Authority

Authority Information

Authority is a brand owned and sold by PetSmart. Authority was first founded in 1986 as a pet accessory brand, but in 1995 it entered the pet food market and has remained a relatively staple of PetSmart stores since.

For those of you who are not familiar with PetSmart, it is probably the largest pet retailer in North America, with over 1600 stores.

However, Authority has also been recently made available from PetSmart’s partner company Chewy.

To the best of our knowledge, Authority pet food products can not be purchased outside of these two sources. However, it appears some resellers are attempting to sell Authority products on Amazon.

It is not abundantly clear where Authority produces its food; however, its packaging state that the products are produced in the United States. PetSmart likely subcontracts out the production of Authority to one of the largest pet food manufacturers.

We could not find any information on where Authority ingredients are sourced from. Given that Authority recipes are produced in the United States, it is likely that a large number of the ingredients are also sourced from the United States.

However, there is no guarantee of this assumption, and some ingredients could have been sourced from less reliable countries.

Authority Product Range

Dog Food

Authority has an extensive dog food range, which consists of a mix of dry food and wet/canned food.

Authority produces specialized recipes for almost all the popular dog food niches.

This range of niche recipes includes puppy food, senior dog food, large and small breed food, and food for dogs with sensitive stomachs or coats.

While recipes for puppies and senior dogs are commonplace in the industry, those that boost immunity or help remedy sensitive stomachs are less common.

Cat Food

Authority’s cat food range is also huge, although not as large as the dog food range. It also consists of a mix of dry and wet/canned food.

Authority’s cat food range has fewer niche products but still has the core offering, including kitten and senior cat food.

Authority Nutrition

Dog Food

The nutrition offered by Authority dog food is unimpressive and would be considered average when compared to other dog food brands. It consists of modest proportions of protein and fat and a significant portion of carbohydrates.

Most dogs would benefit from higher proportions of protein and fat, which would better mimic their natural diet.

Below is an example of the nutritional profile offered by one of Authority’s better dry dog food recipes.

If you’d like to learn more about canine nutrition, we would highly recommend you check out our Dog Food Guide for a detailed discussion.

Cat Food

The nutrition offered by Authority cat food is poor and not a fair reflection of a cat’s natural diet.

The recipes often have a moderate proportion of protein and fat and an excessive proportion of carbohydrates.

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they need to consume meat and fish and do not require a significant portion of plant-based material.

If you’d like to learn more about feline nutrition and what it means to be an obligate carnivore, head on over to our Cat Food Guide.

Authority Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb

Given the vast size of Authority’s product range, the range of meat and fish ingredients they use is relatively small.

They tend to stick to the reliable staples of the industry, such as Chicken and Beef. Despite this lack of variety, these ingredients can provide high-quality animal-based protein and fat.

Authority does not sell any products that include less common meat and fish ingredients like those discussed in our Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods Guide and our articles Best Dog Foods With Venison & Best Dog Foods With Rabbit.

Other Notable Ingredients

Authority makes extensive use of Corn and Corn Gluten Meal. These are very controversial grain ingredients that many consumers refuse to purchase.

Despite this, supporters of Corn, like those that feed Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin, say it is very nutritious and can provide a mix of carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and fiber.

Authority also uses other grain ingredients in their recipes, including Brown Rice and Oat Groats. There are still some pet owners against their use, but they are considered by many to be “superior grain ingredients” when compared to Corn or wheat.

They believe this as they are less processed and can provide a better balance of nutrition.

Some authority recipes include a small portion of Dried Beet Pulp as a minor plant-based ingredient. Dried Beet Pulp’s primary purpose in pet food recipes is to provide a reliable source of soluble fiber.

While other foods contain soluble fiber, higher levels can be important to some dogs to promote reliable and consistent digestion and stools.

Learn more about Dried Beet Pulp in our article Dried Beet Pulp In Dog Food.

Canola Oil is found in some authority recipes as a minor ingredient. For those of you unfamiliar, Canola Oil is a vegetable oil commonly found in human foods, and it is well known for containing high levels of the Omega 6 Fatty Acids.

Along with Sunflower Oil, these oils are used by many brands to boost the overall level of fat in a recipe or act as a binding agent to hold the ingredients of a food together.

If you’d like to learn more about Canola Oil, you can do so in our article Canola Oil In Dog Food.

