what is the best dog food in canada

Best Dog Food In Canada

Looking for information on Canadian dog food brands, but all your searches are returning products from the United States?

Well, look no further. Weve analyzed and reviewed a vast swathe of dog food products that are available or produced in Canada and chosen some of the best.

Canadian Dog Food Vs. The Rest Of The World

Dog food sold in Canada tends to be remarkably similar to dog food that is sold in the United States.

Many Canadian dog food brands have their manufacturing facilities in the United States and vice versa.

In addition, many of the ingredients used in US and Canadian dog food tend to be sourced from one of the two countries.

However, despite this constant flow across borders, there are several exclusive Canadian brands that you can not find in the United States. These smaller brands often source their ingredients from local suppliers and support local Canadian pet stores.

Canadian dog food is also quite similar to European dog food. However, there are different regulations in place in Europe, which results in different labeling and packaging.

How We Chose The Best Dog Food

Dog Food quality is a complicated discussion, but we try to stay consistent with our choices. Factors such as ingredient quality, nutritional ratios (Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, Omega Fatty Acids), Recall History, Animal Testing, Price, and Country of Origin all play a part in our selections.

We recommend you check out ourDog Food Guide for more information on the overall topic of dog food.

You can also check out our Reviews page for a list of all the brands weve researched and analyzed.

Best Dog Food In Canada

Kabo Tender Chicken Recipe Review

Kabo is a fresh home-delivered dog food brand that was recently launched in Canada, and while it may be familiar as the pet store favorites, it is worth consideration.

It was originally only available in select parts of Canada, including Ontario, British Columbia, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Calgary; however, Kabo has recently expanded this to other areas, such as the Maritimes.

Fresh home-delivered dog food is prepared, packaged, and frozen before being shipped directly to consumers doors.

Kabo utilizes a series of simple questions during its sign-up processto gauge the nutritional needs of your dog. This methodology is extremely convenient and avoids waste which makes it appealing to many dog owners.

Of the seven Kabo recipes currently available, the Tender Chicken Recipe is our clear winner. The recipe is Kabos take on the classic Chicken and Rice formula that many dogs rely on as a staple.

If the portion of Chicken wasnt enough, the recipe also contains a smaller portion of Chicken Liver which is an excellent addition.

Organ meat ingredients like Chicken Liver can greatly enhance the flavor of a dog food recipe as well as provide additional beneficial vitamins and minerals.

This combination of Chicken and Chicken Liver offers a nutritional profile that is satisfactory and has a substantial proportion of protein.

The proportion of fat is quite low, which may make it a smart choice for dogs who are less active or suffer from weight gain.

However, if you have a highly active dog and feel like they need a higher proportion of fat, wed highly recommend Kabos Luscious Lamb Recipe.

While Rice may be the primary plant-based ingredient, it isnt the only one present. The recipe also makes use of Carrots, Peas, and Apples. This mix of vegetables and fruit adds flavor, additional carbohydrates, fiber, and micronutrients.

Kabo is, without a doubt, more costly than traditional dry dog food, but thankfully you can get 40% off your first order with our link, and if your dog is not satisfied, you can request a full refund.

We highly recommend checking out our Kabo Review Page for more information on the brand, all of its recipes, and ingredient choices.

It wouldnt be an article about Canadian dog food without mentioning the most famous Canadian dog food brand of all Orijen. Orijen, and its sister brand Acana, are some of the most popular and renowned names in the premium pet food industry.

If you are somehow unfamiliar with Orijen, we recommend reading our in-depth review of the brand here.

Orijen formulas are well-known to contain a massive variety of high-quality meat and fish ingredients in extraordinarily high proportions. This variety can include as many as 10+ meat or fish ingredients in a single formula.

OrijensOriginal Formula is a safe bet and contains a range of meat and fish ingredients, including Chicken, Turkey, Flounder, and Eggs, among others. These ingredients are accompanied by vegetables such as Peas, Beans, Pumpkin, and Squash.

All of these ingredients combine to provide a very satisfactory proportion of protein, fat, and carbohydrates that is ideally suited to the vast majority of dogs.

