Top 5 Canadian Dog Foods We Recommend

Written by: Emily Hanson & Edited by: Victoria Regan

How do you find the best food for your dog? Many people have looked at all the bags of dog food at the store and tried to determine which one to get, only to choose one based on the packaging, or a recommendation from the employee behind the counter. It is normal to feel confused when looking into dog food. With all the options out there, differing opinions depending on where you go, and almost too much information online to sift through, it can be tremendously overwhelming to try to determine which food you should get for your four-legged family members.

Of course, we all want what is best for our dogs, but pet food can be pricey! I completely understand that some people choose lesser quality foods to save a bit of money. Something to think about though, is just how much a “cheap” dog food can affect your dog’s behavior and health. Cheap prices mean, well, cheap food. The nourishment offered by your dog’s food is very important, not only for your canine’s health but also for their behavior.

The thing to look out for in your dog food is the amount of carbohydrates, or filler. When a dog eats carbs, like people, those carbs are turned into sugar. This means if the food has a high percentage of filler, the dog will have more sugar in their system. This can manifest by your dog acting crazy, having spikes in energy and then crashing, or that energy building up and bursting out unexpectedly at a passing dog or person while you are on a walk.

Usually, the less expensive options for pet food have more fillers. They are cheaper for the company to make, and so they can sell them at a lower price and still make a profit. However, this also means that they are worse for your dog. Unfortunately, you do have to pay a bit more for better quality food, but in my opinion, it is well worth it to have a happy healthy dog.

So how do you find out the amount of filler in your dog food? The nutrition labels on dog food do show you the percentages of what is in the food. Everything but the filler that is. Companies don’t like to broadcast the amount of bad stuff they use in food. So, it is important to know how to determine the percentage of filler in any dog food you are looking to buy.

To calculate this amount, simply add the percentages listed on the nutrition label for protein, fat, minerals, moisture, etc. and subtract that sum from 100. You will end up with the percentage of filler in that food. Here is a simplified example: let’s say the label reads protein 28%, fat 15%, minerals 7% and moisture 10%. We add these together and get 60%. We subtract 60 from 100 and get 40. So, the amount of filler in this case is 40%. A good dog food will have a filler percentage of less than half, but of course the lower the better!

It is also beneficial to look over the list of ingredients themselves. Take a look at the first five ingredients, they are listed by weight, so the first five make up a large portion of the food. You should look for dog food with a protein listed as the first ingredient, or the first few ingredients. If the first ingredient is a carbohydrate, most of the food is filler!

I know there is a lot to look for, so to help simplify your search, here are our top 5 recommended dog foods. We have chosen a selection of Canadian brands and to keep things as straightforward as possible, I have chosen similar flavors from each brand. The different proteins in each flavor will have different fat content, so to have a more even comparison I am going to stick to poultry recipes.

Top 5 Canadian Foods

All links to each specific food are listed at the bottom as well as links to information about each brand.

1. Orijen

Orijen: Manufactured by Champion Pet Foods in Edmonton A.B. They proudly state that their ingredients are regionally sourced across Canada. They have a high meat content and provide what they call a “whole prey” diet, meaning it includes organs, marrow, and cartilage.

The first 5 ingredients are: Fresh chicken meat (13%), fresh turkey meat (7%), fresh cage-free eggs (7%), fresh chicken liver (6%), and fresh whole herring (6%). The percentage of filler is only 11%!

The price for a large (30LB) bag of Orijen is $94 – $110

2. Acana

Acana: Also manufactured by Champion Pet Foods in Edmonton A.B. Their ingredients are also regionally sourced. Although Acana doesn’t have as high of a meat content as Orijen, they offer many dietary options and flavours.

The first 5 ingredients of their food are: Fresh chicken meat (11 %), chicken meal (10 %), turkey meal (10 %), red lentils, and whole green peas (9 %). The percentage of filler is 23.5%.

The price for a large (30LB) bag of Acana is $85 – $98

3. Nutrience

Nutrience: owned by Hagen Inc. out of Quebec, is a brand dedicated to lowering environmental impact and sourcing proteins raised humanely. The food is made in B.C. and locally sourced if possible.

