Under The Sun is Canidae’s grain-free dog food line, intended to offer dogs with allergies some relief and a chance at a normal life.
Canidae is well respected as a holistic, premium dog food, and Under The Sun is one of several issue-specific offerings from the company.
It uses premium ingredients to give your pet complete, dense nutrition and forgoes all the cheap fillers and artificial ingredients. It is slow-cooked in the company's test kitchens so that you know each recipe is the best Canidae can make.
Under The Sun dog food recipes are made from mostly single-animal protein sources supplemented with wholesome fruits and vegetables like carrots and blueberries for a mouthwatering, balanced diet.
To address the food sensitivity issues in some dogs, the company opted to do away with ingredients commonly associated with such issues, like potato, corn, wheat, soy, and chicken by-product meal. Instead, Canidae chose garbanzo beans, which are a healthier alternative as filler.
Let’s take a look at this brand to see if it could be the right food for your dog’s sensitivities via our in-depth Under the Sun Dog Food Reviews.
Real Meat in First 5 Ingredients? : No (meat meal only)
Recalled in Past? : No
Behind the Brand
Canidae opened in 1996 and remains to this day a family-owned company. It has its own manufacturing facilities, where the manufacturers oversee the entire production process from start to finish to ensure that the high-quality standards of the company are met.
The owners also pride themselves on using only the top-quality ingredients in every product unit so you can be certain your dog gets the best meal.
Canidae’s foods are free of common fillers such as corn or soy that can cause allergic reactions and digestive issues. The foods never use artificial colors or flavors, which can encourage dogs to overeat. Leaving out grains may help particularly sensitive dogs regain control over digestion and relieve some itchiness.
As mentioned earlier, the company owns and manages the facility in which they manufacture the merchandise, so it's able to test ingredients on site.
It has also collaborated with more farms to find ways to alleviate common farming issues more naturally. Canidae encourages partner farms to move away from mass crops like corn and soy and make way for better farming habits.
The partner farms all use natural methods to keep soil healthy. They use natural compost and adopt a “no-tilling” policy.
They also use grazing animals to remove the weeds and minimize the use of chemical sprays on the fields. Furthermore, they're investing in robotics to help keep significant field issues in check before they become an issue.
Canidae sources its ingredients from credible and trustworthy suppliers from North America to guarantee that only top-rate quality goes into the products.
A meal that is very ideal for hypersensitive pets as it is made with a single animal protein source – lamb. This is also free from grains and is blended with farm grown veggies and fruits.
This dry dog food recipe, ideal for adult dogs, features lamb meal as its single protein source, supplemented with essential nutrients for a balanced diet. It includes real fruits and vegetables for vital vitamins and minerals, probiotics for digestion, and omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. The recipe avoids cheap fillers, artificial flavorings, and colorings.
With 25% protein and 11% fat, it's excellent for active dogs. Lamb meal, the main ingredient, is rich in protein, fat, and calcium, with a taste dogs love. Peas and garbanzo beans add fiber, vitamins, and minerals, though peas may not be suitable for dogs with kidney issues. The recipe also includes canola oil, various vegetables, and spices.
Customer reviews are mixed: over 60% are satisfied, praising the flavor and digestibility, but nearly 30% are dissatisfied, citing issues like crumbliness, small kibble size, and some digestive troubles. Overall, it's a decent choice, especially for dogs with food allergies, but improvements could be made to the kibble texture and size.
2. Chicken Recipe
First 5 Ingredients: Chicken Meal, Green Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Yellow Peas, Chicken Fat
This is also another single animal protein formula, this time it's chicken. This kibble is fortified with taurine, healthy fats, antioxidants, probiotics, chondroitin and glucosamine for overall wellness.
This kibble for adult dogs features chicken meal as the single protein source, enriched with essential nutrients. It includes real fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet, along with probiotics for digestion and omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. The recipe is free from cheap fillers and artificial ingredients.
With 25% protein and 11% fat, it's well-suited for active dogs. Chicken meal, the main ingredient, is made from processed chicken organs and by-products. Peas and chickpeas are also key ingredients, providing fiber, vitamins, and minerals, though peas may not be suitable for dogs with kidney issues. Chicken fat adds flavor and extra nutrients.
Customer reviews on Chewy.com are mixed, with over half of the respondents giving it a positive rating, and 85% recommending it. While many appreciate the recipe's quality and its effects on their dogs, there are frequent complaints about the kibble being too crumbly, leading some to feel they didn't get their money's worth.
Overall, this kibble is rated 3.8 stars and is a good maintenance meal for adult dogs without chicken allergies. The ingredients and nutrients are competitive, and the price is reasonable for a premium brand. However, the company is encouraged to address the issue of excessive crumbliness.
3. Whitefish Recipe
First 5 Ingredients: Whitefish Meal, Yellow Peas, Garbanzo Beans, Green Peas, Canola Oil
Whitefish is the only animal protein in this formula, making it ideal for dogs with sensitivities. With added essential nutrients to give your pup a complete meal.
This kibble for adult dogs is a well-regarded option in the brand's lineup. The recipe uses whitefish meal as its single protein source, enriched with essential nutrients for a balanced diet. It includes additional ingredients from mixed fruits and vegetables, with no cheap fillers or artificial additives. With 25% protein and 11% fat, it's ideal for active dogs.
