Eukanuba Dog Food 2022 Review, Rating & Recalls
Is Eukanuba a good dog food? It’s one of the most popular dog food brands today, but is it as healthy for your dog as it is popular?
In this review… Dog Food Care takes a closer look at Eukanuba Dog Food… and its most important sub-brands to give the brand an overall rating.
We’ll also cover…
- Is Eukanuba made in the United States?
- Has Eukanuba been recalled?
- Which flavors and recipes get our top ratings?
Which Eukanuba Sub-Brand Is Right For You?
Here are Eukanuba’s 3 most popular sub-brands. Below, we’ll share what makes each one different. That way, you can choose the food sub-brand that best suits your dog. Scroll further down for our 4th and 5th pick!
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | Eukanuba Active Adult Dry Dog Food
| 8.8 | Check Price |
Best for Puppies  | Eukanuba Puppy Mixed Grilled Chicken & Beef Dinner in Gravy
| 8.7 | Check Price |
Lowest Price  | Eukanuba Chicken & Vegetable Stew Adult Wet Dog Food
| 8.5 | Check Price |
Best Overall
1. Eukanuba Active Adult Dry Dog Food
- Recommended for large-breed adult dogs
- Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate help with muscle development
- Made with high quality chicken
The Active Adult dry dog food sub-brand is for pet owners looking to feed their adult and senior dogs something that’ll help provide fuel for their active lifestyles while helping to maintain a healthy weight.
- 13 recipes (ratings vary)
- Several sources of animal protein are included within the main ingredient list
- Prebiotics and probiotics support healthy digestion
Best for Puppies
2. Eukanuba Puppy Mixed Grilled Chicken & Beef Dinner in Gravy
- Wet puppy dog food with chicken and beef in gravy
- A blend of vitamins, minerals and proteins to help your puppy's growth
- High-quality animal proteins to help build strong muscles
Has many of the same benefits as dry puppy food, just with a more easily digestible wet formula.
- 2 recipes (ratings vary)
- A kibble-free wet formula makes it easy for your pup to digest all of the food’s nutrients
- Helps ensure that active puppies are getting enough water in their diet
Lowest Price
3. Eukanuba Chicken & Vegetable Stew Adult Wet Dog Food
- Made with nutritious chicken and vegetable stew
- 100% complete and balanced nutrition
- Soft dog food helps increase fluid intake for your active dog
The Active Adult Wet food sub-brand contains many of the same quality ingredients as the Active Adult dry food. Similarly, the aim is to fuel a dog’s active lifestyle, just with an easier-to-digest wet formula.
- 5 recipes (ratings vary)
- Ensures that active dogs get the hydration that they need to stay healthy
- Each formula contains highly nutritious animal liver ingredients
4. Eukanuba Premium Performance Adult Dry Dog Food
The Athlete Dry Food sub-brand is for particularly active dogs who need even more balanced nutrition to help fuel their energy, build muscles, and properly recover from exercise. The Athlete sub-brand includes premium performance formulas, created for actively working dogs who need the best dog food possible.
- 3 recipes (ratings vary)
- High protein concentrations help build lean muscles
- Omega fatty acids ensure good heart health, joint health, and skin health
5. Eukanuba Puppy Dry Dog Food
Eukanuba’s dry puppy food is designed to give puppies all the nutrients they need to support their growing bodies and naturally high energy levels.
- 4 recipes (ratings vary)
- Several different calcium supplements help build strong bones in growing pups
- A good balance of fats and carbs supports a growing body and active lifestyle, even enough for large breed puppies
Who Makes Eukanuba Dog Food?
Eukanuba has been making premium dog food since 1969. Its founder is Paul Iams, who previously founded the Iams dog food line. Around the time of Eukanuba’s founding, Paul Iams got inspired by high-performing, active, and working dogs and wanted to come up with a brand that would suit their specific nutritional needs.
Thus, Eukanuba was born as a high-protein dog food brand aimed at giving active dogs what they need to be their absolute best. Since ‘69, Eukanuba has continued to innovate new ways on how to keep active dogs optimally fueled up.
Not only that, but they also manufacture all their products in the USA while exceeding AAFCO safety standards. Today, Eukanuba is owned by the major pet company, Mars Petcare Inc.
Has Eukanuba Dog Food Been Recalled?
Some of Eukanba’s dog food products have been recalled on several occasions in the past. Here’s a list of all recalls since 2007 related to Eukanuba’s products. Updates are added as soon as new recalls are posted.
- Eukanuba recalls multiple dog food products (11/14/2014) over potential Salmonella bacteria contamination.
- Eukanuba recalls dog and cat food products (8/14/2013) over Salmonella bacteria contamination according to the FDA.
- Eukanuba recalls multiple dog food products (7/30/2010) over Salmonella bacteria contamination according to the FDA.
