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Acana Dog Food

18K views 38 replies 20 participants last post by  dobebug 
#1 ·
Does anyone still use this brand of dog food? i found some threads but they are all from 2010-2012. Wanted to know if people still prefer it, or if there are others that provide good health results. I know they are part of Orijen which I've heard good things but they are supposed to be good on the digestive tract and a little cheaper/ my price range.

I am currently feeding Blue Buffalo Large breed puppy and it has been destroying Wade's digestive system. Stools are constantly loose and ploppy etc. Borrowed some of my parent's dog food (Taste of the wild) for a couple days and his stools immediately firmed up, then ran out and fed BB again and back to bad stools again. Also saw that Blue Buffalo didn't even make the list according to best dog foods 2016 Best Dog Food Reviews and Ratings of 2016 - Reviews.com They were also under review for falsifying some of their ingredients and the origin from which they came.

I am planning on going Raw but still have a lot to learn before I feel comfortable doing so. However, Until doing so I want to get Wade off Blue Buffalo and on something better for him.
SieYa and Kaisermaa both provided me with some really great info on going raw. Here is the link to that thread if anyone is interested in doing the same.

http://www.dobermantalk.com/food-feeding/279545-raw-feed-vs-home-cooked.html#post3730889
 
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#2 ·
I feed it to my allergy boy. There have been formula changes now that their is a U.S. plant which some dogs are reacting negatively too but the overall quality is still the same and I'd continue to recommend it :)

I feed the singles lines, which are pricier and spend about $70-75 per 25lb bag before taxes depending on the protein (we do Duck and Mackerel).
 
#4 ·
Thank you for the response, That price isn't too bad I would say since I'm paying $62 for the BB crap. I'd be more than happy paying a bit extra if it will cut down on having to go to the vet lol P.S. your instagram photos are great! your two couldn't sit still in all that snow haha

I feed McCoy Acana Meadowland (Wild Prairie in Canada). I transitioned him at about 14 months from the 4 star large breed puppy food that had been recommended by his breeder. The transition was a piece of cake. Initialy I experimented with Orijen also, but settled on Acana and it has ben perfect. McCoy is never sick. He never has gas or digestive issues. His skin and coat ar gorgeous. His poops are firm and regular. Plus, he absolutely loves it (its kind of smelly in a way that seems attractive to dogs. As it is fresh, (it comes vacumn packed), I keep it in an airtight storage bin.

McCoy gets 3 cups of kibble. 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 in the evening. It is very rich. In addition to the kibble I rotate in various other foods:

Eggs fresh or hard boiled.
Pureed organic pumpkin
Organic applesauce
Organic yogurt
Fat-free cottage cheese
Meat, fresh or cooked
Frozen peas and frozen blueberries.
Newman's Organic canned dog food (5 star)
Any other stuff that seems fresh and heathy.

He also gets 2000 mg of fish oil, plus 400 iu of vitamin E, daily.

It takes a matter of seconds to feed him and even less for him to scarf it down. I used to worry about how quickly he devoured his meal, but it has never been an issue.

At our local "green" pet store Acana sells for $64/25 lb. bag with the 12th bag free. A bag lasts me just about a month. It would way less without all the additives he gets.


I could not recommend Acana more.

Hope this helps

John
Portland OR
Thank you John for all the info! Ill be purchasing a bag today then. I like what i've read about it and hearing a few good personal experiences was all I needed. I never thought to add those things to his regular meals. That will hopefully help with fulfilling his appetite. Currently he is 11months 86pounds, and gets 5-6 cups depending on the amount of exercise he gets. I give his food to him through out the day. cup by cup, just because he worries me as well when he eats. It's like a vacuum cleaner and completely gone in under a minute. He is always hungry haha. Is there a specific brand of fish oil and vitamin E that you use or just standard vitamins for people? Also should I wait on giving him something like that since he is still under a year?

Thank you,
Nick
 
#3 ·
I feed McCoy Acana Meadowland (Wild Prairie in Canada). I transitioned him at about 14 months from the 4 star large breed puppy food that had been recommended by his breeder. The transition was a piece of cake. Initialy I experimented with Orijen also, but settled on Acana and it has ben perfect. McCoy is never sick. He never has gas or digestive issues. His skin and coat ar gorgeous. His poops are firm and regular. Plus, he absolutely loves it (its kind of smelly in a way that seems attractive to dogs. As it is fresh, (it comes vacumn packed), I keep it in an airtight storage bin.