Whitefish meal, the primary ingredient, provides lean protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins, making it suitable for dogs with food allergies or those needing a low-calorie diet. Peas and chickpeas serve as fillers, offering fiber, vitamins, and minerals, though peas may not be suitable for dogs with kidney issues. Canola oil, while more processed than other oils, adds energy and aids in nutrient absorption.
Additional plant-based ingredients include pumpkin, green beans, and carrots. Nearly 90% of reviewers on Chewy.com praised the kibble for its flavor, nutrition, and digestibility, particularly for dogs with food sensitivities. Unlike other variants, no complaints about crumbliness were reported.
Overall, this fish-based formula earns 4.2 stars out of 5. It's an excellent maintenance meal for adult dogs, especially those with food sensitivities, offering quality ingredients at a fair price for a premium diet.
What Types Of Dog Food Do They Offer?
Under The Sun, the grain-free option comes in both dry and wet foods made for a variety of life stages. The dry recipes all use single-source protein to help with digestion and relieve allergies.
No potatoes are added too that can raise your dog’s blood sugar. The smaller food trays are great for small breed diets as well.
Dry Foods:
Adult Lamb
Adult Chicken
Adult Whitefish
Large Breed Adult Chicken
Puppy Chicken
Wet Foods:
Salmon and Shrimp Trays
Lamb Canned Food
Duck Canned Food
Puppy Chicken Canned Food
Recall History
The Under the Sun product line has no history of recall. However, the mother company Canidae, then under Diamond Foods, had one recall on record back in 2012 as a result of the salmonella scare. Only the products made in the Gaston, South Carolina facility were recalled.
What We Think
This brand is generally positioned as a more budget-friendly option compared to Canidae’s main product lines. It focuses on using simple, wholesome ingredients, with an emphasis on a single animal protein and a variety of vegetables and fruits. The brand markets itself as grain-free, which can appeal to pet owners looking to avoid grains in their dog’s diet.
Here are some key points about the brand:
Pros:
Affordability: Is more cost-effective than some premium brands, making it accessible to more pet owners.
Single Animal Protein: Good for dogs with protein sensitivities.
Added Fruits & Vegetables: It includes some healthy, non-meat ingredients like pumpkin and spinach.
No Corn, Wheat, or Soy: Many dogs with allergies or intolerances benefit from this exclusion.
Cons:
Use of Canola Oil: Some formulas may contain canola oil, which could be a concern if you prefer to avoid this ingredient, particularly non-organic forms.
Lower Meat Content: Compared to higher-end brands, Under the Sun may rely more on plant-based proteins like peas and chickpeas, which might not be ideal for all dogs.
Inconsistent Ingredient Quality: While Canidae as a brand is known for quality, some consumers have noted that the Under the Sun range doesn’t always match the premium standards set by their other products.
Customer Reviews
Canidae has a strong and devoted following. Most of its loyal customers love their recipes and consistently give the brand a high rating of four stars or higher on several major online retailers' sites. Canidae’s foods are notable for their excellent quality and are frequently recommended by veterinarians.
Canidae is constantly on the list of top dog food manufacturers. Its products are normally found in veterinary clinics. The Under the Sun product line is created for dogs with food sensitivities as it does not include grains and cheap fillers in the recipes.
Under The Sun uses limited and/or single-source protein for its recipes to help pet owners easily identify the ingredients that cause allergies in their pets. It would have been much more difficult to figure this out with dog meals that have multiple protein sources.
What Do People Like And Dislike About Them?
People love that Canidae’s ecosystem helps produce quality dog foods that they can trust. Canidae works with US farmers and owns the manufacturing facilities. This allows the company to be on top of the entire manufacturing process, and ensure optimal quality.
Under the Sun is regularly credited for addressing the common food allergy issues in dogs. Customers are relieved that their four-legged friends no longer suffer from skin irritation and itchiness as Under the Sun recipes do not use cheap fillers, artificial ingredients, and grains, which are the usual suspects in causing allergies.
Under the Sun also offers different variants to choose from, to the delight of both the pet parents and their furry kids.
Of course, even with the excellent reviews for Under the Sun formulas, there will always be some that are not fans. Some don’t think the flavors are good enough for their pets.
And, there is a good number of comments about the brand’s dry kibble being too small and crumbly. Because of this, some consumers don’t think the products are a good buy.
A few customers also claimed their pups had digestive issues after feeding on the meals, such as runny stools and irregular gas. It’s recommended to slowly transition the dog when shifting to a new diet in order to prevent such issues.
Positive
“I have been feeding my lab mix this food for over 2 years now… It is an excellent dog food and being grain free is an added bonus and is the main reason I feed it to her My sister even switched her “very picky” pup to this food and he loves it as well!” – Irishbella1, chewy.com
Negative
“I'm trying to find a food for my pup that is grain-free and without any traces of chicken. The food is not sitting well with his stomach, and I took ten days to transition food brands. He often has both normal and runny stool. I can tell he dislikes the food. He looks at me thinking, “Mom, this isn't appetizing”. I will be transitioning him to a different food and will not buy this brand for him again.” Curtis, chewy.com
Final Say
This brand of dog food offers solid nutrition for pet owners on a budget, especially for dogs that need a grain-free diet with a single protein source.
However, if you're concerned about higher meat content or avoiding certain ingredients like canola oil, this may not be the perfect fit. Overall, it’s a decent mid-tier option, but it may not match the quality of premium or more specialized dog foods.
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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.
