Addiction Dog Food (Canned)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★★½

Addiction canned dog food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4.5 stars.

The Addiction Dog Food product line lists nine canned recipes… each meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.

  • Addiction Unagi and Seaweed
  • Addiction Safari Buffalo Meatloaf
  • Addiction Hunter’s Venison Stew
  • Addiction Black Forest Rabbit and Blueberries
  • Addiction Turkey with Cranberries and Apples
  • Addiction King Salmon and Potatoes (5 stars)
  • Addiction Herbed Duck Confit and Sweet Potatoes
  • Addiction New Zealand Venison and Apples (5 stars)
  • Addiction New Zealand Brushtail and Vegetables (5 stars)

Addiction King Salmon and Potatoes was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

Addiction King Salmon and Potatoes

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 40% | Fat = 10% | Carbs = 42%

Ingredients: King salmon, hoki, potatoes, peas, carrots, lemons, oranges, carrageenan, cassia gums, taurine, calcium carbonate, choline chloride, zinc sulphate, ferrous sulphate, vitamin E supplement, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, niacin supplement, sodium selenite, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this dog food is salmon. Salmon is a fatty marine and freshwater fish naturally high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids… essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.

The second item is hoki… a white fish found along the southern coasts of Australia and New Zealand. Although it is not as rich in fatty acids as salmon, it is just as high in protein.

The third ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.

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

The fifth item lists carrots. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

Next, we note the inclusion of two fruits, lemons and oranges.

Carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Carrageenan has been safely used as a food additive for hundreds of years.

Unfortunately, the listed minerals do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are commonly associated with lower quality dog foods.

Addiction Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line

As a group, the meats used to create these nine Addiction canned dog foods come from some of the most novel animal sources we’ve come across yet.

Based upon uniqueness alone, this product would merit our highest rating.

But variety does not a great product make. The amount of meat a dog food actually contains is of far greater importance than how many different sources that meat comes from.

So, we still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40%, a fat level of 10% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 42%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39% and a mean fat level of 21%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates when compared to a typical canned dog food.

With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet food containing a moderate amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Addiction Dog Food is a meat-based canned product using an ample amount of novel game species as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.

Highly recommended.

Those looking for a nice kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Addiction dry dog food.

A 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 specific health benefits 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

03/29/2010 Original review
10/29/2010 Review updated

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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  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Shaylea,

    I’ve modified my review to reflect the new information you included in your comment regarding menadione..Thanks for sharing this information.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XHYPJVBBFCTEZF2LY7YVZQPOFE Shaylea

    Mike – I am sorry – When I was referring to “low in fat” I meant the Dry Dog Food the Viva la Venison.. Below was the description, but I didn’t think it was considered low fat 14% (especially for those owners who have a dog that had/has pancreatitis)Below is the description from Addiction (Viva la Venison)Low in fat and highly digestible, Venison has a full flavor that dogs simply love. It is also lower in cholesterol and fat than most cuts of meat, making it an ideal protein for optimal well-being and vitality.

    This is the response I received from Addiction:

    Thank you for your email. We add menadione in very small amounts as a precaution from inadequate synthesis in the gut for dogs. In these small quantities they do not pose any health concerns.

    Foods that do not contain menadione are:

    All our canned foodsAll our Raw Dehydrated foods Viva La Venison and Salmon Bleu All our Treats

    I checked again and found that the Canada website incorrectly lists vitamin K in our ingredient list. This website was probably not updated after we had removed Vitamin K from these formulas.

    Thank you for drawing this to our attention.

    Do let me know if you have any further questions.

    Best Regards, Jerel

    http://usa.addictionfoods.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=162&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=57&p_catid=1&p_subcatid=2

    Should be:

    (can)Venison, Apples, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, Carrageenan, Cassia Gums, Dried Seaweed, Garlic, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Sulphate, Manganese Sulphate, Niacin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    I have written to Addiction regarding the vitamin K but have not yet received a reply.

    Regarding the fat content of the kibble, I could not find any Addiction dry dog food product by the name of Venison and Apple. However, 14% fat (15,5% dry matter) cannot be considered low fat but rather close to “average” for all kibbles in our database.

    Hope this helps.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XHYPJVBBFCTEZF2LY7YVZQPOFE Shaylea

     I changed from the Addiction Kanagroo kibble to the Venison kibble because I don’t think it had any form of the Vitamin.

     However (my confusion is here)  the Venison CAN has Vitamin K and you did rate the “can” as a 5 star. Do you know if that Vitamin K is safe?

