If you own a dog and understand the importance of nutrition to their overall health, then you've most likely heard of ORIJEN Primal Predation Cravings Dog Food. What exactly is ORIJEN dog food? Well, before we solve this problem, we need to go back in time... a long time ago.

Dogs have been humans' loyal companions for more than 10,000 years, and despite our long and close association with dogs, they remain the closest thing to gray wolves, at least genetically speaking. Dogs still share more than 99 percent of their mitochondrial DNA with gray wolves. Despite their obvious visual differences and thousands of years of domestication, the anatomy of modern dogs remains largely unchanged from that of gray wolves. Understanding these anatomical features is the first step in understanding which foods are biologically appropriate for them.

Modern dogs have:

A short, simple, acidic digestive tract. Proteins and fats from animal sources are easily digested, so the digestive tract is short.

A jaw that operates only vertically (up and down) and is designed to provide cutting or shearing motion and to swallow large pieces of meat.

Sharp, elongated teeth designed for killing prey and tearing apart flesh.

There is no amylase in their saliva at all. Amylase; an enzyme that begins the process of breaking down carbohydrates. Dogs have not adapted to eating carbohydrates efficiently.

These key anatomical features indicate that dogs have adapted to a diet based almost entirely on meat.

Back to our question – what is ORIJEN dog food?

ORIJEN dog food is made from 85% animal ingredients. 2/3 of all meat used in ORIJEN dog food is fresh or raw. In fact, ORIJEN has more than 3 times the meat content of most traditional dry pet foods. Whether it's chicken in our ORIJEN Original formula, or fish in our ORIJEN Six-Fish formula, the animal ingredients are present in complete prey proportions, 70% meat and fat, 20% organs and 10% bone and cartilage.

The proportion of animal ingredients is just as important as the percentage of ingredients as it ensures that the diet is biologically appropriate. In addition to this, it also ensures that essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals are present in the raw materials at the correct levels.

This eliminates the need for added synthetic amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Just read the ingredients panel on any bag of ORIJEN dog food and not only will you see that the first 10 ingredients are animal-based, but you'll also find that there are virtually no added synthetic vitamins or minerals.

Is it worth it?

Conceived by Champion Pet Foods back in 2005, ORIJEN is widely regarded as the world's best pet food and trusted by pet lovers everywhere. Their bio-appropriate pet food is made using fresh, regional ingredients from people they know and trust. They have direct relationships with all key ingredient suppliers. Whether it’s Greg at Hefton Farm in Hanson, Ky., supplying their free-range chickens, or Ellen at Keltic Seafoods in British Columbia, supplying sustainably caught saltwater fish. All major suppliers maintain a strong commitment to sustainability, quality, food safety and traceability.

In addition, Champion Pet Foods owns and operates its own kitchen in Auburn, Kentucky, USA. This kitchen is the most technologically advanced on the planet. Every aspect of the cooking process is carefully controlled and monitored in-house. This process is never outsourced.

Not all dog food is created equal. ORIJEN dog food represents the fullest expression of a biologically appropriate diet, designed for dogs based on their biological and evolutionary needs. All ORIJEN diets contain a high proportion of high-quality animal ingredients to provide nutrients in the most nutritious form.