ORIJEN DOG FOOD

57 Responses to “ORIJEN DOG FOOD”

1. andrew says:

   January 22, 2012 at 10:26 am

   let me say first im not a spokes person for orijen so lets make this clear i have 2 american pitbull they are show dogs and my boy is 3 and my girl is 4 ive fed my dogs orijen since the day they came into to this world they have eatin orijen from day one minus there mothers milk i get nothing but compliments about there coat and there weight and appearance my vet tells me he has never seen 2 pitbulls this beautiful talking about there coat and body structure and i point this to the top food i feed them ive never had one problem minus getting the store to stock it yes its alittle pricey but well worth it i dont question anyones issues with them but as for me its a top kibble and it shows in my dogs i would not feed them anything else at this point never unless there was a recall so in my option its a top rated kibble.

   Reply
2. Maureen says:

   January 4, 2012 at 9:22 am

   It all started about 3 months ago. After numerous trips back & forth to the vet w/ BOTH dogs, a lot of different tests,3 months of trying to pick up diarrhea in the yard & closed to $500.00 later… we realized that its the Origens I had to blame!!!! As soon as I took the dogs off of it… withing 1 1/2 days the diarrhea was gone!! Then I decided to do a little research & found so many other similar stories. And how the Origens recipe changed. Some people claim that the dogs can’t “handle” the 80% protein (old recipe was 70%), I on the other hand think that is a bunch of crap (no pun intended)!! My dogs used to be on a raw diet which was 80% protein. Unfortunately I can’t afford to feed them raw anymore. So I was wondering if anyone has bothered to see if Origens is willing to reimburse any vet bills?? I am still going to try. This infuriates me….. hmmmm Class action lawsuit??? Your thoughts anyone… Thanks!

   Reply
3. Sammiemom says:

   December 30, 2011 at 9:39 am

   Okay people – DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! There are plenty of reliable sites with credible studies about many of the things mentioned. Here are a few FACTS: Dogs need a very good protein source at all ages. More so as they get older as they are not able to metabolize protein as well as they did when they were younger. They also loose muscle mass as they age and one of the main components of muscle is protein. Are there exceptions? Sure. If your dog/breed has or is prone to have pancreatitis, kidney problems, etc. then you do have to look into the best protein/fat ratios but good quality protein is still key. Yes, some dogs can’t tolerate high protein or fat contents due to a health condition or sensitive GI system and will have diarrhea or gas. If they continue with time and adding things like pure pumpkin then maybe you need to look into a special diet. Does the new Orijen formula give dogs more gas – yes, I have found that with my dogs but live with it. A fact is that dog foods kept in packaging containing a plastic liner with time will have chemicals leech into the food. Only a few super premium foods have a foil liner and Orijen does. Unless something changed I had spoken to someone at Champion Foods and they said they pay fisherman extra not to treat the fish they get (as I believe they get the fish fresh, not processed into meal) with Ethoxquin.
   US regulations state that any fish meal sold in the US must be preserved with it. One last point – Most Veterinarians get one semester in school devoted to nutrition. Most of their information is from dog food companies that give them big mark-ups on food. No one food is perfect for all dogs, but by knowing your dog’s needs and DOING YOUR OWN RESEARCH into what is fact & fiction will let you decide what is best for your dog. I have fed Orijen to my dogs (hobby breeder of Samoyeds) from weaning to 14+ years since it was available in my part of the USA and have bloodwork done every 6 months on my old kids. Yes, kidney & liver values go up slighly but that is because they are processing high levels of protein & fat which doesn’t mean these organs are being damaged. Other values will tell you if they can no longer tolerate high protein/fat foods. My only problem with Orijen is that it is so nutritionally dense that I can only give my 50 – 60 lb. dogs 1/2 cup twice a day to keep them from getting fat. I “fill them up” with raw vegetables, especially carrots, pure pumpkin and apple slices.

   Reply
4. Jo says:

   November 7, 2011 at 5:28 am

   I have a 14 month old chihuahua pomeranian mix, we started him out on the 75% but switched him to the 80% a couple weeks ago, slowly introducing it with the 75%. His stools have became looser and there’s an increase in his gas production, but his coat and skin are phenomenal. I’ve been looking into Ziwipeak and wondering what the benefits would be of switching him over or incorporating it into his daily feedings?

