Rating: 
Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky dry dog food receives the Advisor’s highest rating of 5 stars.
Canidae Grain Free Pure includes four kibbles… each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky
- Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea
- Canidae Grain Free Pure Land
- Canidae Grain FreePure Elements
Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky dry dog food was chosen to represent both products in the line for this review.
Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck, turkey meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potato protein, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, natural flavor, salt, choline chloride, natural mixed tocopherols, 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, manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, 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
The first ingredient in this dog food is duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck 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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
Which brings us to turkey meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in the finished dog food.
Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The third ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in fiber, beta carotene and other healthy nutrients.
The fourth item lists peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein… a factor that must be considered when evaluating the total protein reported in this food.
The fifth ingredient includes potato protein… the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
This less expensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The sixth ingredient mentions 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.
The seventh ingredient is tomato pomace. Tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient… a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.
Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content… while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.
Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.
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…
First, 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.
And lastly, this recipe 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 Grain Free Pure Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Canidae Grain Free Pure dry dog food looks to be an above-average kibble.
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 18% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 39%.
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.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas and potato protein, this is still the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Canidae Grain Free Pure dry dog food is a plant-based kibble using a generous amount of amount of poultry, lamb and fish meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a quality wet food from the same company may wish to visit our review of Canidae Grain Free Canned 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 Upgraded (ethoxyquin free)
04/12/2011 Review updated (major product line change)
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.
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