What dog food is the same as ACANA

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Acana vs Orijen Dog Food: 2024 Comparison

As we learn more about proper nutrition for ourselves, many dog owners have also taken a good look at what theyre feeding their pets. This trend has led to many independent premium dog food brands gaining a cult-like following often for a good reason.

Acana and Orijen are two of the most respected dog food brands. While neither brand is widely available in all retailers, their use of quality, regional ingredients and well-balanced nutrition have carved out a corner of the market for these two product lines.

When it comes to choosing between these two brands, however, which is right for your dog? What are the differences between Acana, Orijen, and their various dog food formulas?

A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Acana

Choosing between Acana and Orijen is difficult, especially since these two dog food brands are incredibly similar. While Orijens formulas offer more animal ingredients and protein on average, we ultimately chose Acana as the winner because of its wider range of products, grain-inclusive options, and more affordable price point.

The winner of our comparison:

About Acana

Acana is a premium dog food that is built on using biologically appropriate, regional ingredients whenever it can. Currently, Acanas U.S. catalog can be broken into three core product lines.

Originals

As the name implies, Acanas Originals lineis where it all began. Alongside standard flavors like red meat or poultry, this is where youll find the brands Puppy & Junior Formula and Healthy & Fit Formula.

Regionals

Acanas Regionals line is designed around local ecosystems and the natural protein sources found within. While the Regionals line sold in the U.S. is based around Kentucky, the Canadian line features Alberta-inspired ingredients.

Singles

The Acana Singles recipes are designed with just one source of animal protein per formula. Combined with a somewhat limited list of plant-based ingredients, these formulas are designed for dogs who require a limited ingredient diet due to sensitivities or allergies.

Along with traditional kibble, the Singles line also includes several types of freeze-dried dog treats.

+ Wholesome Grains

Originally, all Acana dog food products were formulated to be entirely grain free. With the introduction of its + Wholesome Grains products, however, Acana has added two grain-inclusive formulas to each of its three main product lines above. Since these recipes rely on oats, not wheat, they are still gluten free.

A Quick Look at Acana Dog Food

Offers grain-free and grain-inclusive options
Made in the U.S. and Canada
Based on fresh, regional ingredients
Independently owned and manufactured
High in whole animal proteins
Competitive pricing for a premium brand

Not widely available at all retailers
Not ideal for true limited-ingredient diets
No senior or small breed formulas available

About Orijen

Like, Acana, Orijen is also formulated with regional, biologically-appropriate ingredients. However, the biggest difference between these two dog food brands is that Orijen tends to use up to 15% more meat and animal-based ingredients in its formulas. Right now, Orijen offers a limited selection of dog food varieties:

Dry kibble

Orijens main product line includes several types of grain-free kibble. Along with a few regular, adult formulas, youll also find specialized recipes for puppies, seniors, different breeds, and weight management.

Freeze-dried

Along with the regular kibble recipes, many dog owners turn to Orijen because of its variety of freeze-dried dog foods and treats. These recipes contain up to 90% animal ingredients that are freeze-dried to preserve nutrition and flavor without the mess or shortened shelf life of a wet formula.

Like Orijens kibble formulas, all of its freeze-dried meals and treats are entirely grain free.

A Quick Look at Orijen Dog Food

Extremely high in animal proteins
Ideal for dogs on a grain-free diet
Made in the U.S. or Canada
Relies on fresh, local ingredients
Offers unique freeze-dried meals and treats
Owned by a small, independent company

Limited product range
No grain-inclusive options
More expensive than some competitors
Not available in all pet supply retailers

Who Makes Acana & Orijen?

Both of these pet food brands are owned and manufactured by the parent company, Champion Pet Foods. Champion Pet Foods is a Canadian company that has existed for over 25 years.

All Acana and Orijen products are made in one of Champion Pet Foods two independently operated factories. Products made for the Canadian market are made in the Acheson, Alberta, factory. Since 2006, all U.S. products have been made in the Auburn, Kentucky, factory.

Recall history

As of our review, Acana, Orijen, and Champion Pet Foods have not been included in any public pet food recalls.

Consumer relations history

In the past couple of years, multiple consumer lawsuits have emerged regarding Acana, Orijen, and Champion Pet Foods. These lawsuits have claimed that Champion Pet Foods and its labels have sold products containing detectable levels of heavy metal and BPA.

Most of these lawsuits have been legally dismissed. However, according to our research, it appears that at least one case is still in progress.

Champion Pet Foods has made several brief statements regarding these legal issues on its website, which you can read here.

The 3 Most Popular Acana Dog Food Recipes

While we cant take a deep dive into Acanas entire dog food range, weve broken down three of our favorite formulas:

1. Acana Kentucky Farmlands With Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food

The Kentucky Farmlands with Wholesome Grains formula is one of the newest products from Acana, filling the brands gap in grain-inclusive offerings. Although this formula does include carbohydrates from whole grains, it is entirely gluten free. The Kentucky Farmlands formula is part of the Regionals line, featuring whole animal protein sources like chicken, turkey, duck, and eggs.