   Reply
5. seektherapyNow says:

   October 10, 2011 at 1:24 am

   I purposely looked into “the best dog food” for my dog. After trying to make my 10 year old Maltese’s food myself, which he hated. Orijen seemed like the best choice at the time, but now I am concerned. After reading other people’s comments here and finding the website, even though its old news, who’s to say it’s not still made this way http://wherearethepetfoodchampions.com/web/Orijen_Recall.html
   I already know the FDA, USDA and other government’s organizations, governing dog or cat food really don’t care about animals. If they did, they would put stricter regulations on human food and prevent cruelty on feeding lots. This makes me sick! I am willing to pay for high quality food to prevent my dog from getting sick. What do I do now?

   Reply
6. Lori says:

   October 4, 2011 at 9:53 pm

   My golden was on Orijen for almost 2 years and then got a pancreatitis attack. My vet said I was crazy to give her such high protein and fat. Now she has to be on a very low fat food, probably for the rest of her life.

   Reply
7. Jim says:

   September 29, 2011 at 11:37 am

   Well just wondering? Realizing that some pups may have problems with any food. First of all the Orijen Puppy is not 80% protein, it’s 80% meat, the old was 75% meat not protein. Maybe about 38% protein. I don’t see anything about sodium selenite on the the 80/20 formula? It does in fact have selenium yeast? Chelation of minerals is not always a good thing, depending on the minerals, and often is just a waste of money. It merely helps the minerals hang on to other things supposedly for better processing, again often not needed. Just saying, comments?

   Reply
8. Pacific Sun says:

   September 27, 2011 at 10:23 am

   I have to agree about Orijen. I used to feed the 70/30% all fish formula. For 10 years to one of my dogs. And also to a 1 yr old. My dogs thrived! But when they changed to 80/20 my younger dog got VERY loose stools. It just didn’t make any sense. Orijen had to have changed that ratio for a reason, and it’s a reason affecting the digestability which they just won’t admit. After reading everyone’s experiences, I think changing to the 80/20 ratio is a “cover” for changing the foundation of the formula. After reading about the Australia experiences too, eventho it has to do with cats, was scary. To think a company has that little oversight concerning a very serious consequence to irradiating food, is criminal. I will look to Wellness now and in the meantime am temporarily on Natural Balance single ingredient.

   Reply
9. Helen says:

   August 28, 2011 at 4:26 am

   Hi everyone, there is a terrific brand out there called Holistic Blend made in Canada. It is grain free and very reasonably priced. 48.99 for a 25-30 lb bag. Check out their website. No problems to speak of from our end.

   Reply
10. Yorkie Owner says:

    July 31, 2011 at 9:02 am

    There’s so many posts here about dogs getting diarrhea and “loose stool” after eating orijen, I’m assuming you all slowly changed their diets and not suddenly switched it? Because if you do it all at once it is normal for their stomachs to get so upset… I don’t know the brand and was considering trying it but it looks like it would be best for my yorkie to keep her present food since it’s caused absolutely no trouble whatsoever, I just thought maybe orijen had better nutritional value

    Reply
    • Sandra says:

      December 16, 2011 at 10:04 am

      As I mentioned in another post myself and many fellow Yorkie owners have our babes on Orijen, healthy happy dogs

      Reply
11. Jessica says:

    June 7, 2011 at 12:40 pm

    i have an 8 week old blue heeler lab cross. my vet told me i should change his dog food to Eukonuba Science diet or Royal canin… after reading reviews i was considering Taste of the wild Innova or Orijen as well. but with all of them there are about as many negative reviews as good reviews. i was just wonder what brand is best for my little friend.

    Reply
    • Mel says:

      September 12, 2011 at 1:42 am

      Hey Jessica,
      Hate to tell you, but vets get paid extra to promote Eukonuba and Science diet.

      I have a year old husky who is on Orijen. We had her on Royal as a pup – but in the end she wasn’t eating, and have tried her on Eukonuba but the same outcome. In the end our trainer told us Orijen, due to the meat content, and comparison to other brands it is by far the best!

