When you open a bag of Canidae dog food, you're giving your dog a carefully crafted blend of premium ingredients, designed to deliver balanced nutrition and high-quality manufacturing.
Below is our comprehensive review of Canidae Dog Food for this year—keep reading!
Founded by pet lovers for pet lovers, Canidae aims to provide delicious and nutritious food for pets at every stage of life.
In just over two decades, the company has become a top provider of grain-free and premium-quality pet foods, made with fresh, U.S.-sourced ingredients.
The brand continues to expand, recently adding small-breed formulas that fit perfectly into their wide variety of life-stage recipes.
They use only fresh, natural ingredients like protein-rich meats, digestible carbohydrates, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Every recipe is carefully designed to offer complete and balanced nutrition, along with plenty of natural flavor. What more could your pet need?
The Canidae company is an independent and family-owned operation which means that they have a little more control over the quality of the ingredients they use.
Canidae seeks to make “pet food that makes a difference” which is why they use only the freshest, wholesome ingredients such as real meats, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
In addition to being made with quality ingredients, Canidae products are also free from non-nutritive fillers and artificial additives – they don’t use any corn, wheat, or soy ingredients and their products are free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
A quick review of several Canidae dog food products reveals that the company’s claims for using top-notch ingredients is founded in truth.
1. All Life Stages Multi-Protein Formula
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, Peas, Oatmeal
This food is designed to provide complete nutrition for dogs of all sizes and life stages, making it ideal for households with multiple dogs.
This vet-formulated recipe features 24% protein from chicken, turkey, lamb, and oceanfish meals, promoting lean muscle development and keeping dogs fuller for longer.
It also includes wholesome grains like brown rice and oatmeal, along with peas, potatoes, and cranberries, while avoiding common allergens like corn, wheat, and soy.
The formula is enhanced with Canidae’s HealthPLUS Solutions, a blend of probiotics, antioxidants, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, supporting digestion, immune health, and a shiny coat. Many dog owners report improvements in their pets' skin and coat health, with less itching and thicker, shinier fur.
However, some users noted recent changes in the kibble’s color and taste, causing some dogs to lose interest. Overall, this high-protein, nutrient-rich food is a convenient choice for multi-dog households, offering balanced nutrition for dogs from puppies to seniors.
2. PURE Real Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe
First 5 ingredients:
Salmon, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Lentils, Sweet Potatoes
This is a limited-ingredient dry dog food designed for dogs with sensitivities. With just 8 key ingredients, including real salmon and salmon meal, this formula provides 32% protein to support muscle development and keep dogs fuller longer.
It also includes sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes as nutritious carbohydrate sources, and excludes common allergens like grains, corn, wheat, soy, and gluten.
Enriched with their proprietary HealthPLUS blend of probiotics, antioxidants, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, it promotes healthy digestion, immune function, and skin and coat health.
Many dog owners report improvements in skin conditions, less itching, and better digestion after switching to this food, especially for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies.
However, owners are advised to carefully check ingredient lists to ensure no allergy triggers are present. Overall, this grain-free salmon-based recipe is a great option for sensitive dogs.
This is a grain-inclusive dry dog food designed for dogs of all breeds and ages, making it convenient for households with multiple dogs. Its main ingredient, lamb meal, provides 23% protein to support lean muscle development.
Real lamb adds extra flavor, while wholesome grains like brown rice, barley, and rice bran offer easily digestible carbohydrates.
This formula is enriched with their special blend of probiotics, antioxidants, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, supporting digestive health, the immune system, and skin and coat health. The recipe excludes chicken by-products, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Many dog owners report that it has been gentle on dogs with digestive issues, such as vomiting or IBS, and has improved skin conditions caused by allergies.
Although some users noted changes in kibble color and their dogs' preference, the formula remains a good option for dogs without sensitivities to lamb, salmon, or grains. Its high-quality ingredients make it beneficial for overall health and well-being.
This is a limited-ingredient, grain-free dog food designed for adult dogs. The main protein source is fresh bison, a novel protein that helps reduce the risk of food allergies.
Lamb meal, the second ingredient, boosts the protein content, providing 25% protein, primarily from animal-based sources.
The recipe includes grain-free carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, and carrots for energy and fiber, while canola oil serves as the main fat source, complemented by natural fats from the bison and lamb. Chelated minerals and probiotics enhance nutrient absorption and digestive health.
