Orijen Six Fish Dog Food: Is It Worth the Money?
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Orijen Six Fish comes in an 11.4 kg bag, and the listing's storage advice says to use it within four weeks of opening. Put those two facts together and you have the real value question for this food. To finish a bag in four weeks, a dog needs to eat about 400 g a day on average, which is more than many small and medium dogs eat. So before you ask whether the food justifies the price per kilo, ask whether your dog will get through it in time.
What the listing says it is
The recipe is a grain-free dry food for adult dogs built on fish. The listed ingredients begin with whole salmon, whole herring, salmon meal, herring meal and pollock meal, followed by whole flounder, boneless walleye, boneless northern pike and boneless lake whitefish, then salmon oil and herring oil. After the fish come chickpeas, red and green lentils, green peas and pea fibre, canola oil, alfalfa, and a long run of vegetables, fruit and herbs, ending with Enterococcus faecium. Ingredients marked with an asterisk are described as fresh and preservative-free.
The description text calls it biologically appropriate dog food, featuring six wild-caught Canadian fish. "Biologically appropriate" is the brand's own phrase and not a regulated standard. Other listed claims include high protein, support for brain and skin health, and that it is free of rendered poultry meals. The listing text we reviewed gives no protein, fat or calorie figures, so we cannot say how rich it is. The analysis on the bag will.
Two quirks are worth flagging. The listing's diet-type field says "raw", but this is a dry, pelleted food; the word seems to refer to the fresh fish going in. And the description mentions 13 kg while the title and box say 11.4 kg, so check the size you are actually ordering.
The Amazon.co.uk listing shows 4.7 out of 5 from 1,078 ratings at the time of writing.
Who it might suit
A fish-based recipe makes sense for a dog that tolerates fish and that your vet is happy to see on a rich diet. The listing's allergen field says fish, and the whole recipe is fish, so there is no hidden surprise. Some owners look for fish when a dog has done poorly on chicken or beef, and there is nothing in the ingredient list to stop you trying that, although it is a trial rather than a guarantee.
It is also worth noting what is missing: grains, and any named poultry or beef. It is not, however, a short-ingredient recipe. The list is long, with a lot of legumes, so a dog sensitive to peas or lentils will not do well on it. Our piece on grain-free versus grain-inclusive food explains why "grain-free" tells you less than it sounds, and why the legume content gets discussed. Many vets suggest raising the topic with them if you plan to feed a grain-free, legume-heavy diet long term.
When to choose something different
Dogs on a vet-prescribed diet should stay on it. That includes dogs being managed for kidney problems, a history of pancreatitis, or any other condition where a vet has set limits on protein or fat. A rich, high-protein food is not the sort of thing to switch to without asking. This is general information and not veterinary advice.
Dogs that dislike fish, or whose owners dislike the smell of fish kibble, are also poor candidates, and so are dogs that need a small bag. There is no small size on this listing, only the 11.4 kg bag.
Thinking about cost per day
We do not quote prices here, because they move. The method is simple: divide the pack price by the number of days the bag lasts at your dog's feeding amount. The listing's directions only say to serve according to your dog's weight and age, so use the table on the bag. Then compare the result with a cheaper food, not with a headline price per kilo.
A large dog will use the bag quickly and the four-week window is not an issue. For a small dog, it may be: you could end up throwing food away or paying for a bag you cannot finish. In that case, the value case for Six Fish largely falls away. Our discussion of whether premium dry food is worth the price looks at the same trade-off across the category.
Changing over
As with any new food, introduce it gradually. A rich fish food can loosen stools if it replaces the old one overnight, and most vets suggest mixing it in over about a week to ten days. We have a step-by-step schedule in how to switch your dog's food. If you cannot decide between this and the brand's Original recipe, Orijen Original against Six Fish sets them side by side.
The short answer
Orijen Six Fish is worth considering if your dog is a good-sized adult who tolerates fish, you have checked with a vet if there are any health conditions, and you will get through the bag within four weeks of opening. Otherwise, the cost per day and the waste risk outweigh the appeal. If it does suit, the 11.4 kg bag is the only size the listing offers.
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