Rating: 
Canidae Dry Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Canidae product line includes five dry dog foods… four meeting AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and one for adult maintenance (Platinum for seniors and weight loss).
- Canidae All Life Stage
- Canidae Beef and Fish
- Canidae Lamb and Rice
- Canidae Chicken and Rice
- Canidae Platinum (3 stars)
Canidae All Life Stages Formula dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Canidae All Life Stages Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, peas, potatoes, oatmeal, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), millet, tomato pomace, natural flavor, flaxseed meal, ocean fish meal, choline chloride, suncured alfalfa meal, inulin (from chicory root), lecithin, sage extract, cranberries, beta-carotene, rosemary extract, sunflower oil, Yucca schidigera extract, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, papaya, pineapple
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 16% | 49% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 23% | 34% | 43% |
The first three ingredients in this dog food are all meals… chicken meal, turkey meal and lamb meal. These particular components are considered meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than their respective fresh meats.
The next three items are rice ingredients… brown rice, white rice and rice bran. Although they’re a mixture of both high and low quality cereal grains, there’s a bigger issue to consider here…
The questionable practice of ingredient splitting.
You see, if you were to combine all three ingredients, the rice would (rightfully) occupy a higher position on the list… probably nudging out one (or more) of the prior meat items.
And this would significantly alter the profile of the finished product… something to keep in mind.
The seventh ingredient lists peas. Peas are considered a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re loaded with natural fiber.
What’s more, peas contain about 25% protein… protein that must be counted as a contributor to the total protein in this food.
The eighth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The ninth ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is (unlike many other grains) mostly gluten-free.
The tenth ingredient lists barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.
The eleventh ingredient is 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.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other 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…
Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product left after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as a cheap pet food filler laden with pesticides found on the skin of the tomato before processing.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
Ocean fish meal is another meat concentrate. Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “ocean fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. What species? What parts?
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
We are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
The manufacturer 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.
This dog food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Canidae Dry Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Canidae appears to be a good 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 27%, a fat level of 16% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 49%.
If you exclude the lower-rated Platinum product, the brand reveals an average protein content of 26% and a mean fat level of 15%.
Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 51% for the full product line.
Below-average protein. Average fat. And above-average carbs… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no evidence of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
Although Canidae kibble resides at the lower end of its category for meat content, the product’s lack of any crucial Red Flag items (just barely) qualifies the line for its current rating.
Bottom line?
Canidae Dry Dog Food is primarily a grain-based kibble using only a fair amount of poultry, lamb or fish meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a better kibble from the same company may wish to check out our review of Canidae Grain Free 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
12/06/2009 Original review
07/17/2010 Review updated
11/09/2010 Updated (ethoxyquin free)
11/09/2010 Last Update
- Reader Comment, 11/9/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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