Orijen
Original Adult Poulet
Overall score92/100· Excellent
Summary
Excellent kibble. Fresh chicken as first ingredient, high animal protein content (85%). No grains, no problematic additives. Added glucosamine and probiotics.
Sub-scores
Composition analysed
Fresh chicken (25%), dehydrated chicken (13%), turkey (8%), salmon (6%), peas, lentils, chicken fat (5%), sweet potato, salmon oil, beet pulp, FOS, glucosamine, chondroitin, probiotics, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, yucca schidigera
- AFresh chicken25%protein
- ADehydrated chicken13%protein
- ATurkey8%protein
- ASalmon6%protein
- BPeascereal
- BLentilscereal
- AChicken fat5%fat
- ASweet potatocereal
- ASalmon oilfat
- BBeet pulpfiber
- AFOS (Fructo-oligosaccharides)fiber
- AGlucosaminebeneficial additive
- AChondroitinbeneficial additive
- AProbioticsbeneficial additive
- AVitamin Evitamin mineral
- AZincvitamin mineral
- ASeleniumvitamin mineral
- AYucca schidigerabeneficial additive
Nutritional analysis
- Crude protein
- 38%
- Crude fat
- 18%
- Ash
- 8%
- Fibre
- 5%
- Moisture
- 12%
Strengths
- First ingredient is a named animal protein
- No undesirable additives detected
- Transparent labelling (detailed percentages)
- Balanced nutritional profile
Weaknesses
Similar alternatives
Orijen Original Adult is the product that redefined what premium dog food looks like. Champion Petfoods (now Acana Orijen Inc.) built its entire brand around the Biologically Appropriate philosophy: mirror what a dog would eat in the wild, using fresh regional ingredients, high animal-protein ratios, and zero outsourced manufacturing. The result is a 92/100 on our scoring. Fresh chicken at 25 percent leads the list, followed by dehydrated chicken, turkey, salmon, and whole fish. The protein comes from 85 percent animal sources, with no plant protein concentrates inflating the number. The formula includes glucosamine and chondroitin for joints, probiotics for gut health, and omega-3 from both salmon oil and whole salmon. If you can afford the price tag (around 8.50 EUR per kg), this is objectively one of the best dry foods on the market for an adult medium-to-large breed active dog.
Compared to the competition
Acana is Orijen's sister brand, made in the same kitchen with slightly less meat (75% vs 85%) at a lower price. For most dogs, Acana is the sweet spot. Orijen is for owners who want the absolute best regardless of cost.
Taste of the Wild offers grain-free at almost half the price of Orijen. The trade-off: the first ingredient is meal (not fresh), and the animal protein percentage is lower. Good value, but not the same league nutritionally.
Royal Canin Medium Adult is the mainstream benchmark. It scores C (58/100) vs Orijen's A (92/100). The gap is massive: rice first vs chicken first, unspecified animal fats vs named salmon oil, no probiotics vs integrated probiotics. Royal Canin's advantage is availability and vet recommendation; Orijen's is nutritional quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Orijen Original worth the price?
At 8.50 EUR per kg, Orijen costs roughly 3 to 4 times more than supermarket kibble. But the ration is smaller (280g per day vs 320g for Royal Canin) because the caloric density is higher, so the daily cost gap is closer to 2x than 4x. For active medium and large dogs with no budget constraints, yes. For sedentary small dogs, the protein may be too high, and a B-grade option at half the price would be equally appropriate.
Can I feed Orijen to a puppy?
This specific formula is for adult dogs. Orijen makes a separate Puppy formula and a Puppy Large Breed formula with adjusted calcium-to-phosphorus ratios for skeletal development. Do not feed the adult formula to puppies under 12 months.
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