McCoy gets 3 cups of kibble. 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 in the evening. It is very rich. In addition to the kibble I rotate in various other foods:

Eggs fresh or hard boiled.
Pureed organic pumpkin
Organic applesauce
Organic yogurt
Fat-free cottage cheese
Meat, fresh or cooked
Frozen peas and frozen blueberries.
Newman's Organic canned dog food (5 star)
Any other stuff that seems fresh and heathy.

He also gets 2000 mg of fish oil, plus 400 iu of vitamin E, daily.

It takes a matter of seconds to feed him and even less for him to scarf it down. I used to worry about how quickly he devoured his meal, but it has never been an issue.

At our local "green" pet store Acana sells for $64/25 lb. bag with the 12th bag free. A bag lasts me just about a month. It would way less without all the additives he gets.


I could not recommend Acana more.

Hope this helps

John
Portland OR
 
#6 ·
IMO orijen/acana are way overpriced given the ingredient list. There are similar foods for a lot less. Have you looked on dogfoodadvisor to compare? Sticking to lamb or salmon based foods has worked best for mine. Is the BB food poultry based? A lot of dogs don't do well on chicken or turkey which is why I ask. I currently rotate between nutrisource and horizon pulsar.
 
#8 ·
Hey! yes I was just looking at it a few moments ago. some others I was looking at was Eagle Pack, Fromm, and EVO. I haven't checked out Horizon pulsar or Nutrisource, i'll have to take a look into them.

Yea the BB large Breed puppy was nothing but poultry/chicken and poultry meal. the taste of the wild i experimented with was salmon based and he liked it a lot. Didn't use it long enough to notice a difference in coat but his stools firmed up almost over night.
 
#7 ·
Jack was on Purina Pro Plan from his breeder. Shortly after he was home, I wanted to transition him to something better. I went with Taste of the Wild. Noticed his coat was drier than normal, and he didn't particularly like the TOTW. I then transitioned to Acana, the red meat blend. (Red bag). He loves it, coat looks great, he has tons of energy, and stools are solid and regular. I don't think I'll ever go to anything else.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
@ww

Shoot... One thing I should have mentioned, given that list of food stuffs I add to my youngest's kibble, is that is should all be done in "baby steps". A teaspoon here, a small handful there. Introduce any new food slowly. That way you will be able to assess any negative issues. Eventually, you can build up to the amount that is appropriate for the individual pup's system. I was blessed with a kid who has a cast iron stomach.LOL. But everyone is not so fortunate.

John
 
#14 ·
I have, and heard good things about it and saw it on the list as well! It was my second choice if Acana didn't work out. I actually just bought a small bag to sample and see if Wade likes it or not.

Yup... Could not agree more... Plus, many dogs, especially at a young age have a serious issue with the richness of Orijen and to a certain extent Acana . Hey, the bottom line is three fold: What the dog likes. What the dog thrives on. And, what your budget can afford. Its pretty much a no-brainer. My youngest does wonderfully on his current diet. If he did not, I would swap it out in a heart beat.

John
Portland OR
Ha! I saw your comment about Iron Stomach, just reminded me of when Wade got on my parents counter and ate a pound and a half of london broil raw and was fine, but feed him a cup of Blue Buffalo and he'll paint the wall like a jackson pollock! Blows my mind.

I use to feed EVO, great food but stopped when P&G bought Innova. They've had all sorts of recalls and changes since the acquisition so I stopped. No experience with Fromm or eagle pack but I know they are both good premium dog foods. A lot of the challenge might just be finding something your pup does well on even if it's not the "best" ranked food out there.
I did not know that but that is good info to have. Right now I have a sample of Fromm for him to try and I bought a small bag of Acana to try as well. Hopefully the results are positive. At the moment I had to stop feeding him BB cause it was causing bad diarrhea. So I have been giving him rice,chicken, and canned pumpkin and finally got his stools back to normal. So, when I get the new food in today should I even attempt mixing it with some of the BB or just start him on the new food and throw the BB away?
 
#15 ·
The "best" food is one your dog does well on, likes to eat, and doesn't break the bank to feed. I've had my dogs do poorly on foods that others raved about. I've also seen dogs doing well on foods that I would never even consider feeding.

That said, I'm currently feeding my crew Fromm (in the black and gold bag).

I've never done a gradual switch with my dogs (or cats, for that matter). It's always been "hey, that stuff is gone, so we're going to try this.", and have rarely had any problems.

One thing I recommend is reading this book. DOG FOOD LOGIC - MAKING SMART DECISIONS FOR YOUR DOG IN AN AGE OF TOO MANY CHOICES - Dogwise Published Items - Dogwise.com
 
#18 ·
Someone else mentioned that title to me just the other day. I will check it out. The title is perfect haha it's like they read my mind. Soooo many choices out there. I'm excited to try both brands. I got a small bag of each fromm, and acana and see what he likes best. I got a small bag of the blue and gold for large breed puppy. Looks mainly to be salmon and duck which said it was good for digestive issues.