      All you need to mention is Dinner and our husky is straight to her bed waiting for her meal. She can’t get enough of Orijen, and so far *touch wood* we have never had any problems. Our kitten is also on Orijen Kitten formula, and he loves it 2!

      Reply
12. Barb says:

    April 14, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Just took my 4 month old Yorkiepoo to the vet and $175.00 later, he told me to take my pooch off the Orijen immediately. Way too high in protien for such a small breed. He developed very loose stool with foul odor and blood in his stool after eating this brand of puppy food. Vet said this brand is for HIGH working dog breeds and not my quiet little Yorkiepoo. Who would have known as I did thorough research prior to giving it to him and thought it was one of the best out there.

    Reply
    • Lizzie says:

      June 11, 2011 at 6:42 pm

      So what are you going to feed him now? I would also love to switch my cavachon puppy from Orijen to something else.

      Reply
    • Sandra says:

      December 16, 2011 at 10:01 am

      My dog is on Orijen Red, no issues, no comments from the vet.
      I’ve read articles by vets that state protein content has nothing to do with dog size. The dogs system is built to process it naturally.
      I feed my dog raw beef and lamb also and he is a healthy happy 6 pound Yorkie.

      Several friends with Yorkies have switched to Orijen and are all very happy and dogs are healthy, we all noticed a huge reduction in tearing and eye snot too.

      Reply
13. Diane says:

    April 4, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    Warning: Do not feed Origin or Acana.
    I have been feeding my dogs Origin and they really liked it, but they changed the formular and now my dogs have very loose stools, my friends dogs got sick after eating it and the next two days would not touch it. She gave them a different food and they ate it up. Dogs know if the food made them sick. A lady in Colorado was feeding her dog Acana and her dog also go sick, his liver was affected his liver and he died. She is having an autopsy done to find out if it was the food.
    So we have switched to Nature’s Logic. My dogs love it. the ingredients are great and they do not use synthetic vitamins. most synthetic vitamins come from China. All the vitamins in Nature’s Logic are natural. It’s a great food.

    Reply
14. Shirley says:

    March 21, 2011 at 4:59 am

    i fed my dog origen since last month. eversince he started eating origen, i noticed that he had stomach problems – stomach bloated, lost of appetite and looks sick, and vomitted. these problems did not occur when he ate his previous dog food. i changed to origen as i heard many people claiming it is one of the best dog food..but i dont tink so. right now, my dog is back to his original dog food and no more origen.

    Reply
15. Suzannah says:

    March 16, 2011 at 5:40 am

    I have an 8 month old flatcoated retriever and he has been fed Fish4Puppies by Fish4Dogs since he first went onto solid food. I was thinking of changing his diet since he eats so many sticks and now plaster off the walls and horse poo!!! My dog trainer suggested maybe something is lacking in his current diet. I had actually changed him once when he was younger (to Burns) as the vet’s assistant thought the high protein of fish4dogs might make him hyper. But Burns gave him terrible gas and constipation. I think the ‘being hyper’ is just being a flat-coat! Reading reviews for lots of other brands, I now find myself wondering why I’m even thinking of changing off Fish4Dogs. He has the most amazing glossy coat, no diaorrhea, no gas, no constipation, no skin problems….Loves the food (though he would eat ANYTHING). It’s certainly a brand worth looking into – though I confess I don’t know all the minutiae about the exact make up of the food etc except that it claims to be 70% fish. I’m UK based so I also don’t know if you get it in the States ….Just a thought to add to the conversation!

    Reply
16. Helene says:

    March 14, 2011 at 9:31 am

    I’m happy that you find the customer service great because I’ve tried to have customer service contact me and I have not heard anything from them. Just 2 automated message with numbers that promises an answer within 3 to 5 business days. Well it has been months.

    I have a 10 month old female springer spaniel and decided to use Orijen 6 fish, and now using red meat formula. After 3 months of use her coat is still dry. I’m not sure if Orijen is the best on the market, the price is high, so if anyone can offer a suggestion is would be great. Your springer is a field dog and get 1:30 of exercise a day.

