Canidae is a smaller brand of premium dog food that has gained an excellent reputation from thousands of positive reviews.
This company’s small size allows Canidae to produce all its products in-house with significant attention on quality. Dog owners can find evidence of their small-batch cooking process in the minor observable differences between individual bags.
As a former vet tech, I helped many clients find special diets for dogs with unique dietary needs. Canidae is my top recommended brand for limited ingredient diets suitable for dogs with food intolerances or allergies.
Keep reading this Canidae dog food review to learn more about this premium brand and how their excellent quality control makes them a top pick for specialized formulas.
About Canidae Dog Food
Countless pet food brands claim to offer the highest quality nutrition available. Large corporations manage several of these familiar brands. But these pet industry corporations often sacrifice quality for cost.
Canidae is a smaller brand whose commitment to quality has contributed to a drastic increase in popularity in recent years. Its most popular products include an extensive range of limited ingredient diets that I feed to my own dogs with food allergies.
All Canidae products feature recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists to exceed AAFCO standards. The brand also offers HealthPlus supplements in their recipes that address advanced needs like joint comfort and digestive health.
Canidae Dog Food History
Canidae started in 1996, intending to produce dog food with fresh, human-grade ingredients. The company’s founders believed in making a product that exceeded the quality of traditional commercial foods at the time.
The two pet lovers that founded Canidae started their business by selling bags of dog food on the back of their pickup trucks.
Part of Canidae’s mission to continually advance canine nutrition has involved cultivating long-term partnerships with US farmers. These partnerships focus on developing nutrient-rich crops with a limited impact on the environment.
Unlike many small pet food brands that large corporations acquire, Canidae remains an independent family-owned business to this day. Several of its employees are second-generation members of the Canidae Team.
Where is Canidae Dog Food Made?
Canidae invested in a Texas nutrition plant to serve as their in-house manufacturing facility. The factory cooks Canidae formulas in small batches for maximum quality assurance.
As a younger company, Canidae outsourced some of their manufacturing. Unfortunately, this resulted in the only brand’s only recall, which affected Canidae products manufactured at a Diamond Pet Foods plant. [1]
Today, Canidae performs rigorous testing at their Texas facility to make its products as safe as possible.
One of the most appealing aspects of this company is Canidae’s commitment to responsible ingredient sourcing. This family-owned company has long-term partnerships with family-run farms where they source their ingredients in the US. [2]
Canidae is passionate about improving the health of pets and the planet. The company follows sustainable business practices and invests in regenerative agriculture.
The farms where Canidae ingredients come from use green technology and sustainable agriculture. These regenerative farming approaches help produce nutritious food with a reduced impact on the environment.
Legal Issues and Controversies
Consumers have filed lawsuits against Canidae, alleging that their marketing is deceptive and misleading. These legal actions claim that products labeled as natural formulas with simple recipes contain artificial ingredients. [3]
The ingredients referred to in these cases include mineral fortification like dicalcium phosphate and fermentation products. But limited ingredient diets require mineral fortification to meet your dog’s daily nutrient requirements. And fermentation products are part of probiotics designed to support gut health.
Ingredients Quality
This brand’s superior ingredients are a primary reason why there are so many glowing Canidae dog food reviews. The brand excludes corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. And some products offer grain-free or limited ingredient diets.
All Canidae formulas feature real meat as the first ingredient. The brand then balances out the nutritional content with whole produce from their partner farms.
While premium animal proteins like bison from Wyoming and fish from Washington are sourced in the US, the company does import some meats. Their duck meal comes from France, and the lamb meal comes from New Zealand.
The majority of Canidae dog foods have above average protein content from animal-based ingredients. This ensures that their dog foods are easily digestible and offer a comprehensive profile of amino acids.
Dogs are omnivores, and protein should be the foundation of any canine diet. But the wholesome vegetables included in Canidae products ensure that your pup receives a well-rounded diet with natural sources of vitamins and minerals.
Most Canidae dog foods have an average fat content with an above-average caloric content. These products may not be ideal choices for dogs with weight control concerns. But healthy fat sources like fish oil provide high DHA and EPA concentrations for brain and eye health.
Canidae Dog Food Brand Lines
For a small company, Canidae offers a diverse lineup of different product ranges. Several Canidae brand lines are limited ingredient diets, but they also have standard formulas available.
Always consult your vet before making any changes to your dog’s diet.
Canidae for All Life Stages
Canidae’s product range of All Life Stages dog food has vet-formulated recipes designed for dogs of any size, breed, and age. These products are ideal for multi-pet households where different dogs may share the same diet
Single dog owners also appreciate the consistency of not worrying about switching their pup’s food throughout his life.