While this formula offers excellent digestibility and balanced nutrition, it could be improved by replacing the plant-based canola oil with animal-based fat. Overall, it provides high-quality nutrition for adult dogs with sensitive diets.
This is a high-protein, limited-ingredient dry dog food designed for adult dogs. It contains only 10 key ingredients, including multiple protein sources such as lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, and menhaden fish meal, contributing to its 32% protein content. This high protein helps dogs build lean muscles and keeps them fuller for longer.
The recipe includes nutritious plant-based carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, peas, and garbanzo beans, and is free from grains, gluten, wheat, soy, and artificial additives.
It’s also enriched with glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, probiotics for digestion, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat.
Reviews praise its rich flavor, small kibble size, and positive effects on skin allergies, coat health, and sensitive stomachs. Many owners also appreciate that the kibbles don’t have the typical dog food smell, reinforcing confidence in the quality of the ingredients.
6. PURE Elements Adult Wet Food Lamb, Turkey & Chicken Formula
Another limited-ingredient dog food designed for dogs with sensitivities or allergies. It starts with high-quality meat proteins, with lamb as the first ingredient, followed by turkey and chicken.
These proteins are paired with grain-free, digestible carbohydrates like peas, sweet potatoes, and sun-cured alfalfa, making it suitable for dogs prone to allergies.
The formula contains omega fatty acids for skin and coat health, and chelated minerals and vitamins for complete nutrition. It is free from common allergens like corn, wheat, soy, grains, dairy, and eggs. Lamb and chicken broths are added for moisture and flavor, although they don’t contribute much nutritionally.
While the formula provides balanced nutrition and is gentle on sensitive stomachs, it contains carrageenan, a thickener that has raised concerns in some studies due to potential health risks. Despite this, it remains a good choice for dogs in all life stages, particularly those with food sensitivities.
7. All Life Stages Platinum Formula
First 5 ingredients:
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Brown Rice, Chicken Liver, Lamb
This is a wet dog food specially formulated for the nutritional needs of less active dogs. It can be given to dogs of all ages from puppies to seniors. This vet-formulated recipe is ideal for overweight and older dogs.
Made with real lamb, chicken, and ocean whitefish; it has highly-digestible proteins to help even less active dogs have stronger and leaner muscles.
These ingredients not only provide needed protein, but also gives a lot of flavor to this canned food. Chicken liver makes this food even richer and extra nutritious. The ingredients are simmered in chicken broth to give it an extra tasty sauce that dogs love.
Brown rice, barley, suncured alfalfa, dried kelp and cranberries are included as healthy sources of carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients. This Canidae formula is fortified with vitamins and minerals to ensure complete and balanced nutrition.
According to owners of overweight or less active senior dogs, it has helped the pups lose excess weight. It is important for less active dogs to maintain healthy weights, especially for small breeds. Senior dogs also find this recipe tasty, as well as easy to chew and digest.
Pups of all ages love this tasty canned food. The rich chicken, lamb, and ocean whitefish flavors makes dogs excited for mealtimes. Chicken broth gives this platinum formula an extra boost of flavor.
8. Petite Fricassee Style Dinner with Turkey & Green Beans in Sauce
This wet dog food is specially made for tiny pups of all ages that have food sensitivities. Made with only 10 key ingredients or less, it is less likely to trigger allergies in sensitive dogs.
This actually has more chicken than turkey. Chicken, chicken liver, turkey make up the meaty morsels of this recipe. These protein sources and all other ingredients are simmered in turkey broth which gives this meal a rich tasting sauce. These protein sources are high-quality and natural ingredients. No chicken by-products are used in this recipe
This grain-free recipe for small dogs has green beans, carrots, and dried peas as sources of carbohydrates, fiber, and nutrients. These healthy produce also give extra flavor to this fricassee style dinner for small dogs.
These trays of dinner are perfectly portioned for little pooches. The convenient trays are handy, especially when travelling with your dog. No need to transfer to a bowl. Simply peel the lid off and serve.
This is free from fillers such as soy, wheat, or corn. It has no carrageenan and artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Some experts claim that carrageenan could potentially contribute to certain conditions in dogs.