    Reply
17. JTT40206 says:

    March 9, 2011 at 11:57 am

    After reading the comments I have decided that a few could have been taken directly from posts about Canidae and other Mfg’s. I have never used anything but Orijen with my pets. Never, and I will repeat, never have I experienced any of the above complication’s described by the other posters. I find that the Orijen products are well documented, taste great (yes, i’ve tried) and if anything is unclear, guess what, Customer Service is fantastic. I was even offered a tour of the facility – should I find my way to Canada on holiday. Sadly, some pet are just recipients of bad genetic code. And we can all pat ourselves on the back for attempting to “improve” nature and diet. Obviously, Orijen dispute’s the claims, I’ve asked. What I do find interesting is that should this prove true, it was NOT Canadian products that failed to meet quality controls, rather the good old USA. Stay tuned.

    Reply
18. Jacque says:

    March 7, 2011 at 9:47 am

    I have not used Orijen, but I was considering it until now. I used to use Taste of the Wild, but moved where I couldn’t find it for a while. We moved closer to a Tractor Supply and will be switching back.

    Reply
19. nan says:

    March 6, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    My dogs were on 75% Orijen and they were all doing so well, even their skin problem cleared up. They seemed to be doing everything right, no sodium selenite, no BHT, no fish meal preserved with ethoxyquin etc. But now they came out with 80% and my dogs have had diarrhea non stop. They all got so sick on it. I hate to change foods because in my opinion this was one of about 6 healthy dog foods out their. But now I saw sodium selenite on their new bags but when I got on their site it shows the more organic heathier selenium yeast. Maybe they put that in their new formula but changed to the more expensive healthier selenium. It’s a shame I have to change foods but my dog can’t tolerate this new formula. I also tried mixing the old with the new and still the problem exists. BTW, wasn’t Taste of the Wild recalled? See this link http://itchmoforums.com/news-recall-related/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-recall-t8960.0.html I won’t use it anyway because they use sodium selenite and when I asked if they use ethoxyquin they said no BUT they can’t confirm if they suppliers do or not.

    Reply
20. Beth says:

    March 6, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    I fed my dog Blue Wilderness and he had loose stools and stomach issues. Switched to Royal Canin and now itchy skin and consitpation. HELP…..was going to switch to Orijen, but after receiving these reviews I don’t know what to do……………

    Reply
21. Nan says:

    February 28, 2011 at 5:44 am

    Wow thank you guys so much for all the help you are providing to us. After reading all your comments on Orijen I am wondering if that is why my dogs now have bad diarrhea after eating Orijen. I thought maybe I was getting the new food with 80% animal ingredients instead of the 75%. It use to be an award winning food in 2009 and 2010. And my dogs were doing so good on it, their skin problems cleared up. What happened? Really I just thought I was picking up the newer food with too much protein. I liked the fact that it was made in Canada where they don’t put all the nasty ingredients in their food like the US still does. I guess the search is on again for a good organic or holistic dog food with no sodium selenite, BHT, Ethoxquin. My dogs don’t like Party Animal, dogswell nutrisca, presise holistc or brothers dry which is made in the USA. I will keep trying these types of healthy foods to see what my dogs will eat.

    Reply
22. Nan says:

    February 28, 2011 at 5:14 am

    Hi Yvonne: Royal Canin, in my opinion, is one of the worst foods out there. If Orijen keeps their ingredients the same on the 75% dog food with chelated minerals and selenium you couldn’t get any better with that food. It was sad to see that the new Orijen food is getting worse with their ingredients. Just look for a food that doesn’t have ethoxyquin, BHT, sodium selenite etc. A lot of dog food companies are listening to the cries of pet owners and going with more organic ingredients and grain free foods. Look for ingredients like selenium yeast, chelated minerals, grain free, no BHT, no Ethoxyquinn etc.

    Reply
23. Nan says:

    February 28, 2011 at 5:05 am

    Be aware with the new Orijen 80% dog food. I feed my dog 75% puppy but when I went to the store the girl gave me the new bag of 80%. When I got home I was upset to see they now have sodium selenite and it doesn’t say that their minerals are chelated anymore.
    Instead of getting better with their food they are taking a step backwards in my opinion. I don’t know what made me look at the new 80% vs the 75% ingredients but I am glad I did. I’m returning that bag today. The whole reason I feed my dogs that was because I refuse to feed my dog any food with sodium selenite, ethoxyquin, BHT etc. If they changed all their food ingredients I will go to another brand that has the more healthier selenium yeast like Party Animal, dogwell nurisca etc.

