The Acana dog food brand is known for producing “biologically appropriate” diets for dogs and cats – these are diets that mimic the natural evolutionary diets of wild dogs and cats. But what exactly does that mean?
For one thing, all of their products are protein-rich and meat-based. More importantly, they are designed in accordance with a whole prey philosophy of pet nutrition. Wild dogs & cats don’t just pick the best meat off the bones – they eat the entire animal, skin, organs, and raw bone included.
That is why Acana’s pet foods include meat, organs, and cartilage in healthy ratios to mirror the natural diet of wild wolves – it is the simplest way to deliver nutrients to create a complete and balanced diet without the need for dozens of synthetic supplements.
Furthermore, all of their products are made with fresh, regional ingredients and produced in award-winning kitchens.
Learn more about this company via our detailed Acana dog food reviews below.
The Acana brand of pet food is made by Champion Petfoods. This company is an independent pet food manufacturer that has been in business for more than 25 years.
Champion Petfoods is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and it is the same company that produces the Orijen brand of pet foods. Both of these brands make use of fresh, regional ingredients.
Made in the USA?
While they are a Canada-based company, some of their products are manufactured in the United States. The primary manufacturing plant used by Champion Petfoods to produce their products is the DogStar facility located in Alberta, Canada – they also have a plant in Ontario.
That kitchen opened in 2016 and it is primarily used to produce Champion pet foods designated for sale in the U.S. Like Champion’s other manufacturing facilities, this new plant will only be used to make Acana and Orijen products – no private label pet foods.
Acana Dog Food Reviews
The Acana brand only offers dry food formulas, but they are all made with fresh, regional ingredients in formulas that mimic the natural evolutionary diet of wild dogs – nutrition the way Mother Nature intended.
Each one their recipes is meat-rich and chock-full of protein as well as other nourishing ingredients like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Their dry foods are designed in keeping with a whole prey philosophy of nutrition which includes fresh meat, organs, and cartilage in natural ratios to ensure complete and balanced nutrition without the need for dozens of synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements.
Singles (Limited Ingredients)
Acana’s Limited Ingredients range features only one animal protein source, so you can ensure that your dog doesn’t eat anything he shouldn’t. Protein comes only from animal meat with no plant protein substitutes like peas.
Your meat-loving furry buddy will love this recipe. Made from 65% lamb ingredients, it’s loaded with enough protein to fuel even the most energetic and active pup.
This grain-free dog food formulation supports all life stages and promotes circulatory, immune, digestive, and gut health. The primary ingredient is deboned lamb, followed by lamb meal, which offers a higher protein content due to reduced water.
Lamb liver adds essential vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates are sourced from nutrient-dense sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and lentils. Apples, pumpkin, and cranberries provide fiber and antioxidants.
Lamb fat and pollock oil contribute to skin, coat, joint, and cardiovascular health. Lamb cartilage, tripe, and probiotics further enhance nutrition and digestion. The recipe is praised for its premium ingredients and balanced nutrient ratios.
Other recipes in the Singles range include:
Duck & Pear
Beef & Pumpkin
Duck & Pumpkin
Lamb & Pumpkin
Grain-Free (Regionals)
Acana Regionals are protein-rich and grain-free recipes, which are crafted with 70% premium animal ingredients. These feature diverse ingredients sourced from Appalachian ranches, Kentucky farmlands and meadows.
This kibble is inspired by the fertile prairies and pristine lakes of western Canada. It is a protein-rich recipe loaded with free-run Cobb chicken, whole nest-laid eggs, and wild-caught fish, all of which are delivered fresh daily to their award-winning Alberta kitchens.
It follows a whole prey approach, with 70% meat ingredients—up to twice that of most specialty products. It includes five fresh meats, along with fruits, vegetables, and minimal synthetic supplements to provide complete nutrition for all life stages.
Fresh chicken is the first ingredient, followed by fresh turkey and chicken giblets (liver, heart, and kidney). Despite fresh meats losing volume during cooking, the recipe compensates with protein-rich chicken, turkey, and herring meals.
The carbohydrates come from digestible, gluten- and grain-free sources like peas, lentils, and chickpeas, with additional fiber from kelp, fruits, and vegetables. Chicory root acts as a prebiotic to support digestion. Pollock oil, derived from animal fat, offers concentrated energy and supports health.
Herbs and spices enhance flavor while fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients, reducing the need for synthetic supplements. Only vitamin E, zinc chelate, and copper chelate are added, with chelated minerals promoting easier absorption. The recipe is AAFCO-compliant for all life stages.
