Instructions
Understand the composition of the food by learning about each brand. The Acana and Orijen websites each provide a breakdown of their products, which are also written on the packaging. Both brands list the percentage breakdown of protein, fruits and vegetables and grains on the front of their packages. All Orijen products are 80-20 protein to fruits and vegetables and are grain-free. All Acana products have at least three proteins, but most contain grain; only three are grain-free.
Read the ingredients as that is where the biggest difference between Orijen and Acana dog food exists. Both brands follow Champion's two-pronged belief system of "biological-appropriateness" and "fresh regional ingredients."
The five areas to compare are levels of meat concentration, protein, carbohydrate, amount of fresh meat and fresh meat variety.
Compare ratings of the two brands online. The Glycemic Research Institute in Washington, D.C. provides independent certification of pet foods under authorization of the governments of Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. They awarded Orijen Pet Food of the Year for 2010-2011.
Dog Food Analysis, an independent site reviewing more than 1,500 dry pet foods, gave Orijen it's highest ranking of six stars and gave Acana five stars.
Veterinarian Per Schonbeck, who writes a dog food nutrition website, rates Orijen first on his list of top 10 dog foods, while Acana is rated number five.
Match the needs of your dog or puppy with the brands. Dog food is determined by age or size of the dog and by activity level. Some dogs may need a specialized diet for a sensitive stomach or to avoid red meat.
Determine whether quality of the food or price point is more important to you. Champion bills Acana as high-quality food but cheaper than Orijen. The latter is a higher-quality, completely grain-free food and costs more.
Feed the food to your dog. Ultimately, your dog is going to be the best indicator of which brand to buy.
How to Compare Acana to Orijen Dog Foods
Acana and Orijen dog foods are both made by Champion Pet Foods, a Canadian company. Champion is a family-owned and operated company that has been in business for more than 25 years. Both dog foods use high-quality, local ingredients, but Acana is cheaper, primarily because it uses less meat and protein.