    Reply
24. Yvonne waldron says:

    February 25, 2011 at 1:38 am

    I have a year old boxer and was thinking of starting him on origin but after reading about the response to the people whose pets their food damaged I will skip it .He is on royal canin and is doing ok but I feel there may be better foods out ther.

    Reply
25. TeenyTiny says:

    February 24, 2011 at 6:54 pm

    Hi

    Unfortunately ALL three of my dogs (age 5, 2.5 and 4 months) had a bad reaction to their skin, coat, ears and one had diarrhoea for a considerable length of time. All reactions were not a problem prior to eating the Orijen product. We even tried a second flavour (the fish) and it was even worse.

    I wonder if the protein content is just too high for allergy prone dogs?

    I am changing today to taste of the wild and see how that goes, fingers crossed.

    Reply
26. Cristina says:

    January 14, 2011 at 10:22 am

    I have a 3 year old black lab that suffered from the most strange allergies, we tried every single food on the market, from pro-plan, science diet and royal canin to the most unknown brand. We tried all life stages, formulas, even those that claimed o be hypoallergenic. She couldn’t stand any brand for more than 4 months without developing another allergy. The weirdest thing is that she’s not really allergic to any type of food, she eats almost everything from mexican tortillas to raw clams and meat. So we started to think this was all about conservatives and other chemicals many pet food manufacturers use. After trying a lot we bumped into Orijen. She’s been on it for 10 months and we couldn’t be any more happy. No allergies, her coat is just amazing, no teeth or digestive issues, she’s really really healthy since we switched to Orijen.

    Now we’re also trying it in my sister’s German Shepherd that has the most awful digestive issues… He’s been on it only for a month but still we’ve notice an improvement in his health .

    Reply
    • Diane says:

      February 20, 2011 at 8:59 am

      Just wondering which type you feed your Lab?

      Reply
27. Chris says:

    November 29, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    I have a 3.5 y/o female newfoundland. She has been on Orijen 6 Wild Fish her whole life and her coat is thick and beautiful. She is very healthy and has never had stomach issues. I highly recommend this food – and she loves it. It is pricier than most brands but I think the great ingredients are worth it. After the melamine scare I went looking for the best food I could find and this one had the best ingredients. The jury seems to be out on the higher protein content but she is much more robust than her siblings who are not fed this food.

    Reply
28. Hollydancer says:

    November 13, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    I have had my wolf puppy on Orijen for three months of the four months we have had him. He is magnificent and developing so beautifully. I have always provided what I feel is the best for my dogs but will consider switching to Taste of The Wild. I am not interested in investing in a product that could do him harm. Thanks very much for the insight. I will inform my friends who own dobermans who also have been using Origen in the past year,

    Reply
    • JTT40206 says:

      March 9, 2011 at 12:01 pm

      Taste of the Wild has recalls. Follow the posts and you will find similar stories.

      Reply
29. JEFF says:

    November 12, 2010 at 12:52 pm

    i have been using this food for my 3 dogs for two years and they have remained very healthy.

    Reply
30. macwoof says:

    September 30, 2010 at 8:37 am

    we’ve been buying orijin for a few months but after reading this will seriously look at alternative dog food. mistakes can be made but companies need to admit, rectify and respond accordingly, not duck cover and deny

    Reply
    • Michelle says:

      November 9, 2010 at 12:50 pm

      Okay does anyone know what the current status of Orijen is? Both of my dogs and my cat eat the food on a daily basis… Is this safe?

      Thanks

      Michelle

      Reply
31. Angela says:

    August 16, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    Hi, I too was thinking of changing my dogs and cats to Orijen – is this product unsafe?

    Reply
32. Anidiepie says:

    August 9, 2010 at 10:59 pm

    So what was the verdict? Am thinking of switching to Orijen for my dogs…

    Reply
33. Scott says:

    July 31, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    Well, any response from Orijen? I’ve got my 4 month old on Orijen LBP and he seems to be doing well but I would like to learn more about this. Thanks

    Reply
34. Alan says:

    May 11, 2010 at 1:12 pm

    So what happened here? Did the company respond? What’s the scoop? The last post was in March. Its May 11.