The first 5 ingredients are: deboned chicken, chicken meal, steel cut oats, pearl barley, and green peas. The percentage of filler is 39%.

The price for a large (30LB) bag of Nutrience is $66 – $82

4. Go! solutions/Now Fresh/Gather

Go! Solutions/ Now Fresh/ Gather: They are all manufactured by Petcurean, and are all fairly similar, so I have listed them together. Petcurean was created in the Fraser Valley but is now based out of Ontario. Their ingredients are primarily sourced in North America. For this comparison I have selected a food from the Go! Solutions line.

The first 5 ingredients are: Chicken meal, turkey meal, salmon meal, de-boned chicken, and de-boned turkey. The percentage of filler is 30.7%.

The price for a large (30LB) bag of Go! Solutions Line is $59 – $78

5. Canadian Naturals

Canadian Naturals: a family-owned Canadian company based out of Abbotsford B.C. Most of their ingredients are locally and regionally sourced.

The first 5 ingredients are: Fresh turkey, turkey meal, brown rice, dehulled barley, and oatmeal. The percentage of filler is 40.35%.

The price for a large (30LB) bag of Canadian Naturals is $45 – $72

If you are looking for a food that has the most protein and the least amount of filler, Orijen would be my number one recommendation. The quality of the food is high, you get what you pay for. A slightly cheaper option is Acana, still a low amount of filler. Both Orijen and Acana are made in Alberta and sourced regionally so, in my opinion, there is a bonus there for supporting a Canadian business, and Canadian farmers.

Canadian Naturals is another option for supporting a Canadian business and local farmers, right here in B.C. too! Although they have the highest filler content of our top 5, there is far less filler than popular “budget” brands of dog food. They source regionally and locally for their ingredients.

Go! Solutions, Now Fresh, and Gather are also very low in filler, so you are getting more of the good stuff. They are based out of Ontario, sourcing their ingredients mostly in North America, so although the company is Canadian, your purchase doesn’t necessarily support Canadian farmers in the same way that the previous three brands do.

Nutrience is another Canadian company, based out of Quebec under Hagen Inc. Their facility is in B.C., although I couldn’t find exactly where in B.C. on the website. They state that they source locally but also that they source across North America, so I would surmise that they source locally when possible but will outsource if needed. They also pledge that they are environmentally conscious, and they care about the treatment of the livestock they source.

So, there are our top 5 dog foods! Even if you don’t choose one of our picks, now you know what to look for in a dog food. I hope you feel capable and confident to find a food that fits your budget and still offers the nourishment your canine companion needs!

Sources:

Acana; list of ingredients and percentages: https://acana.com/en-CA/for-dogs-1/adult-dog/ns-aca-adult.html

Acana; about the company: https://acana.com/en-CA/acana-about-our_story.html

Acana; source of ingredients: https://acana.com/en-CA/acana-about-fresh_regional_ingredients.html

Orijen; list of ingredients and percentages: https://orijen.ca/en-CA/for-dogs-2/original/ns-ori-original.html

Orijen; about the company: https://orijen.ca/en-CA/orijen-about-our_story.html

Orijen; source of ingredients: https://orijen.ca/en-CA/orijen-about-fresh_regional_ingredients.html

Canadian Naturals; list of ingredients and percentages: https://canadiannaturals.com/recipes__trashed/turkey-salmondog-recipe/

Canadian Naturals; about the company: https://canadiannaturals.com/west-coast-kitchen/

Canadian Naturals; source of ingredients: https://canadiannaturals.com/ingredients/

Go! By Petcurean; list of ingredients and percentages: https://www.petcurean.com/product/go-solutions-carnivoregrain-free-chicken-turkey-duck-adult-recipe-for-dogs/

Go! By Petcurean; about the company: https://www.petcurean.com/our-story/

Go! By Petcurean; source of ingredients: https://www.petcurean.com/blog/ingredient-faqs/

Nutrience; list of ingredients and percentages: https://nutrience.com/products/healthy-adult-2/

Nutrience; about the company: https://nutrience.com/about/

Nutrience; source of ingredients: https://nutrience.com/ingredients/

Another good source on picking dog food: https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-food-expose/