Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Canidae Active Goodness Dog Food is made up of two dry recipes which each receive the Dog Food Advisor’s rating, 5 stars.
Active Goodness provides all-day energy for active, sporting, and working adult dogs and puppies. The first ingredient in these recipes is turkey meal or salmon meal. Other ingredients include chicken fat, whole-grain sorghum, and peas for energy and fiber.
Pros
- Expert formulated
- Committed to sustainability
- No fillers
Cons
- Expensive
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Canidae Active Goodness Multi-Protein | 5 | A |
| Canidae Active Goodness Salmon | 5 | A |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Canidae Active Goodness Salmon was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Canidae Active Goodness Salmon
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Salmon meal, chicken meal, chicken fat, whole grain sorghum, oatmeal, peas, turkey meal, suncured alfalfa meal, natural flavor, salt, threonine, choline chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, tryptophan, mixed tocopherols, niacin, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, calcium pantothenate,manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, sodium selenite, riboflavin,thiamine mononitrate, biotin, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, folic acid, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 30% | 20% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 33% | 22% | 37% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 27% | 44% | 30% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient is salmon meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations. 1
 The second ingredient is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The next ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fourth ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.
The fifth ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.
The sixth ingredient is peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.
However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.
The seventh ingredient is turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.
The eighth ingredient is natural flavors, this doesn’t give us much information about the particular ingredients included in this dog food for flavoring purposes.Â
We’re pleased that the flavorings used are natural, but more details are required to give any further information about these flavoring ingredients. Flavorings are used to make the foods more appealing and tasty for our dogs.
The ninth ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), it can be less common to find it in a dog food recipe.
From here the list goes on to include a number of other items. But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of the product.
This recipe has three notable exceptions.
First 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.
We note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added as probiotics to aid with digestion.
Lastly sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Canidae Active Goodness Salmon looks like an above-average dry product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33.3%, a fat level of 22.2% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 36.4%.
As a group, the brand features a protein content of 33.3% and a mean fat level of 22.2%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 36.4% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 67%.
This means Canidae Active Goodness contains above-average protein, below-average carbohydrate, and above-average fat when compared to typical dry dog food.
Canidae Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Canidae through September 2024.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Canidae Active Goodness Dog Food
Canidae Active Goodness range is certainly worthy of the 5 stars the brand has earned in our review. The products are made from premium and sustainable ingredients and are vet-formulated.
About
Canidae was founded in 1996 by Scott Whipple and John Gordon, who met while working at a local pet store.
In 2012, Canidae acquired a manufacturing facility in Brownwood, Texas. Called Ethos, it’s one of the smallest pet food plants in the US, the company controls every step of manufacturing. It’s also a research and development center equipped with a lab that tests all incoming ingredients and outgoing products.
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