When you think about trusting a dog food brand that has been steady in its games for decades, Champion Petfoods is one name you can not miss. They are not only popular in Canada but are a globally renowned brand, delivering premium quality dog food across the globe.
They claim their recipes have the perfect blend of 85% premium animal-based ingredients and 15% fruits and vegetables that help your canine’s digestive health. Their recipes are free from artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and have no allergic ingredients like soy, corn, or wheat.
However, you can’t just get sold by their words, right? And you don’t have to! Since today I will be breaking down all their dog food recipes to give you a wholesome review of the ACANA dog food brand. So keep on reading!
But first, let’s take a glance at some of the top favorite products by ACANA dog foods.
| Product Name | Type | Specialty | Rating | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy & Junior recipe | Dry | The first two ingredients are raw chicken & turkey | 4.6/5 | All breeds puppies |
| Wholesome Grains | Dry | Fiber-rich recipe for good digestion | 4.6/5 | Large breed puppies |
| Premium Pâté, Puppy Recipe in Bone Broth | Canned | The first three ingredients are fresh or raw chicken, chicken liver, and chicken bone broth. | 5/5 | All breeds puppies |
| High protien chiken liver biscuits | Treats | Made with five simple ingredients: that include free-run chicken liver | 4.7/5 | Medium to large breed dogs |
| Farm-raised beef & liver recipe | Dry | Contains ACANA kibble and chewy, protein-rich jerky | 4.9/5 | All adults breed |
| Free Run poultry recipe | Dry | 60% free-run poultry and 40% fruits and vegetables | 5/5 | All breeds and life stages |
| Freshwater fish recipe | Dry | Contains rainbow trouts, catfish, and perch | 4.8/5 | All breeds and life stages |
| Red meat recipe | Dry | 60% ranch-raised beef and Yorkshire pork | 4.8/5 | All breeds and life stages |
| Wild-caught salmon recipe | Dry | Ruch with raw wild-caught salmon and whole herring | 4.7/5 | All breeds, adult maintenance |
| Light and fit recipe | Dry | Helps balance healthy weight | 4.9/5 | All breeds, adult |
| Singles, lamb & apple recipe | Dry | Grain-free recipe, with poutine sourced from a single animal | 4.5/5 | All life stages |
At a Glance: Acana Dog Foods
Later I have talked about the brand and the recipes in detail, but if you are in a hurry, here are some important facts about the brand that you must know:
- ACANA is a brand manufactured by Champion petfoods.
- The brand is known for its premium dog food recipes.
- The brand mostly shows its variety in dry dog food, be it meal recipes or treats; hence if you are looking for canned food, you’ll find very few options.
- They do have grain inclusive and exclusive range.
- Their wide variety of recipes is categorized based on life stages, breed size, health concerns, and even food preference (i.e., single source and grain-free range)
- Most of their products have an average of 65% protein, amongst which a large part is raw protein.
- The brand is free from artificial colors, preservatives, or dog allergens like soy, corn, and wheat.
About Acana Dog Food
- Nutrient-dense, High-protein recipe
- Coated with freeze-dried beef, pork, and lamb
- The world’s finest ingredients
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ACANA is a Canadian dog food brand that originated in Alberta. But their premium quality has made them popular all over the globe. However, it took some time to reach that position, having been founded in 1985.
Though they started their journey from Alberta, their factories are now set up in other places, such as Edmonton, Auburn, and Kentucky.
You can easily order through their website’s “WHERE TO BUY” section, where they’ll show you where you can find their products. They have partnered with thousands of local neighborhood pet stores across different countries and continents and are available online on Amazon.
Besides you can also find them in your nearby Walmart, Target, Petsmart, Kmart, eBay, or Sears.
Who Makes Acana Dog Food?
As mentioned before, the famous Champion petfoods founded ACANA in 1985. The company is also the manufacturer of Orijen pet foods. Like ACANA, the manufacturer started its journey from Alberta, Canada, and soon took over the global premium pet food sector.
Champion serves in over 90 countries with all its brands (Biologically Appropriate pet foods, Orijen and ACANA). The manufacturer swears by using fresh regional ingredients. However, since most of their manufacturing facilities are in the US and Canada, the ingredients are also sourced from there.
However, on November 1st, 2022, global giant Mars Pet Care acquired Champion Petfoods; therefore, they handle the production now.
Five-Factor Review Of Acana Dog Food
Picking the right dog food for your fur baby is a tough decision, especially when you don’t know how to check its credibility. But I’m here to help you out!
Whenever you try out a new brand for your dog, do a five-factor check on them, where the factors are: recipes, ingredients, nutritional analysis, price, and recall history. So let’s check these factors for ACANA and determine if it’s good for your dog.
1. Recipes
Just like we have different tastes and nutritional needs, dogs do too. So if you are picking a new brand, it better have a variety that can meet the different needs of your canine. ACANA will never fail you in that aspect, as their dog food recipes have a huge variety.
However, most of them are in dry form, so if you are looking for canned or wet dog food, they offer limited variety. They have over 50+ products, including dry dog food, canned foods, and kibbles. Their products can be broadly categorized into these types:
- Life stage: Under this, they have three sections-for puppies, adults, and seniors.
