4dogs, but then the urine dilution problem appeared. Now he eats Acana Pacifica and the dilution problem dissapeared within just 5 days. Ears still lovely. We will see if he gains weight on Acana (already gained some on satin balls I make) but we will see how he does. I know that potatoes may not be the species appropriate food but hey, what is?? We also do eat lots of species inappropriate foods and still survive  I mean, we here in Europe do import fruit from Africa, were we made to eat them? I do not think so. Were we made to eat only meats/ vegetarian food/ anything ? We do not know, it depends on the theory you back... I did try many feeding styles, and what we have now suits us best. And I believe it is what you should do. Find what is best for that one unique individual you are feeding  And for now, Acana Pacifica seems to be the right choice for my Igor.


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## CharismaticMillie

bura4 said:


> I personally believe in the 'It varies by the dog' phrase. My boy does not do well on raw, vomits any kind of bone, is allergic to chicken and will not touch raw fish (I do not live in the USA and many prepared frozen foods are simply not available here or expensive enough to make it out of the question). I did try raw, I did try cooked, he was still having gunky ears and eyes. I did feel guilty then, of not doing things right, because i *believed* raw was the only correct kind of food to give to my pup. It wasn't.
> He did well on TOTW, and fish4dogs, but then the urine dilution problem appeared. Now he eats Acana Pacifica and the dilution problem dissapeared within just 5 days. Ears still lovely. We will see if he gains weight on Acana (already gained some on satin balls I make) but we will see how he does. I know that potatoes may not be the species appropriate food but hey, what is?? We also do eat lots of species inappropriate foods and still survive  I mean, we here in Europe do import fruit from Africa, were we made to eat them? I do not think so. Were we made to eat only meats/ vegetarian food/ anything ? We do not know, it depends on the theory you back... I did try many feeding styles, and what we have now suits us best. And I believe it is what you should do. Find what is best for that one unique individual you are feeding  And for now, Acana Pacifica seems to be the right choice for my Igor.


Acana Pacifica is a great food!  Tiger eats that + raw right now. It is one of the only kibbles I would ever feed. 

And raw WILL work for any dog, it's just tailoring it to suit the needs of that dog that can be challenging in some cases. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.  And that's okay.

FWI, Acana is closer in protein percentage to the most natural/ideal diet for a dog than the super high protein kibbles. Another reason why Acana is such a great kibble. Again, my above post was not to imply that Acana is bad AT ALL. Only to say that I believe its high quality and appropriate protein % is supported when comparing it to raw. It is compatible. And I also find it interesting that Orijen is often considered to be higher quality, when it's protein % is significantly higher than the most natural diet. And, YES, it has potatoes which IMO are species inappropriate, but is still superior in relation to other kibbles.


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## itzfoxfire58

Hi, I thought I would jump on the Band Wagon, I want to change Fallen Food, is currently on a 15lb bag of diamond large breed puppy lamb and rice. I've been talking to a few people at the pet store and they say Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild or Wilderness. I see that you all say Acana is a really good dog food, but how does the others rate against it. I've heard that Blue Buffalo is really good and gives there coat a good shine. I have to go tonight, as he just has enough food for a couple of days. Thanks


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## CharismaticMillie

itzfoxfire58 said:


> Hi, I thought I would jump on the Band Wagon, I want to change Fallen Food, is currently on a 15lb bag of diamond large breed puppy lamb and rice. I've been talking to a few people at the pet store and they say Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild or Wilderness. I see that you all say Acana is a really good dog food, but how does the others rate against it. I've heard that Blue Buffalo is really good and gives there coat a good shine. I have to go tonight, as he just has enough food for a couple of days. Thanks


All are good foods.

My _personal_ opinion is that Champion Petfoods makes kibbles (Acana and Orijen) that are superior to all others based on ingredients AND quality control.

I would personally place Acana in an entire realm above Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild or Wilderness.