However, if the Original Formula does not appeal to you and your dog, there are many other dry dog food recipes available from Orijen, containing Fish, Poultry, and Red Meat.

Examples of other Orijen recipes include Six Fish,which, as you might guess, focuses on fish, Regional Red, which focuses on red meat; andFit and Trim,which aims to be lower in fat and uses poultry and fish ingredients.

Sadly, the mountains of high-quality meat and fish ingredients do not come cheap, and as a consequence, Orijen is a premium product and is priced accordingly.

Orijens sister brand Acana is notably less expensive, so we recommend you check our review of them if you think Orijen is out of your price range.

Go! Carnivore Grain Free Salmon + Cod Recipe Review

Go! is a large Canadian brand that is based in British Columbia. However, their products arent just sold in Canada and are also popular in the United States. They are owned by Petcurean, who also own brands such as Gather, Now Fresh, and Summit.

All of Go!s ingredients are sourced from the United States, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, which means you can rest easy about their quality.

Go! recently rebranded its Fit + Free range, and it is now known as Carnivore. This rebranding has added some recipes, including the Salmon + Cod recipe that is shown above.

Salmon and Cod are both highly nutritious fish ingredients. They contain a high portion of protein and fat that is ideal for a dogs diet, especially those that are highly active. In addition to this protein and fat, Salmon is one of the best sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Many believe that these fatty acids can provide several health benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and improved cognitive function.

The recipe is rounded off with a mix of legume and starch ingredients such as Lentils, Peas, Chickpeas, and Tapioca.

These ingredients provide carbohydrates and dietary fiber. However, the portion of these ingredients is small, ensuring that the fish are the formulas focus.

Many in the western world are not familiar with Tapioca, so we recommend you check out our article Tapioca In Dog Food for more information.

If you want to learn more about the Go! brand, check out an in-depth review of the brand here.

Open Farm Wild Caught Salmon Review

Open Farm is a Canadian pet food brand based in Toronto, Ontario. The development, formulation, and distribution of Open Farm recipes take place within Canada.

However, their manufacturing facility resides in the United States in Minnesota. The reasoning behind this is as most of Open Farms suppliers are in the United States.

We would recommend checking out their FAQ page to learn more about the brand.

Open Farms dry dog food recipes are their most popular, and from the extensive range they have on offer, our favorite is the Salmon recipe. The recipe makes use of a mix of Salmon, Whitefish, and Herring as its core fish offering.

Salmon is a fantastic ingredient to be found in dog food, and it can provide high levels of protein and fat, which should be at the core of every dogs diet. As we mentioned previously, Salmon is one of the best sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

The recipe uses a mix of plant-based ingredients, including Peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, and Pumpkin. These combine to provide a portion of carbohydrates and fiber.

Unlike most brands, Open Farm doesnt just produce dry dog food and wet/canned dog food and also has some Fresh recipes. These recipes are similar to those offered by brands like Kabo.

You can find their Fresh recipes here.

If youd like to learn more about Open Farm and its fresh recipes, check out our brand review here.

FirstMate Wild Pacific Caught Fish & Oats Formula Review

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FirstMate is another family-owned Canadian brand, and its recipes are produced in Surrey, British Columbia.

FirstMate employs a Veterinarian and Pet Nutritionist, which is becoming an increasingly important trait for a pet food brand to ensure their foods are best suited for pets needs.

First Mate has a broad mix of grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes to appeal to both sides of the spectrum.

They also produce canned recipes and limited ingredient formulas for those with severe allergies or sensitivities.

The above recipe is one of their recipes that is grain-inclusive. It uses a mix of Oatmeal and Brown Rice. These two grain ingredients are considered to be some of the best that can be used in dog food.

This favoritism is because they can offer additional nutrition in the form of fiber and micronutrients that other grains lack.

However, these arent the recipes primary ingredients, but thankfully, fish is. There is an impressive portion of Ocean Fish Meal found in this recipe.

While Ocean Fish Meal sounds somewhat vague, it is a mix of ocean-caught fish, which are then processed once onshore. This ingredient is a dense source of protein and fat and should not be feared.

You can read more about Ocean Fish Meal in our article Ocean Fish Meal In Dog Food.