    Reply
35. Grain Free Dog Food says:

    April 27, 2010 at 8:04 am

    [...] Orijen Dog Food [...]

    Reply
36. Tania Cummings says:

    March 22, 2010 at 3:04 am

    You can bet your life they are.
    Mostly they jump on people posting adversely online and threaten litigation. I personally know of two people this has happened to.
    However they would be hard put to bring a case against me because I can back up all my claims with HARD EVIDENCE, evidence they would rather have remained concealed.
    Besides, how would it look as a newspaper headline: “Pet food manufacturer cripples cat, sues owner”

    I don’t think so…

    Oh and by the way Champion, you owe me A$500 for a wheelchair I just bought for my cat because she still CAN’T WALK.

    Reply
    • Michelle says:

      November 9, 2010 at 12:51 pm

      Tania,

      What do you think of the product now? Is your cat better?

      regards,

      M

      Reply
    • Debbie says:

      January 10, 2011 at 10:09 am

      Thanks for the info. Tania- I was considering orijen but now i will stick with natures variety- my homeopathic vets food choice(yes my dogs have 2 vets each- same with the cat-lol)-also will check contents of taste of the wild as some one suggested- i feel that once a company does this it just a matter of time before they try it again.

      Reply
37. admin says:

    March 20, 2010 at 6:14 pm

    It appears that someone from Orijen is monitoring the comments but there has been no contact between them and myself as of this moment.

    Reply
    • Ben says:

      July 26, 2010 at 1:07 pm

      Hi

      I would also like to know about the safety of the current Orijen products both dog AND cat. Both our pets are on Orijen branded food and I have only just come across the stories from Australia. Have these issues been addressed or not? Thanks.

      Sorry didn’t use reply.

      Reply
38. Tania Cummings says:

    March 20, 2010 at 5:45 pm

    How did you go with this please Admin? Did you get a response from Champion ?

    Reply
39. Tania Cummings says:

    March 11, 2010 at 6:08 am

    Please also refer to Page 1, under Heading “What we know”, 6th bullet point down of the Nov 28 2008 Champion Petfoods update posted on the Australia section of their website (no longer visible unless you have this link):

    http://www.championpetfoods.com/Australia_Consumer_Release_Nov28.pdf

    Denying foreknowledge of the irradiation.

    At variance with what Page 54 of the F.O.I. documents

    Reply
40. Tania Cummings says:

    March 11, 2010 at 5:33 am

    Here is a link to an online storage folder containing all three pdf files. pdf File 2 is the one containing the released documents.
    https://www.box.net/shared/nbzrdmzxyk

    If you wish to go straight to file 2, the released documents, without seeing the other files (which contain the application documents and questions to AQIS arising from the documents together with their answers)
    here is a link to that file:
    https://www.box.net/shared/67v2sk3csr

    The certificate from Griffin Industries in Kentucky is on page 34
    Pages 32-33 certify that poultry used in production was slaughtered in the USA. On many documents the censor’s pen has been unhelpful to say the least. However the documents told us what we needed to know, that Champion’s Australian importer claimed he told Champion about the irradiation and they gave their consent. See page 54.

    If you would like to read the posts made on a pet chat forum where Champion denied all foreknowledge of the irradiation to their food, here are links to the relevant posts on that forum:

    Post #240 Page 17 by Clark Stride of Champion Petfoods
    http://itchmoforums.com/news-recall-related/problems-with-orijen-in-australia-t6985.240.html

    Post #427 on Page 29 by Clark Stride
    http://itchmoforums.com/news-recall-related/problems-with-orijen-in-australia-t6985.420.html

    In the second post, Champion lay the blame at their importers feet (as if they wouldn’t be closely monitoring what was happening to their food on its debut in a new market…really) The importer as identified in the FOI docs, Renasence Marketing Pty Ltd, deregistered his company with the Australian Security and Investments Commission in November 2009, thus effectively removing himself from any possibility of legal recourse.

    In a telephone conversation I had with one of the company owners, Peter Muhlenfeld, Marketing Manager the night my cat was diagnosed, he swore they didn’t know about the irradiation until August 2008 when they got the invoices for the process. These documents suggest that they knew, and were complicit in the process, a whole year prior in August 2007.