Authority Animal Testing

We have no information at this time concerning what type of animal testing that Authority participates in.

Many smaller pet food brands avoid disclosing information on what type of testing or trials they perform as they fear backlash or a negative reaction from their customer base.

However, given that Authority is a brand owned by PetSmart, it is likely that they do perform some form of feeding trials to ensure their foods are suitable for long-term consumption.

However, we strongly believe that invasive or laboratory testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated or severely reduced.

Authority Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Authority has issued a single recall in its past and is, therefore, not a recall-free pet food brand.

However, this recall was over a decade ago, and since then, they have been a recall-free brand. This lack of recent recalls shows that Authority has taken its safety and quality processes seriously.

This perfect recent record is not surprising given that the brand is owned by PetSmart, which would take these matters very seriously.

See the below details of the recall in question.

2007 – Melamine Contamination – a large number of recipes from Authority had to be recalled as it was found that vegetable proteins within the recipes were contaminated with Melamine. Melamine is an industrial chemical and is not suitable for consumption.

The investigation into this matter found that fourteen animals had died due to Melamine contamination. The Melamine had been consumed by livestock, which was then used to produce pet food.

However, it is essential to note that this recall affected many brands and not just Authority. This included other familiar brands like Hill’s, Royal Canin, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, and Diamond.

Regardless of their past or current recall record, we always encourage pet owners to be vigilant of any future recalls from Authority or any other pet food brand to ensure their pets remain healthy and safe.

Best of Authority

Adult Chicken & Rice Review

Authority’s Chicken & Rice dog food recipes are their staples, and the above is the adult dog version.

These recipes usually use a mix of Chicken and Chicken Meal as their primary ingredients, which ensures the portion of animal-based content is significant.

Thanks to this Chicken, the portion of protein in this recipe is a minimum of 25%. While this could be higher, it is satisfactory for most dogs, especially those that aren’t overly active.

The recipe also uses a range of plant-based ingredients, including Brown Rice (obviously), but also Corn, Oats Groats, and Corn Gluten Meal.

While there is much debate around the use of Corn in dog food, with some saying it’s filler or highly processed, Brown Rice is a reliable and beneficial ingredient that can provide a mix of carbohydrates and fiber.

Lastly, we found small portions of several other ingredients, such as Flaxseed, Beet Pulp, Pea Protein, and Glycerin.

Tender Blends Stew Adult Chicken, Carrot & Spinach Review

While there are some controversial ingredients in Authority’s dry food recipes, their wet food recipes tend to contain more satisfactory ingredients.

For example, the above recipe uses a mix of Chicken and Chicken Liver to provide its protein and fat content.

While many focus on whole meat ingredients like Chicken, they tend to ignore organ meat ingredients like Liver.

Liver is a hugely beneficial addition to many dog food recipes as it can enhance flavor and provide high levels of several vitamins and minerals.

The recipe then uses a mix of Carrots, Peas, Spinach, and other minor ingredients to round off the recipe and provide a small portion of carbohydrates, fiber, and micronutrients.

Authority Featured Articles

At this time, Authority has not been featured in any of our articles.

Authority Full Product Range

Dog Food

Dry Dog Food

Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Large Breed Adult Grain Free Chicken & Pea

Small Bites All Life Stages Chicken & Rice

Skin, Coat + Digestive Health Support Grain Free Fish & Potato

Grain Free Adult Chicken & Pea

Adult Chicken & Rice

Large Breed Mature Chicken & Rice

Adult Lamb & Rice

Small Breed Adult Grain Free Chicken & Pea

High Performance All Life Stages Grain Free Turkey, Pea, Duck & Salmon

Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Rice

Healthy Weight + Joint Support Large Breed Adult Turkey & Chickpea

Large Breed Adult Lamb & Rice

Small Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Tender Blends Adult Beef & Rice

Small Breed Adult Lamb & Rice

Tender Blends Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Tender Blends Small Breed Adult Chicken & Rice

