CANIDAE Dog Food Reviews 2023 – Complete Guide

Canidae is a premium, holistic animal food line that is marketed as “pet food made by pet people.” The company has been manufacturing high quality animal foods for over twenty years, and has since its founding has rapidly spread all over the country, and even across the ocean, finding itself on the shelves of some of America’s largest pet retailers alongside a number of other quality dog and cat foods.

Is Canidae a good dog food company? Read our Canidae dog food reviews to find out! For this review, we will analyze CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Elements with Lamb but take into account their whole product line (grain-free, PURE, all life stages, etc).

Quality of Ingredients

The Canidae company takes great pride in the fact that their ingredients all come from human grade high quality proteins, fruits, and vegetables and all of their premium-quality dog food formulas are made here in the United States at USDA, FDA, and AAFCO-approved facilities. The company also strives to buy from local producers as often as possible and promises that they never use any artificial preservatives in any of their foods.

Some pet owners, however, have commented on the unusually high amount of rice, usually brown rice, that is in each bag, which has been known to cause problems for some dogs. The company defends this choice, however, by saying that this allows for easier digestion, especially in older or more food sensitive animals, and as a result, many owners are willing to overlook this for the many benefits that the food otherwise offers.

See Related Topic: American Natural Premium Dog Food Review

Canidae Dog Food Health Benefits and Nutrition

Their food formulas are packed with ingredients such as chicken fat, lamb meal, sweet potato, sun-cured alfalfa, ingredients high in omega-3 fatty acids, and much more. Sounds healthy so far, right? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in one of the products in their product line to find out how healthy it really is.

Full Ingredients and Analysis

Analyzing the first 10 ingredients in a dog food is a great way to understand the overall nutrient content of the dog food because AAFCO requires all dog food ingredients to be listed in order of predominance by their weight. Here’s a closer look at what’s inside CANIDAE Grain-Free PURE Elements with Lamb.

If you have done a lot of research into dog food and read a lot of Canidae reviews, you would know that Canidae have a generous animal protein percentage in their dog food. The industry standard from other leading dry dog food manufacturers is to have a 25% protein content in the food, so %35.6 is very high indeed.

Ingredients You May Wonder About:

Good:

• Fish meal: Fish meal is typically made from caught fish not used for human consumption. Provides Omega 3 fatty acids. ^Reference

• Chickpeas: Chickpeas provide excellent nutrients for your dog including proteins, lecithin, potassium, magnesium, copper, folate, and a wide variety of vitamins. Chickpeas also have fiber to help digestion. ^Reference
• Alfalfa: Alfalfa is an herb with many health benefits including arthritis pain relief and it’s loaded with important nutrients.
• Natural flavor: What exactly is “natural flavor”? It’s impossible for us to say exactly. It’s some sort of meat-based or plant-based additive to make the dog food taste better. Due to the mystery behind what exactly is being added to the dog food, we suggest you avoid this ingredient. ^Reference

• Copper: Copper is found in nearly all living things and is required in the diet to keep a dog healthy. As a result, nearly all dog foods add small levels of copper in accordance to AAFCO guidelines.
• Thiamine mononitrate: This is a scientific name for Vitamin B1. Too little Vitamin B1 can cause a variety of health issues and any excess is easily flushed from the body. Most manufacturers add this dog food to stay in line with AAFCO guidelines. ^Reference
• Niacin: Also known as Vitamin B3.
• Calcium pantothenate: This is another B Vitamin that’s healthy for your dog and considered a requirement for a complete diet by the AAFCO. ^Reference
• Pyridoxine: Also known as Vitamin B6, a healthy part of your dog’s diet. ^Reference
• Lactobacillus acidophilus: Lactobacillus Acidophilus is a probiotic added to help promote a healthy stomach and digestion in your dog.
• Lactobacillus casei: Lactobacillus Casei is a probiotic with many known benefits in humans. ^Reference

• Turkey Meal: This is a turkey that has been dried to remove the majority of its moisture. Very high in protein and therefore very good for your furry friend.
• Chicken Meal: This is chicken processed in the same way as the turkey meal described above.

• Mixed tocopherols: Tocopherol may sound like a nasty chemical, but it’s actually a naturally occurring organic chemical compound and a type of Vitamin E. Tocopherol can be derived from various nuts and vegetable oils. These serve as a natural preservative for dog foods.

Controversial:

• Rice Bran
  Rice bran can be controversial because it is a by-product of ground-up wholegrain brown rice. However, it contains some protein, fat, starch and is rich in fiber and thus beneficial for dogs’ nutrition.
• Canola Oil
  Is used to provide Omega 3 fatty acids. Some consider it controversial because there is plenty of GMO rapeseed in production and there is no way of knowing how the oil was sourced if it isn’t stated differently.

CANIDAE Product Line

Canidae has several lines available to its name, and also manufactures canned food and treats to supplement and add variety to every meal. They also make use of a number of unique sources of animal protein, such as wild boar, rabbit, or mackerel. Parallel with having grain-free food formulas, Canidae contains wholesome ingredients like sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, brown rice, barley, and oatmeal with complementing sources of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. This means that the nutritional value is high and makes Canidae’s food easy to digest for dogs boosting their immune system with much-needed nutrients. Several varieties are even made with a multi-dog home in mind, meaning their food formulas are good for pets of all ages and all sizes (small breeds, and large breeds).

