American Natural Premium Dog Food Review & Coupons June 2023

Meet American Natural Premium Dog Food

American Natural Premium is the creation of Gene Large and Jennifer Burlo, kennel owners who were dissatisfied by the selection of dog food available to them.

They knew they could strike a balance between expensive foods and ones with cheap, ineffectual ingredients.

They created American Natural Premium Dog Food, a brand that uses small batches and trusted partners to make a quality food that allows pet owners to feed a premium quality meal to their dogs without spending every dime they make.

Let’s take a look to see if the brand can help solve your budget versus food issue through our in-depth American Natural Premium Dog Food Review below.

Brand Quick Look

• Parent Company: American Natural Premium
• Founded in: 1998
• Made in: USA
• Available at:  Chewy, Amazon
• Types of Food: Dry
• Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients? : No (meat meals)
• Recalled in Past? : No

Behind the Brand

When the owners were caring for their boarded dogs, they ran into issues being able to afford premium foods. Foods in their budget seemed to all have cheap fillers and artificial ingredients, while those with premium ingredients were too expensive. They felt like they could do better.

They founded American Natural Premium to help pet owners balance the cost of food with feeding a premium diet. The foods use only quality ingredients from trusted sources and never come from China. The foods are made in small batches to ensure freshness and carefully tested at each stage in the manufacturing process. The result? Quality food at an affordable price.

The company carefully vets each supplier and works with only trusted manufacturers to produce their foods. They choose to remain on the smaller side so that they can check every part of production and prevent any mishaps.

They believe in supporting their community, so they source ingredients as locally as they can and employ quite a few people from the community in their two manufacturing plants located in the same town as their headquarters.

They decided to remain in the small town where they’re most familiar and build a life with their dog food in a way that is sustainable and transparent.

American Natural Reviews

Reviewed American Natural Dog Food

1. American Natural Premium Exhibitor's Choice
2. American Natural Premium Original Recipe
3. American Natural Premium Turkey with Pumpkin Recipe
4. American Natural Premium Sensitive Care
5. American Natural Premium Duck with Butternut Squash
6. American Natural Premium Ocean Fish Meal & Potato Recipe
7. American Natural Premium Puppy
8. American Natural Premium Large Breed Puppy

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1. American Natural Premium Exhibitor’s Choice

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

First 5 Ingredients:

• Chicken Meal
• Pearled Barley
• Oatmeal
• Whole Dried Eggs
• Chicken

American Natural Premium Exhibitor’s dog food is a unique formulation for those who are in showcasing. Dogs that compete in shows need the best coats they can possibly have, and diet is a huge part of that. This food uses multiple sources of whole proteins to help build a healthy coat and keep show dogs energetic.

Omega fatty acids help the coat stay shiny and alleviate any itchy or flakey skin that can sometimes plague dogs with longer coats. Pre and probiotics help with digestion and boost the immune system so that dogs are less likely to suffer from conditions that can make them lethargic or cause coat dullness.

Digestible proteins from chicken meal give your dog a higher protein count than a whole chicken, but with whole chicken and egg, your dog should be able to compete the entire day without losing energy. Antioxidant-rich veggies and fruits also add critical vitamins and minerals for a healthy system.

Overall, the food concentrates on what your show dog needs to maintain the best coat possible and a high energy level for the show. If your dog can’t maintain that energy, you’re going to lose your competitions, so this could be a good option for you.

2. American Natural Premium Original Recipe

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Chicken Meal
• Oatmeal
• Brown Rice
• White Rice
• Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols)

American Natural Premium’s Original recipe is designed for adult dogs of all breed sizes. It’s a digestible mix of poultry, pork, and fish to deliver muscle-building amino acids. A mixture of complex carbohydrates ensures that your pup gets a steady release of energy throughout the whole day.

The recipe is led by chicken meal, a nutritious and more protein-packed form of chicken. If you’re concerned about its inclusion, don’t be. Chicken meal is safe and the only difference it has from fresh chicken is that chicken meal has had most of its water content removed.

