Eukanuba Dog Food (Canned)

Rating:

Eukanuba Canned Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.

Currently, the Eukanuba product line includes ten canned products. We found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy recommendations for these dog foods on the Eukanuba website.

• Eukanuba Dinner with Chicken
• Eukanuba Entree with Beef and Rice
• Eukanuba Entree with Lamb and Rice
• Eukanuba Entree with Turkey and Rice
• Eukanuba Mixed Grill with Chicken and Beef
• Eukanuba Entree with Fresh Chicken and Rice
• Eukanuba Puppy Entree with Chicken and Rice
• Eukanuba Hearty Stew with Beef and Vegetables
• Eukanuba Puppy Mixed Grill with Chicken and Beef
• Eukanuba Mixed Grill with Chicken and Beef in Gravy

Eukanuba Dinner with Chicken in Gravy Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient includes 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 second ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.¹

Like most meats, chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. This is a quality ingredient.

The third 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 fourth item is chicken by-products… slaughterhouse waste. This is what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, chicken by-products are the unsavory and inedible leftovers deemed “unfit for human consumption”.

With the sole exception of feathers, this stuff can include almost anything… heads, feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it.

Although this item contains all the amino acids a dog needs, we do not consider animal by-products a high quality addition.

The fifth ingredient mentions wheat gluten… the rubbery residue remaining once wheat has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.

The sixth item lists meat by-products… Like chicken by-products, these are also the inedible leftovers of slaughter considered “unfit for human consumption”.

Since the source animal is not named, the meat can come from almost anywhere. Road kill, dead zoo animals, diseased or dying livestock… even euthanized cats and dogs.

Many consider meat by-products “nutritious animal protein”. We still see it as inexpensive slaughterhouse waste.

The seventh item is dried beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

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 quality of this product.

Titanium dioxide is a white coloring agent. Although many claim the pigment to be a safe food additive, one international agency² has officially classified titanium dioxide as a “Group 2B carcinogen” possibly linked to cancer in humans.

We would prefer not see this controversial chemical included in any dog food product.

Also, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Eukanuba Canned Dog Food … the Bottom Line

The ingredient quality used to make Eukanuba Canned Dog Food is certainly not impressive.

But ingredient quality alone does not tell the whole story. It’s still important to estimate the meat content of this product before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 47%, a fat level of 31% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 14%.

For the group, protein averaged 45% and fat clocked-in at about 31%… which suggests an estimated carbohydrate content of around 16%.

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And low carbs… when compared to a typical canned dog food.

Yet when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the wheat gluten, this is the profile of a wet food containing moderate amount of meat.

Yet it’s difficult to ignore the presence of so many Red Flag items… especially all those inferior animal by-products.

Bottom line?

Eukanuba Canned Dog Food is primarily a meat-based wet product using a generous amount of low-grade by-products as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.

Not recommended.

Those looking for a comparable kibble from the same company may want to check out our review of Eukanuba 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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

11/15/2009 Original review
06/07/2010 Review updated

Tagged as: adult, canned, low carb, puppy