Rating: 
Innova Canned Dog Food gets the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
Currently, the Innova product line lists seven canned dog foods… two designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, four for adult maintenance and one for growth.
- 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, ground brown rice, potatoes, carrots, herring, natural flavors, whole eggs, guar gum, apples, alfalfa sprouts, cottage cheese, herring oil, carrageenan, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, potassium chloride, sunflower oil, pumpkin, sodium phosphate, inulin, sea salt, choline chlorid, beta carotene, biotin, calcium carbonate, calcium iodat, cobalt carbonate, cobalt proteinate, copper proteinate, d-calcium pantothenate, dicalcium pantothenate, dl-methionine, folic acid, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin C supplement (sodium ascorbate), vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement (alpha tocopherol), zinc proteinate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 6.8%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
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 worthless. But because they add moisture to a dog food they are a common finding in many canned products.
The fourth item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The fifth ingredient is potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
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 healthy 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.
We also note this food 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 like a quality product.
However, ingredient quality by itself doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s still important to estimate 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.
If you omit the 3-star Senior product from our study, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and an average fat level of 27%.
Together, these figures suggest an overall carbohydrate content of 24% for the full product line.
Moderate protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs… when compared to a typical canned dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein concentrates, this is the profile of a wet food containing a significant amount of meat.
Yet it’s hard to ignore the brand’s total absence of any critical Red Flag items.
Bottom line?
Innova Canned Dog Food is essentially a meat-based wet product using an ample amount of chicken and turkey as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand four 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.
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 brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Other spellings: Inova
Notes and Updates
11/23/2009 Original review
06/24/2010 Review updated
- Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.