Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dog Food Review 2024: Pros, Cons, Verdict, & FAQ
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We give Orijen Six Fish Dog Food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Orijen Six Fish Dog Food is a limited ingredient, grain-free dog food designed for all breeds and life stages. Their food philosophy is to make delicious and nutritious food in real kitchens by pet nutrition experts. The Six Fish Dog Food proves those claims. The kibble is full of flavor and the aroma is much more attractive than other dog foods on the market, which I discovered upon opening the bag and all the cats and dogs ran over to attack the food.
Orijen takes health and nutrition seriously, and they offer advice on how to transition your dog to new food. The bag even has easy-to-read and follow directions, and their website has comprehensive nutritional data. The company is committed to making food in smaller batches to ensure the highest quality kibble on the market.
This highly nutritious and satisfying dog food is only going to grow in popularity as dog owner’s discover its undeniable appeal!
At a Glance: What We Reviewed
| Image | Product | Details | |
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Our Favorite
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Orijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog Food |
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About Orijen 
Who Makes Orijen Six Fish Dog Food & Where Is It Produced?
Orijen Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is produced in Auburn, Kentucky, for North American distribution. Champion is their parent company, located in Canada. They only use raw and natural ingredients that are inspired by animals’ ancestral diet, and the recipes are made in special kitchens, not mass produced in a factory. For this reason (and others that we’ll get to), Orijen has a strong reputation in the pet food industry.
Which Type of Dogs is Orijen Six Fish Dog Food Best Suited For?
As mentioned earlier, the Six Fish recipe is for all breeds and life stages. I reviewed the kibble with my Yorkshire Terrier, Leo. Even though the food was a little larger than he is used to, he loved it. Leo is a picky eater, and I have never seen him get so excited about any other food. Next, I also gave some to a 9-year-old Basset Hound named Elvis, who also went crazy for the kibble. However, it made him extremely thirsty.
So, I recommend Six Fish for any sized dog, but I would be cautious about feeding it to older pets who are used to a particular diet, unless you slowly transition them to the food.
Which Type of Dogs Might Do Better with a Different Brand?
Although Orijen is a great option in terms of ingredients, flavor, and nutritional value, the diet may not be suitable for older dogs with sensitive digestive systems. If your veterinarian has recommended a special diet, especially for frequent bladder stones, you may want to consider Hills Prescription Diet Urinary Care.
Our in-house managing veterinary editor Lorna Whittemore says she might avoid feeding this food to Dobermans and Golden Retrievers because of the legume content.
Kirkland Signature Salmon Meal and Sweet Potato is a great option for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Older dogs who have been on a specific diet for a long period should transition slowly to new food. Transitioning helps the dog acclimate to the new food without causing sickness..
Recall History
Orijen does not have a recall history in North America, a testament to their philosophy and values.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients
Orijen Six Fish is packed with nutritional and fresh foods like wild caught fish, legumes, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of natural supplements. This food truly reflects the values of the company by keeping the ingredients simple, yet packed with proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins.
Orijen utilizes a whole prey diet in all their food, including prime ingredients like organs, bone, and fish. This mimics what animals eat in the wild, and it provides the best nutritional value for dogs.
The ingredient list on the bag is slightly different than the ingredient list on Orijen’s website, but the primary ingredients are still different types of fish, which is why there is a 40% crude protein level. Although the food has fresh vegetables, fruit, and supplements, 85% of the ingredients are whole prey.
The bag includes a daily ration and feeding guide that gives a breakdown of the per day nutritional requirements based on your dog’s weight. What I like the most about this chart is that it takes into consideration the dog’s activity level.
Fresh Fish: There are a ton of ingredients in Orijen Six Fish, but the primary ingredient is fresh fish, which is where the name and the high protein level comes from. The first six ingredients listed on the bag are whole mackerel, whole herring, monkfish, acadian redfish, flounder, and whole hake fish (similar to cod or haddock). Wild caught fish are full of nutrients and vitamins and also provide omega fatty acids which promotes coat health.
Legumes: Legumes are next on the ingredient list and include red and green lentils, whole pinto beans, whole navy beans, and whole peas. Legumes might be highly nutritious and add fiber, protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins to your dog’s diet, but Dr. Lorna Whittemore says, “We don’t know enough about legumes in dogs with relation to heart disease, but a lot of dogs will be just fine.”
