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  1. #1
    Puppy
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    Thoughts Anyone Regarding our 2 Senior Dogs and Orijen Senior, etc...?

    I know there is no true answer to this but curious on anyone's thoughts on my little story here or if anyone has gone down a similar path.

    We have a 12 year old lab Bella who we switched from Orijen Regionals a couple of years ago to Orijen Senior. Prior to Orijen, we were feeding Acana. I will say since moving to Orijen Senior, she has perked up and we really noticed a difference for the better. We also just adopted a 9 year old lab Harlee a week ago who was dumped by her owners.

    For both dogs, we've been adding glucosamine and fish oil to their diets to improve their mobility a little and their coats. It's too soon to notice a change in Harlee but Bella has seemed a little better with these additions over the last 2-3 months. As Orijen Senior has some of these ingredients already and is on the upper side of the cost spectrum, I'm starting to wonder if we should switch to something different. We kind of don't know if adding these supplements are part of the course for senior dogs and shouldn't be surprised that the amounts within the food don't seem to be sufficient? We have also noticed that since manufacturing of Orijen has switched to the states from Canada, we occasionally get a bag where the kibble is of a different color and shape which is a little concerning from a quality control standpoint.

    Thanks for any advice or opinions!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    I've always fed my seniors the same food they were getting all along, just less of it as appropriate. I've also always given all my dogs (even the young) ones the same (or similar) supplements as you are.

    I've never fed Orijen, so can't comment on that specifically, but I generally am not a fan of "senior" foods.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  3. #3
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    I give the same supplements. If you try to figure out how much of those supplements they actually get in their food, it just isn't much at all, assuming your dogs aren't each eating a kg of food per day. I think many dog food companies say they have glucosamine/chondroitin etc because the companies have figured out it's a good marketing ploy. I just stick with the same foods they've had all along also when they get to be seniors. If your dogs are doing well on the food they're getting, there's no particular reason to switch unless the cost is a concern.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I agree with the above and so do Oban's breeder and his Vet. The amount of supplement in the food (not the same food but probably your consideration isn't much different) is quite a bit less than my Vet suggested for Jet.

    Poor Harlee, 9 years old and dumped. Good for you for taking her. Poor girl must be a bit bewildered. What food was she on before? Sometimes fast switching doesn't work.
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    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
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  5. #5
    Real Retriever EmmaJo11's Avatar
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    I would definitely supplement and if you would prefer not to spend so much on food plus supplements then it wouldn’t hurt to see how they do on a lower cost food. I really like Victor. My 14 year old mutt is right now eating a senior formula but only because I got two 6 pound bags for free. Otherwise she was eating Victor hi-pro which is a 30/20 with like 450 kcal.
    "The dog was created specially for children, he is the God of frolic"
    -Henry Ward Beecher
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  6. #6
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I don't know the ingredients of that food, but I am sure you can buy a cheaper one and add supplements. Mind you, supplements aren't cheap either.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  7. #7
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    I home senior labs and the minute they cross over the threshold, supplements are part of their life. I give Cosequin, Grizzley wild salmon oil and 1000 mg of vitamin C per day (the vit C in two doses, morning and evening, human grade chewables).

    I do not feed senior food. Fromm has been my choice for quite a few years now, usually white fish in the winter (has a few less calories) with less exercise, and duck or pork in the summer. Amount is adjusted according to weight. To keep them satisfied, I'll add frozen green beans (or canned if you prefer-no salt) and safe veggies and fruit for snacks.

    Thank you so much for taking in Harlee. She deserves a loving, warm home.
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  8. #8
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    Thanks. We're not sure which food she was on before being surrendered but she was in a foster home for the past 4 months and on 4Health although we're not sure which type. The foster gave us enough food to switch her over slowly which was nice. We typically take about 2 weeks to switch over to a new food depending on how much of the old we have. Harlee is now getting about 3/4 of Orijen Senior and liking it.

  9. #9
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    Just wanted to thank everyone for their replies. Sounds like we are on the right track about supplements and part of the course. We will look at some other foods for sure that aren't senior specific in the near'ish future. Cost isn't a huge concern but there seems to be plenty of other great foods out there. Harlee has settled in really quickly and is comfortable in her new home with our other dog Bella. There are plenty of dog beds in the house and lots of treats! Can't believe someone gave up this sweet girl!

    -img_1219-jpg

  10. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to tcoe For This Useful Post:

    Annette47 (01-08-2018), smartrock (01-07-2018), Sue-Ram (01-08-2018)

  11. #10
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Our seniors eat the same food they always have. I just add joint supplements as needed.

 



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