Canadian Naturals Information
Canadian Naturals is a pet food brand based in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The brand has been operating for over 30 years, and claims to produce food using the highest quality ingredients.
While Canadian Naturals state that their food is produced in Canada, it is not entirely clear where their production facility is and if it is owned or shared by any other pet food companies.
Canadian Naturals do not feature on the shelves of the large pet food stores in Canada like PetSmart but are sold at some of the smaller chains like Pet Planet, Global Pet Foods, and Petland.
Despite their use of smaller pet food stores, you can purchase Canadian Naturals dog food online from some of the larger pet food websites such as HomesAlive, PetMax, and Petland.
Canadian Naturals Product Range
Dog Food
Canadian Naturals has a moderately sized product range when compared to other brands. This product range only has dry dog food recipes with no wet/canned options available.
However, there is variety within this dry dog food range, including grain-free recipes, grain-inclusive recipes, limited ingredient recipes, and some recipes for large and small breed dogs.
Canadian Naturals does not produce any age-specific dog food such as those for puppies or seniors, but their foods are suitable for all life stages.
Cat Food
Canadian Naturals has a very small range of cat food products compared to their dog food range. This range only contains dry cat food recipes but with no wet or canned options available.
There are two dry cat food recipes in total within Canadian Naturals cat food range, one of which is grain-free and the other grain-inclusive.
Canadian Naturals Nutrition
Dog Food
The nutrition offered by Canadian Naturals dog food recipes is quite consistent and would be classed as average when compared to other dog food brands.
This average rating is as their recipes tend to provide moderate protein and fat proportions and quite large proportions of carbohydrates. Many dogs would thrive on a diet with a higher proportion of protein and fat, especially from animal sources.
Below is an example of the nutrition provided by a Canadian Naturals dry dog food recipe.
If you are interested in learning more about Canine Nutrition, we highly recommend checking out our Dog Food Guide.
Cat Food
While Canadian Naturals cat food recipes’ nutrition is better than their dog food recipes, it would still be classed as average when compared to other brands.
This is as cats require a higher proportion of protein and fat in their diet than dogs do. This higher requirement is as cats are obligate carnivores and do not do excel on a diet high in plant-based ingredients.
If you are interested in learning more about cat nutrition and the ideal diet for felines, read our Cat Food Guide.
Canadian Naturals Ingredients
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Lamb
- Pork
- Venison
- Salmon
- Whitefish
Canadian Naturals uses a moderate range of meat and fish ingredients in its recipes. This range includes many high-quality ingredients, some of which are industry favorites like Chicken, Turkey, and Salmon.
These ingredients are so popular among manufacturers as they are affordable, easy to source, and highly nutritious.
In particular, we are strong supporters of Salmon’s use in pet food thanks to the high levels of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids it contains.
However, Canadian Naturals uses some less common meat and fish ingredients like Pork and Venison.
These are rarely seen in pet food and are sometimes used in recipes for dogs with allergies or sensitivities. You can learn more about this in the below articles.
Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods Guide
Other Notable Ingredients
Canadian Naturals uses two of the most popular legume ingredients in its recipes, Peas, and Lentils. These legume ingredients provide carbohydrates, fiber, and a high proportion of protein for a plant-based ingredient.
The reason that legumes are so popular is that they are relatively easy to source and cost-effective making them the perfect plant-based ingredients for grain-free pet food.
However, there are concerns between the high use of legumes by some dog food brands and a rise in Canine Heart Disease. We recommend you check out this article if you want to learn more.
Canadian Naturals uses a large range of grain ingredients in its recipes. Examples of these grain ingredients include Barley, Oats Groats, Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Millet, and Rye.
Grain ingredients are dense sources of carbohydrates but also provide some fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Often, grain ingredients are controversial additions, with many dog owners disagreeing with their use. However, there are others who are strong supporters of grain ingredients, especially those that feed brands like Purina or Hills.
Some of the grains used by Canadian Naturals are preferred over others by some as they are seen as less processed.
You can learn more about some of these grains in the below articles.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes are starch ingredients and feature in a select number of Canadian Natural recipes.
Starch ingredients such as these are incredibly dense sources of carbohydrates, which means that their portion size should be controlled.
Chicken Fat is another industry favorite and is used in pet food to improve its flavor and boost the levels of animal-based fat present.
Chicken Fat is chosen over alternatives thanks to its low cost and easy availability.
You can read more about Chicken Fat in our article, Chicken Fat In Dog Food.
Canola Oil is a vegetable oil used by some dog food brands to boost fat levels in a recipe and improve flavor.
Canola Oil is also commonly found in processed food for human consumption.
Read more about Canola Oil in Canola Oil In Dog Food.
Tomato Pomace is added to pet food recipes to provide soluble fiber. Soluble fiber can be crucial for some dogs to ensure they have regular digestion and stools.
Outside of this fiber content, Tomato Pomace provides very little nutrition.
You can learn more about Tomato Pomace in our article, Tomato Pomace, as a Pet Food Ingredient?.
Alfalfa is believed to provide several health benefits to humans and dogs. It achieves this because of the beneficial vitamins and minerals it contains. However, many of these benefits are unproven.
Learn more in Alfalfa In Dog Food.
