CANIDAE® Dog Food Reviews – Ingredient Analysis, Recall History, and Our Ratings in 2020

Your dog is an important part of your family. You should make sure that they’re fed the best food possible. Some dog food brands are extremely high quality while others are filled with inexpensive filler ingredients. Therefore, it takes a lot of research to figure out what’s best for your dog.

CANIDAE^® is a popular dog food brand with a wide selection of formulas. But how do you know if CANIDAE^® dog food is the right choice for your pup?

Who Makes CANIDAE^® Dog Food?

CANIDAE^® is a family-owned company that has been making dog food since 1996. Their first truckload of food was delivered in pickup trucks to the Ethos Pet Nutrition plant in Brownwood, Texas. It’s a state of the art facility that closely focuses on the research and development of their foods.

The Ethos facility closely tests the ingredients to ensure that they’re safe and healthy for your dog. This company’s promise is that the ingredients you see on your bag of dog food are exactly what’s inside, so you can feel good about what you’re feeding your dog.

CANIDAE^® Dog Food Recalls

As of June 2020, CANIDAE^® dog food has had one recall.

May 5th, 2012

CANIDAE^® issued a voluntary recall for several of their dry dog food formulas due to potential salmonella contamination. These specific bags were manufactured at a Diamonds Pet Foods plant in South Carolina. No CANIDAE^® formulas tested positive for salmonella, but other dog foods at the plant did. So, CANIDAE^® voluntarily recalled their products just to be safe.

Top 5 CANIDAE^® Dog Food Formula Reviews

CANIDAE^® has a wide selection of dog food formulas to choose from, including limited ingredient formulas, formulas for small breeds, high meat formulas, grain-free diets, and diets for multi-dog households. We will take a look at the ingredients for some of the most popular CANIDAE^® formulas.

1. CANIDAE^® Grain Free PURE Real Salmon & Sweet Potato

CANIDAE^® Grain Free PURE is a limited ingredient formula. Therefore, it has no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives. It’s made with eight key ingredients: salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas, canola oil, suncured alfalfa, and potatoes. Plus, it has natural flavor, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.

This line of dog food benefits multiple aspects of your dog’s health too. It uses probiotics to support healthy digestion, antioxidants to support a healthy immune system, and omega fatty acids to give your dog a healthy coat and skin. It’s the ideal food for dogs with lots of allergies or sensitivities.

This formula lists animal protein as the first three ingredients. Additionally, it has 32% protein and 18% fat.

2. CANIDAE^® All Life Stages Multi-Protein Dog Food

CANIDAE^® All Life Stages formulas are ideal for dogs of all ages and sizes, so they’re perfect for households with multiple dogs. It’s free of unhealthy fillers, such as wheat, corn, and soy. It also has many beneficial ingredients, such as probiotics for healthy digestion, antioxidants for a healthy immune system, and omega fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat.

This formula contains animal protein as the first three ingredients. It has multiple protein sources in it, including chicken, turkey, and lamb. Additionally, this formula contains 24% protein and 14.5% fat.

3. CANIDAE^® PURE Real Bison, Lentil, & Carrot

The CANIDAE^® PURE Bison formula is similar to the PURE Salmon & Sweet Potato formula because they’re both made with limited ingredients. This recipe has ten key ingredients in it: bison, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, carrots, pork meal, tapioca, canola oil, and suncured alfalfa. Plus, it also has natural flavors, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.

This recipe is great for dogs with sensitive stomachs because it has no corn, wheat, soy, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives. It uses probiotics to benefit digestion, antioxidants to support a healthy immune system, and omega fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat. Also, this formula contains 25% protein and 14.5% fat.

4. CANIDAE^® PURE Petite Salmon Small Breed

This is a grain-free, raw-coated formula made specifically for small dogs. It has smaller kibble pieces that are easier for small breeds to chew. It has eight key ingredients in it: salmon, salmon meal, peas, lentils, tapioca, canola oil, garbanzo beans, and freeze-dried salmon. Plus, it also has natural flavor, vitamins, and a probiotics mix.

