FAQ's

Orijen/Acana FAQs:

Q. How do i transition my pet to ORIJEN foods?

Unfortunately, dogs and cats are often fed the same food for a long period of time, which means a sudden food change makes it difficult for their digestive systems to adapt. That’s why it’s important to introduce new food gradually. Going slowly will give your dog or cat time to adjust to their new food and will also reduce the chances of digestive upset.

Start by mixing 25 percent new food with 75 percent old food. Slowly increase the new food proportionately over 10-14 days until you are feeding 100 percent new food. 

Q. Are ORIJEN foods supplemented with amino acids, vitamins, or minerals?

ORIJEN foods feature WholePrey amounts of fresh muscle meat, organs, and bone to reflect the ancestral diets and eliminate the need for long lists of synthetic ingredients. Organ meats are a concentrated, natural sources of virtually every nutrient your dog or cat needs to thrive, including all essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and vital amino acids. Organ meats such as kidney, liver, and tripe are loaded with minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, and iodine, and provide important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which nourish dogs and cats as nature intended. This is why you will find a majority of our amino acids, or minerals, on the guaranteed analysis or typical analysis but not on the ingredient list.

Q. What is AAFCO?

AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Our ORIJEN diets are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for cats and dogs. This ensures that our foods provide complete and balanced nutrition.

Q. Are ORIJEN foods appropriate for my overweight pet?

Yes. ORIJEN has a Biologically Appropriate distribution of energy where more energy is supplied from protein and less energy is supplied from carbohydrates. If carbohydrates are provided in excess (as they often are), they convert easily into body fat.

Protein supplies the same amount of energy as carbohydrates but has a very different effect on the body. Unlike carbohydrates, protein is essential for life and is a Biologically Appropriate source of energy.

For overweight pets we would recommend trying our ORIJEN Fit & Trim recipes for cats or dogs.

Q. Is ORIJEN suitable for my senior dog?

Yes. While lower-protein diets have traditionally been recommended for senior dogs, this thinking has been roundly dismissed by recent science. As dogs age, a protein-rich diet is especially important for maintaining peak health.

The relationship between carbohydrates and protein is an important factor in the diets of senior dogs. When protein is high, carbohydrates are low – in other words, high-protein diets are by nature low in carbohydrates. This is great for senior dogs as the last thing they need is an excessive amount of inappropriate carbohydrates, which are simply sugars.

Q. WHERE CAN I FIND CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT IN THE GUARANTEED ANALYSIS?

Due to Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) labeling conventions, carbohydrate content is not reported on the guaranteed analysis.

You can usually determine the carbohydrate content of dry foods by adding the protein, fat, moisture, fiber, and ash from the Guaranteed Analysis, and then subtracting this sum from a total of 100%. This gives you an approximate idea of the total amount of carbohydrates present in the food.

Carb = 100 – (protein + fat + moisture + fiber + ash)

Carnivores, like dogs and cats, have no nutritional need for carbohydrates. We focus on producing Biologically Appropriate diets and minimizing the percentage of carbohydrates found in our diets. Our ORIJEN diets feature a carbohydrate content that is 20% or less.