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Canidae Dog Food Review (Dry)

Canidae All Life Stages Chicken Dry Dog Food

Rating:

The Canidae Dog Food product line earns The Advisor’s overall rating of 4.5 stars. The following sub-brands are reviewed on this website:

Canidae All Life Stages is a vet-formulated product designed for dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes. It’s available in both dry and wet formulas to suit your feeding preferences. The dry version is reviewed here in the section below.

Canidae Pure is a limited ingredient diet made for dogs with food sensitivities. Each simple recipe includes about 7 to 10 ingredients.

 

Rating:

Which Canidae All Life Stages Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.

The Canidae All Life Stages product line includes the 5 dry 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
Canidae ALS Platinum Less Active Formula 4.5 A
Canidae ALS Lamb Meal and Rice 4 A
Canidae ALS Chicken Meal and Rice 5 A
Canidae ALS Multi-Protein 4.5 A
Canidae ALS Large Breed 4.5 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Canidae All Life Stages Multi Protein Formula 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.


Canidae All Life Stages Multi Protein Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 27% | Fat = 11% | Carbs = 54%

Ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, peas, oatmeal, barley, whole grain sorghum, lentils, suncured alfalfa meal, chicken fat, flaxseed, white rice, lamb meal, salmon oil, natural flavor, salt, threonine, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), tryptophan, zinc sulfate, dl-methionine, vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, niacin, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, sodium selenite, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, pyridoxine hydrochloride, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis24%10%NA
Dry Matter Basis27%11%54%
Calorie Weighted Basis25%25%50%
Protein = 25% | Fat = 25% | Carbs = 50%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The second ingredient is turkey meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

The third 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 includes 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.

The fifth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The sixth ingredient is barley, 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 seventh ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) 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 an acceptable non-meat ingredient.

The eighth ingredient includes lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.

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

The ninth ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), it can be less common to find it in a dog food recipe.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But realistically, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Canidae product line.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, we find 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.

Next, flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

In addition, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.

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.

Next, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, with the exception of zinc, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 11% and estimated carbohydrates of about 54%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 12%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 53% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 45%.

Which means this Canidae product line contains…

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

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, lentils and alfalfa meal, this recipe has the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food

Canidae All Life Stages is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 4.5 stars.

Highly recommended.



Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Canidae.

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

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More Canidae Brand Reviews

The following Canidae dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

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