Rating: 
Carna4 Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.
The Carna4 product line includes one dry dog food, claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
Carna4 All Life Stages Chicken
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Fresh chicken, chicken liver, eggs, certified organic sprouted barley seed, wild salmon, whole vegetables (peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, garlic), amaranth, whole brown rice, certified organic sprouted green lentils, potato starch, certified organic sprouted flaxseed, certified organic sprouted red lentils, whole apples, sea salt, kelp, Yucca schidigera, rosemary and parsley
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 17% | 49% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 23% | 35% | 42% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken 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.
The second ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The third ingredient is eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fourth ingredient is barley sprouts. Unlike seeds, sprouted grains are rich in digestible energy, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, and phytochemicals. And many of the minerals they contain can be naturally chelated.
What’s more, sprouted seeds can be expected to have a lower glycemic index than their refined grain counterparts.
The fifth ingredient is salmon. Although it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw salmon 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.
The fifth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in a dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The eighth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The ninth ingredient is spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score1 of 91.
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 affect the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, garlic can be a controversial item. Although most experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.2
However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic — especially when used in small amounts (as it likely is here).
Next, the company claims their sprouted seed ingredients contain “high levels of naturally-occurring, live probiotics”. Probiotics are known to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, these same seeds sprouts also contain inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.
Carna4 Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Carna4 Dog Food looks like an above average dry product.
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 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
When you consider the protein-boosting effects of the peas, lentils and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
In addition, we commend Carna4 for its unique use of sprouted grains and lentils as opposed to the standard cereal grains found in most commercial kibbles.
As previously mentioned, these types of ingredients have the potential to provide additional nutritional benefits not found in their ground grain counterparts.
Bottom line?
Carna4 Dog Food is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
Special Alert
Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.
A Final Word
The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.
Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.
Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.
In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.
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Notes and Updates
11/23/2011 Original review
05/22/2013 Review updated
05/22/2013 Last Update
- Completeness Score is a measure of a food’s relative nutrient content and is computed by NutritionData.com from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference ↩
- Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
