Rating: 
Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
Currently, the Eukanuba Premium Performance product line includes two kibbles… each targeted to active, performance and working dogs.
- Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20 Formula
- Eukanuba Premium Performance 28/18 Formula
We found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy recommendations for either dog food on the Eukanuba website.
Eukanuba 30/20 Formula was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Eukanuba Premium Performance 30/20
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken by-product meal (natural source of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine), corn meal, brewers rice, fish meal, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), natural chicken flavor, dried beet pulp (ssugar removed), dried egg product, brewers dried yeast, fish oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), potassium chloride, salt, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), niacin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), inositol, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], sodium hexametaphosphate, fructooligosaccharides, choline chloride, minerals [ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate], calcium carbonate, dried chicken cartilage (natural source of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine), dl-methionine, l-carnitine, rosemary extract.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists 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 20% of its original weight.
To reflect its lighter mass, this item should more accurately occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken by-product meal… the second and (more likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken by-product meal is a rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from 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”.
This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it.
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient is corn meal… a coarsely ground flour made from dried corn. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The fourth ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.
This is a cheap cereal grain by-product and not a quality ingredient.
Fish meal is another high protein meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. The term “fish” does little to properly describe this ingredient. What species? What parts?
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.
But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.
We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.
Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find at least a trace of ethoxyquin in this product.
The sixth ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered a decent non-meat ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is 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.
After the natural chicken flavor, we find 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.
The tenth ingredient lists dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
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.
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.
The Bottom Line…
Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food
Judging by the quality of its ingredients alone, Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food looks like only an average kibble.
Just the same, 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 33%, a fat level of 22% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 37%.
The two performance dog foods present a protein average of 32% with fat clocking-in at around 21%. These numbers suggest an approximate carbohydrate content of 39%.
Above-average protein. High fat. And below-average carbs… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Eukanuba Premium Performance is primarily a grain-based kibble using a notable amount of chicken by-products meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
Those looking for a wet product from the same company may want to check out our review of Eukanuba Canned 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
06/08/2010 Review updated
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I like to know if this Dog food are made in same country, because in Costa Rica, i guess the Dog food that our dogs consume is made en other country, not in the E U A and i think is other quality please answer quikly
thank you.
Hi Victor… Not sure I understand your question. Some pet food companies (even here in the US) create slightly different recipes for products they sell in other countries. Hope this helps.