Mature Adult Chicken & Rice

Skin, Coat + Digestive Health Small Breed Adult Grain Free Fish & Potato

Tender Blends Adult Chicken & Rice

Healthy Weight + Joint Support Adult Turkey & Chickpea

Immunity + Joint Support Mature Adult Chicken & Brown Rice

Small Breed Mature Adult Chicken & Rice

Puppy Food Grain Free Chicken & Pea

Tender Blends Mature Adult Chicken & Rice

Tender Blends Puppy Food Chicken & Rice

Puppy Food Chicken & Rice

Tender Blends Puppy Food Beef & Rice

Immunity + Digestive Health Support Puppy Food Turkey, Oatmeal & Pumpkin

Small Breed Puppy Food Chicken & Rice

Advanced Wellness Sensitive Systems Digestions Adult Lamb & Rice

Advanced Wellness Large Breed Weight Loss Adult Chicken & Brown Rice

Advanced Wellness Weight Loss Adult Chicken & Brown Rice

Canned/Wet Dog Food

Ground Entree Adult Chicken & Rice

Cuts In Gravy Adult Chicken & Rice

Ground Entree Mature Adult Lamb & Rice

Small Breed Adult Stew In Gravy Beef & Vegetable

Tender Blends Stew Adult Chicken, Carrot & Spinach

Immunity + Joint Support Mature Adult Chicken & Brown Rice

Ground Entree Puppy Chicken & Rice

Ground Entree Adult Grain Free Chicken & Carrot

Ground Entree Mature Adult Grain Free Chicken & Vegetable

Skin, Coat + Digestive Healthy Support Ground Entree Adult Grain Free Fish & Potato

Digestive Support Supplement – Pumpkin Puree

Digestive Soothing Support Chicken & Rice

Tender Blends Stew Mature Adult Chicken, Carrot, & Spinach

Weight Management Ground Entree Adult Chicken

Small Breed Stew Puppy Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Tender Blends Stew Puppy Chicken, Carrot & Spinach

Advanced Wellness Weight Loss Shredded Chicken & Green Bean

Immunity + Digestive Healthy Support Ground Entree Puppy Turkey

Advanced Wellness Skin & Coat Shredded Duck

Ground Entree Puppy Grain Free Chicken & Carrot

Small Breed Stew Mature Adult Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Advanced Wellness Sensitive Systems Digestion Shredded Lamb

Advanced Wellness Joint Health Shredded Chicken

Advanced Wellness Cognition & Immunity Shredded Beef & Chicken

Ground Entree Puppy Lamb & Rice

Cat Food

Dry Cat Food

Indoor Adult – Chicken & Rice

Hairball Control & Weight Management Indoor Adult – Chicken & Rice

All Life Stages – Chicken, Rice & Turkey

Indoor Kitten – Chicken & Rice

Indoor Adult – Salmon & Rice

Hairball & Weight Management + Joint Support Mature Adult – Chicken

Adult – Chicken & Rice

Advanced Wellness Sensitive Systems & Digestion – Ocean Fish & Sweet Potato

Hairball Control Adult – Chicken & Rice

Indoor Mature Adult – Chicken & Rice

Sensitive Support Adult – Turkey & Rice

Kitten – Chicken & Rice

Mature Adult – Chicken & Rice

Indoor Adult – Tuna & Rice

Everyday Health Indoor Kitten – Salmon & Rice

Advanced Wellness Weight Loss Adult – Chicken & Brown Rice

Everyday Health Savory Blends Adult – Chicken

Everyday Health Savory Blends Adult – Turkey

Advanced Wellness Gastrointestinal Microbiome Adult

Everyday Health Indoor Adult – Chicken & Rice

Hairball Control + Weight Management Adult – Chicken & Rice

Canned/Wet Dog Food

Flaked Entree In Gravy Adult – Chicken

Pate Entree Adult – Beef

Pate Entree Kitten – Chicken

Everyday Health Indoor Kitten Pate – Tuna

Shredded In Gravy Adult – Chicken & Liver

Sensitive Support Pate Entree Adult – Chicken & Turkey

Pate Entree Mature Adult – Chicken

Advanced Wellness Sensitive Systems & Digestion Flaked – Tuna

Weight Control Pate Adult – Chicken

Hairball Control Pate Entree Adult – Chicken

Indoor Pate Entree – Chicken#

Advanced Wellness Skin & Coat Adult – Mackerel

Advanced Wellness Cognition & Immunity – Chicken

Advanced Wellness Weight Loss Shredded – Chicken

Indoor Pate Entree Mature Adult – Chicken

Grain-Free Adult – Salmon

Grain-Free Pate Entree Mature Adult – Chicken