American Journey Dog Food Reviews – Ingredient Analysis, Recall History, and Our Ratings in 2020

When it comes to choosing what to feed your dog, there are just too many options to choose from. Oftentimes, dog parents will just pick the first food they see on a pet store shelf, but that’s not always the best choice. In fact, some of the best dog food brands might not even be found at every pet supply store.

One newer choice of dog food is American Journey dog food, a brand that is known for having a wide variety of formulas. But how do you know if this food is the right choice for your dog?

Who Makes American Journey Dog Food?

American Journey is an exclusive Chewy.com dog food brand. They are the first Chewy original brand, and they can only be purchased at Chewy.com and PetSmart.

This brand consists of both wet and dry dog foods, designed for dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes. They advertise themselves as full of high-quality ingredients including real protein and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. All their ingredients are made in the United States from their trusted suppliers.

Where to Buy American Journey Dog Food

American Journey Recall History

According to the FDA recall database, American Journey has no reported recalls as of April 2020.

What Formulas Does American Journey Have?

American Journey has a wide variety of dog food formulas, much more than most brands have. They have a total of 31 dry food recipes and 7 wet food recipes. We have divided them up into categories and analyzed each specific category of food. 

Dry Dog Food – All Life Stages

The American Journey All Life Stages formulas come in four different proteins: salmon, chicken, beef, and lamb. All four formulas have grains in them, and they all contain brown rice as one of the main ingredients. These formulas are designed for dogs of all ages and breeds, and they’re able to provide energy for all your dog’s adventures.

All of these formulas contain 25% protein and 15% fat, except for lamb, which only has 23% protein. These recipes also contain many other beneficial nutrients such as dietary fiber, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants. Ideally, it’s best for dogs with no allergies or sensitivities since it has grains and some fillers in it.

Popular Choices:

• Salmon & Brown Rice
• Chicken & Brown Rice
• Beef & Brown Rice
• Lamb & Brown Rice

Dry Dog Food – Large Breed

These formulas are similar to the All Life Stages recipes, but they’re designed specifically for large breed dogs only. They only come in chicken or salmon, but they have options with grains and without grains. Therefore, even if a large dog is allergic to grains, they still have formulas to choose from.

The grain-free options have 30% protein in them while the ones with grains only have 24% protein. They all have 12% fat except for Chicken & Brown Rice, which has 13%. These formulas are made with the ideal amounts of protein and fat to keep larger breeds a healthy weight. They also have many other premium ingredients, such as omega fatty acids, healthy fruits and vegetables, and nutrients to assist with joint health.

Popular Choices:

• Large Breed Salmon & Brown Rice
• Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice
• Large Breed Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Large Breed Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Puppy

There are 5 different puppy-specific formulas, 3 for puppies of all sizes and 2 specifically for large breed puppies. All these formulas are grain-free except for the Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice formula. They’re designed to keep your puppy growing at a healthy rate. 

All of these formulas have slightly different amounts of protein and fat. Large Breed Salmon & Sweet Potato has 32% protein and 14% fat while Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice has only 25% protein and 15% fat. The other three formulas have 30% protein and 12% fat. They all include key ingredients that can help with health aspects such as vision and brain development.

Popular Choices:

• Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice
• Puppy Lamb & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Healthy Weight

The Healthy Weight formulas were created for dogs that need some help maintaining a natural weight. It has three formulas: chicken, grain-free chicken, and grain-free salmon. It includes beneficial ingredients to assist with weight management such as L-carnitine to support lean muscles, natural fiber to help dogs feel fuller with fewer calories, and glucosamine and chondroitin to assist with joint health.

The Chicken & Brown Rice formula only has 25% protein and 9% fat. However, the grain-free choices both have 30% protein, but the chicken one has 10% fat while the salmon one still only has 9%.

Popular Choices:

• Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice
• Healthy Weight Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Healthy Weight Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Senior

There are also three formulas specifically for senior dogs. There’s chicken with grains, grain-free chicken, and grain-free salmon, all of which are similar to the Healthy Weight formulas. Therefore, these Senior recipes can help your dog maintain a healthy weight even at an older age.

All three of these have slightly different ingredient percentages. The Chicken & Brown Rice formula has 25% protein and 11% fat. Then, the Grain-Free Chicken has 30% protein and 11% fat. Finally, Grain-Free Salmon has 32% protein and 10% fat. They all have special ingredients to help with senior health problems such as joint health, immune systems, and brain health.

