Rating: 
Carna4 Dog Food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The Carna4 Dog Food product line includes one kibble, 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. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, chicken liver is a beneficial component.
The third ingredient lists eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fourth ingredient lists 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. Salmon is a fatty marine and freshwater fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain 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 affect the overall rating of this product.
With three notable exceptions…
First, 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.
Next, garlic can be a controversial item. Although the majority of experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1
However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic, especially in small amounts (as it is here).
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.
Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.
Carna4 Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Carna4 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 27%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, 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 dry kibble using a moderate amount of chicken as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
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
11/23/2011 Original review
11/23/2011 Last Update
- 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) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.