Reviews for this wet food show that this turkey and green beans recipe is a hit among little pooches. It has passed the strict standards of some very picky pups. Even tiny senior pups with no teeth are able to enjoy the meaty morsels of this fricassee style dinner.
Who Makes Canidae?
The Canidae pet food company is not the newest pet food manufacturer on the block, but it is quickly becoming one of the most popular. Founded in 1996 by John Gordon and Scott Whipple, Canidae continues to be an independent and family-owned operation.
Canidae headquarters is located in San Luis Obispo, California and the company operates under the name Canidae Corporation with the tagline, “pet food made by pet people”. Though their products were once divided by species (the cat food line was called Felidae), Canidae now offers high-quality pet foods for both cats and dogs.
Is Canidae Made in the United States?
Yes. The Canidae Corporation is headquartered in California which makes it a U.S.-based company. When it comes to the production and manufacture of their pet foods, however, Texas is the place to be. Canidae owns and operates their own manufacturing facility, the Ethos Pet Nutrition facility, in Brownwood, Texas.
Not only is this where they make their products, but it is also a research and development center where they test ingredients for quality and safety before using them in their products. Tests are run every 10 minutes during a production run to ensure that very product is top-notch in terms of quality and free from pathogens. Canidae takes their quality control measures very seriously.
The Canidae brand makes it very clear that they are an independently owned and operated business – they even own their own manufacturing and research facilities.
Though Canidae is headquartered in California, they source many of their ingredients from America’s Heartland. Canidae takes special pride in working with other small businesses – family-owned businesses – for their ingredients.
They work with independent ranchers, farmers, distributors and retailers to ensure that their products are made with the best ingredients and held to the highest standards for quality and safety. Most of Canidae’s ingredients are sourced from the United States, though there are some exceptions.
For example, they use New Zealand lamb and duck meal from France. They do not source any ingredients from China.
Recall History
Canidae is laborious when it comes to the quality and safety standards they follow at their Ethos Pet Nutrition facility in Brownwood, Texas. Not only does Canidae rigorously test their products before they leave the building, but they test each and every ingredient before it goes into production.
The Canidae website states that all of their products are “made with love” and that they are “super nutritious and totally delicious”. Even with all of this testing, however, Canidae has experienced a few hiccups along the way including one product recall. Here is a list of Canidae Dog Food Recalls:
In May 2012, the FDA issued a recall for certain batches of Canidae Dry All Life Stages, Dry Platinum, Dry Lamb Meal & Rice, and Dry Chicken Meal & Rice due to potential salmonella contamination.
How expensive is their food?
Because Canidae is such a high-quality brand, you should be prepared to pay more for Canidae dog food than you would for an average brand. Prices between the two product lines vary with 24-pound bags of Canidae Grain-Free PURE dry ranging from about $55 to $85, depending on the recipe.
For a 30-pound bag of All Life Stages dry food you will pay $45 to $75. You can purchase 13-ounce cans of Canidae wet dog food in cases of 12 for $20 to $50, depending on the product line, which gives you an average price of around $3.00 per can. For an 11- to 14-ounce bag of dog treats you will pay $6 to $9.
What Kind of Dog Food Do They Offer?
Canidae offers a wide selection of products including dry foods, wet foods, and treats. When it comes to their offerings, Canidae divides their products into two main product lines – All Life Stages and Grain Free Pure.
Both lines feature premium-quality proteins like lamb, chicken, bison, and duck as well as digestible carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, brown rice, and more. Canidae offers dry food and wet food options for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs as well as small- and large-breed formulas and recipes for weight management.
No matter what your dog’s unique nutritional needs may be, Canidae has a product that will suit him perfectly.
Dry Products
Canidae’s dry products can be divided into two product lines – Grain Free Pure and All Life Stages. The Grain Free Pure line of dry foods contains a dozen recipes for puppies through senior dogs, including some new small-breed specific formulas.
