In this article
We give Acana dog food a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars
Acana is a unique company that produces dog food in Alberta, Canada, and Auburn, Kentucky. It manufactures dog food for the American market in Auburn and formulas for Canada and Europe in Alberta. Champion Pet Foods, Acana’s parent company, has been making dog food in Canada since 1985. Champion Pet Foods also produces Orijen, a more expensive, premium dog food.
Acana provides a variety of dry dog food, most of which are created to support a grain-free diet. Their products suit all life stages, and they even have specialized diets for puppies or senior dogs. Boasting a competitive price tag for the dog food market while still keeping true to its roots of using high-quality, natural ingredients in its formulas, Acana is an excellent stepping stone to balanced nutrition for our dogs.
At a Glance: The Best Acana Recipes
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Free-Run Poultry Recipe + Wholesome Grains |
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Meadowland Grain-Free Dry Dog Food |
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Singles Limited Ingredient Duck & Pear |
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Singles + Wholesome Grains Diet Duck & Pumpkin |
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Wholesome Grains Puppy Recipe |
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Acana’s most popular formulas are grain-free and specialized limited-ingredient recipes. However, the recent release of grain-inclusive formulas is equally impressive as its long-standing recipes. Let’s take a quick look at some of our favorites:
Acana Pet Food Reviewed
Just like their sister company Orijen, Acana is built on the principles of providing the highest-quality dog food without sacrificing balanced nutrition or ignoring dogs with food sensitivities. Acana carefully monitors and crafts everything that goes into your dog’s food bowl.
Who Makes Acana and Where Is It Produced?
Originally established in 1985, Champion Pet Foods has built and earned its stellar reputation and awards. Champion Pet Foods originally started in Canada and currently produces both Acana and Orijen dog food labels. The Acana headquarters is still located in Alberta, Canada, but Champion Pet Foods has since expanded into Kentucky.
As of 2016, all Acana products sold in the United States have been explicitly made in the Kentucky facility. Champion also emphasizes the use of locally sourced ingredients, especially locally raised meat, in its formulas and products.
Which Types of Dogs Is Acana Best Suited For?
Acana offers formulas for dogs in all stages of life. From our puppies to our seniors, Acana has you covered. Not only do they have recipes for the average adult dog, but they also have specific recipes crafted for dietary needs. Acana primarily focuses on animal-based proteins in its formulas, making it an outstanding choice for the average dog. If your dog has known food sensitivities or allergies, Acana has specialty recipes—even recipes like their Light and Fit formula for weight management and body conditioning.
While the original line was built around a grain-free diet, Acana has adapted beautifully to the changes in the dog food industry and now offers grain-inclusive formulas. We encourage you to speak to your veterinarian about which formula is best for your dog. If you know your dog has no grain sensitivity, Acana’s grain-inclusive formulas are hard to beat.
Because of Acana’s extensive recipe offerings, you can’t go wrong with the basic or allergy-friendly formulas. No matter what breed of furry friend you have, Acana is bound to have a recipe that fits your needs.
Primary Ingredients in Acana Dog Food
Regarding the ingredients in its food, Acana doesn’t cut corners. There is always a high-quality, whole meat protein source listed as the first ingredient, ensuring your dog gets the nutrient-dense diet built from animal-sourced proteins they need to thrive. You can count on Acana’s formulas to provide the essential amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals through a whole prey-based diet, which naturally contains all the nutrients your dog needs without any additives.
With their ingredients sourced from trusted farmers, ranchers, and fishermen and then handcrafted in their Kentucky kitchens, Acana’s commitment to safety and quality runs strong in their ingredients.
A Quick Look at Acana Dog Food
- Uses sustainable and local meat sources
- Made in the United States
- Owned and manufactured by the same company
- No history of product recalls
- Excellent ingredient transparency
- Grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes
- Not available at all pet food retailers
- No wet food options
- FDA has associated them with DCM due to grain-free products
Recall History
We searched high and low and found no history of product recalls for Acana. Champion Pet Foods as a whole has not been subject to any product recalls. With over 40 years of production, never having a single product recall is worthy of gold stars for Acana and Champion Pet Foods.
However, it is worth mentioning that the FDA listed Acana amongst 15 other dog food brands offering grain-free products linked to the development of DCM.
