DogFoodAdvisor is reader supported. If you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.

Life’s Abundance Dog Food Review (Canned)

Lifes Abundance Chicken and Crab Can Dog Food

Rating:

Which Life’s Abundance Wet Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Life’s Abundance canned dog food earns the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Life’s Abundance product line includes the 3 canned dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Life’s Abundance Turkey and Shrimp in Broth 5 A
Life’s Abundance Chicken and Crab in Sauce 5 A
Life’s Abundance Pork and Venison Grain Free 5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Life’s Abundance Chicken and Crab in Sauce was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Life's Abundance Chicken and Crab in Sauce

Canned Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 45% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 30%

Ingredients: Chicken broth, chicken, chicken liver, organic chicken, dried egg product, carrots, crab, potato starch, red skinned potatoes, peas, oat hulls, apples, guar gum, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, flaxseed oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, dried broccoli, salt, inulin, choline chloride, cranberry pomace, dried blueberry, a-tocopherol acetate, pomegranate extract, olive oil, taurine, thyme, parsley, zinc amino acid chelate, calcium carbonate, iron amino acid chelate, avocado oil, sodium ascorbate (source of vitamin C), thiamine mononitrate, l-carnitine, selenium yeast, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino, acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, potassium iodide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis9%4%NA
Dry Matter Basis45%18%30%
Calorie Weighted Basis39%36%25%
Protein = 39% | Fat = 36% | Carbs = 25%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this recipe is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a dog food, they are a common addition component 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

Chicken is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The third ingredient is chicken liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fourth ingredient is organic chicken. Organic ingredients are produced under strict government standards, standards which greatly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.

The fifth item is 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 failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The sixth ingredient lists carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The next ingredient is crab. Crab is rich in protein and other nutrients similar to the kind found in whole fish.

The eighth ingredient is potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free carbohydrate used more for its thickening properties than its nutritional 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 affect the overall rating of this product.

With 8 notable exceptions

First, we find peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

Next, oat hulls are a by-product of processing whole oats into flour. They are most likely included here to add bulk.

Except for the usual benefits of dietary fiber, oat hulls provide no other valuable nutrients to a dog food.

In addition, we note that this product contains avocado oil. Avocado products can be somewhat controversial.

Supporters claim the ingredient to be nutrient rich and beneficial to a dog’s skin and coat — while others worry over what are mostly unsubstantiated concerns over potential toxicity.

These fears appear to originate from a 1984 study in which goats (not dogs) consumed the leaves (not the fruit) of the Guatemalan (not the Mexican) avocado and became ill.2

Based upon our own review of the literature, it is our opinion that the anxiety over avocado ingredients in dog food appears to be unjustified.

We also find cranberry pomace in this recipe. Pomace is the solid by-product of fruits and vegetables after pressing for juice or oil. This item contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit.

Pomace can be a controversial ingredient. Some praise pomace for its high fiber, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough vegetable pomace here to make much of a difference.

Next, we note the inclusion of inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and typically sourced from chicory root.

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.

We also note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

In addition, 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.

And lastly, this recipe includes selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Nutrient Analysis

According to its ingredients alone, Life’s Abundance Dog Food looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 30%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 45% and a mean fat level of 19%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 28% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 39%.

Which means this recipe contains…

Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.

Even when you consider the mild protein-boosting effect of the peas, this looks like the profile of a canned product containing a significant amount of meat.

Our Rating of Life’s Abundance Canned Dog Food

Life’s Abundance includes both grain-free and grain-inclusive canned dog foods using a significant amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Life’s Abundance Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Life’s Abundance through March 2024.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Get Free Recall Alerts

Get free dog food recall alerts sent to you by email. Subscribe to The Advisor’s recall notification list.

More Life’s Abundance Brand Reviews

The following Life’s Abundance dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

A Final Word

The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.

However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.

For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.

References

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials
  2. Craigmill AL, et al. Toxicity of avocado (Persea americana, Guatemalan variety) leaves: review and preliminary report, Vet Hum Toxicol 1984;26:381
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap