It's all very well saying John Burns is a vet and says that pups (and adult dogs) should get low protein low fat. However, there are millions of other vets out there who say the opposite! I've yet to hear of a wild or feral dog that grew up with musculoskeletal issues because it ate raw meat and bones (which are higher in protein than Orijen!).

Millions of raw fed pups grow up around the world (mine included) every year eating Orijen and/or raw food (again, raw food is higher in protein and fat than Orijen!) and they're just fine. It's a fine line to espouse if you're selling a food that's low in fat and protein though I guess. Coincidentally, meat is much more expensive than grain, yet Burns dog food (which is at least 80% grains) still costs as much as the 70% to 75% meat-packed foods like Orijen and Applaws??

It's up to the individual at the end of the day, but until dogs fed on raw meat and bones suddenly start becoming deformed and ill and their physiology decides they need to eat 80+ percent oats and rice, I know what my lot will be eating.

I don't see how lean muscle mass in a pup (or adult) can cause issues, it's nonsense! I'm pretty sure a fat dog carrying excess weight due to eating carbohydrate laden foods is far more likely to suffer musculoskeletal issues, and the literature agrees. A dog eating carbohydrates will process those before it processes fat and protein. Carbs WILL be stored as fat if they're present at a level above IMMEDIATE energy needs (i.e. what the body is using that minute to stay alive).

Protein on the other hand is not converted to sugar (unlike carbs) and cannot (is not) stored as fat in the body. Any excess is simply peed away, leaving a lean healthy dog with no excess weight on its frame. Orijen have a few white papers on this issue (with scientific references) on their site, in the 'library'.

Library | Orijen Pet Foods .co.uk

The calcium : phosphorus levels in Orijen are balanced to ensure there is no abnormal growth even in large breeds, and you can find much more info on their site as I said. If you're in any doubt, peel back the lips on your furry friend, and see what you can see. Do those long, tapering daggers look like they're designed to crush rolled oats, or kill and rip apart meat?...