Biologically
Appropriate

Confident Kalsin from Kodiak Island, Alaska

NOURISH AS NATURE INTENDED

OUR BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE: MIRROR THE QUANTITY, FRESHNESS, AND VARIETY OF MEAT THAT DOGS AND CATS HAVE EVOLVED TO EAT.

The gray wolf (Canis Lupus) is the ancestor and closest relative of all domestic dogs (Canis Lupus Familiarius), sharing 97% of their DNA, while the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis Silvestris Lybica) is the closest relative of domestic cats (Felis Silvestris Catus).

Despite years of breeding, the internal workings and anatomical capabilities of domestic dogs and cats remain the same as their wild cousins, so it’s no surprise their food requirements remain the same too.

THE EATING ANATOMY OF CARNIVORES

JUST LIKE THEIR ANCESTORS, MODERN DOGS AND CATS HAVE ANATOMICAL FEATURES DESIGNED FOR A MEAT-BASED DIET – A FUNDAMENTAL FACT OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY PET FOOD MAKERS. THESE INCLUDE:

TEETH AND JAWS
- A wide mouth for swallowing chunks of meat whole, with a single-hinge jaw that lacks side-to-side chewing ability (unlike plant-eaters that chew extensively, meat-eaters seldom chew their foods).
- Sharp, pointed teeth for grasping and shredding meat (not for grinding plants).
SALIVA AND ENZYMES
- The saliva of plant-eaters contains the digestive enzyme amylase, which mixes with food through chewing. Since meat-eaters don’t chew, they are not adapted to digest carbohydrates from plants.
- Meat-eaters swallow chunks of meat whole; the purpose of their saliva is to lubricate the throat – not predigest food.
SHORT DIGESTIVE TRACT
- In nature, carnivores seldom eat every day; sometimes as little as once a week. That’s why they have a large single-chambered stomach suitable for gorging and digesting meat later.
- Because meat is easily digested (relative to plants), dogs and cats have a short, simple gastrointestinal tract (compare that to plant-eaters like cows, who have four stomachs and eat constantly).
- Carnivores have a high concentration of stomach acid to break down meat quickly and kill bacteria associated with raw meat.

OUR FIVE BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE PRINCIPLES

JUST LIKE THEIR WILD COUSINS, MODERN DOGS AND CATS ARE EQUIPPED WITH SHARP TEETH, A SHORT DIGESTIVE TRACT, AND A BODY EVOLVED TO METABOLIZE MEAT. Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN mirrors the evolutionary diet, nourishing your dog or cat as Mother Nature would, with rich, fresh meat inclusions plus smaller amounts of fresh, whole vegetables, fruit, and botanicals. That’s why ORIJEN features:

Up to 90% QUALITY ANIMAL INGREDIENTS | ORIJEN’s rich meat inclusions nourish the way nature intended.
38-44% PROTEIN | ORIJEN derives its rich protein content from quality animal ingredients, not plants, making our foods free of grains or gluten, common in conventional pet foods.

ORIJEN’S FRESH REGIONAL INGREDIENTS MIRROR MOTHER NATURE, SUPPLYING NUTRIENTS IN THEIR FRESHEST, MOST NATURAL, AND NOURISHING FORM.

FRESH | 2/3 of the meat, fish, poultry, and eggs are FRESH or RAW, so they’re brimming with protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals in their most nourishing form.
DRIED | 1/3 of the meat is air-dried at a low temperature (200°F), concentrating their goodness in highly bio-available forms.

WHEN WE SAY FRESH WE MEAN IT!

MANY NORTH AMERICAN PET FOOD MANUFACTURERS RECONSTITUTE MEAT POWDER BY ADDING FOUR PARTS OF WATER, WHICH THEY LABEL AS ‘FRESH’. ORIJEN is different. Our fresh meat usually travels from farm to kitchen within three days, and from kitchen to food within two days. Our three classes of meat ingredients are :

FRESH: Refrigeration is the only way we preserve our fresh poultry, eggs, fish, and meat — no artificial preservatives; never frozen.
RAW: Just like our fresh ingredients, meat is flash-frozen at peak season to preserve natural goodness.
DRIED: Air-dried at low temperatures (200°F) to provide a concentrated source of protein — no chemical preservatives.