Chicken liver, pork meal, fish meal, and dried whole egg contribute a little more protein content as well as added meaty taste to the mix. Due to this nutritious blend of animal meat, the protein content is 25% — considered a good level in dog foods.

Grains provide the carbs or energy source of this meal, but they also contribute a lot of other nutrients. Oatmeal, brown rice, and barley are some grains included here that are considered to be beneficial to dogs in terms of nutrition, while white rice is often given to dogs with tummy issues because it’s so easily digested.

There aren’t much other key ingredients aside from those mentioned above and flaxseed and beet pulp. The rest are made up of supplemental vitamins (for overall health) and probiotics and prebiotics (to support a healthy digestive tract and immune system).

3. American Natural Premium Turkey with Pumpkin Recipe

Rating: 5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Deboned Turkey
• Oatmeal
• Turkey Meal
• Brown Rice
• Ground Grain Sorghum

The Market Fresh Turkey Recipe with Pumpkin provides dogs with a premium legume-free meal that’s full of wholesome nutrition. There are no wheat, corn, soy, or any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives included here.

This recipe leads with deboned turkey, an excellent poultry alternative for dogs who might be sensitive to chicken. And to make the protein even higher, two other meat ingredients (turkey meal and pork meal) lend their protein content.

Meanwhile, oatmeal, sorghum (considered an ancient grain), brown rice, and barley (another ancient grain) provide a nutritious form of complex carbohydrates for dogs.

What are complex carbs and what are ancient grains? Complex carbs are more slowly digested than simple ones, leaving your dog feeling fuller longer. They’re also more packed with nutrients and are higher in fiber.

Meanwhile, ancient grains are types of grains that have been harvested for thousands of years and have remained mostly unchanged during that time.

The starring vegetable here is pumpkin, and it offers vitamins and minerals as well as a load of fiber to help your pup with digestion. Pumpkin is great in battling constipation and diarrhea as it allows for a regular movement of bulked up stools.

Lastly, through the pork fat, sunflower oil, and menhaden fish oil, your pup will get the required amount of omega fatty acids to keep his skin, coat, and immune system working properly.

This is a great recipe overall that targets all the key areas of a dog’s body. It’s also a big plus that American Natural Premium only uses top ingredients to craft this meal.

4. American Natural Premium Sensitive Care

Rating: 4 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Chicken Meal
• Oatmeal
• Oat Flour
• Potato
• Brown Rice

American Natural Premium Sensitive Care is a low-fat and limited ingredient formula that’s ideal for adult or senior dogs with sensitive tummies. It contains highly digestible ingredients and slow-release carbs to slow down digestion and make it easier on the stomach.

The recipe leads with chicken meal. Chicken is the sole source of animal protein in this food to make sure your pups don’t have to deal with other animal proteins that they might react to. The protein level is further bolstered by the inclusion of fresh chicken and whole dried egg.

The slow-release carbs mentioned above are oatmeal and oat flour. Oats are gluten-free, nutritionally-dense, low in sugar, and easy on most dogs’ sensitive stomachs. The soluble fiber they contain will help regulate your dog’s blood sugar levels and bowel movements and lower his overall cholesterol levels.

In keeping with the limited ingredient characteristic of this recipe, the fat that dogs need also comes from chicken. It’s a healthy kind of fat that provides canines with high levels of fatty acids for growth and immune function. It also comes with Vitamin E and acts to boost a food’s aroma profile.

There are no vegetables here except for potatoes and tomatoes (in the form of tomato pomace). Potatoes have high digestibility and are good for energy.

Tomato pomace, on the other hand, has lots of antioxidants and amino acids. And if that’s not enough, the brand supplemental nutrition to make the nutrient levels even higher.

This is a fine recipe that has good levels of all the key nutrients in a dog food: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Plus, there are prebiotic and probiotic ingredients to enhance your sensitive dog’s overall digestive health.