If you want to learn more about the FirstMate brand, check out an in-depth review of the brand here.

Nutrience Sub Zero Prairie Red Review

Nutrience is a longstanding Canadian dog food brand that has been in operation for over 30 years.

Nutrience recipes are made in British Columbia, Canada, and are produced in small batches, which is unusual for a brand as large as them.

Nutriences parent company, Hagen, owns a number of other pet food brands that you may have heard of, including Zo, Fluval, Exo Terra, and Zeus.

The Sub Zero range from Nutrience is our favorite, thanks to the large portions of meat and fish ingredients the recipes use.

This holds true for the above recipe, which has a mix of red meat ingredients in Beef, Lamb, Wild Boar, Bison, and Pork. This large mix of red meat ingredients is sure to provide a unique taste and a massive proportion of protein and fat.

Outside of this huge list of red meat ingredients, the recipe utilizes a small portion of Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas, and Sweet Potatoes. These plant-based ingredients provide a modest mix of carbohydrates and fiber.

Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Lamb For Dogs

Ziwi Peak is a New Zealand-based brand, but its products can be found worldwide, including in Canada. They are best known for producing a fantastic quality air-dried dog food range and are one of the leaders in this niche market.

Air-dried dog food is extremely similar to freeze-dried dog food, which many are more familiar with. In essence, this process removes moisture from the food and preserves it.

Being a New Zealand brand, it will come as no surprise that Lamb features prominently as New Zealand is one of the world leaders in Lamb production. However, they do have some non-Lamb recipes, including a recently launched Chicken recipe.

The most notable advantage of Ziwi Peaks air-dried dog food is that it consists entirely of meat and has no significant vegetable, grain, or fruit ingredients.

By eliminating these plant-based ingredients, you can reduce the risk of your dog experiencing allergies or sensitivities to plant-based material.

This lack of plant-based material can be especially significant for dogs who are allergic to multiple plant ingredients.

The other core advantage of air-dried dog food is that it can provide excellent nutrition. Thanks to a lack of plant-based material, the proportion of protein and fat in the recipes is immense and sufficient for dogs of all activity levels.

The somewhat distinct disadvantage of Air Dried Dog Food is that it is incredibly costly, even more so than premium brands like Orijen. Therefore, it is unlikely to be a realistic solution for the majority of dog owners.

If, however, you are determined to make air-dried food viable, you could consider feeding your dog a mixture of Air Dried Dog Food and fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients. This approach could be a lot more realistic in cost.

Horizon Legacy Adult Review

Horizon is another well-established Canadian brand that has been in operation for almost fifteen years. Their production facility is in Saskatchewan, and the brand is still family-owned despite its success.

Horizon has several product lines that vary in protein content and whether they are grain-free or grain inclusive. Their Legacy range is the range with the highest proportion of animal-based protein, which is ideal for a dogs diet.

The above adult recipe from the Legacy range focuses on a mix of Chicken and Turkey ingredients, including Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chicken Fat, Turkey Meal, and Salmon Meal.

This mix is the source of the exemplary protein proportion. Meat meals such as Chicken Meal and Turkey Meal are extremely dense sources of nutrition as they have had their moisture removed.

As this formula is one of their grain-free recipes, it makes use of legume ingredients like Peas and other minor vegetables.

Peas are a staple of the Canadian prairies and can, and likely are sourced locally from their production facility. Legumes, such as Peas, provide carbohydrates and fiber, along with some additional small nutritional value.

If you want to learn more about the Horizon brand, check out an in-depth review of the brand here.

Zeal Air-Dried Beef with Freeze-Dried Salmon & Pumpkin Review

Zeal is a relatively young Canadian brand but is soon gaining popularity. It is very similar to Ziwi Peak, but it has its twist on the Air Dried style of food that Ziwi is renowned for.

Some of their recipes mix air-dried and freeze-dried food together, which is not something that any other brand that we are aware of is doing.

While air-dried and freeze-dried dog food offers similar nutrition, they do have a slightly different taste and texture, which may be appealing to some dogs. What is clear is that both of these styles of dog food are incredibly nutritionally dense.

