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As pet parents, it may be tough to make the right choice about what type of food would be best for your furry friend. If you consider Acana and Orijen, you’ll be wondering which one will keep your pet healthy and delicious to eat. Acana and Orijen are two of the renowned premium pet food brands. Both brands are made by Champion Pet Foods LP. Though they claim their dog food recipes as biologically appropriate, there are also a few differences. So, when it comes to Acana vs Orijen, which one you should choose?
In case you also have concerns about the fact that your dog is always hungry somehow, read our article on how to help a dog who is always hungry next!
About the brands
Acana and Orijen are created and manufactured by Champion Pet Foods LP. It was founded in 1985 by Reinhard Muhlenfeld. Both brands have been doing the business for over 30 years. They work with regional farmers, fishermen, and ranchers.
Acana Dog Food
Acana is one of the pet food brands that make natural and premium pet food from fresh ingredients. Their dog and cat foods are created with a combination of fresh or raw animal ingredients and whole fruits and vegetables.
Acana premium pet food is nutritious, protein-rich, and delicious. Their food is ideal for dogs and cats of all ages. Puppies and kittens, adult dogs and cats, plus senior dogs and cats are included. They also offer a variety of flavors and diets packed with nutrients and protein.
Accordingly, the Acana website, was founded in the farmlands of Alberta, Canada. Since then, it has operated through generations and knowns for its quality. Now Acana crafts food in their world-class kitchen in Alberta, Edmonton, Auburn, and Kentucky.
Orijen Dog Food
Orijen makes premium dog and cat foods that are inspired by natural meals. They want to provide your pets the freshest and most nourishing ingredients. The brand only uses fresh or raw ingredients, such as free-run chickens, Yorkshire pork, and wild-caught fish from the region.
The brand has been operating for more than a quarter-century. Their food is protein-rich and nutrient-dense. The foods are biologically appropriate, which is ideal for dogs and cats of all ages. The name of Orijen is derived from the Latin term, ‘origin’. It means source or beginning.
They make pet food in a dynamic agricultural community in Kentucky. The ingredients are fresh or raw from the responsibly ranched, farmed, or fished they know and trust. All their fresh ingredients meet the AAFCO standard.
Before we dig deeper into both brands, here’s the comparison for Orijen vs Acana
| Description | Acana | Orijen |
|---|---|---|
| Protein source | Beef, bison, lamb, Yorkshire pork, chicken, turkeys, eggs, mackerel, herring, redfish, silver hake | Angus beef, bison, lamb, Yorkshire pork, mutton, Boer goat, Cobb chicken, Tom turkey, Muscovy duck, quail, eggs, monkfish, redfish, cod, flounder, herring, mackerel |
| Vitamin source | Vegetables, whole fruits, and botanicals | Fruits and vegetables, and botanicals |
| Formulas | Puppy, adult, seniors, all life stages, and special diets | Puppy, adult, seniors, all life stages, and special diets |
| Nutrient | 25 – 35% protein, 25-30% carbohydrates | 38-42% protein, max of 25% carbohydrates |
| Availability | Available in nearby pet stores and online | Available in nearby pet stores and online |
| Recall history | No recall in the past, FDA warning | One voluntary recall, FDA warning |
Ingredients
Both Acana and Orijen on their website claim that their use only fresh or raw ingredients.
Acana
Acana provides Biologically Appropriate™* pet food recipes with high-quality, fresh, and diverse animal protein. The recipes also include a nutritionally balanced fatty acid profile and essential minerals and vitamins. What’s more, Acana doesn’t include by-product meats, corn, wheat, or soy.
Acana products contain 50-75 percent quality meat and protein, which outweighs any of the average pet food. These ingredients in their food will keep your pet healthy and happy. Acana pet food contains fresh or raw ingredients.
They use refrigeration as the only method of preservation for fresh ingredients. Meanwhile, their raw ingredients are frozen at the peak of freshness to keep nutrients. Besides, Acana includes carbohydrates with healthy vegetables and fruits for additional health benefits.
Acana fresh and raw ingredients include:
- Ranch-raised meat (including beef, bison, and lamb) and Yorkshire pork raised in a barn
- Wild-caught or sustainably farmed fish, like herring, mackerel, redfish, and silver hake
- Free-run chickens and turkeys
- Cage-free eggs from hens that are raised in a barn
- Whole fruit and vegetables with many of them are low-glycemic
- Highest quality and nutritious botanicals
- Wholesome and healthy grains, like sorghum, whole oats, and millet as a natural source of fiber
Orijen
There are no big differences for Orijen ingredients compared to Acana. However, Orijen includes raw red meats that are fed natural diets and raised without any hormones. Besides, Orijen products contain a higher percentage of meat compared to Acana.