5. American Natural Premium Legume-Free Duck with Butternut Squash

Rating: 5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Duck
• Deboned Turkey
• Turkey Meal
• Oat flour
• Brown Rice

Supporting a healthy digestion, this legume-free formula provides rich and wholesome nutrition for dogs. Not only is it legume-free, it is also free from chicken, corn, wheat, potatoes, and soy so your sensitive fur buddy can enjoy.

What’s with the legume-free tag? Some pet parents are concerned that dogs are getting their protein fix mainly from legumes in dog foods instead of the bulk coming from animal meat.

There are also reports linking legumes with DCM (canine dilated cardiomyopathy), although some experts believe this has more to do with feeding dogs food that contains a higher percentage of legumes than protein.

This recipe starts with fresh duck followed by deboned turkey and turkey meal. You can also find pork meal here. The combination of these four animal meats help bring the protein level to a respectable 25%.

The meal uses healthy grains like oats, sorghum, and barley to provide dogs with their required carbohydrate needs. These three are complex carbohydrates that digest slowly, leaving your dog feeling fuller longer while making it easy on your dog’s digestive system in the process. A bonus? These are all nutrient-dense grains.

We’re always happy when we see vegetables or fruits or both in dog food recipes. While meat and starchy food provide most of the energy and nutrition they need, it can’t hurt to feed dogs fruits and greens to balance out their diet better and provide them with a more natural source of nutrition than just synthetic vitamins and minerals.

This food contains butternut squash and pumpkin. These are fabulous sources of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium. Aside from these, this duck recipe also contains a good amount of probiotics and prebiotics.

And let’s not forget the menhaden fish oil and sunflower oil that provides a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to the formula.

Overall, this recipe gets a really high mark from us.

6. American Natural Premium Grain-Free Ocean Fish Meal & Potato Recipe

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Menhaden Fish Meal
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Pea Flour
• Pork Meat Meal

When dogs for some reason or another can’t eat grains, they need a grain-free formula that will still provide all of the necessary daily nutrition that they require. This recipe is not only grain-free, it’s also free from chicken products such as meat, fat, egg, or cartilage. It makes for an ideal food for dogs who are sensitive to chicken too!

Menhaden fish meal starts the list of ingredients for this food. Not familiar with it? Menhaden is a marine fish that’s full of amino and fatty acids essential for maintaining your pup’s coat, skin, digestive system, metabolic function, and bone health. Combined with pork meat meal and peas, the three raise the protein level to a high 28%.

Potatoes and pea flour provide the necessary carbohydrates that dogs need for quick energy throughout the day. Potatoes contain a goodly amount of vitamins B6, A, and C as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and magnesium. Pea flour contains protein and trace amounts of nutrients like vitamin K and manganese. Both also have dietary fiber.

There are two types of oil here which are sources of fat — safflower oil and salmon oil. The safflower oil contains a good helping of omega-6 fatty acids, which are responsible for immune system support and the healthy metabolism of dogs.

Salmon oil has omega-3 fatty acids in addition to omega-6 fatty acids, giving your dog help in terms of heart health and proper cognitive function.

Unlike some of American Natural Premium’s recipes, this one is full of antioxidant-rich vegetables to further bolster your dog’s ability to fight free radicals. It has carrots, celery, lettuce, parsley, and spinach.

This is a complete meal that delivers everything your dog needs from his nose to his tail. The fiber is just a tad over what the average level (around 2-5%) is, but it’s not anything to be concerned with.

At 6%, it’s still well within the suggested 10 percent range. The fat and moisture are just about right, while the protein content is excellent.

7. American Natural Premium Puppy

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Deboned Chicken
• Chicken Meal
• White Rice
• Oatmeal
• Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Puppies are at a stage where their bodies need a superior amount of nutrients to compensate for the growth spurts these are undergoing. This puppy food from American Natural Premium is precisely formulated to keep developing bodies well nourished, from skin and hair to bones and muscles.

This meal leads with deboned chicken followed by chicken meal. Both are excellent quality meat, and the only difference between the two is that chicken meal has much reduced water content.

To raise the protein content higher, the brand included menhaden fish meal and chicken liver. The inclusion of these last two not only bring the protein level up, but also bring quite a good amount of fatty acids too.

