****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I spent numerous full work weeks researching holistic diets for my 2 fur babies whom passed from cancer in Dec ' 24 and then in Jan. '25 (ages 8yrs & 15 yrs). I experienced caretaker burnout. I spent HOURS grocery shopping for key ingredients to cook / pre-prep meals for them to try everything within my power to save them. I joined a holistic group for dogs fighting MCT cancer on facebook and followed the protocols / diet regimes. I gave absolutely everything I had trying to keep them fed on an organic and full balanced home cooked diet with hand ground meats, vegetables, vitamins, fish oils, liver, hearts, hand slicing organs that would make you cringe...you name it - if i couldn't find it i would order it because I would have done anything for my fur babies to keep them healthy and well fed. After all my failed attempts, 3 months of fighting this battle, Cancer was no match. I, nor any doctor could fight this deadly disease. I blamed myself, maybe thought it could've been prevented if I would have done things differently. Maybe it was the food I had let them consume, the tap water i let them drink, maybe I should've started researching health needs long before it was too late. Not like i fed them Ol'Roy or WalMart crap food, they did get what I thought was high quality food for the majority of their lives. I kept them vetted, doted on them like they were my children well... because they were.After the heartbreak of losing them both to cancer, going thru the motions of the healing process, I decided it may be time to adopt again. My life had been in sheer disarray, empty, and knowing that a home just isn't a home without a dog. I knew this time I would NOT be feeding anything like science diet / royal canin / other top name brands found on store shelves. Not saying these foods are horrible but they truly aren't the greatest out there. I also knew I could not afford Dr. Harvey's, Paradigm, Farmers Dog, Ollie, or expensive brands often shown on videos and ads either.Thinking about adopting again wasn't easy, until Lille stole my heart a couple weeks ago. She is a 7 year old Cairn terrier mix breed full of life and love! And even though I can't help what she may or may not have been fed these past 7 years - I am going to feed her the healthiest dog food I can possibly find for our remaining years together.That's when I had discovered Orijen! They even had mentioned the benefits of this dog food on the holistic groups for dogs I had joined! I got to reading, digging, asking the thousands of followers in the holistic group, dissecting every ingredient listed on the bag. I wanted to know where it was made, how it was made, if there was any suspicious ingredients that would give me the slightest inclination that it could lead to health problems. I am not a vet, or a dog nutritionist, but I CAN say that i researched every single ingredient in this bag of food and every single one of them checks out. Even the grains they use! Everyone has a different view on grains - grain free but Grains are an essential part of a dogs diet for energy! You just have to know which ones are healthy! I also learned that Orijen DOES NOT use high heat cooking methods, which I had learned during the decline of my previous dogs that HIGH HEAT cooking can actually lead to release of toxins in kibble / dog food / even human food that is cooked at extreme temperatures. High Heat cooking, according to some research, causes cancer! Orijen dog food uses a gentle extrusion process with steam injection, cooking ingredients at temperatures between 195-240 degrees Fahrenheit (SAFE), which is high enough to remove pathogens but low enough to maintain nutritional integrity. I was amazed! This was below the high heat carcinogen causing limit! Little known fact here - High heat cooking in other dog foods = Formation of Harmful Compounds: High heat can create compounds like acrylamide and heterocyclic amines, which are known carcinogens.WHERE WAS THIS DOGFOOD 15 YEARS AGO?! I was just blown away at how great all of this sounded. Then I researched where it was made, and here's the kicker... Orijen dog food, a brand of Champion Petfoods, is manufactured in both Alberta, Canada and Kentucky, USA!!! Pinch me this can't be real! ♪♫Oh Canadaaa♪♫I placed my order 3 days prior to adoption. Finally, the day came where I got to meet Lillie and bring her home. I was anxious about feeding time. (You have to keep in mind that my past experience 3 months of trying to get my hospice pets to eat before they passed would literally bring me to tears.) I was so nervous, praying my newly adopted Lillie would like the new food.GUESS WHAT?! Lillie Approved her new Orijen Kibble!!! Now i was crying happy tears! (Y'all probably think I'm crazy if you've read my review this far) But seriously... I can now safely say that I am 110% confident I am feeding my dog the cleanest safest diet that is within my budget that is on the market now. I can go to sleep knowing that I won't have to worry about her health and if the food I am feeding her will lead to health issues. If you are thinking of making the switch or just starting out with a new pup, start them off right. Go with Orijen!