High in whole animal ingredients
Features protein from raw and fresh sources
Made in the U.S.
Grain inclusive and gluten free
Formulated with probiotics

Pieces are too big for some small dogs
May be hard to find in stores

2. Acana Meadowland Dry Dog Food

While we prefer Acanas new grain-inclusive formulas for most dogs, the brand offers many grain-free recipes as well. The Meadowland Dry Dog Food is another Regionals formula, including WholePrey ingredients like chicken, turkey, freshwater catfish, eggs, and rainbow trout.

Ideal for dogs with grain sensitivities
Made in the U.S.
Formulated with local Kentucky ingredients
Contains probiotics for digestion
High in animal protein
Grain free and gluten free

High concentration of legumes
Not available in all pet food retailers

3. Acana Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Duck & Pear Formula Dry Dog Food

The Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Duck & Pear Formula is designed with a single source of animal protein and a shortened list of plant-based ingredients. This particular recipe uses duck as its primary ingredient, half of which is used in a raw or fresh state. While this formula is advertised for dogs with sensitivities or allergies, it does contain some ingredients that are likely to trigger reactions.

Uses a single source of animal protein
Made in the U.S.
Grain free and gluten free
Limited list of ingredients
Formulated with live probiotics

Contains pea protein
Not ideal for a true limited-ingredient diet
Difficult to find in some stores

The 3 Most Popular Orijen Dog Food Recipes

Compared to Acana, Orijens dog food product range is much more limited. Here are three of the most popular formulas currently being offered by the brand:

1. Orijen Original Dry Dog Food

As Orijens flagship recipe, the Original Dry Dog Food is made with whole animal ingredients like chicken, turkey, wild fish, and eggs. Since Orijen uses meat, organs, cartilage, and bones in its formulas, your dog gets all of the key nutrients it would get from hunting in the wild. This particular formula contains 85% animal ingredients, two-thirds of which are used in a raw or fresh state.

Ideal for dogs on a grain-free diet
Made in the U.S.
85% animal-based ingredients
Contains freeze-dried liver
Uses fresh and raw meat sources

More expensive than some other options
Not available from all pet food suppliers
Grain-free formula may not be ideal for all dogs

2. Orijen Puppy Dry Dog Food

The Orijen Puppy Dry Dog Food is similar to the brands other kibble recipes but with additional nutrition to support your dog during its first one or two years. This recipe includes meat, cartilage, bones, and organs from chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs.

If your dog is a large or giant breed, Orijen also offers a Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Foodthat will help support slow and steady growth.

Formulated for small and medium breed puppies
Made in the U.S.
High in animal protein
Ideal for dogs with gluten or grain sensitivities
Made with raw and fresh ingredients

Not ideal for large or giant breeds
Not widely available in all areas
Not all puppies require a grain-free diet

3. Orijen Senior Dry Dog Food

On the other end of the spectrum, the Orijen Senior Dry Dog Food formula is designed for older dogs and their unique nutritional needs. This recipe is high in protein to support muscle mass and discourage unhealthy weight gain with increased age. Like the rest of Orijens product range, the Senior formula contains 85% animal ingredients.

Designed aging dogs of all sizes
Made in the U.S.
Formulated with raw and fresh animal ingredients
Supports lean muscle mass
Grain and gluten-free

May not be available in all pet supply stores
Not ideal for dogs on a grain-inclusive diet

Acana vs. Orijen Comparison

Since both brands are owned and manufactured by the same company, comparing Acana and Orijen reveals few differences. Still, there are factors to consider when selecting a new dog food for your canine companion:

Pricing

While exact pricing may vary slightly between retailers and individual product lines, Orijen products tend to cost more than their Acana counterparts. If youre on a budget, Acana offers near-comparable quality for a more affordable price.

Ingredient quality

There may be slight differences between the ingredients used by Acana vs. Orijen, but we believe that these potential differences are negligible when looking at the big picture. Since both Acana and Orijen are manufactured in the exact same factories, theres a good chance that they also use the exact same ingredients.

Instead, the primary difference in ingredient quality between these two brands is how much of each ingredient is used.

Nutrition

The biggest difference between Acana and Orijen is that Orijen products are formulated with a higher concentration of animal protein.

At the same time, Orijen has yet to release any grain-inclusive formulas. Yes, a large portion of Orijens customer base prefers a grain-free diet, but this does exclude many dogs from trying out the brand. If your dog does not require a grain-free diet, Acana is your only option at the moment.

Final Thoughts

After reviewing Acana and Orijen, there is really no clear winner. Because these two pet food brands share the same parent company, factories, ingredients, and overall mission statement, the final products offered by each label are nearly the same.

