German Shepherd dog

My GSD pup was on Orijen from 16 weeks till a year old never a problem aways healthy.  But I also fed him raw and supplemented with Canine Complete.     This is the first I have heard of any pup with a problem on Orijen.

My Beckett was raised on Orijen, and my pups are on it as well, we haven't had any problems, in fact, some of Beckett's problems,(panno, a touch of demodex), resolved on the Orijen. I think, as KCzaja said, those Shiloh pups were probably going to have those problems anyway, folks,(esp. vets), are quick to blame the feed. And each pup is an individual, what works for one might not for another. jackie harris

Dear cornerboy,
I have been feeding Orijen for the last 2 years. Here are my findings:

1) Orijen large breed puppy is not 100% safe to use in puppies due the the high amount of protein it includes. In most of the cases we faced very fast development and skeletal growth which is not good for gsd pups. In some of the cases we had skeletal & bone issues (limping). In a couple of them the problem was not revesible and we had to go into surgery. In most of the the issues resolved with anti-inflammatory drugs and a switch to Acana large breed puppy. We now feed our puppies from 1 1/2 months onwards as follows: 1 sack Orijen (13,5 kg) followed by 2 sacks of Acana (2x15kg). We have not faced any problems ever since. Conclusively, Orijen Large Breed Puppy may cause problems in puppies with a genetic predisposition to grow big so, it should be administered with care and mixed with another kibble of lower protein.

2) Regarding Orijen Adult have no fear. All of our dogs thrive on it. Never any problems. It is the best dog food in our breeding experience after having gone through major brands (Purina ProPlan, Hill's, Techni-Cal, Eukanuba, Royal Canin).

3) Please note that the other dry kibble that Champion Pet Foods (the manufacturer of Orijen) is producing, namely ACANA is going to upgrade by producing completely grain-free dry kibble but with lower protein. It is worth trying as soon as in comes in the market.

Best of Luck.