The above recipe from Zeal uses a satisfactory mix of Beef and Salmon. These two ingredients are some of the most commonly used in dog food recipes.

This popularity is because they are relatively inexpensive when compared to alternatives but can offer incredible nutrition, high in protein and fat.

The recipe also makes use of some organ meat ingredients like Lung, Heart, Spleen, and Liver. These organ meat ingredients are a fantastic addition to any dog food recipe.

These organ meat ingredients can add additional nutrition, less common vitamins and minerals, and, most importantly, they can seriously enhance the flavor to make the food more appealing to your dog.

Boreal Proper Chicken Meal Recipe Review

While many of the other brands discussed in this article can be found in the United States and often Worldwide, Boreal is a brand that is exclusively Canadian.

It has regularly been featured on the shelves of smaller pet stores for over thirty years, and the brand sells both dog and cat food.

The above Chicken Meal recipe is one of their most reliable and straightforward. It includes a considerable portion of Chicken Meal, which provides a plentiful supply of protein and fat.

Many consumers are freighted at meat meal ingredients like Chicken Meal, but they shouldnt be.

They have had their moisture removed, which means they are a far denser source of nutrition than traditional meat cuts.

However, Chicken isnt the only ingredient present, and the formula also utilizes Barley, Peas, and Oats. This unusual mix of grains and legumes provides a satisfactory portion of carbohydrates and fiber.

The recipe also uses minor ingredients like Flaxseed and Alfalfa. These ingredients are added to provide minor health benefits and micronutrients like the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

You can read more in-depth information about these ingredients in our articles Flaxseed In Dog Food& Alfalfa In Dog Food.

Smack Prairie Harvest Pork Review

Smack is a Canadian producer of dehydrated dog food. Dehydrated dog food should not be confused with freeze-dried or air-dried dog food, as it can be quite different.

Dehydrated dog food is designed to be re-mixed with water before consumption. This added moisture means that a relatively small bag of dehydrated dog food can become quite significant in weight once the water is added.

Also, while freeze-dried or air-dried dog food is made up of almost entirely meat and fish ingredients, dehydrated dog food often contains a significant portion of plant-based material, such as grains or vegetables.

Our point about partial plant-based content is valid for Smacks recipes, as the above recipe contains a mix of Pumpkin, Kale, Apple, and more.

These fruit and vegetable ingredients are beneficial additions and in modest quantities. Pumpkin can be an important addition to some dogs who struggle to maintain regular digestion as it is an extremely reliable and dense source of fiber.

As the name gives away, Pork is the recipes primary ingredient. However, like some of the other recipes we have discussed in this article, this recipe also uses organ meat such as Heart, Liver, and Kidney.

These Pork organ meat ingredients will be sure to improve the taste of the food as well as provide vitamins and minerals that traditional meat cuts lack.

If you want to learn more about the Smack brand, check out an in-depth review of the brand here.

Carna4 Grain-Free Duck Review

Carna4 is a small Canadian pet food brand that most dog owners will not be familiar with. They have a tiny product range when compared to many of their competitors, but this shouldnt put you off them as the recipes that they do offer are very high-quality and appealing.

One of the key benefits of Carna4 is that they provide vast amounts of information about their ingredients and the exact nutrition of their recipes on their website.

This transparency is leaps and bounds above the vast majority of their competitors and is an endearing trait for the ever-more-conscious consumer.

While most dog food recipes with poultry focus on Chicken and Turkey, Carna4 has a Duck recipe. Duck can still provide similar nutrition to Chicken but tends to contain a higher ratio of fat. However, this higher fat ratio can make it more enticing to dogs.

Alongside Duck, the recipe contains other ingredients like Pork Liver, Eggs, Sprouted Barley Seeds, Herring, Sweet Potato, and more.

Eggs are worth pointing out as they are very nutritionally dense, and the nutrition they provide is effortless to digest.

This digestibility means that it can be easily utilized by a dogs digestive system rather than being wasted.

This extensive mix of ingredients provides a very satisfactory and balanced nutritional profile that is suitable for the majority of dogs.

If youd like to learn more about Carna4 and its unique dog food, check out our Carna4 Brand Review.