All Life Stages

All Life Stages is the primary seller of the Canidae line, and as the name suggests it is suitable for all dogs, from puppy to adult. This formula is also great for owners with several dogs, as it is something of a one food fits all kind of deal, life stages formula is suitable for animals all across the canine spectrum. Canidae All Life Stages is a great dog food to go for if you are on a budget and don’t want to splash out on a few different dog foods for the pups in your household. These foods are also all made without any corn, wheat, or soy, and there are also dedicated large breed and large breed puppy blends, to help provide those extra vitamins and minerals bigger dogs need to keep ongoing

Under the Sun

Under the Sun is a grain-free, potato-free blend that comes in a variety of flavors, with different bags made specifically for dogs of different sizes and life stages from small breed dogs to larger canines. The addition of wholesome fruits and vegetables, as well as a high-quality source of protein, are the staples of this diet, and it serves as a strong alternative for those who objected to the high rice, low veggie content of other lines but still wanted to stick to the Canidae brand. This food also has several vitamins and supplements mixed in for an added kick to keep your four-legged friend as happy and healthy as possible.

Grain Free Pure

This is probably the healthiest of the three main lines of Canidae dog foods and focuses on using only 10 key ingredients in every bag, making it ideal for older dogs or dogs who have food sensitivities. Pure foods also come in a wide variety of flavors, and are manufactured specifically to meet the demands of dogs at different life stages and of different sizes, with separate bags available for each category. Pure also has a weight management blend, and the company promises that fresh meat is the first ingredient in every bag, with all of their proteins coming from antibiotic, hormone free sources.

After doing a lot of research and reading many Canidae Grain Free dog food reviews, we learned that giving your dog food that contains limited ingredients helps in the discovery of food allergies in young dogs and eases stomach discomfort in senior dogs.  Canidae Grain Free Pure is also a great option for overweight dogs that need to go on a doggie diet. 

Note: Canidae Grain-Free Pure Puppy is wonderful puppy food too. It contains only 9 ingredients and is formulated specifically for puppies’ delicate tummies. The majority of Canidae Puppy food reviews are positive and highly recommend the range for little pups. 

Canidae Dog Food Type: Dry or Wet

Canidae recommends feeding your dog both dry and wet food. You should feed your dog 25% wet food and 75% dry food every day. If you don’t want to feed your dog both wet and dry food, we recommend sticking to their dry food. 

See Related Topic: Fromm Dog Food Review

Canidae Dog Food Recall History

Canidae food has only ever been recalled once. That is absolutely phenomenal for a dog food company. The recall was issued May 5th 2012 due to fear of Salmonella contamination. The following dry food products were recalled:

• Canidae Dry Dog Food, All Life Stages
• Canidae Dry Dog Food, Chicken Meal & Rice
• Canidae Dry Dog Food, Lamb Meal & Rice
• Canidae Dry Dog Food, Platinum

None of the recalled products tested positive for Salmonella. 

Canidae Dog Food Pros:

• Packed with healthy ingredients 
• Only one recall incident to date
• Long history 

Canidae Dog Food Cons:

• Pricy
• Contains processed protein meal

About Canidae

Canidae was first founded in 1997, and the first batches of food were delivered to local pet stores in the back of pickup trucks by family members who are still a part of the company to this day. As the company continued to grow and expand, they quickly came to realize that they might need help in keeping up with the demand for their product, and so they brought in Diamond Pet Foods in 2005 to assist in their manufacturing process.

Canidae has since been able to produce their own foods in Canidae only facilities in Brentwood, Texas, but it still keeps Diamond on board. The company was also a part of a major Diamond food recall in 2012 because of this, although it was never found that any of their products in particular had been contaminated at that time.

Where to Buy

Canidae is widely available all across the United States, and can be found on the shelves of some other countries as well. The brand can be found both at specialty pet stores, as well as in many of the larger chain retailers, such as Petco and Petsmart. For those who prefer to do their shopping at home, Canidae is also readily available online, and can be purchased from any of the online retailers or through the company website.

Canidae Dog Food Alternatives

One of the goals of this Canidae Dog Food review is to help you understand if Canidae is really for you. It is important to have other similar brands to compare it to. Here is a short list of Canidae alternatives:

Evolve Dry Dog Food

Evolve costs much less per pound, however, they have a lower protein content in their food. Protein is usually the most expensive ingredient in dry dog food, so this should be taken into consideration while shopping around. 

Chicken Soup For the Soul

This wet dog food has more than a 40% protein content, making it a great treat for your pup. It might be a little expensive for every meal, but feeding your buddy this wet food now and then will keep them in good spirits. 

The Farmer’s Dog

Did you know that The Farmer’s Dog food has been tested on humans? Afterall, if it’s good enough for us then it’s good enough for our dogs!

Taste of the Wild

Taste of the Wild is a grain-free dog food that is highly recommended for dogs with sensitive tummies and allergies.