While nutrient-dense and well-balanced, the fiber content (7%) could be reduced for optimal digestion (ideal max: 5%). Overall, it's a high-quality, meat-heavy formula suitable for dogs of all ages.
This dog food recipe follows the WholePrey model, incorporating organs, fish, meat, cartilage, and bone to deliver nutrients in their natural form. It excludes tapioca, gluten, potatoes, and grains.
With a high 33% protein content, it features five animal meats, including deboned beef, pork, lamb, bison, and catfish, plus lamb, beef, and pork meals. Organ meats like liver, tripe, kidneys, and cartilage provide dense nutrition, contributing to heart health, coats, and lean muscles.
Instead of grains, complex carbohydrates from green and yellow peas, lentils, pinto beans, and chickpeas are used. These legumes also offer fiber for digestive health.
The recipe includes 10 fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkin, apples, pears, squash, and kale, ensuring a balanced meal. Spices like turmeric, chicory root, sarsaparilla root, rosehips, and juniper berries provide additional health benefits, supporting joint, kidney, bladder, and brain health, along with anti-inflammatory properties.
It’s a close to perfect recipe with high-quality ingredients and good nutrient ratios. The only thing we would change is to make the protein content a bit lower, but it’s not really a bad thing.
We’re giving this dog food our two thumbs or paws up.
Other Acana Grain-Free recipes include:
Grasslands (Grass-Fed Kentucky Lamb, Freshwater Trout & Game Bird)
Meadowland (Free Run Kentucky Poultry, Freshwater Fish & Nest-Laid Eggs)
Wild Atlantic (Wild-Caught New England Fish & Fresh Kentucky Greens)
Butcher’s Favorites
One of Acana’s newest offerings to date, the Butcher's Favorite line features recipes containing up to 70% animal protein balanced with tender pieces of meat.
This kibble is crafted to provide your dog with premium, biologically appropriate nutrition.
This grain-free formula features wild-caught salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high-quality protein to support lean muscles and overall health. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the salmon also helps promote healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Packed with premium nutrition, this fish-focused recipe combines high-quality freeze-dried kibble with tender pieces of real salmon jerky. It features protein-rich wild-caught salmon, whole herring, and flounder, along with chickpeas, peas, and lentils for optimal nutrition and weight management.
The carefully selected ingredients also promote healthy digestion and skin and coat health. With a blend of 70% animal-based ingredients and 30% plant-based nutrients, this balanced formula delivers everything your dog needs to thrive!
Free from grains, gluten, artificial additives, and fillers like corn, wheat, or soy, ACANA ensures that your dog enjoys natural, nutrient-packed food.
Ideal for dogs with food sensitivities or those who thrive on a high-protein, grain-free diet, this delicious recipe provides balanced nutrition with every bite.
Other Butcher’s Favorites recipes include:
Beef & Liver
Poultry & Liver
Wholesome Grains (Grain Inclusive)
Dogs are omnivores and grains provide the carbohydrate boost they need for their daily energy requirements. With the Grain Inclusive range, dogs get at least 50% animal ingredients with richly nourishing grains that are also packed with fiber.
With this recipe, dogs will get 60% animal ingredients (muscle meat, cartilage, and organs) mixed in with wholesome grains to support your pet’s peak health.
There are three main animal meats here — beef, pork, and lamb. It starts with deboned beef, which is quickly followed by deboned pork, beef meal, pork meal, and deboned lamb. The combination of these three kinds of meat bring up the protein content to a high 27%.
As with all of Acana’s offerings, this recipe contains organ meats too, specifically beef, lamb and pork livers, pork and beef kidneys, and beef tripe.
Organs offer an abundance of vitamins (A, B and D), minerals (iron, copper, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium), protein, and fat. And to support joint health, beef cartilage has been added for its chondroitin content.
To supplement a dog’s need for energy, he needs fat. Fortunately, this formula contains a high-quality kind in the form of beef fat. Fat not only supplies energy, it also helps reduce inflammation, provides cushioning in cold weather, and regulates bodily functions.
Ever wondered about dried kelp? Because it’s present in this recipe. You can usually see this ingredient in many premium dog foods. Dried kelp is added by many dog food manufacturers because this seaweed helps our furry friends in a number of ways. It’s made of 25% protein, contains 21 amino acids, and has 60 vitamins and minerals.
All of the nutrients kelp contains can help your dog’s metabolism, digestion, skin, and thyroid glands. If you were to take a daily multivitamin supplement, this would be its seaweed counterpart.
