Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food Review (Canned)

Mike Sagman Karan French

By

Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

Founder

Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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&
Karan French
Karan French

Karan French

Senior Researcher

Karan is a senior researcher at the Dog Food Advisor, working closely with our in-house pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, to give pet parents all the information they need to find the best food for their dog.

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Updated: October 7, 2026

Verified by Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Laura Ward

Pet Nutritionist

Laura studied BSc (Hons) Animal Science with an accreditation in Nutrition at the University of Nottingham, before working for eight years in the pet food and nutrition industry.

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Laura Ward

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Our Verdict

Rating:
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Canidae All Life Stages Canned product range consists of three recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5  stars.

Each grain-inclusive recipe features real meat, broth, and brown rice among its first few ingredients. Brown rice provides a good source of fiber and B vitamins, while salmon oil—added to Canidae’s All Life Stages wet recipes—supplies beneficial fatty acids.

Pros
  • Committed to sustainability
  • Dedicated to transparency
  • Formulated without corn, wheat, soy and no animal byproduct meal
Cons
  • Not budget-friendly

The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Canidae All Life Stages Chicken and Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Canidae All Life Stages Chicken and Rice

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

40.4%

Protein

28.8%

Fat

19.2%

CarbsCarbohydrates

Chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, brown rice, barley, chicken heart, dicalcium phosphate, guar gum, potassium chloride, salt, sunflower oil, cassia gum, xanthan gum, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), choline chloride, magnesium sulfate, iron sulfate, zinc oxide, vitamin E supplement, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid


Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.5%

Red denotes any controversial items

Estimated Nutrient Content
Method Protein Fat Carbs
Guaranteed Analysis 9% 7% NA
Dry Matter Basis 41% 30% 22%
Calorie Weighted Basis 31% 53% 16%

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food 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 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient 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 component in many canned products.

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

The fourth ingredient 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 next ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The sixth ingredient lists chicken heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle – all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

The next item is dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

The eighth 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 ingredients.

But to be realistic, items located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, salmon oil. Salmon oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids.

Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

And lastly, this food includes 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.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Canidae All Life Stages Chicken and Rice looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 40.4%, a fat level of 28.8% and estimated carbohydrates of about 19.2%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 39.1% and a mean fat level of 26.3%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 23.1% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about67%.

Which means this Canidae product line contains…

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

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet dog food containing a notable amount of meat.

Canidae Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Canidae through October 2026.

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

Our Rating of Canidae All Life Stages Canned Dog Food

Canidae All Life Stages is a grain-inclusive canned dog food using a notable amount of named meats as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.

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Highly Recommended

About

Canidae was founded in 1996 by Scott Whipple and John Gordon, who met while working at a local pet store.

In 2012, Canidae acquired a manufacturing facility in Brownwood, Texas. Called Ethos, it’s one of the smallest pet food plants in the US, the company controls every step of manufacturing. It’s also a research and development center equipped with a lab that tests all incoming ingredients and outgoing products.

Sources

1: Association of American Feed Control Officials

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