The primary ingredient in this formula is salmon, and it’s made with limited ingredients to cater to dogs with sensitive tummies. It lists animal proteins as the first two ingredients, followed by other healthy items like lentils and peas. In total, it contains 24% protein and 12.5% fat.

5. CANIDAE^® PURE Ancestral Fish Freeze-Dried Raw

This recipe is a high meat formula made with 7 fish species, which includes salmon, mackerel, pollock, whitefish, and tuna. All the fish are wild-caught and regional. Additionally, this formula is freeze-dried and raw-coated.

Dog ancestors thrived on a high meat diet, so this formula is made to mimic your dog’s ancestral needs. It lists animal protein as the first five ingredients. Additionally, it contains 36% protein and 12.5% fat. Therefore, it’s best for large, active dogs.

Ingredients in CANIDAE^® Dog Food

Each CANIDAE^® formula contains slightly different ingredients, but many of them share similar items. So, we are going to take a look at some of the common ingredients in CANIDAE^® dog food.

Good Ingredients

Chicken Meal

Depending on the formula, you might also find other proteins like turkey meal or lamb meal. Chicken meal is a meat concentrate, which means it contains about 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

Brown Rice

Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that’s easy to digest once it’s fully cooked. It provides energy for your dog, but beyond that, it doesn’t have much nutritional value.

Peas

Peas are a natural source of fiber. They’re also rich in carbohydrates. However, they contain 25% protein, which could affect the amount of meat protein in the food.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a whole-grain ingredient made up of ground oats. It’s naturally rich in vitamin B and dietary fibers. It can also be gluten-free.

Millet

Millet is harvested from seed grasses. It’s a gluten-free grain, and it’s considered hypoallergenic. Also, it’s rich in vitamin B and other essential minerals.

Controversial Ingredients

Rice Bran

Rice bran can be controversial because it’s a by-product of milling whole grain rice. However, it’s rich in fiber, and it also contains protein, fat, starch, and some vitamins and minerals.

Canola Oil

Canola oil can be a significant source of omega 3 fatty acids. However, it’s considered controversial because it can sometimes be derived from genetically modified rapeseed.

Suncured Alfalfa

Alfalfa is high in protein and fiber, but it’s not commonly used in quality dog food. In fact, it’s more often used for horse feed since it’s a part of the hay family.

What Dogs is CANIDAE^® Best Suited For?

CANIDAE^® has a wide selection of dog food, so it has something for just about every dog. They sell a wide selection of flavors for your dog, along with both dry and wet food formulas. Additionally, they have grain-free and limited ingredient formulas to cater to dogs with sensitive stomachs.

Additionally, CANIDAE^® sells formulas specifically for smaller breeds that have smaller kibble sizes that are easy to chew. Then, they also have high meat recipes that are great for dogs with high energy that need a lot of protein to keep them active.

Finally, CANIDAE^® has general formulas that are suitable for dogs of all ages and sizes. These formulas for all life stages are great for multi-dog families because then you don’t have to buy more than one type of food if you have more than one dog.

How Does This Brand Compare to Other Brands?

CANIDAE^® is a quality dog food brand, but how does it compare to other popular brands? We have compared it to three similar dog food companies.

CANIDAE^® vs. Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo is one of the most popular choices of dog food, but it’s actually a lower quality than CANIDAE^®. Blue Buffalo does have more variety than CANIDAE^®, but it also includes a lot of controversial ingredients in its formulas. Also, Blue Buffalo is one of the brands with the highest number of recalls, some of which are related to salmonella, mold, melamine, and even metal contamination. Canidae only has one minor recall so far.

