ACANA: what is in it, and what we would feed instead
Heritage, Singles, Wholesome Grains, Highest Protein · Pet Valu, independents (made in Alberta; Champion Petfoods is owned by Mars Petcare)
Our take
ACANA is one of the better kibbles you can buy, and we will say so. It is still cooked into a pellet, it now belongs to the same company as Royal Canin, and it was the most-reported brand in the FDA's 2019 DCM report. If you are already paying ACANA prices, fresh raw is not far away.
What the label says
ACANA (and Orijen, same parent) is the best-marketed premium kibble in North America, and the ingredient deck is better than most. Mars announced its purchase of Champion Petfoods in 2022 and completed it in 2023, so watch the label for changes over time. Many ACANA recipes use peas, pea protein and pea fibre as the carbohydrate base, the legume-heavy pattern the FDA described in its 2019 DCM report, in which ACANA was the most-reported brand.
- Mars Petcare completed its purchase of Champion Petfoods (ACANA and Orijen) in 2023
- Still extruded at high heat, whatever the ingredient quality
- High-protein claims lean partly on lentils and peas
- Singles line limits rotation
- The most-reported brand in the FDA's 2019 DCM report
- Premium price for what is still kibble
- Whole, named protein
- Moisture in the food (raw is about 70% water; kibble about 10%)
- Protein rotation
- No starch binder
- Fresh fats and omega-3s
Pea splitting flag: Many ACANA grain-free formulas list peas, pea protein and pea fibre as separate ingredients. Combine all three and peas frequently outweigh the named protein. This is the pattern the FDA described in 2018–2019.
The switch at Barks N Purrs
If you love the ACANA scoop-and-feed format, SMACK (Winnipeg-made dehydrated raw) is the sideways step. Perfectly Raw or Big Country Raw is the full move, and at ACANA prices it is close to the same money per day.
Website prices on 2026-09-26. Cost per day is a starting estimate at 2.5% of body weight for an adult dog; your plan uses your pet's real weight and age.
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