Is Orijen WSAVA-Approved?
WSAVA does not approve, certify, or endorse any dog food brand. No such list exists. What "WSAVA-approved" actually refers to is whether a manufacturer satisfies the five questions the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee tells owners to ask. Orijen meets 1 of the 5, so it sits between the fully compliant brands and those that meet none. It substantiates its diets through formulation to AAFCO profiles rather than feeding trials, and typically costs $80–$130 per month for a 50 lb adult dog.
Orijen against the 5 WSAVA questions
| WSAVA question | Orijen |
|---|---|
| Employs a full-time qualified veterinary nutritionist | No |
| Diets formulated by a credentialed expert | Partial |
| Substantiates diets with AAFCO feeding trials | No |
| Owns and operates its manufacturing plants | Yes |
| Runs a documented quality-control program | Partial |
| Criteria fully met | 1 of 5 |
| Typical monthly cost (50 lb dog) | $80 – $130 |
Orijen across our catalogue
We track 67 complete-and-balanced Orijen dog foods. Everything below is measured from those products rather than from the brand's marketing.
- Products tracked
- 67
- Dry / wet
- 42 / 18
- Adult / puppy / senior
- 22 / 1 / 1
- With by-products
- 0 of 67
AAFCO substantiation
Formulated to meet AAFCO profiles
Orijen substantiates adequacy by formulation, meaning the recipe is calculated and laboratory-analysed against AAFCO nutrient profiles rather than fed to dogs in a trial. This is legal, common, and weaker evidence than a feeding trial.
What Orijen actually contains
Guaranteed-analysis figures are label minimums, shown separately by food type because a 10%-moisture kibble and a 78%-moisture canned food are not comparable as-fed.
| Form | Products | Crude protein | Crude fat (median) | Energy (median) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dry | 15 | 38% | 18% | , |
We hold 18 wet Orijen products but their published moisture figures are not physically possible for canned food, so we are not reporting nutrition for them rather than repeating numbers we do not trust.
A cross-section of the Orijen line
12 of the 25 Orijen products whose label data we were able to verify, spread across the range. Repeat recipes at different bag sizes are collapsed to one entry.
| Product | Life stage | Protein | Fat | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orijen 6 Fish Formula Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag | All life stages | 38% | 18% | $2.31/lb |
| Orijen 6 Fish Formula Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag | All life stages | 38% | 18% | $5.08/lb |
| Orijen 6 Fish Formula Dry Dog Food, 4.5-lb bag | All life stages | 38% | 18% | $8.44/lb |
| ORIJEN Amazing Grains Six Fish High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag | All life stages | 38% | 16% | $5.64/lb |
| ORIJEN FRESHPREY Turkey, Salmon & Pork Recipe Grain-Free Frozen Dog Food, 16-oz pouch, case of 7 | All life stages | 12% | 5% | , |
| ORIJEN Grain-Free Puppy Recipe with Poultry & Fish Pate Premium Wet Dog Food, 12.8 oz., Case of 12 | Puppy | 11% | 6.5% | , |
| ORIJEN Original Epic Bites Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 6-oz bag | All life stages | 40% | 34% | , |
| ORIJEN Pate Wet Dog Food Chicken Recipe with Liver 12.8oz Cans (12 Count) | Adult | 10% | 7% | , |
| ORIJEN Pate Wet Dog Food Original Recipe with Liver 12.8oz Cans (12 Count) | Adult | 10% | 7% | , |
| ORIJEN Pate Wet Dog Food Regional Red Recipe with Liver 12.8oz Cans (12 Count) | Adult | 10% | 6% | , |
| ORIJEN Pate Wet Dog Food Tundra Recipe with Liver 12.8oz Cans (12 Count) | Adult | 10% | 6.5% | , |
| ORIJEN Regional Red Epic Bites Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 6-oz bag | All life stages | 36% | 35% | , |
What Orijen costs
Across 44 priced products the median works out at $6.75 per pound, with most falling between $5.50 and $8.22. That is above the $3.74 median for dry dog food across every brand we track.
Bagged retail pricing only. Packages under 2 lb are excluded because their per-pound figures are unreliable.
Strengths
- Some of the highest meat-inclusion percentages on the market
- Strong brand-quality narrative and consumer trust
- Owns manufacturing in Canada and Kentucky
Watch-outs
- Specifically named brand in the FDA's 2018-2022 diet-associated DCM investigation
- Formulation-only AAFCO substantiation
- Premium price
Who Orijen suits
Best for: Owners who prioritize ingredient panel aesthetics and accept the DCM-risk and WSAVA-compliance trade-offs.
Avoid if: Your dog has any cardiac risk factor or breed predisposition to DCM.
Orijen head-to-head
Personalized recommendation
WSAVA compliance is one input. Your dog is the other.
IntelliBowl's free 60-second quiz ranks 13+ brands (including Orijen) against your dog's age, breed, weight, activity, allergies, and budget. Completely free.
Methodology: Scores reflect Orijen's publicly documented manufacturer-quality practices as of May 2026, assessed against the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee's 5-question rubric. WSAVA itself does not certify, approve, or rank any brand. Monthly cost reflects typical US 2026 retail for a 50 lb adult dog at premium spec, before autoship discounts. See our recommendation methodology.