The Ultimate Healthy Dog Life: Acana Dog Food Reviews

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Introduction

Acana manufactures its pet food products in its own labs which are located in Alberta, Canada. The company also only use fresh ingredients sourced locally. As soon as the ingredients for Arcana pet food are harvested, they’re immediately sent to the lab to be used, unlike other manufacturers who store them for long periods at a time. Acana’s approach is a much better one.

Because they have their own facilities, it means there isn’t a third-party company producing dog food ensuring quality control is always top of the agenda and the sources of all ingredients used in the formulas are known. They market themselves as a high-quality dog food and, as per this review, you’ll see their bark is as good as their bite.

Rating

We give Acana Dog Food a respectable 4.8 out of stars.

At a Glance: Our Choices for the Acana Dog Food

• Acana Wild Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
• Acana Heritage Free-Run Poultry
• Acana Regionals Wild Atlantic Dry Dog Food
• Acana Regionals Appalachian Ranch
• Acana Singles Duck and Pear
• Acana Singles Lamb and Apple

DOG FOOD	DETAILS	OUR RATING
Acana Wild Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food	The first ingredient is fresh chicken; others include fresh turkey meat, fresh chicken giblets, chicken meal and turkey meal An incredibly rich source of proteins Cane be fed to dogs at any life stage
Acana Heritage Free-Run Poultry	Consists of a diversity of fresh poultry Some of the core ingredients are chicken, chicken liver, chicken heart, chicken gizzard and chicken meal Does not have any artificial colors, preservatives or anonymous meat by-products Enriched with dietary fiber, vitamin B and minerals, which areprovided
Acana Regionals Wild Atlantic Dry Dog Food​​​​​	Highly recommended for senior dogs Loaded with wild-caught mackerel, herring, redfish and yellowtail flounder Completely void of pea or protein concentrates Fortified with veggies, fruits and botanicals
Acana Regionals Appalachian Ranch	Offers a grain-free and carb-limited diet for yourpooch Consists of up to 70% meat ingredients; at least half of these meats are fresh Ingredients are carefully selected to enable dogs absorb all nutrients naturally All ingredients are raised or fished from local Kentucky ranches
Acana Singles Duck and Pear	The key ingredients include deboned duck, duck meal, whole grain peas, red lentils and duck fat The inclusion of duck meat makes it suitable for dogs that experience foodsensitivities Glucosamine and chondroitin can be derived from the premium-quality duck ingredients Generous infusions of freeze-dried duck liver to increase your dog’s appetite
Acana Singles Lamb and Apple	Consists of 60% lamb for nourishing your pooch Other ingredients include lamb meal, apples, red lentils and sunflower oil Completely free of plant proteins Contains no synthetic additives

Review

The grain-free food from Acana contains 60% meat, with much of it being fresh meat. This means that once the water is removed, the dry content is a lot less, but it’s still more than the majority of other dry foods—and the quality can’t be beaten.

What makes Acana unique is that the company believes dogs are still largely unchanged from wolves and they manufacture their food according to this philosophy. All their products including Acana adult and Acana puppy are based on the types of food that would have been eaten in certain North American territories, such as Wild Prairie, Ranchlands, Pacifica, and Grasslands. They also aim to recreate various diets that would include different meat and fish sources, as well as fruit, vegetables, and herbs. If it isn’t found in the wild, it isn’t found in Acana.

Another positive is that the company focuses on the protein content rather than the carbohydrates. This is because dogs’ bodies benefit more from protein than anything else.

While some nutritionists don’t agree with this formula, there’s no denying the product contains high-quality ingredients or that the food is rated by satisfied customers and canines. The proof, as they say, is in the eating.

You’ll find out all you need to know about Acana pet food here:

PROS

Variety

Acana uses a variety of meat that enhances the taste of the food. Your dog will enjoy feeding time without you having to force-feed them.

Nutrition

All the organs and cartilage of the animals are used in the recipe when making food. This gives your pet a diet that’s rich in vitamins, nutrients, and a texture dogs love.

Grain-free

A lot of breeds battle to digest the grain used in dog food. Acana has zero grain, which keeps the chance of allergic reactions low.

