Paul Iams founded IAMS pet food in 1946. In 1969, he established Eukanuba. It was to address the needs of sporting and working dogs. The company was eventually sold to Proctor & Gamble. Since 2014 it’s been owned by Mars, Incorporated.
Mars also owns Nutro, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Sheba, Cesar, Greenies and Whiskas. It also owns Banfield Pet Hospital, VCA Animal Hospitals and BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital. Mars is privately owned by the Mars family. Its headquarters are in McLean, Virginia. Annual revenue in 2023 is estimated at US $50 billion.
For our Eukanuba dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS EUKANUBA A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Eukanuba produces 4 lines of dog food. There are 3 lines of dry dog food, and 1 line of canned dog food. There are 24 recipes. They are high to very high risk by our criteria.
The canned recipes are high risk by our criteria. They score a little better than the dry foods. This is due to slightly less processing and no GMO ingredients. But these are high risk recipes. They have average carbohydrates of 22%. This is higher than we’d like to see. Plus recipes have added vitamins and minerals. There is cellulose, a low quality fiber. Other concerns are the use of inflammatory seed oil and unnamed animal protein. There are high pesticide ingredients. Recipes have natural flavor, usually made from low quality ingredients. There’s rice that has potential for arsenic contamination. They use carrageenan and coloring. Both are linked to health issues.
The dry recipes are ultra processed. There are several stages of heating. This causes a loss of nutrients and results in loss of points.
Active Dry is high risk. Athlete Dry and Sporting Life Dry are very high risk. They all have low protein levels that average 27%. Average carbohydrates are high. They range from 33 to 39%. These recipes share the same concerns as the canned food.
They also have GMO ingredients. There are added amino acids. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. It’s preferable that these nutrients come from real foods. They’re more bioavailable to dogs. Several recipes have brewers rice, dried beet pulp and psyllium seed husk. They are waste products of the human food industry. They’re used as fiber in dog food. Fruits and vegetables would provide fiber as well as other nutrients.
There is no information on the website about the sourcing or quality of ingredients.
Eukanuba doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation. They also don’t mention whether fish ingredients are farmed or wild caught. Wild caught fish is more nutritious and has a better fatty acid profile.
Let’s look at each line in a little more detail.
ACTIVE DRY
Score: 3.1/10
Ingredient List For Senior Large Breed Recipe: Chicken, wheat, chicken by-product meal, corn, chicken fat, ground grain sorghum, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, vegetable oil, egg product, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, fructooligosaccharides, fish oil, choline chloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, niacin supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid], glucosamine hydrochloride, trace minerals [zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], magnesium oxide, carotene, chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Eukanuba Active Dry is a high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 12 recipes that average 26% protein. There are average carbohydrates of 39%, as calculated. These foods rank low in ingredient quality for having high carbohydrates, added vitamins and minerals. There is unnamed animal protein like fish oil. There is inflammatory seed oil in 2 recipes. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra processed. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is natural flavor. Ingredients also list rice, which can contain arsenic.
Active Dry Benefits
- Made in house
Active Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Seed oil
- Unnamed protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Contains rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
ACTIVE CANNED
Score: 4.8/10
Ingredient List For Lamb & Rice Recipe: Water, chicken, pork lung, pork liver, chicken liver, lamb, brown rice, rice flour, carrots, tomato, cellulose, flaxseed, spinach, natural flavors, carob gum, carrageenan, sodium tripolyphosphate, xanthan, caramel color, potassium chloride, magnesium oxide, vitamin e supplement, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, calcium iodate, vitamin A supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.
Eukanuba Active Canned is a high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 7 recipes that average 42% protein. There are average carbohydrates of 22%, as calculated on a dry matter basis. These foods rank low in ingredient quality for having high carbohydrates, added vitamins and minerals. There is unnamed animal protein like fish oil. They use inflammatory seed oil. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are highly processed. There have high pesticide foods in the top 5 ingredients. There is natural flavor. Ingredients also list rice, which can contain arsenic. Several recipes have carrageenan and coloring. They’ve been linked to health issues.
Active Canned Benefits
- Made in house
Active Canned Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Seed oil
- Unnamed protein
- Highly processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Contains rice
- Natural flavor
- Carrageenan
- Color/dye
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
ATHLETE DRY
Score: 1.7/10
Ingredient List For Performance Sprint 21/13 Recipe: Brewers rice, chicken by-product meal, corn, chicken fat, natural flavors, wheat gluten, fish oil, dried plain beet pulp, pea fiber, vegetable oil, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, powdered psyllium seed husk, sodium silico aluminate, sodium hexametaphosphate, DL-methionine, fructooligosaccharides, monocalcium phosphate, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), niacin supplement, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], salt, choline chloride, taurine, glucosamine hydrochloride, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), magnesium oxide, trace minerals [zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], L-carnitine, chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Eukanuba Athlete Dry is a very high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 3 recipes that average 26% protein. There are average carbohydrates of 37%, as calculated. These foods rank low in ingredient quality for having high carbohydrates, added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. There is unnamed animal protein, and cheaper plant protein. There is inflammatory seed oil. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra processed. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is natural flavor. Ingredients also list rice, which can contain arsenic.
Athlete Dry Benefits
- Made in house
Athlete Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Unnamed protein
- Plant protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Contains rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
SPORTING LIFE DRY
Score: 1.5/10
Ingredient List For Performance Sport 30/20 Recipe: Chicken by-product meal, corn, brewers rice, chicken fat, wheat gluten, corn gluten meal, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp, pea fiber, fish oil, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, powdered psyllium seed husk, sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, monocalcium phosphate, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), hydrolyzed yeast, choline chloride, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), biotin, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), niacin supplement, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], taurine, glucosamine hydrochloride, DL-methionine, magnesium oxide, trace minerals [zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate], L-carnitine, chondroitin sulfate, carotene, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Eukanuba Athlete Dry is a very high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 2 recipes that average 28% protein. There are average carbohydrates of 33%, as calculated. These foods rank low in ingredient quality for having high carbohydrates, added vitamins, minerals and amino acids. There is unnamed animal protein, and cheaper plant protein. There is inflammatory seed oil. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra processed. There are high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is natural flavor. Ingredients also list rice, which can contain arsenic.
Sporting Life Dry Benefits
- Made in house
Sporting Life Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added Amino Acids
- Seed oil
- Unnamed protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMO in top 5 ingredients
- Contains rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
EUKANUBA DOG FOOD RECALLS
Eukanuba has been involved in several recalls as follows:
August 2013 – Recall due to potential salmonella contamination.
July 2010 – Recall due to potential salmonella contamination.
March 2007 – Recall due to melamine contamination.
Evaluation Criteria
These dog foods were evaluated and scored based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
We evaluate each food by these criteria. We assign a score using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to develop unbiased, objective criteria for dog owners. This will help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