Unlike the majority of Canidae products, these dog foods are not limited ingredient diets. They are best suited for dogs without food intolerances or allergies.
Canidae All Life Stages formulas still contain all of the premium ingredients that Canidae is known for. High-quality animal proteins provide digestible sources of essential amino acids. And health omega fatty acids support overall health and condition.
These recipes are also grain inclusive. But what sets these products apart from the Pure lineup is their multiple protein sources. Limited ingredient diets depend on a single source of novel protein to limit the risks of new allergies developing.
Canidae Under The Sun
Canidae Under The Sun formulas are grain-free recipes that use single sources of animal protein and exclude potatoes. Several of the other grain-free product lines depend on potatoes as an alternative source of carbohydrates.
But some dogs have potato sensitivities. And the FDA has also issued a report that high volumes of potatoes in grain-free dog food foods may contribute to an increased risk of heart disease. [4]
These recipes are the best options from Canidae for dogs with heart health concerns. Finding a suitable formula for sensitive dogs with cardiovascular risks can be challenging. Owners highly recommend this product line in Canidae dog food reviews.
Instead of potatoes, these formulas depend on peas and beans for their carbohydrate content.
These fiber-rich plants are also excellent sources of additional protein in single animal protein recipes for dogs with allergies.
Canidae Pure Grain Free
The Grain-Free formulas in the Canidae Pure line are some of the company’s most popular products.
These recipes are my favorite choice for limited ingredient diets designed for sensitive dogs. And many dog food reviews from happy pet owners agree with me.
Their diverse collection of flavors and recipes offers a comprehensive collection for dog owners to select a suitable diet. Few other pet food companies can match the variety of limited ingredient formulas from this brand.
Canidae Grain Free Pure formulas include both wet and dry dog food options that cater to the individual tastes of different dogs. This collection also includes recipes based on ancestral diets that feature a raw kibble coating on the dry dog food.
Freeze-dried raw coatings help combine the benefits of raw diets with the comprehensive nutrition of commercial pet food.
The ancestral diets contain multiple animal protein sources, but still eliminate ingredients that typically cause adverse reactions in dogs.
Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite
The Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite recipes package all of the benefits of Canidae Grain-Free Pure dog food in a small kibble suitable for toy breeds.
Smaller dogs have different nutritional needs than their larger cousins, so choosing a dog food tailored to tiny pups is ideal.
Smaller breeds have higher metabolisms compared to average-sized dogs. Generally, toy breeds thrive on grain-inclusive diets that offer consistent sources of digestible carbohydrates to maintain blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day.
However, pet owners of sensitive small dogs with grain intolerance may struggle to find suitable dog food formulas.
These limited ingredient recipes use alternative sources of carbohydrates and high-quality proteins to provide a high concentration of calories in an appropriate serving size.
These pet foods also contain healthy sources of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids from canola oil and flaxseed.
The slightly higher fat content of these dog food recipes helps maintain coat health. This petite collection also features both wet and dry dog food.
Canidae Dog Food Recalls
Canidae Pet Foods has only experienced a single recall by the FDA in its history. The voluntary recall occurred during a series of suspected salmonella contaminations in Diamond Pet Foods facilities.
Before Canidae began manufacturing their own products, they outsourced production to larger companies. But Diamond Pet Foods has a concerning recall history that involves multiple dog food formulas. Canidae invested in their own factory the same year as the recall.
Although any FDA recall is concerning, it is unlikely that Canidae will face a similar situation in the future. Their switch to in-house manufacturing allows them to have greater control over the production process and implement more quality assurance practices to ensure product safety.
Here is a list of the complete recall history of Canidae wet and dry dog foods.
- May 2012 – The FDA reported a potential for salmonella contamination in several Canidae dry dog foods produced by Diamond Pet Foods. The resulting recall was part of a large series of recalls involving concerns about contamination at the factory. [5]
You can learn more about any dog food product recalls on the FDA website.
Our Verdict
Canidae is a small dog food company with a big reputation for producing high-quality premium limited ingredient diets for sensitive dogs.
I recommend Canidae dog food as a top choice for owners looking for a brand with a wide variety of recipes suitable for pups with food intolerances or allergies.
Few pet food brands offer a similar selection of diets that use limited ingredients to provide comprehensive nutrition. And even fewer pet companies can claim that they remain a family-owned operation in modern times.
The quality offered by this small premium brand makes it a personal favorite for my own dogs. Talk to your vet today to find out if it might help your sensitive furry friend too.
