Canidae Grain-Free PURE Foundations Puppy Formula with Chicken

The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. Canidae has formulated this product without any controversial ingredients.

Top 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.

• Chicken
  Chicken is a nutritious meat that provides protein, fat and other nutrients to dogs. Raw meat contains about 75% water which is cooked off during the making of dog food. This leaves only a fraction of the protein content in the final product's weight. We recommend looking for dog foods that also include meat meals in the first five ingredients (pre-cooked meat powder that contains four times the amount of protein). However, chicken is generally a healthy dog food ingredient.

• Menhaden Fish Meal
  Menhaden (also known as mossbunker and bunker) is a marine fish. Menhaden fish meal is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Fish meals are the result of cooking. Water is removed from the fish meat to create a protein-rich meal powder. Fish meals contain about four times the protein meats do, so generally, they're a good source of nutrients.

• Lentils
  Lentils are a legume that provide carbs, fiber, protein and numerous nutrients like folate, vitamin B6, phosphorus, iron and zinc. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between lentils and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if potatoes are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided.
  
  
• Peas
  Peas are a good source of carbs, fiber and protein. Peas are starchy but high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. We consider this a healthy dog food ingredient. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between peas and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if peas are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided.
  
  
• Potatoes
  Potatoes provide carbohydrates (mostly starch) and are a rich source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that there is a potential link between potatoes and canine heart disease. It is still too early to draw conclusions so we cannot yet say if potatoes are a generally high-quality dog food ingredient or should be avoided.

‍

‍Controversial Ingredients

There are no Controversial ingredients in this product.

‍Country of Origin

This product is made in the United States.

Meat & Fat Quality

This Canidae product has named meat and fat sources, that’s great. These ingredients include Chicken, Menhaden Fish Meal, and Dried Whole Egg. Named fat sources include Chicken Fat and Flaxseed. It’s great to see that all of the ingredients are coming from named sources.

Artificial Preservatives

This product does not contain any controversial preservatives. It’s important to know that ‍not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.

Artificial Colors

There are no artificial colors in this product, either.

Artificial Flavors

Lastly, Canidae also does not use any artificial flavors. This is great, no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors - exactly what you want to see in your dog’s food.