Rating: 
Canidae Grain Free canned dog food earns the Advisor’s top rating of five stars.
Currently, the Canidae Grain Free product line includes two canned dog foods. Both meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Canidae Grain Free ALS Formula
- Canidae Grain Free Salmon Formula
Canidae Dog Food Grain Free ALS canned formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Canidae Grain Free ALS Formula
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, turkey, lamb, ocean fish, potatoes, peas, carrageenen, guar gum, locust bean gum, flaxseed oil (source of omega-3 fatty acid), dicalcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, suncured alfalfa meal, calcium sulfate, sunflower oil (source of omega-6 fatty acid), beta-carotene, sage extract, rosemary extract, cranberries, Yucca schidigera extract, choline chloride, taurine, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese proteinate, niacin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food includes chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient lists chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The third item is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
The next two ingredients are turkey and lamb. Like chicken, turkey and lamb are both protein-rich meat components.
The sixth item is ocean fish. Fish can also be considered a quality meat addition.
Unfortunately, this particular ingredient is anonymous. The phrase “ocean fish” does little to adequately describe this item. We always prefer to see a named fish species.
The seventh ingredient includes potatoes. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The eighth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
Carrageenan is a gelatin-like thickening agent extracted from seaweed. Carrageenan has been safely used as a food additive for literally hundreds of years.
Guar gum and locust bean gum are also product thickeners.
The flaxseed oil added to this food is considered one of the best non-fish sources of omega-3 fatty acids… essential to a dog’s life.
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 one notable exception…
We also 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.
Canidae Grain Free Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Canidae Grain Free appears to be a very good canned 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 41%, a fat level of 27% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and an average fat level of 27%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate fraction of 24% for the full product line.
Average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no evidence of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a wet food containing a significant amount of meat.
In addition, it’s important to acknowledge here the absence of any critical Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Canidae Grain Free is a meat-based canned dog food supplying a significant amount of chicken or salmon as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a quality kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Canida Grain Free dry dog food.
A Final Word
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
12/08/2009 Original review
07/20/2010 Review updated
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I have 2 yorkies, approx. 4 lb. One is 4, other is 7. Would like to make their dog food. Do you have good recipe. What commercial food is good for them. They are spoiled and like wet food, especially leftovers.
Hi Helen… hope to be providing advice about home made dog food in the future. But writing the reviews keeps me hopping pretty hard for right now.
As far as recommending a good commercial dog food, stick with one of the three, four or five star foods… and definitely stay away from the one and two star groups. Canned food is great if that’s what your dogs prefer.
I have a question regarding Canidae’s ALS grain free canned formula.
According to this site:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html,
there’s numerous complaints that both Wet & Dry Canidae foods have been making dogs “sick”. I got 8 cans of Canidae’s grain free canned formulas for free from a promotion, and after read the site above, I’m scared to try it. After around 2 months, I’ve finally found a dry kibble (TOTW) that didn’t make my dog have runny poops. I usually mix in a spoonful of Halo or Wellness Canned wet food, and add some warm water into her food, and she loves it.
My primary concern is should I even try the canned food, and risk seeing runny poops again? And also concerned at the validity and legality of the site? I read somewhere on dog forums that the consumer complaints website above was run by Lawyers, so it may be biased? Any personal stories, information, or input would be great! For now, I’m putting away the free Canidae canned food away from reach. I’m also a bit concerned on why the Pet store was giving them away in the first place..
Hi Andrew… I’m not personally aware of any consumer complaints regarding sickness with Canidae. Maybe one of our other readers knows something about the rumors.
By the way, I also mix a nice canned food with a kibble when I feed my own dog.