Fresh Vegetables: The vegetables include pumpkin, butternut squash, and collard greens. Just like in humans, vegetables are essential in keeping your dog healthy. Some of the benefits of vegetables are fiber, protein, antioxidants, and enzymes not found in meat.
Fresh Fruits: Amazingly, Orijen also adds fresh apples and pears to increase the vitamin content. Apples are a great source of vitamins A and C and dietary fiber for your dog. Pears provide calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Miscellaneous: The ingredients also include a small amount of supplements and miscellaneous ingredients that include turmeric, rose hips, chicory root, dried kelp, and others. The supplements promote joint health, eye health, and provide other nutritional value.
Orijen Six Fish Dog Food Reviewed
Orijen Six Fish dog food is well-balanced and packed with protein and flavor. Fresh fish makes up 85% of the total nutritional value, which is very impressive. You can smell the strong aroma of fish upon opening the bag.
The kibble is grain-free, which some vets recommend for digestive health. The wheat and corn in standard dog food contains a lot of fiber which dogs can’t digest properly. Over time the large amount of fiber that builds up in a dog’s digestive system will have to be removed.
Orijen’s trademark is using limited ingredients, and nutritionists and veterinarians to give them the best nutritional value for dogs so that the food is at the highest quality and freshness.
After reviewing this food for a couple of days, I will buy it again. This food is loaded with vitamins, protein, healthy carbohydrates, and vitamins. The price may be a little high, but this food is worth every penny. Plus, it is a healthier alternative to standard dog food.
Ingredients Analysis
| Crude Protein: | (min) 38% |
| Crude Fat: | (min) 18% |
| Crude Fiber: | (max) 4% |
| Carbohydrates: | 19% |
| Moisture: | 12% |
Calories per cup breakdown
| ½ cup: | 232.5 calories |
| 1 cup: | 465 calories |
| 2 cups: | 930 calories |
In Summary
- Excellent flavor
- Great instructions on the bag and on the website.
- Perfect size kibble for all sized dogs
- Whole prey diet has a lot of protein and vitamins
- No recalls
- No grains
- No controversial ingredients used
- Pricey, but worth the cost
Our Experience With Orijen Six Fish Dog Food
I was impressed with this food as soon as I opened the bag. Orijen promotes this kibble for all dog types, and the size of the kibble was just right. The dark brown food is about the size of a quarter, which worked for Leo, my Yorkshire Terrier, and Elvis, a Basset Hound. The food had a strong odor and I could tell right away that this was the freshest dog food I’ve reviewed.
The bag is impressive and highlights the quality of the nutrition and the food philosophy of the company. Orijen prides themselves on wild caught food and only the freshest ingredients, and the Six Fish dog food delivered. Both Leo and Elvis have never been on a fish diet before, but they lunged at their bowls and devoured their food.
The information on Orijen’s website is phenomenal. It is very easy to look up the food’s ingredients and nutritional value and how the food is made. I especially liked the transitional chart and the different charts for active and inactive dogs. This attention to detail shows the care that Orijen puts into their product.
Six Fish dog food was an easy sell for my dogs, and a brand that I will continue to use. After eating it for two days, Leo is more active, and his coat is looking healthier. I only gave it to Elvis once because it made him extremely thirsty. I don’t think this is a reflection of the product. Rather, he needs to transition slower to the food than Leo, possibly due to age.
Overall, this is a great product and worth the money. From the information on the bag and the website, to the smell and taste of the food, this is a quality product. Even the cats got in on the party during the photo shoot. They enjoyed the food so much that I had a hard time getting them away from the food so I could photograph it.
Conclusion
Orijen Six Fish dog food has exceptional quality, flavor, and the company has an impeccable reputation with no recalls. Dogs (and cats) love the taste and the texture of the kibble, and you can rest easy knowing that your dog is getting all the nutrition and vitamins they need.
There really is no downside to this food. It may be a little pricey, but if you follow their feeding chart, you’ll notice that you’re using less food on a daily basis. The nutrition value and the fish content of the food lasts longer than preservatives and fillers found in other dog food.