As for the rest of the ingredients, they’re made up of supplemental nutrients, natural preservatives, a few spices, and probiotics. We like the protein content here. It’s not too high and not too low. It sits slightly over the average percentage, and just right.
Other Wholesome Grains recipes include:
American Waters (Whole Saltwater & Freshwater Fish)
The Freeze-Dried Patties range provides the taste and benefits of raw nutrition without the mess. These are made up of 90% quality animal ingredients (ranch-raised beef, free-run poultry, or sustainably-caught fish) which are then infused in a savory bone broth to add a burst of extra flavor.
The recipes follow a whole prey diet formulation using the meat, organs, and bone for a more nourishing meal.
6. Freeze-Dried Patties Duck Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Duck With Ground Bone, Turkey With Ground Bone, Chicken Liver, Whole Herring
These patties gives your pet all of the nutrition of raw food without the inconvenience. This recipe makes for easy raw feeding for your pup wherever you take him.
The first four ingredients of the food are animal proteins—duck with ground bone, turkey with ground bone, chicken liver, and whole herring. There’s a pumpkin in there and natural fish flavor, then a couple of animal proteins again.
Since the meat content is so high, it’s no wonder why the crude protein level is at 46%. This much protein is enough to power even performance or working dogs, canines who need lots of energy to sustain their daily activities.
This is a grain-free dog food recipe. The fiber, which is necessary to maintain a properly working digestive system, is taken from pumpkin and butternut squash instead.
There are also a couple more produce here, like organic carrots and pear. These allow much of the vitamins and minerals in the food to be naturally-derived rather than synthetically added.
One highlighted ingredient in the food is bone broth. Why bone broth? Bone broth is stock liquid that is made from raw or cooked bones and it is packed with nutrients. The infused turkey bone broth here raises the palatability of the food and boosts the already nutrition-packed food with even more nutrients.
Because the food is freeze-dried, you can feed it two ways. Add water to the patties and serve, or crumble them (the texture allows for easy crumbling) on top of your dog’s regular food as a topper.
The food meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, including growth of large size dogs.
Other Freeze-Dried Patties recipes:
Ranch-Raised Beef
Free-Run Chicken
Free-Run Turkey
Rescue Care for Adopted Dogs
This line from Acana is the first ever to put rescues first. The range contains recipes of nourishing kibble that are specially formulated to help support a shelter dog’s transition to their forever home.
These recipes are the result of shelter research and reviews by external veterinarians and crafted with the help of Acana’s in-house veterinarian.
7. Rescue Care For Adopted Dogs Red Meat Sensitive Digestion
First 5 ingredients:
Beef, Beef Meal, Oat Groats, Whole Green Peas, Whole Red Lentils
Because shelter dogs often experience stress and digestive upsets while in shelters, this kibble helps nurture these dogs, making their transition to their forever home seamless.
The recipes in this line feature ingredients that will nurture a shelter dog’s usually sensitive stomach and skin, giving him back the strength to recover to become the healthy and lively dog he was meant to be.
The recipes contain prebiotics and fiber to address digestive issues, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to give shine and health back to the skin and hair, and plenty of antioxidants to support your pet’s immune system.
This particular formulation starts with beef and beef meal. The concentration of the meat is high, which accounts for the 27% minimum crude protein level of the food. If your pup is playful and active, he should be able to get a sustained supply of energy from these kibbles’ protein content.
Oat groats are gentle on the tummy, which is why these were selected to provide fiber and carbohydrates to your pup. A few legume ingredients (don’t worry, there’s not enough to overwhelm the meats and cause concern) provide additional carb and nutrient support.
Not only does this recipe help dogs transition from their temporary shelters to their new lifelong homes, but the purchase of each dog food in the range also equals one meal given to a shelter friend through the brand’s commitment to supporting the needs of rescues.
Other Rescue Care For Adopted Dogs recipe:
Free-Run Poultry, Liver & Whole Oats
Premium Chunks
Acana Premium Chunks are hearty recipes of meat, poultry, or fish chunks in a savory bone broth base. All recipes in this range contain 85% animal ingredients and 15% vegetables and fruit.
8. Premium Chunks, Pork Recipe in Bone Broth
First 5 ingredients:
Pork, Pork Broth, Beef Bone Broth, Pork Liver, Sweet Potatoes
This meal is an excellent way to entice picky eaters to chow down and provide hydration to dogs. The savory broth adds a more crave-worthy flavor to the food that finicky pups will find hard to resist.
The first four ingredients of this meaty formulation are made up of pork, pork broth, beef bone broth, and pork liver. These are either fresh or raw.
