Acana Grain-Free (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★★

Acana Grain-Free dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.

The Acana Grain-Free product line includes four dry dog foods. According to the company, each recipe is designed for all breeds and meets AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.

  • Acana Ranchlands
  • Acana Grasslands
  • Acana Wild Prairie
  • Acana Pacifica

Acana Grasslands Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Acana Grasslands

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 36% | Fat = 20% | Carbs = 36%

Ingredients: Boneless lamb, lamb meal, salmon meal, herring meal, russet potato, peas, chicken fat (naturally preserved with vitamin E), sweet potato, boneless walleye, sun-cured alfalfa, natural lamb flavor, boneless duck, whole eggs, pumpkin, spinach, turnip greens, tomatoes, carrots, apples, organic kelp, cranberries, blueberries, juniper berries, black currants, chicory root, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, lavender flowers, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, zinc proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, iron proteinate, vitamin B6, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, selenium, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this food lists lamb. Although it is a quality item, raw lamb contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.

Which brings us to lamb meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.

Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.

The third and fourth ingredients include salmon meal and herring meal… two more high-protein meat concentrates.

We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item1 appears to be ethoxyquin-free.

The fifth ingredient is russet potato. Sometimes referred to as an Idaho potato, this is the most common type of potato grown in the United States. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

The sixth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

The seventh ingredient lists chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

In keeping with its promise to include 60 percent animal ingredients and 40 percent fruits and vegetables2, Acana goes on to add a number of other healthy items…

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, we note this food contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

And finally, Acana also appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.

Acana Grain-Free Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Acana Grain-Free appears to be a top-drawer dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 36%, a fat level of 20% and estimated carbohydrates of about 36%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 36% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 37% for the overall product line.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.

With no evidence of any plant-based protein boosters, this appears to be the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Acana Grain-Free is a meat-based dry dog food using a significant amount of chicken, salmon or lamb meal as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Those looking for a product from the same company with even more meat may wish to visit our review of Orijen Dog Food.

Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

01/26/2010 Original review
09/02/2010 Review updated

  1. Acana website, 9/2/2010 ↩
  2. Acana, 01/26/2010 ↩
Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Lori J.

    Melissa, What is the link to Acana’s FAQ page???  I can only find Orijen’s FAQ page…

  • melissa

    Codiak517-

    I would be intereted to know how they respond! According to their frequently asked questions page, they are 100 percent “china free” even for vitamins etc

  • melissa

    Guest-

    I love the Acana too. The Ranchlands is the most expensive of the line, so if you need to “cut back” at some point, remember the Wild Prairie is the least expensive at around $49.75 per bag. I rotate all 4 varieties w/out any stomach issues.

  • Codiak517

    I’m curious about (and just wrote them) the source of the ingredients “folic acid” and “taurine”…TOW told me that their folic acid and taurine DO come from China…..I appreciated their honesty.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Sarah,

    I just checked the Acana Grasslands website and I find the ingredients list and all nutritional data identical to what’s posted on this review.

    Either the company has made a change in their recipe and has not yet had a chance to update its website.

    Or you may have purchased an out-of-date older product.

    Until I’m certain why there is a discrepancy with your particular product, I cannot update my review.

    Thanks for the tip.

  • guest

    I recently purchased my first quality product.  I chose the Acana grain-free (ranchlands).  I am slowly transitioning my 10-week old GSD mix and my 3 and1/2 year old dobie from the cheap food to the good food.  They both seem to be taking to it quite well, and they are constantly sniffing the bag!  Though my husband isn’t thrilled about the cost (going from a 44# bag @sandypugmamma:disqus $14.99 to a 29.7# bag for $64.00), I believe that I will make up for some of the difference in cost because of the lesser feeding amounts; Ibelieve the cheap brand suggested somewhere between 4 and1/2 to 6 and 1/2 cups per day.  The Acana feeding guidelines are 2 to 3 cups for the pup (that’s doubling the recommended adult feeding), and about 1 and 1/2 to 2 and 1/4 for the dobie, per day.  I used to think that I couldn’t afford to feed a more expensive food.  Thanks to the information provided by this web site, I see that I can’t afford not to.

  • guest

    I just wanted to thank Mike for a great website!  Until recently, I was totally unaware of what was potentially in my cheap, commercially-made dog food.  Your website has helped me to become more educated and concious about the products I choose to feed my dogs.  As a result, I have become an informed consumer, and have suggested your website to my family members and friends.
    I, like many, had no idea how to read a dog food label, or what some ingredients really were.  I was guilty of feeding one of the Kroger brands to my dogs for several years; I am convinced that the poor quality food I was giving them is a major contributing factor to the death of my first dog, Saint.  He was a beautiful red and rust dobie, and he died one month and twelve days after his 10th birthday.  I was unemployed at the time, and didn’t have the money to have the vet further investigate his illness, so we decided it would be best to have him euthanized.  I can tell you that he gradually became less active, lethargic, temperamental, incontinent, and, eventually, immobile.  The guilt I feel, knowing what I know now, could almost consume me.  Oh, how I wish I knew then what I know now.
    Though there is nothing I can do to redeem myself for my past ignorance and unawareness, there is something I can do for my current companions.    

  • Sarah

    You have reviewed Acana “Grasslands” but the ingredients are wrong, this product has no chicken fat – here are the ingredients from the bag that I have recently purchased;

    ACANA Grassland Ingredients:
    Lamb meal, sweet potato, raw de-boned lamb, peas, fresh whole eggs, sun-cured alfalfa, sunflower oil, fresh de-boned walleye, pumpkin, fresh de-boned northern pike, apples, carrots, turnip greens, organic sea vegetables (kelp, bladderwrack, dulse), juniper berries, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, black currants, angelica root, chicory root, red clover, red raspberry leaf, dandelion root, peppermint leaf, marigold flowers,chamomile flowers, rosemary extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium.

    Great product, my dog has allergies so I switched, he loves this and his coat has never been so nice.  Worth the money, I end up saving because used to buy allergy meds too.

  • Pnparks

    Karen, I feed Acana Grasslands and Pacifica because it is not made in the USA.  Canada has much stricter guidelines and Acana/Orijen lines are manufactured from their own plant, unlike most US foods that are processed thru just a few plants nationwide.

    I have four dogs of my own and occasionally a foster…while the cost is high, I feel I’m getting what I pay for and my dogs all do well.  They love the variety of flavors, stools are small and formed…I can’t say enough good things about the Orijen/Acana line of foods.

  • melissa

    Karen-

    No one here can address issues of safety-you are best bringing those questions to the manufacturer if you have specific concerns. I can tell you I have fed it for 8mths now(with a mix of other foods) and love it. I have used all varieties(grassland, ranchland, pacifica and wild prairie) and my dogs of all ages and size do wonderfully.

  • sharron

    hi
     
    started lexee, my 3 yr old yorkie/chihuahua, on acana pacifica again and this time i am going to stay with it. It’s the only dry that she really likes and will eat without me having to coax her or have to hand feed.

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