The All Life Stages product line includes six recipes for puppies through senior dogs, most of which are made with protein-rich meat meal and brown rice. Here is a list of Canidae dry recipes:
Grain-Free Pure Dry Food Recipes:
PURE Petite Small Breed Chicken Formula
PURE Petite mall Breed Salmon Formula
PURE Petite Small Breed Bison Formula
PURE Land Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Bison
PURE Sea Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Salmon
PURE Elements Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Lamb
PURE Sky Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Duck
PURE Fields Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Chicken
PURE Foundations Puppy Dog Formula with Fresh Chicken
PURE Wild Adult Dog Formula with Fresh Wild Boar
PURE Meadow Senior Dog Formula with Fresh Chicken
PURE Resolve Weight Management Dog Formula with Fresh Chicken
All Life Stages Dry Food Recipes:
Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Fish Meals Recipe
Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe
Lamb Meal & Rice Recipe
Large Breed Puppy Duck Meal, Brown Rice & Lentils Recipe
Large Breed Adult Duck Meal, Brown Rice & Lentils Recipe
Platinum Chicken, Turkey, Lamb & Fish Meals Recipe
Wet Products
In addition to an assortment of dry products, Canidae also offers a decent variety of wet foods. Many of the same recipes available in dry food form are also available as canned foods including six All Life Stages recipes and eleven Grain Free PURE recipes.
Half of the Grain-Free PURE formulas are specifically designed for small-breed dogs. Here is a list of Canidae wet recipes:
All Life Stages Canned Food Recipes:
Wet Food Made with Chicken, Lamb & Fish
Wet Food Made with Chicken & Rice
Wet Food Made with Lamb & Rice
Large Breed Puppy Wet Food Made with Chicken, Duck & Lentils
Platinum Wet Food Made with Chicken, Lamb & Fish
Large Breed Adult Wet Food Made with Chicken, Duck & Lentils
Grain Free PURE Canned Food Recipes:
PURE Petite Bolognese Stale Dinner with Beef & Carrots
PURE Petite Terrine Style Dinner with Chicken & Peas
PURE Petite Cacciatore Style Dinner with Lamb & Carrots
PURE Petite Escalloped Style Dinner with Salmon & Shrimp
PURE Petite Pottage Style Dinner with Duck & Pumpkin
PURE Petite Fricassee Style Dinner with Turkey & Green Beans
PURE Land Adult Lamb Formula
PURE Sea Adult Salmon & Mackerel Formula
PURE Elements Adult Lamb, Turkey & Chicken Formula
PURE Foundations Puppy Chicken Formula
PURE Sky Adult Duck & Turkey Formula
Canidae Dog Treats
Not only does Canidae offer a wide variety of dry food and wet food products, but they also have an assortment of dog treats. Canidae offers two types of dog treats – grain-free biscuits and grain-free chewy treats. Here is a list of Canidae dog treat recipes:
Treats:
PURE Heaven Adult Biscuits with Salmon & Sweet Potato
PURE Heaven Adult Biscuits with Duck & Chickpeas
PURE Heaven Adult Biscuits with Bison & Butternut Squash
PURE Chewy Treats with Sweet Potato & Duck
PURE Chewy Treats with Wild Boar & Cherry
PURE Chewy Treats with Turkey & Apple
PURE Chewy Treats with Bison & Pumpkin
PURE Chewy Treats with Rabbit & Kale
PURE Chewy Treats with Trout & Pomegranate
Is Canidae dog food good?
Canidae is considered a premium product, using high-quality proteins and other wholesome ingredients when creating their kibble. Based on independent and customer reviews, plus an analysis of the ingredients and recall information, we recommend Canidae dog food as a solid choice for most dogs.
Is Canidae dog food made in China?
The Canidae brand makes it very clear that they are an independently owned and operated business – they even own their own manufacturing and research facilities. Though Canidae is headquartered in California, they source many of their ingredients from America's Heartland. They do not source any ingredients from China.
Who is Canidae owned by?
Canidae Pet Food has launched Canidae Farms where it now grows its own ingredients for its pet food products. Canidae is a family-owned company, founded in 1996 by owners Scott Whipple and John Gordon.
Is Canidae dog food human grade?
All CANIDAE products are proudly made using the highest quality ingredients. The real meats, poultry and fish we use, as well as nutritionally dense meat, poultry, and fish meals, originate from USDA inspected meats processed in a human grade facility.
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For an impressive duration of four years, Elaine has been embarked on a voyage as a freelance writer within the domain of dog care. The profound fondness she nurtured for animals, ignited by the cherished companionship of her family's treasured pets during her developmental years, has flourished into a genuinely satisfying vocation focused on everything related to dogs.
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