Finding good quality dog food isn’t always easy, especially when many of the “premium dog foods” advertised on TV as great for our dog’s health are actually full of high-glycemic grains and low-quality proteins. Acana is one of the few brands that we here at Snowdog Guru trust.
It’s manufactured by Champion Petfoods, the same company that makes Orijen, another of our trusted brands. Acana has a range of foods suitable for a variety of breeds, but the one best suited to huskies in our opinion is their Sport and Agility dog food.
If you own a Husky or Malamute, then you’ll know they’re particularly active dogs. This food is classified as an “ALL LIFE FOOD”, meaning you could feed this to your snow-dog from a pup right through to their senior years. But Acana also makes a puppy and senior food for those of you with younger and older dogs.
We explore the ingredients and benefits of this food in our Acana Sport And Agility Review.
Ingredients
Chicken meal, steel-cut oats, chicken fat, deboned chicken, whole potato, peas, whole egg, deboned flounder, sun-cured alfalfa, chicken liver, herring oil, pea fibre, whole apples, whole pears, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, spinach, cranberries, blueberries, kelp, chicory root, juniper berries, angelica root, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, lavender. *Ingredients marked in red are controversial
Top 5 Ingredients Analysis
The list of ingredients is impressive; there’s an array of quality proteins, fats and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Acana, like most dog food brands, purposefully omit the carbohydrate content from their nutritional label. However, we’ve estimated that the carbohydrate level in this food is roughly 35%. We do that by subtracting the protein, fat, water and ash percentages from 100%; what we’re left with is an estimated carbohydrate content. So in the case of their Sport and Agility product, the carbohydrate levels are still fairly low compared with the majority of brands.
- Chicken meal: Basically dehydrated chicken (chicken with its moisture content removed) and typically has roughly 300% higher protein than fresh chicken.
- Steel-cut oats: While we regularly promote a high-protein, grain-free diet for your husky, steel-cut oats are, of course, a grain, but they are a low-glycemic grain, meaning they have a slow and steady impact on blood sugar levels. Oats are also rich in B-vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre, so they are not empty calories, unlike many grains.
- Deboned chicken: Another quality protein, although fresh chicken, believe it or not, contains roughly 80% water, so once it’s processed, the protein content isn’t nearly as high as you might expect. But still a quality ingredient nonetheless.
- Peas: A quality source of carbohydrates and naturally high in fibre, but also high in protein and therefore, must be considered when calculating the meat content of the product.
- Chicken fat: Fat? But aren’t fats bad? No, not all fats are bad. Actually, fat’s are an essential part of a dogs diet, and chicken fat is particularly high in omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid.
Other noteworthy ingredients:
- Whole eggs: Yet another quality source of animal protein contains selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.
- Flounder: This is basically fish, a good source of protein. In the case of Acana, their fish is caught fresh every day from North Vancouver’s waters. Typically low-calorie and high in omega-3s and selenium.
- Botanical Inclusions:
- Chicory root 500 mg/kg
- Juniper berries 500 mg/kg
- Angelica root 350 mg/kg
- Marigold flowers 350 mg/kg
- Sweet fennel 350 mg/kg
- Peppermint leaf 300 mg/kg
- Lavender 150 mg/kg
Like Orijen, Acana uses only locally sourced ingredients, which is a huge plus to the health-conscious pet owner. Unfortunately, the ingredient quality of imported ingredients is generally lower. Acana is baked using fresh, preservative-free ingredients from their kitchens in Alberta, Canada. Acana is a great alternative to Orijen for huskies who find it too rich. Acana is also a cheaper alternative, although not as high in protein. Have you tried Acana Sport and Agility? What was your experience?