CANIDAE^® vs. Orijen

Orijen, a brand created by Champion Petfoods, is known for its high meat percentages. CANIDAE^® has much more variety than Orijen because Orijen only has 8 formulas while CANIDAE^® has approximately 60 formulas to choose from. However, Orijen wins in terms of quality ingredients. Most Orijen formulas have no controversial ingredients, and they often have about 38% protein in their formulas, which is high for dry dog food.

CANIDAE^® vs. Taste of the Wild

Taste of the Wild is a brand of dog food owned by Diamond Pet Company. It has the same number of recalls as CANIDAE^® and approximately the same amount of controversial ingredients. Taste of the Wild also has less formulas with only about 16 dry food formulas and 5 wet food formulas. Additionally, both brands have an average of about 25% protein in their formulas, so Taste of the Wild is one of the most similar brands to CANIDAE^®.

What is the Average Price of CANIDAE^® Dog Food?

CANIDAE^® dog food varies in price based on where it’s purchased and what formula you get. However, here are some estimates of what you should expect to pay if you choose CANIDAE^® dog food. Most formulas can come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 5 pounds to 44 pounds.

The smallest bags of CANIDAE^® cost approximately $15 to $20. Then, a 15-pound bag is about $36 to $40. Larger bags, between 24 and 30 pounds, are around $54 to $64. Finally, the largest size, which is only available for some formulas, costs at least $64.

In general, these prices are much higher than Blue Buffalo, a little higher than Taste of the Wild, and cheaper than Orijen. Therefore, it’s a fairly reasonable price for the quality.

How Long Does CANIDAE^® Dog Food Last?

To find out if the price of dog food is worth it, it’s important to see how long it lasts. We’re going to take a look at the 44-pound bag of the All Life Stages Multi-Protein formula to see how long it might last for adult dogs of different sizes. For this example, we’re going to estimate that 1 pound is approximately 2 cups.

• 2-10 pounds: The recommended serving size is ½ cups to ¾ cups for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 3 ½ to 5 ½ months.
• 10-25 pounds: The recommended serving size is ¾ cups to 1 cup for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 2 ½ to 3 ½ months.
• 25-50 pounds: The recommended serving size is 1 cup to 2 cups for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 1 ½ to 2 ½ months.
• 50-75 pounds: The recommended serving size is 2 cups to 3 cups for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 1 to 1 ½ months.
• 75-100 pounds: The recommended serving size is 3 cups to 4 cups for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 22 days to 1 month.
• 100-125 pounds: The recommended serving size is 4 cups to 4 ¾ cups for an adult dog. Therefore, a 44-pound bag would last 18 to 22 days.

CANIDAE^® Dog Food Ratings

Overall Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars

Quality: 4.5

Overall, the quality of CANIDAE^® is fairly good for a brand of dry dog food. It has real meat as the first few ingredients in most formulas, and it steers away from most unnecessary filler ingredients. However, it does have some controversial ingredients, which could be replaced with something more beneficial. The food has also been recalled once, but it was voluntary.

Ingredients: 4.5

Most of the ingredients are quality, beneficial items that can improve your dog’s health. Some of these are quality meat sources, fatty acids, and probiotics. However, there are a few ingredients that are claimed to be healthy, but they’re considered controversial to some people.

Protein Content: 4.5

The protein included in CANIDAE^® is high quality, and in some formulas, it’s even listed as the first three ingredients. However, most formulas only have 23% to 32% protein in them. While this is higher than some popular brands, it still could be higher in order to better mimic your dog’s ancestral diet.

Price: 4.5

The price for CANIDAE^® is a bit higher than similar brands like Taste of the Wild, but the food lasts a long time and it has quality ingredients in it. Therefore, it’s worth the price it’s sold for.

Variety: 5

The most significant aspect of CANIDAE^® is the variety. CANIDAE^® has about 60 different dog food formulas to choose from. These formulas cater towards dogs of all different sizes, ages, and diets. Therefore, they provide something for every dog.