Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Acana Limited Ingredient Singles product line includes the 4 dry dog foods listed below.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Duck and Pear Recipe | 5 | A |
| Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Pork and Squash Recipe | 5 | A |
| Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Lamb and Apple Recipe | 5 | A |
| Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Beef and Pumpkin Recipe | 5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Duck and Pear Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Duck and Pear
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Deboned duck, duck meal, duck liver, sweet potato, whole chickpeas, duck fat, whole lentils, lentil fiber, pollock oil, whole pears, natural duck flavor, duck cartilage, whole pumpkin, whole cranberries, salt, choline chloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, dried kelp, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), freeze-dried duck liver, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, copper proteinate, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D3 supplement, turmeric, citric acid (preservative), rosemary extract, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 31% | 17% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 35% | 19% | 38% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 29% | 39% | 31% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is duck. Although it is a quality item, raw duck contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.
The second ingredient is duck meal. Duck meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh duck.
The third ingredient is duck liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fourth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.
The fifth item lists chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Like peas, beans and lentils, the chickpea is a nutritious member of the fiber-rich legume (or pulse) family of vegetables.
However, chickpeas contain about 22% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The next ingredient is duck fat. This item is obtained from rendering duck, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Duck fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, duck fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient includes lentils. Lentils are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, lentils contain about 25% protein, a factor that will be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.
The eighth ingredient is lentil fiber, a mixture of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber derived from lentils. Aside from the usual benefits of fiber, this agricultural by-product provides no other nutritional value to a dog.
The ninth ingredient is pollock oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, pollock oil should be considered a commendable addition.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But realistically, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Acana product.
With 4 notable exceptions…
First, we find taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.
Next, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
In addition, duck cartilage is a source of both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate — natural substances believed to support joint health.
And lastly, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Acana Limited Ingredient Singles Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 35%, a fat level of 19% and estimated carbohydrates of about 38%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 35.2% and a mean fat level of 19.3%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 37.5% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.
Which means this Acana product line contains…
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.
Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the chickpeas and lentils, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Acana Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Acana through November 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Acana Dog Food
Acana Limited Ingredient Singles is a grain-free dry dog foods using a liberal amount of named meats and meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 5 stars.
Compare Acana Dog Food
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