     See here:

    Free-range New Zealand Venison, Apples, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, Carregeenan & Cassia Gums, Seaweed, Garlic, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B7, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper, Choline, Folic Acid, Iron, Iodine, Niacin, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc

    Also the Venison and Apple Kibble states that it is very low fat, but I don’t think 14% is low.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    That’s a great question, Shaylea,

    The natural version of vitamin K (vitamin K1 and K2) are NOT the same thing as the synthetic version, also known as menadione.

    So, just because a product lists vitamin K in its ingredients list doesn’t necessarily mean it’s menadione..

    However, menadione (K3) is another story. And I try to avoid ever knowingly rate any dog food 5 stars of it contains K3.

    For more in-depth information, you may wish to read my article, The Controversy Over Menadione in Dog Food.

    So, please be specific. Which foods on this site that claim to contain menadione or one of its derivatives are rated 5 stars?

    Thanks for your help.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XHYPJVBBFCTEZF2LY7YVZQPOFE Shaylea

    I’m a bit confused – is Menadione Nicotinamide Bisulfate and Vitamin K the same?
    Some cans or kibble that you have rated 5 stars have Vitamin K ?

  • Smithac3

    Just saw your post and thought I would give a suggestion. I have my shihtzu on the Addiction Venison. It’s grain free, small, flat kibble. I mix about 1/4 a cup with a couple of tbsp of the Addiction wet food. She likes the Duck and sweet potatoe. FYI I was trying to figure out how to warm the wet food up after it was in the fridge and I figured out if I divied the food up in small ziplock baggies and put them in the fridge, I could pull them out and run warm tap water over the bag warming the food inside the closed baggie. She also seems to eat better if I put her in her kennel with her food. I have 4 boys and I think she feels less distracted if she’s in there with her food. I also only leave her with her food for 15 minutes and then I pick it up. It has shown her she needs to eat when I put her food down or she has to wait until her next feeding. It has made her way less picky.  Anyway, take care.

  • Carol Smith

    I have had my 3 yorkies on the addiction dog food for several months the overall health of my dogs went thru the roof the older ones now have the energy of pups the only drawback is the smaller yorkies tend to get constipated on this diet I have remedied this by including more treats with fiber such as dried apple and dried sweet potatoes

  • sandy

    I bought Addiction cans online and it was cheaper than at a store. So was the Weruva – only $2.75 each at Amazon. Addiction was a little more at $3.52.

  • Robby

    Ok I understand. Thanks.
    I was just wondering because the Pet store where I live started selling a few different kinds of this food and I am going to get a couple cans for my Dog to try.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Robby… I can see why this would seem unfair. After all, based on its lack of red flag items alone, the canned form of Addiction looks like a 5-star recipe. However, its meat content appears to be only average for a canned dog food (39.8% average for our entire wet database). Hope this helps.

  • DAWN LEDER

    I THINK..IMO…BECAUSE IT SAYS
    AVERAGE ON PROTEIN-FAT-CARBS? AND ONLY A..MODERATE AMOUNT OF MEAT…
    IM TOTALLY GUESSING

  • Robby

    I’m curious to know why this food has No red items but isn’t rated as a five star food?

  • sharron

    thanks mike

    i forgot to mention before that she is getting ziwipeak canned
    and addiction canned (not that the same time) i rotate between the two.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sharron… The closer a food is to “real” (what a dog would naturally eat “in the wild”) is nearly always the best choice. Kibble is the furthest from a dog’s natural ancestral diet as you can get. While on the other extreme, we fiud a fresh raw (or cooked) diet .

    So, depending on the product, canned dog food falls somewhere in between.

    Any diet (even raw) can be unbalanced. For example, in nature, a dog (wolf) would consume the entire animal… organs, skeletal meat, bones and all. So, simply feeding a completely boneless meat meal 100% of the time would eventually deprive a dog from vital calcium and other crucial nutrients found in the bones and organs.

    In any case, feeding a quality (balanced) wet dog food all the time would certainly be a reasonable feeding plan for most any dog.

    To learn more about the differences between kibble and canned dog food, please be sure to read my article, “What’s Better… Canned or Dry Dog Food?“. Hope this helps.

  • sharron

    hi mike

    what is your opinion on feeding just canned dog food
    she is 2 1/2 yrs old yorkie/chihuahua female, who really doesnt care for dry food. She doesnt get treats except for raw marrow bones nor does she get human food.
    She is healthy and doesnt have teeth problems.

    thanks