If he's already off the BB do not! mix it in, just gradually add in the Acana with what he is eating.

Like rosemary I just give em what they get, but i've encouraged a strong stomach from a young age... with a severe stomach upset though I will always do and recommend a slow intro to any new food, be it kibble or cooked meat, etc...
Thank you, yea I was leaning towards that since in my head it didn't make sense to continue giving him something he is not doing well on. When I gave him some of my parent's dogs' food Taste of the wild, i gave it to him without mixing and he stopped have diarrhea that night. I knew it was the food at that point, which was causing him to be sick
 
#16 ·
If he's already off the BB do not! mix it in, just gradually add in the Acana with what he is eating.

Like rosemary I just give em what they get, but i've encouraged a strong stomach from a young age... with a severe stomach upset though I will always do and recommend a slow intro to any new food, be it kibble or cooked meat, etc...
 
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#20 ·
Well after using a mixture of Fromm and Acana, I am pleased to say.... Poop has never looked so good haha. If somebody in the neighborhood saw me, I must have looked like a crazy person to them watching my dog poop and yelling a victory YES! as I saw it appear normal and not the usual mess.

Thank you everyone for your recommendations, advice, and research!

-Nick and Wade
 
#23 ·
Have tried several brands Acana was one of them, my boy did pretty well on it, but was still having pretty large stools and some itchiness. He did best on the salmon grain free, for some reason when he tried the red meats variety of Acana he had really runny poos. We are on FROMM now salmon tunalini and not only are his stools much smaller, he has less gas, and less itchiness!
 
#24 ·
I wonder if owners of other breeds obsess as much about feeds as do Doberman owners?! I'm as guilty as the rest of you! I fed Orijen for years. But, after continual price increases and their latest endeavor of switching plants for sales in the US, I switched to Acana. BTW, I called Orijen to discuss their move to domestic, US production. Their philosophy is to procure their ingredients locally. For the KY plant, they use Kentucky angus farms. They get their fish from the northeast US. I believe their production facilities are the state of the art and their methods parallel those they use in Canada. So, the difference in their product is the raw ingredients have changed. I like everything about them, except their pricing strategy. They are now local (to me), not shipping from Canada, and their price-per-pound has increased! That was the straw that broke my back.

A locally owned tack/feed store where I buy my horse feed carries Victor dog foods. Victor makes several grain-free varieties. They are family-owned. Out of Texas. Their label is not quite as clean as Orijen or Acana, but it is certainly not bad. Their pricing structure is more affordable for me. I am giving them a try. Transitioning right now. I will say that I did not have any problems with the Acana that I used after switching from Orijen. So far, I have no issues with the Victor, either. Hero is the one I am trying, FWIW.

When Innova was privately owned, I had great success with EVO. Such is life!
 
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#26 ·
Regarding Chewy.com - you might ask them if there is a rebate program on Acana. There is on Orijen. Buy 12 bags, get 1 bag free. And, Chewy will take care of all the paperwork. I would keep track myself and just bring up their online chat window when I reached 12 bags. I'd tell their rep that it was time for my free bag. The rep would look at my purchase history and verify. The rep would then enter the free bag and that was that. See if the same deal is in effect for Acana. Actually several premium brands have similar offers. But, you need to ask!
 
#28 ·
Hello everyone. I wanted to ask about the Arcana brand. On most packages it says that it's suitable for all life stages EXCEPT for growth of large size dogs. The nutrient profile seems to be same same as on the profiles approved for large size dogs. Is Arcana still suitable for Dobermans even though it excludes large size dogs? I've noticed that a lot of people on here feed their Dobies this brand. I really wanted to switch to it but the EXCEPT thing bothered me.

Thank you.
 
#31 ·
Acana excludes large size dogs from its AAFCO statement. Is it still good for Dobermans?
Given the extremely high number of dogs diagnosed with nutritional DCM on Acana, I personally wouldn't feed it. I don't find it worth the risk. I also found the response from Champion Pet Foods to be extremely unsatisfactory. That's only my opinion, of course, but it's not a company I would continue to support.
 