Antioxidants

Your pet benefits from the antioxidants sourced from the fruits and vegetables used in Acana.

Cons

Price

Acana is one of the more expensive dog foods available on the market.

Product line

1. Acana Wild Prairie Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Acana Wild Prairie Grain-Free is their best selling product. It’s made from the freshest farm products and is suitable for any breed because of the complete balance of healthy ingredients and how closely it matches a dog’s natural diet.

2. Acana Heritage Free-Run Poultry

This is the signature line of Acana and is available in three different meat varieties. As you would expect from Acana, it has everything that’s healthy for your dog, with protein being the main priority. The free-run poultry recipe has chicken liver, deboned chicken, gizzard, heart, and chicken meal.

Carbohydrate sources include lentils, green peas, and pinto beans. For omega fatty acids there is herring oil and egg while pumpkin, kale, kelp, carrots, and pears provide the antioxidants. As if that’s not enough, there are probiotics for digestion along with botanicals and herbs for their homeopathic benefits.

3. Acana Regionals Wild Atlantic Dry Dog Food

Acana Regionals mimics the natural food sources from different areas.With mackerel, redfish, herring, and silver hake as the primary ingredients, the range is aptly named Wild Atlantic. Catfish, herring, and sunflower supply the essential fatty acids and yellow and green peas and lentils are the main sources of carbohydrates and fiber. As per the other products, Regionals Wild contains a mix of vegetables and fruit, as well as homeopathic botanicals and probiotics.

4. Acana Regionals Appalachian Ranch

Appalachian Ranch, as the name suggests, has beef, lamb, pork, and bison as the main protein while organs, bone and cartilage make up the necessary ratio requirements. Fresh fruit and vegetables provide the vitamins and antioxidants. Rosehips, chicory root, and juniper berries are included as natural supplements.

5. Acana Singles Duck and Pear

Acana’s Singles line has four varieties, one of which is Duck and Pear. Duck is a protein source that’s used to replace as other meat that might cause an allergic reaction like beef or chicken.

Some organs from the duck are also used, including the liver, bone and cartilage. Lentils and peas provide moderate levels of carbohydrates, and Bartlett pear, along with other fruit and vegetables up the antioxidants.

6. Acana Singles Lamb and Apple

Lamb and lamb meal are the primary ingredients in Acana’s limited ingredient line. For pups that might have issues with the more common proteins used in dog food, mackerel is a unique source with a low allergic reaction. Mustard greens, apples, kelp, and pumpkin are just some of the ingredients used for their vitamins and antioxidant properties.

Ingredient Analysis

Acana dog food analysis shows the ingredients used are very good. There are no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives added and all the ingredients form part of a healthy, balanced diet. The bacterium Enterococcus faecium that’s used as a probiotic is questionable but there is no evidence as to whether it’s harmful or has any benefits. More research is needed; however, given Acana’s reputation, it’s not too much of a concern.

Recall History

Acana dog food recall? We can confidently report that at the time of this article there have been no recalls since they entered the market. Even though we doubt this will change, should there be any recalls we’ll report it immediately.

Conclusion

From Acana dog food reviews across the board, it’s clear the company is focused on making a quality pet food that is complete and balanced. Their foods are produced with high levels of fats and proteins and very little ‘filler’ ingredients. Although it’s one of the more expensive dog food brands on the market, the price is justified because of the superior ingredients used that provide above-average nutrient levels. Acana meets AAFCO nutritional requirements and the packaging includes a “best use by” date.​​​​​

Images via Amazon.com

Top Picks For Our Dogs

1. BEST PUPPY TOY
   We Like: Calmeroos Puppy Toy w/ Heartbeat and Heat Packs - Perfect for new puppies. Helps ease anxiety in their new home.
2. BEST DOG CHEW
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3. BEST DOG TREATS
   We Like: Crazy Dog Train Me Treats - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.
4. BEST FRESH DOG FOOD
   We Like: The Farmer's Dog - A couple months ago we started feeding Raven fresh dog food and she loves it! Get 50% off your first order of The Farmer's Dog.

For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining.com blog.