- Eukanuba recalls wet and canned dog food products (3/2007) over melamine contamination.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls here. Be sure to check the list regularly to ensure that your dog’s food hasn’t been recalled.
Individual Recipe Ratings
Eukanuba is a dog food line catering to high-energy, athletic dogs of all ages and sizes. Therefore, they incorporate whole grains, lots of protein, and plenty of supplements to ensure that your dog has what it needs to stay fit and active.
These Eukanuba products can be found at many in-store locations and are also available through online retailers like Amazon. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the brand’s current dog food products listed on Amazon along with their star ratings. You can use these links to quickly compare prices and packaging sizes before ordering your favorites.
- Senior Small Breed Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Senior Large Breed Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Senior Medium Breed Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Adult Small Bites Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Adult Large Breed Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Fit Body Weight Control Medium Breed Dry Dog Food (4.7 stars)
- Fit Body Weight Control Large Breed Dry Dog Food (4.7 stars)
- Adult Medium Breed Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Senior – Lamb 1st Ingredient Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Fit Body Weight Control Small Breed Dry Dog Food (4.7 stars)
- Adult – Lamb 1st Ingredient Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Adult Large Breed – Lamb 1st Ingredient Dry Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Adult Small Breed Dog Food (4.8 stars)
- Puppy Canned Food – Chicken & Beef Formula (4.5 stars)
- Puppy Canned Food – Lamb & Rice Formula (4.5 stars)
- Adult Canned Food – Beef & Vegetable Stew (4.6 stars)
- Adult Canned Food – Chicken & Vegetable Stew (4.6 stars)
- Adult Canned Food – Chicken with Rice & Vegetables (4.6 stars)
- Adult Canned Food – Lamb & Rice (4.6 stars)
- Adult Canned Food – Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef (4.6 stars)
- Athlete Performance 21/13 Sprint (4.7 stars)
- Athlete Performance 26/16 Exercise (4.7 stars)
- Athlete Performance 30/20 Sport (4.7 stars)
- Puppy Lamb First Ingredient Dry Food (4.7 stars)
- Large Breed Puppy Dry Food (4.7 stars)
- Medium Breed Puppy Dry Food (4.6 stars)
- Small Breed Puppy Dry Food (4.8 stars)
Recipe Ingredient Analysis
The Eukanuba Adult – Lamb 1st Ingredient Dry Dog Food was selected to act as a representative product for our recipe content analysis. This recipe’s ingredients are organized based on their overall weight in the formula. These weights include each ingredient’s water content.
The first ingredient is real lamb meat. Lamb is an excellent source of animal protein and amino acids for dogs. Not only that, but lamb meat is an easily digestible protein source. Therefore, your dog is better able to absorb all of the nutrients in the meat.
Although it is a quality ingredient, raw lamb contains up to 73% water. So, although it is listed as the first ingredient in the formula, keep in mind that most of that weight comes from water. Since most of that moisture is lost during cooking, the lamb in the recipe may contribute less to the recipe’s protein content than initially thought.
The second ingredient on the list is brewer’s rice. Brewers’ rice is the small milled fragments of rice kernels. Brewer’s rice is somewhat of a controversial ingredient. It is a by-product of rice and overall a lower-quality, cheap grain product.
A better grain ingredient would be something whole-grain such as brown rice or oatmeal. The third ingredient is chicken by-product meal, another controversial ingredient. Animal by-product meals, including chicken, are ground-up pieces of animals leftover after they’re been slaughtered for their meat.
While some animal by-product meals are unacceptable to eat, others like the one in this formula are generally considered safe and ok for your dog. So, the chicken by-product meal isn’t necessarily high quality, but it is acceptable. Corn is the fourth ingredient.
And, it’s a bit of a poor excuse for a grain product. Generally, corn products are low in vitamins and minerals, are difficult to digest, and often act more as a filler than anything. Like brewer’s rice, a different grain ingredient would be much better than corn in this product.
It doesn’t necessarily cause harm, but at the same time, it has little to no nutritional value. Wheat is the fifth ingredient on the list. It is just an okay ingredient in dog food. It is a good carbohydrate in terms of its ability to provide energy.
But, too much of it doesn’t do a lot for your dog nutritionally speaking. The sixth ingredient is lamb meal, a type of lamb meat concentrate and an excellent source of animal protein. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate. Because it has all of its moisture removed, lamb meal has up to 300% more protein in it than regular lamb meat. This is an excellent ingredient for dogs.
Chicken fat is the next ingredient. Not only do dogs love the taste of it, but it is high in omega-6 fatty acids. Although it may not sound appetizing, it’s great for both taste and nutrition. Ground whole-grain sorghum is the eighth ingredient on the list.