Menhaden is considered an oily fish that’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, while chicken liver has trace amounts of omega-3 and plenty of omega-6.

This is a grain-inclusive recipe, and it features white rice. While white rice may not be as nutrient-dense as brown rice, white rice is good for sensitive tummies as it is very easily digested. The absence of the husk may make it lower in fiber but for dogs suffering from GI upsets, this is the ideal grain to feed.

You can also find oatmeal here. Previously (in the old recipe), this was oat flour. But the new recipe changed that to oatmeal instead. They’re quite identical in flavor and nutritional makeup, so if your dog has enjoyed the old formula, chances are he will do well with this new one too.

Fat in this formulation comes from two main sources: menhaden fish oil and chicken fat. Why is fat so important?

Aside from giving dogs a feeling of fullness after eating, fat also helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, regulates bodily functions, and reduces inflammation. Lastly, it’s an optimal source of energy for pups.

We give this recipe top marks for its optimal level of nutrition content. It’s an excellent food to give puppies who need the utmost support for everything from developing teeth and bones to brain and vision.

8. American Natural Premium Large Breed Puppy

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First 5 Ingredients:

• Deboned Chicken
• Chicken Meal
• White Rice
• Oatmeal
• Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Growing puppies need lots of energy because they move a lot and expend plenty of energy. But large breed puppies differ from small ones in that they need far more calories.

That’s because large breed dogs grow a lot and much faster than small ones. This formulation targets the very specific needs of big pups so that they develop properly and in a regulated way (growing up too fast is bad).

Deboned chicken and chicken meal lend the food most of its protein content, although menhaden fish meal and chicken liver also contribute a bit. These four combined bring the protein level up to 25%. It’s within the range for a healthy developing puppy — 22% to 32% is recommended for dry food —although a little on the lower scale.

Three healthy grains are included as carbohydrates to keep your pup energetic and alert. White rice, oatmeal, and pearled barley keep these biggie dogs active and playful all day. These three are all considered complex carbs, which means they’re loaded with fiber and nutrients. They also keep your pup feeling fuller longer.

There are many fat sources here in this recipe, but don’t be worried. At 14% total crude fat content, it’s not considered too much. The main fat sources are chicken fat and menhaden fish oil, which are all considered premium ones. Unlike recipes that utilize canola, these types of oils are less processed and more natural.

Remember when we said that dogs shouldn’t grow too fast? Too much fat can cause a dog to grow up faster than his bones could accommodate, leading to possible bone abnormalities. This large breed formula carefully balances all the nutrients to keep skeletal and tissue growth in a properly measured way.

This is a good recipe to feed your growing large-breed pooches as it not only uses only high-quality ingredients, but all specific needs of big puppies are also addressed. To make it even more suitable for puppies, this food does not contain any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

What types of dog food does American Natural Premium Dog Food offer?

The company makes kibbles only. These are formulated for a variety of life stages and several for different breed sizes.

Some foods can help with your dog’s allergies and those that can help control weight. You should also be able to find a suitable protein source even for dogs with allergies to poultry

There are no cheap fillers and no artificial ingredients. The company carefully sources all ingredients from suppliers who are as local as possible and buys in smaller batches so everything going into the kibble is as natural as possible.

Puppy:

• Puppy Recipe
• Large Breed Recipe

Adult:

• Lamb and Rice
• Original Recipe
• Sensitive Care
• Endurance Plus
• Exhibitor’s Choice
• Chicken and Brown Rice
• Duck and Pork
• Ocean Fish and Potato
• Pork

Grain Free:

• Duck and Pork
• Ocean Fish and Potato
• Pork

Best American Natural Premium Dog Food Recipes

There are several recipes that we think you might like based on different life stages and breed sizes. Let’s take a look.

Large Breed Puppy

It’s tough to find foods specifically for large breed puppies and their nutritional needs. They can’t grow too fast, or you risk harming their musculoskeletal structure. American Natural Premium’s formula uses chicken and a good blend of carbohydrates to carefully control growth while providing all the building blocks for lifelong health. It also has guaranteed DHA and probiotics for immune support and brain health.

