Rating: 
Innova Canned Dog Food gets the Advisor’s second-highest rating of 4 stars.
The Innova product line lists seven canned dog foods, three claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for adult maintenance, three for all life stages and one for growth (Large Breed Puppy).
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Innova Adult
- Innova Puppy
- Innova Lower Fat Adult
- Innova Senior (3 stars)
- Innova Large Breed Adult
- Innova Large Breed Senior
- Innova Large Breed Puppy
Innova Adult Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Innova Adult Formula
Canned Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Turkey, chicken, chicken broth, brown rice, potato, carrot, herring, natural flavor, whole egg, guar gum, apple, alfalfa sprouts, cottage cheese, herring oil, carrageenan, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), iron amino acid chelate, zinc amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, selenium yeast, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, vitamin E, A, B12, D3 supplements, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, riboflavin supplement, sunflower oil, pumpkin, sodium phosphate, inulin, salt, choline chloride, beta carotene
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 9% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 39% | 13% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 28% | 64% | 9% |
The first two ingredients in this dog food are turkey and chicken. Both meats are considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses” of the animals.1
Poultry is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The third ingredient lists chicken broth. Broths are nutritionally empty. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The fourth item is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fifth item is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The sixth item includes carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.
The seventh ingredient is herring. Herring is a fatty marine fish naturally high in protein as well as omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every dog to sustain life.
After the natural flavors, we note the inclusion of whole eggs. Eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The tenth ingredient is guar gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in many wet pet foods. Refined from dehusked guar beans, guar gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to any product.
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, we note the inclusion of 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.
Next, herring oil is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids, essential nutrients needed by every dog to sustain life.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Innova Canned Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Innova Canned Dog Food looks to be an above-average 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 41%, a fat level of 39% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 13%.
Due to its apparently lower meat content, we feel compelled to downgrade the Senior Formula to a lower rating.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 37% and a mean fat level of 25%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 30% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 68%.
Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a canned food containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Innova Dog Food is a meat-based canned product using a moderate amount of chicken and turkey as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Those looking for a comparable kibble from the same company may wish to check out our review of Innova Dry Dog Food.
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.
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Other spellings: Inova
Notes and Updates
11/23/2009 Original review
06/24/2010 Review updated
05/01/2012 Last Update
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
