Orijen Original Adult: A High-Protein Kibble Examined
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"Biologically Appropriate Dog Food" is the first line on the Amazon.co.uk listing for Orijen Original Adult, and it is worth being clear from the start that it is a brand slogan, not a regulated term. The food behind it is a meat-heavy, grain-free dry recipe in a 6 kg bag. Whether it is a good one for your dog depends on things the marketing doesn't address.
The listing shows 4.7 out of 5 from 564 ratings at the time of writing.
What the label actually lists
The ingredient list starts with boneless chicken, chicken meal, chicken liver, whole herring, boneless turkey, turkey meal and turkey liver. Next come whole eggs, boneless walleye, whole salmon, chicken heart, chicken cartilage, herring meal, salmon meal and chicken liver oil. Only then do the plant ingredients arrive: red lentils, green peas, green lentils, alfalfa, yams, pea fibre and chickpeas, followed by pumpkin, squash, spinach, carrots, fruit, kelp, a run of herbs, and Enterococcus faecium.
Three things follow from that. It is not a "chicken and turkey" food in the narrow sense: fish and eggs are well represented. It is not a short list, so it is hard to use for working out what upsets a dog. And the legumes, which sit just after the meat, make up a large part of the non-meat content.
The listing's special-ingredient field also names herring liver oil, chicken cartilage and dehydrated and frozen chicken liver, and flags that celery may be present.
The 80% claim
One bullet says the food is "loaded with richly-nourishing meat (80%) to maintain lean muscle mass". That is the manufacturer's figure and the listing does not explain how it was calculated. In general, fresh meat is heavy with water, and the way meat is counted in dry food differs between brands, so a percentage like this is not directly comparable from one bag to the next. The analytical constituents on the pack, which the listing text we reviewed does not give, are a better basis for comparison.
The description adds that dogs evolved as carnivores and so thrive on fresh whole meats. Dogs are classed as carnivores by ancestry, but most vets and nutritionists describe the domestic dog as able to digest starch and eat a varied diet. The recipe's logic is a position, not a settled fact, and plenty of well-fed dogs eat grain-inclusive food. We cover that argument in grain-free versus grain-inclusive food.
The listing also marks the diet type as "raw". It is a dry kibble, and we read this as a reference to fresh raw ingredients going in, not a raw diet in the usual sense.
Dogs that should speak to a vet first
A rich, high-meat recipe is not suitable for every dog. If your dog has kidney problems, a history of pancreatitis, or any condition for which a vet has set limits on protein or fat, do not switch to this on the strength of a product listing. Dogs prone to weight gain also need care, because richer foods can be easy to overfeed. The listing text we reviewed has no calorie figure, so work from the feeding table on the bag. This is general information and not veterinary advice.
Dogs with a known chicken, turkey, fish or egg allergy should skip it, as all four are in the recipe. The listing says it suits all breeds and all life stages. That is the maker's claim, and puppies of large breeds in particular have specific needs, so ask your vet if you are considering it for a growing dog.
Moving onto it
The listing's directions are brief: serve dry, and adjust portions for weight and age. For the changeover, most vets suggest mixing the new food in with the old over roughly a week to ten days, longer for dogs with touchy stomachs. A rich recipe replacing a plainer one overnight is a common cause of loose stools. Our guide to switching your dog's food has a day-by-day plan.
If you want to understand how to read the figures on the pack once it arrives, a guide to reading a dog food label is a useful companion. And if you are weighing the poultry-led recipe against the fish-led one from the same brand, we compare them in Orijen Original against Six Fish.
Cost and the real case against
We do not quote prices, as they change. To work out cost per day, divide the pack price by the number of days the 6 kg bag lasts at your dog's feeding amount, and compare that with the foods you are considering. Check the current price on Amazon.
The honest drawbacks are straightforward. It is a premium-positioned food and the benefit over a good mid-range recipe is a matter of preference, not proof; our look at whether premium dry food is worth it goes through that. It contains many common allergens. The only size on this listing is 6 kg, which is a sizeable commitment if your dog turns out not to like it. And the headline claims, from "biologically appropriate" to 80% meat, come from the maker and are not backed with evidence on the page.
Our view
Orijen Original suits a healthy adult dog without a poultry, fish or egg problem, whose owner wants a meat-led recipe and is happy to pay for it. It is not the food for dogs with kidney or pancreatic issues unless a vet says so, or for anyone who needs a short ingredient list. If it fits, the 6 kg bag is a reasonable way to find out whether your dog likes it.
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