#32 ·
Many of the boutique brands of dog food have been linked to DCM in dogs and as you know, dobermans have a higher incidence with DCM anyway. I consulted a veterinary nutritionist from the UGA when we transitioned our male to homemade food. She suggested I join a facebook group called Diet -Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs, which she amongst many other vets are a part of. Long story short, there are 5 brands that have been thoroughly researched that they say are better to feed than others.
Purina Pro Plan
Eukanuba
Royal Canin
Iams
Hills Science Diet
I encourage you to join and read the posts. Very informative. There are folks on there that have been feeding the grain free diets, their dogs have ECHOs and have either early or progressed stages of DCM, take them off of the grain free and retest with normalizing heart function.
 
#37 ·
When I first ran into that list of the better to feed, in general I had to laugh. Back in the middle ages when I had my first Doberman I asked the vet my family had been using for several years about how to choose a food.. He said--pick one of the big ones because they actually keep and feed dogs the formulas they are making up and use experts in nutrition (mind you this was in 1958) and although some of the companies are now defunct, Hills and Purina led the list. And I've fed all of those and at one time or another but generally my go to now and for many years has been Purina ProPlan (the line I feed is Focus and by preference I feed either the salmon based or chicken based.

At one time or another I've fed other protein based kibbles but never had any success with lamb (and recently read an interesting study comparing digestability of various proteins and lamb is very low on the list--salmon or any fowl (chicken or turkey) are high--salmon listed as the highest.

Over the years I tried lamb several times and had terrible luck with it--took less that 6 weeks on lamb and my dogs coats started looking bad and it was very hard to keep weight on them.

All dogs, of course don't do well on the same foods--and I've had dogs who needed something different than the ProPlan products but most of them oved the food, looked great, had energy to burn and the pricing was withing my budget.

dobebug
 
#33 ·
I still feed a "boutique" brand of dog food because I think the quality is superior to most of what you find in the "big 5". However, I feed a mix of grain free and grain inclusive (wheat, corn ,soy free). I also supplement with fresh food including eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, fruit and veggies. The company I use is Annamaet which is family owned and does have a nutritionist on staff. It is local to me, and I've met the owner. My current Dobermans have been fed Annamaet for their whole life and are currently 12, 8 & 2.

For sure, I don't think that all boutique kibbles are all great, but I also don't think everyone should panic and go to one of the big 5 companies where you often have to compromise on quality IMHO
 
#34 ·
If nothing else, I would absolutely avoid a food heavy in peas or lentils. Those seem to be the ingredients most suspect, at this point, when you look at the reports.
 
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#36 · (Edited)
Color me Fitzmar^^^ LOL

My idea of McCoy's diet is similar. In our case it is a quality grain inclusive kibble combined with a raw grain free freeze dried food. McCoy also gets on a rotating regular basis: Organic yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh meat, fresh fish, eggs, pumpkin, fruit (such as blue berries, sugar free applesauce, pears, bananas, etc.) and vegetables (both and cooked).

I also make of his treats. In addition, he receives daily doses of fish oil and Vitamin A.

I may sound obsessed... But honestly, I really like "customizing" his meals. It's fun for me.

Oh... He likes it too!

BTW McCoy was originally fed Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy on the advice of his breeder. At a bit over 1yo I transitioned him to Acana Meadowland. I put him on his current diet at about 3. Currently he is 5 1/2yo.

He has literally thrived on all 3 of these diets. Never an issue. Also, his Cardiologist just declared him in excellent cardiovascular health after his recent annual prophylactic cardio tests.

John Lichtwardt
Portland OR
 
#38 ·
dobebug, until I joined that FB group and read the units, I had no idea of the correlation. Our male lost interest in his homemade meals so we transitioned him to Purina Pro Plan Brightmind since he is a senior:0

We had fed him and our girl TOTW until we knew better. His echocardiogram was normal thank goodness and I cried like a baby when the cardiologist gave us the results.
 
#39 ·
I should add that I also (like John and MaryJo and others) feed a variety of stuff along with the ProPlan kibble.

Typically my dogs get Yogurt or cottage cheese, apples, blueberries, ground beef or turkey if I find it on sale--I make that up into a something the consistency of sloppy joe stuff by adding water and simmering it briefly. The I freeze every thing exept on container that I refrigerate and they get a couple of spoonfuls of that with the kibble. Usually they get an egg a day (hardboiled because they have to share them with me and I like egg salad sandwiches.

And if I'm making anything they get bits and pieces of it--tomatoes, celery, lettuce (and my dogs prefer Romaine to other types) and almost any fruit (except oranges--I've only had one dog who liked them--that was the Australian Shepherd).

They really don't get a lot of any of these additions but it serves to keep them eating very well. So if any of the Dobermans took much longer than 2 minutes to suck up their breakfast or dinner I'd be checking to make sure they were OK or if there was something going awry and they needed to go to the clinic with me.

Food--boy you can talk about food and feeding endlessly...

dobebug
 
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