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Orijen &
Vital Essentials
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20% OFF
Orijen &
Vital Essentials
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Orijen &
Vital Essentials
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
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35% OFF
Orijen &
Vital Essentials
First Auto-Ship
20% OFF
Orijen &
Vital Essentials
First Auto-Ship w/ Code: PAWDIET20
15% OFF
Orijen &
Vital Essentials
For New Customers w/ Code: AFPAWDIET
Orijen vs. Vital Essentials
In this comparison article for Orijen vs Vital Essentials, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Orijen and Vital Essentials, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.
Throughout this Vital Essentials vs Orijen comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Orijen Review Page or Vital Essentials Review Page.
Guaranteed Analysis: Vital Essentials vs. Orijen
According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.
All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.
Orijen Dog Food vs. Vital Essentials Dog Food
| Dry Dog Food | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Crude Protein | 42.9% | 52.2% |
| Crude Fat | 22.6% | 28.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 5.5% | 4.1% |
| Wet/Canned Dog Food | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Crude Protein | 57.4% | 53.7% |
| Crude Fat | 24.7% | 31.0% |
| Crude Fiber | 7.8% | 5.6% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food
Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.
On average, Vital Essentials dry dog food recipes contain 9.27% more protein than Orijen recipes. Clearly, there is a significant difference between the protein content of Orijen and Vital Essentials. For wet dog foods, Orijen typically provides a little more protein (about 3.66% more).
Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food
Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.
The table shows that Orijen provides far less fat than Vital Essentials. The difference in fat content is roughly 6.04%. In addition, Vital Essentials wet dog foods also provide more fat than Orijen wet foods.
As you can see, Vital Essentials and Orijen guarantee a similar amount of crude fiber. For wet dog foods, Orijen typically provides a little more fiber (about 2.20% more).
Orijen Cat Food vs. Vital Essentials Cat Food
| Dry Cat Food | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Crude Protein | 44.8% | 54.0% |
| Crude Fat | 21.0% | 27.5% |
| Crude Fiber | 4.0% | 5.1% |
Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food
Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.
When you look at the average percentages of crude protein for dry cat food, it's clear that Vital Essentials provides significantly more protein. On average, Vital Essentials guarantees about 9.22% more protein than Orijen.
Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food
There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):
- Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
- Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Slow the growth of yeast infections
- Fats improve the taste/texture of food.
Our analysis shows that Vital Essentials guarantees 6.58% more fat than Orijen dry cat food recipes.
Orijen and Vital Essentials both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.
Orijen Pet Food Ingredients vs. Vital Essentials Pet Food Ingredients
In our option, both Orijen and Vital Essentials utilize high-quality ingredients. According to our records, neither brand uses any type of controversial ingredients or harmful ingredients.
Product Safety: Recall History of Orijen & Vital Essentials?
Orijen has been recalled once.
- Nov. 22, 2008: irradiation treatment consequences
Vital Essentials has been recalled 4 times.
- July 8, 2015: Listeria monocytogenes
- Jan. 15, 2016: Salmonella
- Feb. 24, 2018: Salmonella
- April 16, 2018: Salmonella
Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?
| Dry Dog Food | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Per Pound | $12.58 | $37.19 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0060 | $0.0186 |
| Dry Cat Food | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Per Pound | $6.57 | $39.03 |
| Per Calorie | $0.0036 | $0.0200 |
The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.
If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Orijen or Vital Essentials, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.
Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Orijen or Vital Essentials will depend on your shopping habits.
Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Orijen and Vital Essentials. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.
- 20% Off First Auto-Ship @ PetFlow (Use Code PAWDIET20)
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Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!
Where To Buy Orijen Pet Foods
You can purchase Orijen pet foods from the following stores:
Where To Buy Vital Essentials Pet Foods
You can purchase Vital Essentials pet food products from these retailers:
Type Of Pet Foods Available
| Product | Orijen | Vital Essentials |
| Dry Dog Food | 14 Recipes | None |
| Wet Dog Food | 3 Recipes | None |
| Dog Treats | 13 Treats | 30 Treats |
| Dry Cat Food | 7 Recipes | None |
| Wet Cat Food | None | None |
| Cat Treats | 6 Treats | 8 Treats |
Top Rated Orijen Recipes
Top Rated Vital Essentials Recipes