It is a type of grain commonly used in both human and pet foods. Overall, sorghum is considered a nutritious whole-grain ingredient. It is not only whole-grain, but it’s also gluten-free and contains several antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
The ninth ingredient is whole grain barley. An excellent complex carbohydrate, barley is great for energy. Therefore, it fits perfectly into this formula designed for active dogs. The 10th and final main ingredient is fish meal, another meat concentrate.
Fish meal is a fantastic ingredient. It is high in protein, glucosamine, and chondroitin. Each of these elements is essential for building muscle tissue in active dogs. We’ve now covered the first ten ingredients in this dry dog food recipe.
While these are the most prevalent ingredients and should be your top considerations when choosing food for your dog, it’s also important to consider some of the ingredients farther down the list.
Other Notable Ingredients
Following the main ingredients come several supplementary ingredients. To be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to sway the dry matter analysis of the product.
However, they are great for providing extra nutritional value. Dried beet pulp is a widely used ingredient, yet is somewhat of a controversial one. And, a little unknown fact about it is that Eukinuba was one of the first dog food producers ever to use it in their food.
By some, it is seen as an excellent ingredient for promoting good digestion. Thanks to its high fiber content. On the other hand, opponents tend to see it as an inexpensive filler there to take up unused space. We do recognize that it does provide some health benefits and don’t consider it to be a bad ingredient.
A little further down on the ingredient list is fish oil. Fish oil is a fantastic ingredient in dog food. It is very high in fatty acids including DHA, omega-3s, and omega-6s. Each of these acids is essential for a good immune system as well as joint, brain, and heart health.
Following fish oil is biotin, a type of B vitamin that is essential for many different functions in the body. It is similar to supplements like chondroitin such that it helps build cartilage in the body.
Nutrient Summary
This summary’s nutrient data is based on the product’s dry matter content. We used the Guaranteed Analysis panel to compare the protein, fat, fiber, and moisture content of pet food products. Due to the impact of moisture on these calculations, it’s difficult to compare wet and dry dog food products.
As such, this information should be primarily used in comparison to other dry, kibble-based products. The Eukanuba Adult – Lamb 1st Ingredient Dry Dog Food has a dry matter protein reading of 25.5%, a fat level of 15.5%, and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%. That makes its fat-to-protein ratio of 60%.
Most of the protein comes from meat concentrates rather than real meats. While meat concentrates are higher in protein content, they often have less of a biological value than real meat. In terms of fats, great ingredients like flaxseed are used.
Healthy fats are very important for dogs, particularly active ones. They ensure that the joints and heart stay healthy, enabling your dog to live a healthy life for as long as possible. Eukanuba’s products, including this formula, tend to be very high in carbs. Carbs are great for energy, but too much of them can be a bad thing because they take up space that could go towards protein.
Our Rating of Eukanuba Dog Food
Dog Food Care finds Eukanuba to be an average, grain-inclusive dog food product. There are some high-quality ingredients in the products such as real meat, meat concentrates, and nutritional supplements. But, there are also many lower-quality grain main ingredients that act more like fillers than anything
Overall, the brand’s products have above-average protein, average fat, and average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.… thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.
What Do Others Say About Eukanuba?
At the time of this update, customers on Amazon have many positive things to say about Eukanuba products. For example, the Adult Lamb 1st Ingredient Dog Food covered in our ingredient analysis currently has 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Here’s an actual buyer review:
“My adult German Shorthaired Pointer had a very sensitive stomach. This Eukanuba was the first and only food I’ve found that she has been healthy and happy on for a couple years now. Her coat is shiny and soft too.“
Read more buyer reviews on Amazon.com.
Frequently Asked Questions About Eukanuba
1. Is Eukanuba Dog Food good for puppies?
Eukanuba is a good choice for puppies. They have two entire sub-brands dedicated to meeting the needs of puppy dogs. One of those sub-brands is wet and the other is dry. The formulas contain ingredients that puppies need in particular, such as calcium carbonate to promote good bone growth.
2. Is Eukanuba considered to be healthy dog food?
Overall, Eukanuba is fairly healthy dog food. If you look at the labels, many of the main ingredients include animal proteins and whole grains. But, some of the formulas have lower-quality main ingredients.
While those lower-quality ingredients aren’t necessarily bad for your dog, they aren’t good for them at the same time. Additionally, all of the Eukanuba formulas contain a handful of different vitamin and mineral supplements. These help keep your dog as healthy as possible.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Dog Food Care considers Eukanuba to be a fairly average dog food brand. Due to some of the poor ingredients used, we can’t give the brand the highest ratings. But, we can say that some of the formulas are better than others.
Therefore, if you’re going to give Eukanuba a try, opt for one of the higher-rated picks! Give it a try and let us know what you think of Eukanuba!
Bonus tip: Ready to switch your dog to a new food? Here’s exactly how to transition them properly!