Popular Choices:

• Senior Chicken & Brown Rice
• Senior Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Senior Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Grain-Free

For dogs with allergies and sensitivities to grains, there are four different grain-free formulas for dogs of all ages and breeds. They can try beef, salmon, chicken, and lamb. All four formulas have sweet potatoes and other healthy ingredients to substitute for the lack of grains. 

All of the formulas have 32% protein and 14% fat, except for the chicken recipe, which has 34% protein and 15% fat. They’re full of nutritious ingredients including fruits, vegetables, salmon oil, and chickpeas.

Popular Choices:

• Beef & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Salmon & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Lamb & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Landmark

The Landmark recipes are special formulas that are designed to mimic your dog’s ancestral diet. Therefore, they’re high in protein, which is great for active dogs of all ages and breeds. They all have 40% protein and 15% fat.

The Plateau Blend is made with pork and beef, the Delta Blend is made with rainbow trout and herring, and the Trailhead Blend is made with chicken and turkey. All three of them have 70% animal-sourced proteins in them, along with prebiotics and probiotics to assist with digestive health. They are also all grain-free formulas. 

Popular Choices:

• Plateau Blend Grain-Free
• Delta Blend Grain-Free
• Trailhead Blend Grain-Free

Dry Dog Food – Limited Ingredient

The Limited Ingredient formulas are perfect for dogs with lots of allergies and sensitivities because they have no grains and no fillers. There are five formulas, each with a single protein: salmon, duck, lamb, turkey, and venison. 

All five formulas have 12% fat, but their protein percentages vary slightly. The venison and lamb recipes only have 22% protein while the turkey, duck, and salmon all have 25% protein. They include a lot of other beneficial ingredients such as omega fatty acids and easily digestible carbohydrates.

Popular Choices:

• Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Salmon
• Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Duck
• Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Lamb & Sweet Potato
• Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Turkey & Sweet Potato
• Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Venison & Sweet Potato

Wet Dog Food

There is a total of 7 different wet dog food formulas. All of them are grain-free, but two are basic formulas, two are stews, and three are limited ingredient formulas. They come in a variety of proteins including beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and duck. They’re all suitable for dogs of all ages and breeds.

The stews both have 8% protein and 5% fat while the normal grain-free cans have 9% protein and 6% fat. The limited ingredient formulas vary slightly in terms of protein and fat. The lamb one has 9% protein and 7% fat, the chicken has 9% protein and 6% fat, and the duck has 8% protein and 6% fat. 

Popular Choices:

• Stews Beef & Vegetables Grain-Free
• Stews Chicken & Vegetables Grain-Free
• Chicken & Turkey Grain-Free
• Beef & Chicken Grain-Free
• Limited Ingredient Lamb & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Limited Ingredient Duck & Sweet Potato Grain-Free
• Limited Ingredient Chicken & Sweet Potato Grain-Free

Ingredients in American Journey Dog Food

The ingredients in American Journey greatly vary based on the formula, especially between grain-free formulas and formulas with grains. Here are some of the common ingredients that can be found in American Journey dog food.

Good Ingredients

Deboned Beef

Some formulas also contain deboned lamb, chicken, or duck depending on the flavor. All of these are quality proteins for dog food, but they have a lot of moisture in them to begin with. When they’re cooked, a lot of that moisture is lost, meaning there is actually a lot less meat in the kibble than expected.

Chicken Meal

Chicken meal is a meat concentrate that removes the moisture before it’s cooked. Therefore, it contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken. The same is true for other meat concentrates like turkey meal and beef meal, which are also used in some formulas.

Peas

Peas are a quality ingredient that serve as a source of carbohydrates and fiber.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are used in all the grain-free formulas. They are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates for dog food. 

Brown Rice

Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that is found in all the grain formulas. When it’s cooked, it’s very easy for dogs to digest, but it only provides a moderate amount of nutrition for dogs.

Chickpeas

Chickpeas are also commonly called garbanzo beans. Like peas, they’re very rich in fiber.

Chicken Fat

While it might not sound appetizing, chicken fat and other types of fat can provide health benefits for dogs. It is high in omega-6 fatty acids, which will give your dog a smooth coat and healthy skin. 

Controversial Ingredients

Pea Protein

Pea protein is the part of the pea that remains after removing the starchy part. It contains over 80% protein, but it is thought to have a much lower biological value than meat.

Rice Bran

Rice bran is considered healthy, but it’s a by-product of milling whole grain rice.