The fresh ingredients are refrigerated to preserve them, while the raw ones are frozen at peak freshness. There is no other method of preservation used on the meats aside from these and the canning process.
Because the recipe is filled with meat, the minimum crude protein level of this recipe is a high 8%. While that may not seem much compared to the percentage of protein in dry food, when you convert the protein to a dry matter basis, this will come out to 44%.
(To convert, simply subtract the moisture content from 100%. In this case, moisture is 82%. What’s left is 18%. Divide protein content by 18% then multiply the result by 100.)
Although cut into chunks, the food here has a soft texture that is easy to chew and digest. This recipe and all others in the range (except for the puppy food) are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, including growth of large size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).
The chunks are a complete and balanced meal, but you can also feed them as toppers on your dog’s regular kibble.
Other Premium Chunks recipes:
Beef Recipe in Bone Broth
Duck Recipe in Bone Broth
Poultry Recipe in Bone Broth
Lamb Recipe in Bone Broth
Puppy Recipe in Bone Broth (Premium Pate)
Other Recipes
While Acana has many recipes that cater to all life stages and all breeds, they also offer formulas that are crafted specifically for one life stage.
9. Puppy & Junior Formula
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Turkey, Chicken Meal, Whole Green Peas, Whole Red Lentils
This grain-free formula consists of three main animal proteins from turkey, chicken, and flounder and a blend of legumes, fruit, and veggies. It follows the WholePrey Diet with its meat, organs and cartilage mix.
The recipe begins with deboned turkey, followed by deboned chicken meal, chicken meal, and turkey meal. Somewhere in the middle you can also find Atlantic flounder, and whole eggs. There’s a strong presence of protein here — a combination of fresh and meal. In case meat meals concern you, let’s put that to rest.
Meat meals are excellent ingredients as long as they are named. Say for example, chicken meal or turkey meal. If the animal where the meal comes from is clearly defined, then it’s okay.
But if say, it’s listed as a generic “meat meal” then that should give you pause because it’s not clear what animal the meat belonged to.
Also, meals are simply meat that have undergone a process to remove most of the water from them. They still contain all the nutrients they’re supposed to have, just not the moisture.
Because of the strong showing of meat ingredients, the minimum crude protein for this dog food is set at 31% — an above average rating. They’re further helped by the appearance of an organ meat such as chicken giblets and of chicken cartilage.
Chicken giblets contain a lot of vitamin A and B12, a good helping of riboflavin and niacin, and a bit of vitamin B6, zinc, pantothenic acid, copper, and magnesium. Chicken cartilage, meanwhile, contains glucosamine.
Glucosamine lubricates joints and maintains the resilience of connective tissues. It is particularly helpful for puppies of a certain breed that are prone to hip and joint problems.
A number of vegetables make themselves known here. Several are legumes which contain complex carbohydrates. These are peas, lentils, pinto beans, and chickpeas. There are also pumpkins, collard greens, and carrots. And to round off the nutritious list, you can also find several dog-friendly herbs.
We find that this recipe provides everything growing pooches need, including a healthy dose of DHA and EPA, which are vital in the development of a little pup’s central nervous system and retinal functions.
It also comes with probiotics that are crucial to a healthy gut system. Overall, we give this formula a high recommendation.
Other Heritage recipes include:
Light & Fit Formula (Free-Run Chicken, Turkey & Wild-Caught Fish)
Paleo (Fresh Wild Boar, Turkey & Rabbit)
Feast (Free-Run Duck, Turkey & Quail)
Acana Dog Treats Review
Acana’s dog treats follow the same theme as their Singles Limited Ingredients line. In these treats, there is only one animal protein and the list of ingredients are quite short — perfect for choosy puppers or diet-sensitive canines.
These treats are freeze-dried so that your dog can taste the natural goodness of real meat and fruit in as close to their natural state as possible.
The list of the ingredients is short. There are only five products here to see and none of them is a synthetic preservative.
The first in the list is lamb, and it makes up about 60% of the recipe. When mixed with lamb liver (third in the list), the two together bring the protein level of these nuggets to 30%.
But that’s not all these two provide. Lamb meat has the perfect amount of dietary fat for energy and lamb liver contains vitamins A, B, D, E, K, glycogen, copper, and potassium.
Apples are fantastic fruits. They contain plenty of fiber to help in waste elimination and regular bowel movement. Apples also have vitamin A and C.
The fourth ingredient might give you pause. Sarsaparilla root. Don’t worry! It’s a safe herb that offers many benefits — as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis, for healing skin problems, and to aid the kidney’s functions.