- Special diets: Under this, they have:
- Limited ingredient variety
- Grain-free options
- Grain inclusive options
- Healthy weight variety
- Premium chunks wet food: They have six different wet chunk food options.
2. Ingredients
Even if a brand claims to have a variety in its products, you shouldn’t get sold on that. Always check for the ingredients they use and from where they source them. In the case of ACANA, they use ethically sourced and farm-breed ingredients in their products.
Their production process happens in the USA and Canada, so the respective production facilities source raw materials from their neighborhood. Now that we know where they source their ingredients let’s look at the predominant ingredients in their recipes.
- Deboned Chicken: These are high-quality sources of protein, which are essential for dogs to build and repair tissues, maintain a healthy coat, and support their immune system.
- Deboned Turkey: Like chicken, turkey does the same and provides necessary amino acids that help in various bodily functions like muscle development.
- Legumes: Legumes, such as peas and lentils, are often included in dog food as a source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy to dogs, supporting their daily activities and overall health.
- Chicken Liver: Chicken liver is a nutrient-dense organ meat that contains various vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, iron, and copper. Vitamin A is essential for their vision, immune function, and skin health. At the same time, iron and copper are vital for oxygen transport in the blood and enzyme functions.
- Beef: Beef is another protein-rich ingredient providing amino acids for muscle maintenance and growth. It also contains essential minerals like zinc and selenium, contributing to a healthy immune system and promoting skin and coat health.
- Catfish Meal: Catfish meal is a dehydrated and concentrated source of protein from catfish. It is a good alternative for dogs with poultry or other meat allergies.
However, I must point out that some of their recipes have lentil fiber, a controversial ingredient in dog food. But since it’s listed way below in the ingredient list, it has little to no scope for causing any harm.
3. Nutritional Analysis
Bu looking at the ingredient list of ACANA, if I had to sum up their nutritional analysis in one word, that would be above-average dry product. Below are the average nutritional percentages of the recipes:
| Nutrient | Percentage |
| Crude Protein | 33% |
| Crude Fat | 19% |
| Carbohydrate | 40% |
Their fat-to-protein ratio is around 53%. After looking at the numbers, I can confirm that their protein and fat content are above average. But the carbs are below average when compared to other dry dog foods.
Apart from the meats, they use various legumes that add to their protein profile. Therefore, their nutritional profile gets a thumbs up from me.
4. Price
The prices can vary from recipe to recipe, but on average, they are priced between $35 to $52. They market themselves as a premium dog food brand; hence the price range isn’t shocking or outrageous.
5. Recall History
It’s commendable how ACANA, to date, has never recalled any of its products.
However, the parent company, Champion Petfoods, has two lawsuits against it.
Both were in 2020. One was the sourcing of trout fish they use in their ACANA line. And the other was under the allegation of deceptive marketing by using words like “free-run” chicken.
It’s worth noting that both cases have been resolved with Champion Petfoods making changes in their packaging and marketing.
Pros
- Has a variety of recipes to choose from
- Their dry recipes contain less carbohydrates compared to other kibbles
- Their products don’t have any added minerals
- The protein content is above average
Cons
- The recipes are ultra-processed
- Some products don’t mention the omega-3 and 6 ratios
- Has a lot of legumes in its top 5 ingredients, which can have high pesticides and herbicides
Our Rating
Overall the brand has the qualities required for a good dog food brand, and they have been successfully delivering quality for quite some time now. Their segments, especially for senior dogs and those with special health concerns, are great.
However, suppose you have a healthy adult dog and looking for maintenance food. In that case, you will have better chicken or beef recipes of good quality at a lower price.
FAQ’s
How Do I Transition My Pet To Acana Foods?
As their official website suggests, you should slowly transition from your dog’s existing brand to ACANA. For that, they suggest taking five to seven days to slowly introduce the new brand to your dog.
For day one, keep 75% of the old one and add 25% ACANA, and then on day two, make it 50-50. Gradually increase ACANA’s percentage to transition 100% on it.
Does Acana Perform Any Animal Testing?
ACANA claims that they only conduct tests with the products that they would allow their companion dogs to have. Their tests are usually palatability (taste ) tests, digestibility tests, and AAFCO feeding trials. If the recipes are not ok for their pets, they cancel them.
Why Do Acana Foods Contain Botanicals?
While in the wild, your dog used to graze on greeneries, like grass and plants. Since botanicals are a requirement for the health of your pet, Acana pet foods contain botanical ingredients for a natural diet and peak health conditions.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt about ACANA dog food’s safety since it is a globally renowned and acclaimed brand. Their protein portions are better than average, so if that’s your priority, you should go for it. Their prices are pretty decent, too, considering the fact that they segment themselves as a premium product.
However, I suggest buying their more specific or targeted recipes, like the ones specially made for seniors or the ones with a single protein source. That’s how you’ll get the most of your money’s worth.
Ankita is a passionate pet lover and head of content at Pet Food Brands. With her extensive knowledge and research, she provides pet owners with top-quality information on dog food and nutrition. Her dedication to improving the lives of dogs makes her a leading voice in the industry.
