Boréal: what is in it, and what we would feed instead
Original, Functional LID (Limited Ingredient Hypoallergenic), Proper Grain, Wet · Independent pet stores only (made in Ontario)
Our take
Boréal is a brand we respect: Canadian-owned, Ontario-made, independent stores only. The Limited Ingredient line is a good kibble for a sensitive dog. A single-protein fresh raw does the same elimination job with fewer ingredients, which is the honest comparison.
What the label says
Boréal is a Canadian-owned kibble made in Ontario and sold only through independent pet stores, with no recall we could find. The Functional Limited Ingredient (LID) line is built for dogs with sensitivities. The honest caveat: like most grain-free kibble, the recipes use peas and northern white beans as the carbohydrate base, the legume-heavy pattern the FDA described in its 2019 DCM report.
- Still extruded kibble, with the same limits as any dry food
- Peas and northern white beans as the carbohydrate base: the legume-heavy pattern from the FDA's 2019 report
- The Limited Ingredient line is a good elimination tool for a kibble; a single-protein raw does it with fewer ingredients
- Tapioca and coconut oil in the LID line are fine ingredients, still fillers
- Premium pricing approaches fresh raw cost per day
- Cat formulas are still around 25–30% carbohydrate
- 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
The "limited ingredient" reality check: Boréal LID is simpler than most kibble: one protein, fewer ingredients. It is still a kibble with peas, beans, tapioca and a vitamin pack. A single-protein fresh raw (Carnivora duck or rabbit, Perfectly Raw pork or fish) is a truer elimination diet with a shorter list.
The switch at Barks N Purrs
Boréal LID customers (herring, venison, duck, pork) are exactly who novel-protein fresh raw is for. Carnivora carries duck, rabbit, lamb, goat and trout as single proteins; Perfectly Raw has fish and pork.
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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