Lastly, you have mixed tocopherols as preservatives. These are forms of vitamin E that are used to maintain freshness in food and extend shelf life.
For having recognizable ingredients, a short list of products, and excellent nutrient ratios, we’re giving these treats our highest rating.
*The Acana Lamb & Apple treats contain 40% fat, so please remember to give these sparingly to your pets. They shouldn’t reach 10% of your dog’s daily food intake.
Other Freeze-Dried Dog Treats include:
Pork & Squash
Duck & Pear
Beef & Pumpkin
Mackerel & Greens
Turkey & Greens
Ingredient Sourcing
The Acana brand makes it very clear that most of their ingredients are “regionally sourced,” but what exactly does that mean? Their brand is headquartered in Canada, so that means that most of their ingredients come from Canada as well.
Some of the regional ingredients they use in their recipes include cage-free poultry, ranch-raised meats, nest-laid eggs, and wild-caught fish as well as sun-ripened fruits and vegetables. All of their ingredients are fit for human consumption and they are delivered fresh daily to negate the need for preservatives.
Recall History
Unlike many pet food brands, they don't outsource the production of their products. Champion Petfoods owns several manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada where they produce all of their Acana and Orijen products.
These facilities are held to the highest standards for safety and quality, plus all of the ingredients used are fresh and regionally sourced. All of this being true, it should come as no surprise to learn that they yet to be affected by a single Recall.
How expensive are their Products?
As a high-quality pet food brand that uses fresh, regional ingredients, their recipes are more expensive than the typical dry food. Keep in mind, however, that with their recipes you are paying for quality. The price for a 25-pound bag of their dry food ranges from about $55 to $115, depending on the recipe. You can purchase 3.25-ounce bags of treats for $12 to $20.
List of their Current Products
The Acana brand of pet food offers a wide variety of recipes, though all of them are dry food – they don't currently offer any canned products. Their recipes are divided into four different product lines including a line of classic recipes and one line featuring regional ingredients.
There is also a small line of limited ingredient diets and one featuring recipes for different life stages. Although they don't offer any wet products, they do have a limited selection of dog treats made with the same quality ingredients as their dry foods.
Dry Products: They offer a total of twenty-three different dry recipes divided amongst four product lines. The Singles (or Limited Ingredients) line contains seven diets. The Wholesome Grains and Regionals ranges have four products each. The last range is a mishmash of recipes specific to a diet (Paleo and Light & Fit), breed size, or life stage.
The Heritage line includes nine protein-rich recipes for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs as well as sporting breeds and dogs who need to lose weight. The Regionals line contains four recipes that have been recently upgraded with 70% meat and the Singles line features four limited ingredient diets. Here is a list of their dry recipes:
Appalachian Ranch (Ranch-Raised Red Meats & Freshwater Catfish)
Grasslands (Grass-Fed Kentucky Lamb, Freshwater Trout & Game Bird)
Meadowland (Free Run Kentucky Poultry, Freshwater Fish & Nest-Laid Eggs)
Wild Atlantic (Wild-Caught New England Fish & Fresh Kentucky Greens)
Treats: In addition to a variety of dry products, they also offer a limited selection of dog treats. These treats are made with a single source of protein as well as some of the same regional ingredients used in their dry foods. There are five different flavors of treats:
Treats:
Pork & Squash
Lamb & Apple
Duck & Pear
Beef & Pumpkin
Mackerel & Greens
Final Say
Acana dog food is generally considered a high-quality option, particularly for those seeking biologically appropriate nutrition for their dogs. Its emphasis on WholePrey ratios, featuring a variety of fresh meats, organ meats, and cartilage, provides a nutrient-dense profile that mimics a dog’s natural diet. The absence of grains, gluten, and fillers like tapioca or potatoes makes it suitable for dogs with sensitivities or allergies.
The use of complex carbohydrates from legumes and a mix of fruits, vegetables, and beneficial herbs adds to its nutritional value, promoting overall health, digestion, and energy levels. However, the high protein and fat content may not be suitable for all dogs, especially those with specific health conditions or less active lifestyles.
While Acana tends to be more expensive than other brands, its premium ingredients and minimal reliance on synthetic supplements justify the cost for pet owners seeking top-tier nutrition.
Overall, this is a strong choice for dogs of all life stages, but it may not be ideal for every dog depending on individual needs.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
As you found this post useful...
Follow us on social media!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Noreen possesses a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from Informatics International College. While this credential might not elucidate her passion for pets, it does demonstrate her technical expertise and diverse character.
Comments are closed.