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## itzfoxfire58

ChocolateMillie said:


> All are good foods.
> 
> My _personal_ opinion is that Champion Petfoods makes kibbles (Acana and Orijen) that are superior to all others based on ingredients AND quality control.
> 
> I would personally place Acana in an entire realm above Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild or Wilderness.


I've been hearing some good things being said about Acana, but I don't think the store were I buy his food as this brand (I have a $50.00 credit that I need to use), so if they don't which one do you think I should get.


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## Bronson Bear

ChocolateMillie said:


> All are good foods.
> 
> My _personal_ opinion is that Champion Petfoods makes kibbles (Acana and Orijen) that are superior to all others based on ingredients AND quality control.
> 
> I would personally place Acana in an entire realm above Blue Buffalo, Taste of the Wild or Wilderness.


I deff put Champion kibble at the top of my recommended list.
The big reason they are at my top, is they list exactly WHERE their meat comes from on their website and their high quality ingredients.
The other foods I recommend are dehydrated raw.

And a lot of those other pet foods use canola/flaxseed/other plant based oils.
I prefer fish oils.


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## CharismaticMillie

itzfoxfire58 said:


> I've been hearing some good things being said about Acana, but I don't think the store were I buy his food as this brand (I have a $50.00 credit that I need to use), so if they don't which one do you think I should get.


Not sure I don't have a lot of experience with kibble as I feed homemade raw to my other two poodles. I hear of a lot of people feeding both, though. I wish I could help more!


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## jasperspoo

I have fed Jasper Acana since he was a wee pup (we did try one bag of Orijen before I found out how high it was in protein.) He currently has the Pacifica, but has also had the Grasslands and Ranchlands versions. I appreciate the pricepoint vs. other 'good' kibble (I live in Canada and it's pretty cheap here), the locally sourced ingredients, it's highly rated on those kibble review websites and the fact that I can identify and pronounce most of the ingredients. I would love to feed him raw, but haven't made the jump yet (aside from RMBs once in a while- which he looooves!)

Anyhow, I'd heartily recommend Acana. My guy is happy and healthy and has thrived on this food.


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## itzfoxfire58

Okay, I purchased a small bag of taste of the wild salmon, they didn't have any blue buffalo, so I said what the heck, it for all stages of life and I didn't want get the lamb, because thats what he has now and doesn't eat it really good, until I can purchase a big bag of larger breed puppy. Well when I usually feed him he will only eat 2 cups and thats not all at once. Well I mixed about a half of cup with a cup and a half of his other food and he went crazy, but what he did do was left most of the other food in the dish (yes I did mix it up really good). He was sniffing all around the dish trying to see if he missed any. Then I tried an experiment, I took a few piecse out of the bag and used them as a treat he was gobbling them down, then I took some of the old food out and tried to give it to him, he just looked at me like "Do you think I'm stupid of something thats not the same thing" LOL So I guess the salmon is a fish and he was eating cat food before I got him, so I hope there is a puppy food out there for large breed that has fish in it. I'm just glad that he is eating better.:angel:


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## lauren&sophie

I'm switching my puppy from lifes abundance to acana Pacifica right now. Today was her first day and I put 1/3 new food with 2/3 her old food. She literally didn't eat any of the old food and gulped up the acana. She went to the bathroom about 10 min later and had very lose/runny stools. Is this normal? Should I slow down the progression or anything else I can do?

Thanks!


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## CharismaticMillie

lauren&sophie said:


> I'm switching my puppy from lifes abundance to acana Pacifica right now. Today was her first day and I put 1/3 new food with 2/3 her old food. She literally didn't eat any of the old food and gulped up the acana. She went to the bathroom about 10 min later and had very lose/runny stools. Is this normal? Should I slow down the progression or anything else I can do?
> 
> Thanks!


Well, kibble takes several hours to digest, so I am not sure what would have caused the diarrhea.


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## bura4

I did some testing and Igor is allergic to potatoes, do you think they may be a problem in Acana Pacifica?? Maybe someone knows how much potatoes are there?? Igor was off kibble for the past 4 weeks due to digestive problems related to antibiotics he was taking and his ears went bad. Any ideas??


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