CONSIDER THE VARIATION IN THE NATURAL DIET: FISH TODAY, A DUCK OR GOOSE TOMORROW, FRESH EGGS THE NEXT. A RICH VARIETY OF FRESH, QUALITY ANIMAL INGREDIENTS IS A KEY PRINCIPLE IN OUR FOODS, PROVIDING A DIVERSITY OF ESSENTIAL PROTEIN AND FAT TO NOURISH DOGS AND CATS COMPLETELY. This variety is lost in conventional dog and cat foods, which often feature a single animal ingredient, such as chicken or lamb, that’s highly processed and seldom authentically fresh. ORIJEN is different. Loaded with up to eight different kinds of fresh or raw meat, ORIJEN provides a richly nourishing diversity of protein and fat that naturally support peak health.

RANCH-RAISED RED MEAT

Raised on farms and Appalachian ranches in the heart of Kentucky’s ranching country, using nature’s simple recipe of fresh air, clean water, and natural grasses, our beef, bison, lamb, mutton, pork, and goat are delivered fresh or raw, so they’re preservative-free and brimming with goodness and taste.

Ranch-Raised Beef from Kentucky Farms

Wild Boar from American Ranches

Ranch-Raised Bison from Kentucky Ranches

Grass-Fed Lamb from Kentucky Farms

Grass-Fed Mutton from Kentucky Farms

Yorkshire Pork from Kentucky Farms

Boer Goat from Kentucky Farms

Antibiotic-free | Grass-fed | Delivered fresh or raw | WholePrey ratios

FREE-RUN POULTRY & CAGE-FREE EGGS

Raised free-run on regional farms by people we know and trust, our free-run chicken, duck, turkey, and quail, and cage-free eggs arrive at our kitchen fresh, so they’re full of nourishing protein and fat.

Free-Run Chicken from Kentucky Farms

Free-Run Duck from Kentucky Farms

Free-Run Turkey from Indiana Farms

Free-Run Quail from South Carolina Farms

Cage-Free Eggs from Kentucky Farms

Antibiotic-free | Free-run | Delivered fresh or raw | WholePrey ratios

SUSTAINABLE & WILD-CAUGHT WHOLE FISH

Unique to ORIJEN, our fresh and whole saltwater fish (not the industry standard of minced fish frames) are sustainable and wild-caught from New England’s cold Atlantic waters and are delivered fresh or raw.

Atlantic Mackerel from New England

Monkfish from New England

Acadian Redfish from New England

Alaskan Cod from Alaska

Atlantic Herring from New England

Yellowtail Flounder from New England

Sustainable and wild-caught | Delivered fresh or raw, and whole | WholePrey ratios

IN NATURE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR VITAMIN OR MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS, AS WOLVES AND WILDCATS DERIVE THEIR COMPLETE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS NATURALLY, BY CONSUMING WHOLE ANIMALS. ORIJEN WholePrey ratios mirror the foods dogs and cats evolved to eat over thousands of years, incorporating a nourishing balance of fresh meat, organs, and cartilage or bone in amounts that deliver nutrients naturally. ORIJEN foods naturally provide almost every nutrient your dog or cat needs, in highly bio-available forms, so there’s no need for long lists of synthetic additives.

SUPERFOOD FOR DOGS AND CATS

wholeprey-lockup-white ORIJEN INCORPORATES MEAT, ORGANS, AND CARTILAGE OR BONE IN RATIOS THAT MIMIC MOTHER NATURE, CREATING A POWERHOUSE OF NUTRITIONAL GOODNESS. THAT’S WHY YOU WON’T FIND LONG LISTS OF SYNTHETIC SUPPLEMENTS IN ORIJEN FOODS.

MEAT provides protein, fat, vitamins A, B, D, and K, copper, chromium, folic acid, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and zinc — all in highly bio-available forms.
ORGANS liver, kidney, tripe, and heart provide a richly concentrated and highly bio-available source of virtually everything dogs and cats need to thrive — including heavy doses of essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and amino acids.
CARTILAGE AND BONE provide a rich source of minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium — all in a natural and easily absorbed form.

NOT ALL VEGETABLES AND FRUIT ARE CREATED EQUAL In place of cereal grains, ORIJEN features healthy vegetables and fruit delivered fresh and whole from Kentucky farms and orchards. ORIJEN uses fresh-picked fruit from our region, whole and preservative-free, and excludes high grain inclusions or vegetables and fruit in powdered form.

WHOLE APPLES AND PEARS arrive fresh from our Kentucky orchards to provide a rich source of phytonutrients and fiber.
WHOLE PUMPKIN AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH are fresh and loaded with healthy fiber and natural-source vitamins.
KENTUCKY GREENS AND WHOLE CARROTS are nutritional powerhouses that are delivered fresh from Kentucky farms.

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Biologically
Appropriate