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Reviews of the 3 Best Acana Dog Food Recipes
Let’s take a closer look at three of their most popular recipes:
1. Acana Free-Run Poultry Recipe + Wholesome Grains
As you can guess from its name, this is one of the special formulas developed to be grain-inclusive. With its first two ingredients being fresh, nutrient-dense chicken and turkey, and its high protein content supported by wholesome grains and butternut squash and pumpkin, it’s easy to see why this recipe is so popular. While this recipe features healthy grains like oats, it is still gluten-free—providing a high-fiber diet that supports healthy digestion.
Acana includes free-range chicken, turkey, and cage-free eggs from local farmers. You can trust that this formula is free from legumes, gluten, and potato ingredients while providing your dog with a highly nutritious, healthy, and supportive diet.
- Grain-inclusive formula
- High animal protein percentage
- Made locally in the United States
- Uses raw and fresh ingredients
- Some dogs may be sensitive to the chicken and egg
2. Acana Meadowland Grain-free Dog Food
This is one of Acana’s most popular grain-free recipes it offers in the regional product line. With its hearty mix of free-range chicken, turkey, and wild-caught fish like catfish and rainbow trout, this 70% animal-based recipe is a hit among pet owners for a reason. Acana relies on whole animal sources for its products, ensuring your dog benefits from all the essential nutrients found naturally in organs, cartilage, and muscle meat.
This powerhouse recipe also includes 30% raw and fresh fruits and veggies like whole pumpkin, collard greens, butternut squash, apples, and pears. The Meadowland recipe, just like all of Acana’s recipes, uses premium ingredients that are locally sourced and farmed for the best possible product for canines.
- High in animal-based protein
- Suitable for dogs with grain sensitivities
- Wide variety of whole fruits and vegetables
- Uses raw and fresh ingredients
- Uses lentils, peas, and chickpeas
3. Acana Singles Limited Ingredient Duck and Pear Dog Food
It’s impossible not to include one of Acana’s limited ingredient recipes on this list, and this Singles formula is hard to skip out on. This standout recipe not only provides its protein from a single animal source but it is also made without corn or peas. The real star of the recipe is that 60% of its overall formula is comprised solely of duck— half of which is raw or fresh.
Packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and taurine to help support your dog in every way possible, this is an allergy-friendly must-have from the Acana line.
- Animal protein comes from a single source
- Suitable for dogs with grain sensitivities
- No wheat, potatoes, rice, or tapioca
- Includes whole prey type protein and nutrients
- Contains whole fruits and veggies like cranberries and pumpkin
- Includes pea protein
What Other Users Are Saying
As with any product, the more reviews you can find about it, the better. Let’s take a look at comments from other reviewers who have taken the time to research and dive into Acana’s products:
- Dog Food Network: “With all fresh ingredients and Kentucky-based state-of-the-art kitchens, Acana dog food is proving itself as a reliable brand for healthy dog food for all types of breeds.”
- Dog Food Advisor: “Acana is a grain-free dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars. Highly recommended.”
- Dog Food Insider: “All of their [Acana’s] ingredients are local to their area. They don’t use ethoxyquin or other artificial preservatives. Champion’s manufacturing standards are considered to be very high.”
- DogNerdz: “It is an ideal food for dogs due to its carefully adapted ingredients, where each food item is added to fill a function, and where “natural” is the key.”
- Amazon: It’s always a great idea to check in with a company we love when it comes to finding our reviews and comments about a specific product, and where better to check in than on Amazon?
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to go wrong with Acana’s high-quality product lines. While Acana was originally a grain-free company, its release of an impressive grain-inclusive line following the FDA’s statements on a grain-free diet gives it extra brownie points in our book.
Acana offers well-rounded and balanced nutritional recipes and deserves its place as a household name in the dog food market.
2 Responses
I have a Saint Bernard who is allergic to chicken, so I looked all over for a chicken free dog food and found Acana. Since putting her on it she was stopped chewing on her foot pads and all her other itching has stopped as well. I highly recommend this product, she loves it.
Hello Cheryl.
Thank you for sharing this with us. We are very happy that you were able to find a good food alternative for your Saint Bernard!