    Champion’s “Compassion” fund came nowhere near to recompensing people for their veterinary bills in many cases (though some people were covered – just) and made no concession for those owners, such as myself and Jo, still facing ongoing expenses because their cats are still in slow recovery. By removing their product from Australia immediately, putting some sort of offer on the table and making a donation to a local cat charity, they effectivley removed themselves from any possibility of legal recourse or at least, made it very hard and very expensive. I know, I tried for months to get a legal action off the ground.

    One year on my cat is still paralysed in her back legs and urinary incontinent. I have to help her defaecate daily. She is improving slowly, but she is nearly 11 yo and the younger cats are the ones that came through it better. I have just purchased a pet wheelchair for her from the wonderful Eddies Wheels in Massachusetts at a cost of USD 400. There are around 15 cats who are still in various stages of recovery, 30 dead and around 50+ who made it to 90-99% recovery.

    Champion dithered around for about three months before recalling their food, even after strong circumstantial evidence was found linking the irradiated Orijen to clusters of cats appearing with the same symptoms. They threatened with litigation any vets who spoke out. If you would like to read the veterinary neurologist’s letter to the Australian Veterinary Journal which mentions the litigation threat to the vets involved, here is a link to her letter:
    https://www.box.net/shared/7cl0dp5duv

    I have her full permission to quote her freely wherever/whenever.

    Champion wrote to affected owners around late August/September of 2009 effectively washing their hands of the whole affair.

    Australian Quarantine ceased offering gamma irradiation as a quarantine option for cat food in June 2009 following heavy lobbying from pet food owners, the RSPCA, vets and published studies linking irradiated cat diets to paralysis. I am still in discussion with Biosecurity Australia and the Quarantine service, AQIS, regarding the safety studies they did before the process was instigated, have had questions answered in the Senate and continue to lobby for full disclosure and labelling and preferably the cessation of gamma irradiation of all pet and livestock feed.

    Thank you for your interest and for pursuing this issue.

    Reply
41. admin says:

    March 10, 2010 at 8:58 am

    I have emailed them and I am currently waiting for a response. If they don’t email me back in the next couple of hours I will respond highly suggesting they comment.

    Are there any documented public information of these claims? I know you talked about some documents that were released Tania, are these still available for viewing?

    I want to give the best possible information to the consumer and would love to read these documents.

    Reply
42. Jo says:

    March 10, 2010 at 3:48 am

    As another Australian cat owner who has dead and disabled cats because of Orijen I would also suggest you ask about where the chicken meal component of the kibble comes from as Tania says with the kibble that caused issues here it was sourced in the USA. Should also be noted that it was this ingredient that Orijen claimed caused the presence of BHA & BHT in the kibble that was sold here.

    Reply
43. Tania Cummings says:

    March 10, 2010 at 3:06 am

    Thanks Sly. Please let me know how you get on. I’ll check back in later.

    Reply
44. Sly says:

    March 7, 2010 at 8:33 pm

    Tania thanks for bringing this to our attention. The information we used was obtained from the manufactures website. As soon as I get done here I am going to email Champion Petfoods and see if they will comment on this issue.

    Reply
45. Tania Cummings says:

    March 7, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    I know for a fact they use render produced in the USA in their cat kibble. I’ve seen the documents released under the Australian Freedom of Information Act when I was researching the issue of the irradiated Orijen that paralysed my cat and 99 others, 30 of whom died. Can’t comment for certain on the dog food but worth checking the facts before claiming that “None of the ingredients of Orijen brand dog food formulas are obtained or produced in a facility other than their manufacturing plant in Alberta.”

    Reply
    • Cocoa-puff says:

      February 15, 2011 at 1:03 am

      Wasn’t the austrailian thing due to something to do with the shipping requirements..? Not the actual food itself? And the certain requirements made orijen toxic to cats therefore is no longer available there?

      Reply
      • Markalaw says:

        February 25, 2011 at 12:54 pm

        My understanding is that it was due to Australia’s requirement that all imported food be irradiated. This impacted Orijen Cat food only, but nonetheless, Orijen withdrew its lines from Australia. Here’s a link to a website describing it.

        http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/?p=1459

        Reply