# Medi-Cal?



## maple (Jul 22, 2010)

Hi guys,

I have a neighbour who is very close friends with a vet in my neighbourhood. From what she told me, this vet is also a dietician for animals, and does lectures throughout the city. Anyway, our neighbour is good friends with my parents and told them that she could get us food that her vetrinary friend sells for 40% off. What the vet recommended for a Vizsla of 4 months was Medi-Cal adolescent. Has anyone heard any reviews on this? I looked through the ingredients, and there seems to be corn and another grain that I heard wasn't the best for dogs. I also realize that vets tend to push their foods because their reps enforce it (But...if she is giving it to us for 40% off, then I'm not sure why she would push it on us if she isn't even making any money off of it). She said that there is something in the Medi-Cal adolescent food that is better for puppies of her age, because Acana (which is what she is on) is too high in some ingredient that can make them grow too quickly for her bone development, leading to joint issues. BUT, the reviews I read on Medi-Cal seemed to be from vets who sell it, or people who swear that if their vet sells it then it must be the best.

Maple seems to have gotten tired of the Acana. She will eat it when she's absolutely starving, however when that hunger isn't there she will spit it out. I gave her a few kibble of the Medi-Cal and put a few in her food and she seemed to love it. I do want to keep her on the Acana, but she isn't thriving on it. And I don't want to have to get into adding rice or egg to it everytime so she eats more. She is already a fairly picky eater and I just want to find one food that she seems to love. She did love Acana at first, so maybe its time to try something new. Any suggestions?


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## DarDog (Aug 15, 2010)

Which Acana food are you feeding? If you are on the puppy and still want to switch, personally, I would switch to Orijen puppy over Medi-cal (made by Royal Canin :S).


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## DarDog (Aug 15, 2010)

Here is the ingredient list for Medi-cal Adolescent:

Chicken Meal, Rice, Oat Flour, Corn, Dried Egg Powder, Natural Flavour, Tomato Pomace (Source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat, Fish Meal, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, Flax Meal, Monopotassium Phosphate, Cranberry Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Bacillus Subtilis Dried Fermentation Extract, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Taurine, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Marigold Extract (Source of Lutein), Vitamins (DL-Alpha-Tocopherol [Source of Vitamin E], L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C], Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement and Vitamin D3 Supplement), Trace Minerals (Zinc Oxide, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate and Sodium Selenite), Lycopene, L-Glutamine, L-Carnitine and Beta-Carotene. Naturally Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract and Citric Acid.


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## maple (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks,

I do have the ingredient list for the Medi-Cal adolescent. We were given a bag to take home, however I don't think I'm going to use it. We did have Maple on Orijen for the first few weeks. It didn't sit too well with her...constant runny stools. We made the switch to Acana puppy and junior which seemed to be much better, but lately she seems tired of this and she's eating much less. For her treats we give her different samples of kibble (cannidae, fromm, taste of the wild...). She loves those, but she also loved the Acana when we first gave it to her. I'm just wondering if this is normal, or if I should try something else.


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## Dubyajay (Apr 9, 2010)

Hey Maple, Charlie had runny stool for a while too and we started supplementing his Orijen (and other foods) with Fruitables Pumpkin Digestive. It really seemed to help him out as he has a pretty weak stomach.

http://www.fruitablespetfood.com/fruitables_digestive_supplement.html

Global Pets should carry it in Ottawa.


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## Crazy Kian (Aug 10, 2009)

Maple, we switched Kian to Orijen puppy when he was about 6 or 7 months old cause he was turning his nose up to the food that Onpoint had him on (pure filler).
Yes, his stool was quite runny for the first while, probably about a month, then it got better. He then turned his nose up to the Orijen but we were determined to stick to it. On the advice of a friend and V owner we decided to mix in some Trippet (found at Global). Don't use too much. Kian could not get enough of it. 
Vizsla's can be picky eaters.
Good luck.


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## jakersmomma (Jan 3, 2010)

I've started mixing the Wellness Meat Topper's in with the Orijen. I put a little water in with the Orijen and about 3 spoon scoops of the Wellness and mix it all up. Jake loves it. The can lasts 3-4 feedings and I don't use it everytime. My vizsla will not eat his food unless there's something in it. Leftovers, yogurt, shredded cheese or his Wellness topper and he only likes the chicken and turkey. They are 95% meat with excellent ingredients.


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## minnere (Jul 8, 2010)

We switched Pacer to Orijen puppy at about 5 months. He has never been a big eater but seemed to enjoy it if we added water to it to make it moist. Eventually he got tired of that and it would take him hours to finish a dish of food. Since he has take his trip to the vet for neuturing (he spent two nights there) he has been eating better but still doesn't seem all that interested in food. He has learned that at night if he eats all of his food we give him a dish of veggies and he loves that.

I wish my problem was that I was uninterested in food! Wouldn't that be nice!


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## DarDog (Aug 15, 2010)

Also, what you could do when your dog starts eating Adult Orijen, is to rotate between the different flavours - keeps it interesting  (and it's good to mix up the protein source too). It's too bad there is typically only one puppy variety.


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