Orijen dog food includes 75 to 80 percent meat, fifty percent of which is fresh meat. Their product contains 2/3 of fresh or raw meat, poultry, fish, and egg. Also, the products have 1/3 of dried meat, poultry, and fish.
Orijen claims that their fresh ingredients are meet the AAFCO standard of refrigeration as the key method of preservation. Meanwhile, their raw ingredients are frozen. They also include fruits and vegetables as a source of vitamins. It’s the best formula to give your dog to make them feel full.
Orijen fresh and raw foods are:
- A large part of the ingredients is ranch-raised red meats. These include Angus beef, American bison, grass-fed lamb, Yorkshire pork, grass-fed mutton, and Boer goat.
- The cage-free poultry and eggs: Cobb chicken, Tom turkey, Muscovy duck, free-run quail, and nest-laid eggs.
- Fish that were caught in the wild: Atlantic mackerel, monkfish, and Acadian redfish. They also use Alaskan cod, Atlantic herring, yellowtail flounder, and blue catfish.
Formulas
When we compare Acana vs Orijen, both brands provide some dog formulas that suit all dogs, depending on your pet needs.
Acana
Most Acana products are for all life stages. You can give dogs of any age and size with their products. Also, Acana offers special formulas, including foods for your dog’s needs of his weight.
The life stage formulas are:
- Adult
- All life stages
- Puppy
- Seniors
The special diet products include:
- Grain-free
- Grain-inclusive
- Healthy weight
- Limited ingredient
- Small breed
Not only dog food, but Acana also makes yummy high protein freeze-dried treats. You can give treats as snacks for older dogs between mealtimes to boost their energy. The treats are also great as a useful tool when you’re training your dogs. But, when feeding snacks, use caution about how much you give. You don’t want to make your puppy gain some unwanted weight.
With a wide variety of formulas, you can choose many different kinds of formulas depending on what your dog consumes.
Orijen
Orijen provides pet foods with a high level of protein, which is great to feed your German Shepherd Puppy. All Orijen formulas are made of the highest quality recipes with nutritious ingredients. Also, they include wholesome, non-GMO ingredients, and grain-free. They use no-fillers, by-products, or artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Similar to Acana, you’ll find Orijen dog food in the life stage and a special diet. They have formulas for the kitten, adult, and senior. As for the special diet, there are grain-free and indoor/healthy weight formulas.
Nutrient
Both Acana and Orijen offer high amounts of protein. Protein percentage reflects the whole formula. Also, both brands include fat as part of their formulas from the same meat source. Fat is important to provide energy, so your pup keeps healthy.
Acana and Orijen contain about 38 percent fat. Orijen has higher omega fatty acid from their higher meat and fish variety. The omega fatty acid is good for your dog’s heart health, circulation, and skin condition. The good thing about their products, they don’t add artificial fats.
Acana
Acana pet food contains 25 to 35 percent protein, which ½ of the source comes from fresh or raw meats. Their products include 25 to 30 percent of carbohydrates.
Orijen
As we’ve mentioned before, Orijen includes 2/3 of fresh or raw meats as the source of protein. All Orijen pet food also contains several sources of proteins between 38 to 42 percent. Unlike any other dog food, Orijen has fewer carbohydrates. Their food contains a maximum of 25 percent carbohydrates.
Recall history
When weighing down Acana vs Orijen from the recall history, both brands have a quite good track record.
Acana
Acana has zero recalls for any of its products. But, there are some things worth mentioning about the FDA warning and active lawsuit. Along with other dog food brands, Acana has been listed in FDA as connected to multiple pets developing dilated cardiomyopathy, a severe heart condition.
But, there’s no proof that the brands are causing the diseases. Besides, the issue is mostly related to grain-free products, not the brand.
Orijen
Orijen voluntarily recalled their cat food in Australia due to legal issues back in 2008. Other than that, we couldn’t find any recalls for their dog foods. Same as their sister brand, Orijen was also listed in the FDA investigation into grain-free formulas. It’s linked to a severe heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy.
Similar Article: Acana vs Merrick
Conclusion
We would all want to give the very best food for our dog. Both Acana and Orijen make some of the best dog food, which earns a reputation as one of the best. The manufacturer, Champion Pet Foods, provides pet food with huge of animal-based protein as source nutrition. When it comes to Acana vs Orijen, the latest one contains more meat, higher protein, and fewer carbohydrates. If you can’t decide which one to get, then why don’t try one of each?