Brewers Yeast is another ingredient that is believed to provide health benefits to dogs. It is a leftover ingredient from the brewing industry that would otherwise go to waste.
Read more in our article Brewers Yeast In Dog Food.
Flaxseed is one of the best plant-based sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which is why it is so commonly found in dog food recipes.
These fatty acids are believed to provide several health benefits, including an improvement in the health of a dog’s skin and coat.
You can learn more about Flaxseed and its benefits in Flaxseed In Dog Food.
Canadian Naturals Animal Testing
At this time, we have no information on whether Canadian Naturals participates in invasive or laboratory testing of animals.
Many pet food brands avoid sharing details about how they test their foods because of fear of backlash from their customers.
We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated.
Canadian Naturals Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Canadian Naturals has not undergone any recalls for its products and is, therefore, a recall-free brand.
Given that Canadian Naturals has been in operation for over thirty years, this is extremely impressive and shows that they take quality control and safety seriously.
We hope that Canadian Naturals can continue this recall-free record going forwards.
Regardless, we always ask that pet owners are vigilant of any future recalls of Canadian Naturals or any other pet food brand.
Best of Canadian Naturals
Grain Free Fresh Whitefish Recipe Review
The above recipe is one of Canadian Naturals grain-free recipes. It focuses on Whitefish, which is a popular ingredient in dog food.
It is used by many to aid dogs who have an easily upset stomach, but it also provides excellent nutrition, high in protein and fat.
Given that it is a grain-free recipe, it uses a mix of Peas and Potatoes to provide carbohydrates and fiber. This mix is typical of the industry.
Lastly, there is a small mix of additional ingredients like Alfalfa and Flaxseed, which present to provide minor nutrition in the form of Vitamins, Minerals, and the Omega Fatty Acids.
Grain Free Turkey & Salmon Recipe Review
Out of the two cat food recipes that Canadian Naturals offers, the above grain-free recipe is the clear winner.
It uses a large portion of Turkey at its center, which is split between Turkey and Turkey Meal.
Meat Meals such as Turkey Meal should not be featured and are simply meat that has had its moisture removed. The portion of Salmon Meal is noticeably smaller than the Turkey but still of a recognizable size.
The recipe then uses the same mix found in Canadian Naturals grain-free dog food recipes of Peas and Potatoes. This mix once again provides carbohydrates and fiber.
Canadian Naturals Featured Articles
At this time, Canadian Naturals has not been featured in any of our articles.
Canadian Naturals Full Product Range
Dog Food
Dry Dog Food
Grain Free Red Meat Recipe
Grain Free Fresh Whitefish Recipe
Grain Free Large Breed Red Meat Recipe
Grain Free Roasted Chicken Recipe
Value Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe
Value Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
Value Pork & Brown Rice Recipe
Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Potato & Duck Formula
Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato & Venison Formula
Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Sweet Potato & Salmon Formula
Grain Free Limited Ingredient Pork & Squash Formula
Original Turkey & Salmon Formula
Original Small Bites Turkey & Salmon Formula
Original Large Breed Turkey & Salmon Formula
Original Senior Turkey & Salmon Formula
Cat Food
Dry Cat Food
Grain Free Turkey & Salmon Recipe
Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe
The value chicken and brown rice has made my dog very sick twice. First time we didn’t know what or why she was sick. $2000 at the vet and they said it was a mystery. This time we figured it out on our own. She had been healthy and we added Canadian natural back into our feed program 3 weeks ago. Week later my dog was losing weight and losing her appetite. Four days of stomach cramps and not eating, we figured it out. She is now back to eating but not eating that food ever again.
Did your dog have any seizures? I’ve recently had some serious health problems with two dogs. Common thread being the food. Any feedback appreciated.
A friend of mine has a dog that suddenly started having seizures (in a different brand) and her neurologist said that some dogs are hyper sensitive to rosemary and their specialist said it can cause seizures. There is rosemary in the turkey adult food.
Thank you for that Stephanie. We stopped feeding food with rosemary on the list of ingredients and didn’t have any more seizures until accidentally feeding some from a different brand. Had three seizures but switched food immediately and had none since. We have other dogs that don’t seem bothered in the least with the rosemary in food. Your input definitely helps.
I’m wondering if anyone’s dog has suffered with itchy skin. My dog
has that problem and the Vet and I haven’t been able to figure out why
The itch is so bad that his skin becomes soar and bleeding.
For itchy skin I’d recommend taking them off of chicken. It’s a common allergen with some dogs. We had to do that with our pup as she was itching more than usual and was starting to develop rashes. Ever since we’ve quit chicken she’s been great and her coat has been way nicer too.
My dog has been burping violently with this food, and the kibble seems to be really crumbly and broken. Today she threw up an hour after eating. I have sent an email to the copnay and will be returning to her old food. We are very careful to rest our dog after eating.
I am wondering if there has been a recall for the Canadian Naturals Lamb and Brown Rice Meal. We have bought this food for 3 years and he has been doing so well on it. I started a new bag and noticed he wasn’t eating then became agitated following by intense diarrhea, gas. I called our vet and we put him on a pumpkin rice diet and he immediately became better. I tested out the dog food about a week later and then the same symptoms returned of him not well. Has their been a recall?