Beet Pulp

Beet pulp is high in fiber, but it’s a by-product of sugar beet processing, which makes it an inexpensive filler.

Tomato Pomace

Tomato pomace is a by-product that remains after tomatoes are processed into juice, soup, or ketchup. It’s high in fiber, but it’s another inexpensive filler.

Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa meal is most commonly used for hay-like horse feed, not dog food.

What Dogs is American Journey Best Suited For?

American Journey has a wide selection of formulas, so there’s something for almost every dog. They have specific formulas for dogs with all different needs and dogs of all different life stages. They have plenty of formulas for puppies, adults, and even seniors. Plus, there is a good mix of recipes with or without grains depending on what your dog needs.

Even if a dog is extremely sensitive to most dog foods, there are a few limited ingredient formulas to choose from. Dogs who need to work on maintaining a healthy weight can benefit from the weight management formulas. Plus, if you don’t like to feed kibble to your dog, they even have a wide range of wet foods to choose from too. Overall, there’s something for every canine.

Which Dogs Might Do Better on a Different Brand?

Despite the huge variety, there is one type of formula that this brand is missing: small breed. They have a line of dog food for large breeds and even large breed puppy formulas, but nothing specifically for small breeds. Oftentimes, small dogs prefer small breed formulas because they have smaller kibble pieces that are easier to chew. 

What is the Average Price of American Journey?

Since there are only a few places this food can be purchased, it’s actually more affordable that most dog food brands. It comes in three different sizes: 4 pounds, 12 pounds, and 24 pounds. However, there are a few formulas that come in 14-pound and 28-pound bags instead of 12 and 24, but the price isn’t much different.

A 4-pound bag of American Journey dog food is typically between $10 and $16. Then, the 12-pound bags range from $23 to $29. Finally, the 24-pound bags are between $35 and $47. A lot of high-quality dog food brands charge over $30 for a 12-pound bag, so this brand is definitely more affordable.

How Long Does American Journey Last?

To ensure that the price is great, the food also needs to last a while. So, for an example, we’re going to use the 28-pound bag of the Salmon & Brown Rice formula to see how long it would last for each weight category.

• 6 pounds: A 6-pound dog is recommended to eat ¾ cups every day. So, estimating that a pound is about 2 cups, a 28-pound bag would last about 2 ½ months.
• 10 pounds: A 10-pound dog’s serving size is about 1 cup per day. Therefore, it would last about 2 months.
• 15 pounds: A 15-pound dog should eat about 1 ⅓ cups per day. So, a 28-pound bag would last about 1 ½ months.
• 20 pounds: A 20-pound dog is recommended to eat about 1 ¾ cups per day. So, it would last about 1 month.
• 30 pounds: A 30-pound dog is recommended to eat 2 ⅓ cups per day. So, a 28-pound bag would last about 24 days.
• 40 pounds: A 40-pound dog should eat about 3 cups per day. So, it would only last about 19 days.
• 50 pounds: A 50-pound dog should eat about 3 ½ cups per day. So, the food would only last about 16 days.
• 60 pounds: A 60-pound dog should have about 4 cups per day. So, it would last about 14 days.
• 70 pounds: A 70-pound dog should eat about 4 ½ cups per day. So, it should last about 12 days.
• 80 pounds: An 80-pound dog’s serving size is about 5 cups per day. So, the bag will last only about 11 days.

American Journey Dog Food Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Quality: 4

This food has quality ingredients and it has never had a recall, but it’s also a much newer brand. It has some cheap fillers in its formulas, so it should use less of those and more beneficial ingredients instead.

Variety: 5

American Journey has a much wider variety than other popular dog food brands, with a total of 31 dry food flavors and 7 wet food flavors. There’s something for nearly every dog, and most formulas have both a grain-free option and an option with grains.

Price: 5

While the serving size recommendations are a bit higher than some other dog foods, the price is still great for the amount of food you’re getting. Even dog parents on a budget should be able to afford this food for their dog.

Ingredients: 3.5

Overall, the ingredients in the formulas are good quality, especially the meat sources. However, when analyzing the ingredients, there were several controversial items in it. The grain-free recipe had fewer questionable items, but the best quality dog food should only include what your dog needs and none of what they don’t.

Protein Content: 4.5

American Journey’s protein content is higher than most of the other brands. Overall, the grain-free choices have the most protein, especially the Landmark dog food line. The other formulas are a bit lower in protein, but it’s still above average for dry dog food.