Exhibitor’s Choice

In one of the few foods that takes show dogs into consideration, this formula helps keep the coat and skin in top shape for show dogs. Omega fatty acids nourish the coat and provide cushioning for joints. Whole proteins from chicken meal, fresh chicken, and eggs give your dog plenty of protein to build correct muscle tone and further support coat health. It also helps keep weight at the right level.

Endurance Plus

This recipe considers the unique needs of active and working dogs. It uses only quality proteins from reputable sources to help working dogs feel vibrant and energetic all day while providing the building blocks for healthy muscle tone. It uses added glucosamine and chondroitin to protect working joints and probiotics for a robust immune system.

American Natural Premium Recall History List

• American Natural Premium has no history of recalls. That’s an excellent record for a company that’s been in business since the 1990s. Their care and consideration of detail help them to produce high-quality foods without contamination or cause for alarm. We think that’s a pretty good track record.

Customer Reviews

Customers like that there’s a balance between affordable food and feeding a higher quality kibble to their pets. The food is rated very highly across several sites including Chewy and customers frequently return to the food once their dogs have tried it. It’s also well-rated across several different reputable reviewers.

Most customers are highly satisfied with the way their dogs’ coat, health, and weight improved on the food and many appreciate that the food doesn’t break their wallets. It’s a great balance of affordable while still giving dogs the premium food they need to thrive.

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What do people like and dislike about American Natural Premium dog food?

Most people like that it’s still affordable despite being a higher quality food than a lot of what you find on the shelves at your local grocery store. It uses only ingredients sourced from reputable providers, but the company is able to balance the cost with the value.

Customers also like that there are options specific for working dogs, show dogs, and large breed puppies. These are categories that can be difficult to shop for and it’s nice to have options that don’t break the bank but address these specific needs. They also like that their dogs seem to like the taste well enough.

As with most foods, there’s always the possibility that your dog won’t like the taste. Some customers noted that their pickier dogs wouldn’t eat the kibble. Others complained that their dogs seemed to have more gas than usual on the food.

If that’s the case, you can introduce the food slowly by mixing it with the old food until you gradually phase out the old. As for the taste, putting a little wet food on top can sometimes encourage picky eaters.

There’s no option for small breeds, which can be frustrating if your toy breed can’t chew the kibble. You may have to look elsewhere for a food that your small breed dog can comfortably chew. You can always wet the kibble, but that can be messy.

One thing you may want to talk to your vet about is the use of peas and lentils in some of the recipes. These ingredients could have a link to a condition known as Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy or an enlarged heart. We aren’t sure of the exact link just yet, but if your dog is a breed prone to this condition already, you may want to consult your vet first.

Positive

• “My dog has to be a really picky eater. She gets sick so easily. She’s a year old toy Aussie and since we switched her to this food we haven’t had a problem. Also have a 3 year old yorkie who does really well with this it too!” Maggie, chewy.com

Negative

• “I purchased this dog food and had a very very hard time getting either of my dogs to eat this food. Both of my dogs eat grain free food and have never had an issue eating their food until I purchased the American Natural.” John16, chewy.com

Is American Natural Premium a good dog food?

Judging by its ingredients alone, American Natural Premium Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product. American Natural Premium is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars. - Dog Food Advisor

Where is American natural premium made?

Who Manufactures American Natural Premium Dog Food? According to the information we found from several sources, American Natural Premium pet foods are co-packed for the company by Fromm which has several USDA-inspected pet food manufacturing plants in Wisconsin.

Is American natural premium grain free?

American natural premium duck and pork is a grain free formula for all life stages that is completely chicken free. Duck and pork is an ideal diet for dogs with grain or chicken sensitivities because it contains no chicken protein, fat, Egg or cartilage.

Is Grain Free bad for dogs?

According to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration released last week, grain-free food might be giving dogs a life-threatening heart problem called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The science is still preliminary, and it's based on a potential association between diet and heart disease in fewer than 600 dogs.