With that said, we recommend Acanafor most dogs and their owners. However, if your dog requires a grain-free, high-protein diet and you can afford the higher price tag, Orijen technically offers slightly better nutrition.

Acana and Orijen are two of the highest-quality dog food brands currently on the market, so you cant go wrong trying one of these formulas with your own pets.

Acana vs. Stella and Chewy's

In this comparison article for Acana vs Stella and Chewy's, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Acana and Stella and Chewy's, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Stella and Chewy's vs Acana comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Acana Review Page or Stella and Chewy's Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Stella and Chewy's vs. Acana

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Acana Dog Food vs. Stella and Chewy's Dog Food

Dry Dog Food	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Crude Protein	36.4%	37.3%
Crude Fat	20.5%	23.0%
Crude Fiber	6.2%	5.6%

Wet/Canned Dog Food	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Crude Protein	44.2%	51.6%
Crude Fat	19.8%	22.0%
Crude Fiber	8.1%	9.2%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

As you can see, Acana and Stella and Chewy's guarantee a similar amount of crude protein. For wet dog foods, Stella and Chewy's provides more protein (about 7.32% more).

Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Like protein, fats are an essential part of a dog's body. Fats are needed for the proper development and function of the canine body.

If you look at the average percentages of crude fat, you'll notice that Stella and Chewy's typically guarantees 2.52% more fat. This is a fairly small difference between Stella and Chewy's and Acana, but still worth mentioning. In addition, Stella and Chewy's wet dog foods also provide more fat than Acana wet foods.

Stella and Chewy's and Acana both provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber. With regards to wet dog food, Stella and Chewy's and Acana also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Acana Cat Food vs. Stella and Chewy's Cat Food

Dry Cat Food	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Crude Protein	39.7%	43.1%
Crude Fat	19.1%	25.4%
Crude Fiber	4.3%	5.4%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

According to our data, Stella and Chewy's guarantees 3.45% more protein than Acana. Although this difference is relatively small, it's still a notable difference.

Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

Help transport nutrients across cell membranes
Fats produce metabolites, which help control inflammation
Maintain healthy blood pressure
Slow the growth of yeast infections
Fats improve the taste/texture of food.

The table shows that Acana provides far less fat than Stella and Chewy's. The difference in fat content is roughly 6.32%.

There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands.

Acana Pet Food Ingredients vs. Stella and Chewy's Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Acana.

Heart

Heart is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous animal ingredients are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!

Kidney

Kidney is a controversial ingredient because the source animal is not specified. Anonymous animal ingredients are typically very low quality and may contain almost any animal, including dogs and cats!

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Stella and Chewy's.

Pea Protein

Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

Tomato Pomace

Tomato pomace is a by-product of tomato manufacturing. It's considered a controversial ingredient because many people believe it is an inexpensive low quality filler. However, tomato pomace provides a notable amount of dietary fiber, B vitamins, Lycopene, and vitamin A. Although it is a very inexpensive ingredient, it is not nutritionally empty.

Vegetable Oil

Specific vegetable oils are typically positive ingredients; however, this ingredient does not specify which vegetable(s) were used to produce the oil.

Without this information, it is impossible for us to make any specific statements. With any fat source, it is important to know the omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio, a property which cannot be determined with this ingredient. Thus, we have marked vegetable oil as a controversial ingredient.

Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)

Canola oil is a plant-derived oil from the seeds of canola plants. Although fat is an essential component of any diet, canola oil is controversial in pet food. Proponents claim that canola oil provides a better fat profile in comparison to other plant based oils. However, opponents claim that canola oil is typically produced with genetically modified rapeseed and that rapeseed oil has multiple adverse health affects.

Product Safety: Recall History of Acana & Stella and Chewy's?

According to our records, Acana has never been recalled.

Stella and Chewy's has been recalled 2 times.

July 5, 2015: Listeria monocytogenes
Dec. 11, 2015: Listeria monocytogenes

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog Food	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Per Pound	$3.57	$26.10
Per Calorie	$0.0023	$0.0120

Dry Cat Food	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Per Pound	$4.83	$41.71
Per Calorie	$0.0028	$0.0196

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Acana or Stella and Chewy's, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Acana or Stella and Chewy's will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Acana and Stella and Chewy's. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.

Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Acana Pet Foods

You can purchase Acana pet foods from the following stores:

34 Recipes In-Stock Today

14 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Stella and Chewy's Pet Foods

You can purchase Stella and Chewy's pet food products from these retailers:

91 Recipes In-Stock Today

59 Recipes In-Stock Today

34 Recipes In-Stock Today

37 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

Product	Acana	Stella and Chewy's
Dry Dog Food	46 Recipes	48 Recipes
Wet Dog Food	6 Recipes	23 Recipes
Dog Treats	9 Treats	30 Treats
Dry Cat Food	10 Recipes	5 Recipes
Wet Cat Food	None	24 Recipes
Cat Treats	None	None