American Journey Dog Food Review
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American Journey dog food is the private label brand for Chewy.com, the online pet food and product retailer. It’s also sold at PetSmart, the company that owns Chewy.com.
American Journey offers grain-free dog foods, limited-ingredient diets, some foods with grains, kibbles, and canned foods, as well as treats. American Journey is positioned to offer premium dog food at a lower price because it is owned by Chewy.com.
American Journey Dog Food: Top 5 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/tray |
| American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 390 kcal/cup |
| American Journey Salmon & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 365 kcal/cup |
| American Journey Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 345 kcal/cup |
| American Journey Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food | Dry | 25% | 304 kcal/cup |
| American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food | Dry | 30% | 380 kcal/cup |
Brand Score
[ultra_elite_rating id=10663]Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.
We’ve examined American Journey dog foods closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.
About American Journey
American Journey is owned by Chewy.com. It was introduced in 2017.
American Journey has no web site so information about their foods has to be obtained from the Chewy.com site. That means that some information that is normally available about other dog foods is not available for American Journey.
Information about the brand also changes. For example, when the brand was first introduced, the company said that they did not use ingredients from China. Now it says that they will use them, depending on the market.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
American Journey’s dog foods are made in the United States from ingredients that are sourced from all over the world. Some ingredients may come from China, depending on the global market.
According to the company, their foods are made by a third-party manufacturer located in Kansas. Chewy refuses to release the name of this manufacturer. This lack of transparency bothers many pet owners.
There is speculation about who makes foods for American Journey in Kansas but it’s only speculation. American Journey representatives have also posted in the past on the Chewy.com web site that their brown rice dog foods were made in California but there is no more information on that subject.
Recall History
We didn’t find any recalls for American Journey, though the brand has only existed since 2017
What Kinds of Dog Food Does American Journey Offer?
American Journey offers the following kinds of dog foods:
- Dry foods, wet foods, treats, and toppings
- Special diets (no corn, wheat, or soy; grain-free; high protein; limited-ingredient diet; gluten-free; pea-free; weight control; sensitive digestion)
- Various flavors
- Various textures
- Lifestage (adult, puppy, senior)
- Breed size (Extra small and toy; small; medium; large; giant)
American Journey: Top Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at five of the top-selling American Journey dog foods as found on Chewy.com so you can get a good idea of what some of these different formulas are like.
American Journey Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 32% Min
- Fat: 14% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Deboned Salmon, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Menhaden Fish Meal, Blueberries, Carrots, Salt, Salmon Oil, Dried Kelp, Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract
As a brand, American Journey debuted a few months before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it was investigating a possible link between grain free dog foods and a dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy. As far as we can tell, most of American Journey’s formulas are grain free and rely on peas to replace grains in their foods.
Even their formulas with rice, which may not be technically grain free, still contain peas. Just to be clear, the FDA has not advised pet lovers to stop feeding grain free dog foods.
However, it has recommended that people should be careful about feeding foods that contain peas, lentils, or legumes in the first 10 ingredients (the “main ingredients”) of a dog food, at least until the situation with the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is resolved.
According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 35.6 percent protein, 15.6 percent fat, and 5.6 percent fiber. This formula has an estimated 34.4 percent carbohydrates. It has 390 kcal/cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
American Journey Salmon & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 15% Min
- Fiber: 6% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
Here are the ingredients in this food:
Deboned Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Brown Rice,Peas, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Rice Bran, Brewers Rice, Barley,Natural Flavor, Tomato Pomace, Dried Plain Beet Pulp,Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Potato Protein, Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, L-Threonine, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Dried Chicory Root, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Zinc Oxide, DL-Methionine, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract
Alfalfa is another member of the legume family. If you look online you will find that many owners and veterinarians were raising questions about seeing this ingredient in dog foods years ago.
This food has 27.8 percent protein and 16.7 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 6.7 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 40 percent, DMB. It contains 365 kcal per cup.
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars.
American Journey Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 6% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Peas, Pea Starch, Sweet Potatoes, Pea Protein, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Choline Chloride, L-Threonine, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract
Dogs with allergies sometimes need to avoid common ingredients, especially meat proteins and carbs. If your dog has food allergies you might have no choice but to feed a food that uses peas.
There are some dog foods that use less common carbs such as tapioca and other things, so look around if you are trying to avoid peas.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 27.8 percent protein, 13.3 percent fat, 6.7 percent fiber, 41.1 percent carbohydrates (estimated), and 345 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
American Journey Healthy Weight Chicken & Brown Rice Protein First Recipe Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 25% Min
- Fat: 9% Min
- Fiber: 9% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal (a source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate), Brown Rice, Peas, Menhaden Fish Meal, Barley, Brewers Rice, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Pea Fiber, Rice Bran, Natural Flavor, Dried Tomato Pomace, Pea Protein, Turkey Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Flaxseed, Sunflower Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Powdered Cellulose, Salt, Dried Egg Product, Carrots, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Dried Chicory Root, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Iron Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Zinc Oxide, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract
Per Chewy.com: “Powdered Cellulose is a plant-based fiber. It’s a safe food additive that acts as a legitimate source of dietary fiber without any caloric costs, and provides a number of benefits to food production, storage, and quality. It has no known health side effects other than those associated with its statu s [sic] as an insoluble fiber.”
It’s still a wood fiber.
This food is very low in fat in and very high in fiber. Your dog will probably lose weight but you might expect some toots, along with a lot of poop.
The reviews on Chewy.com don’t say this, but there is no way your dog can eat a food that’s more than 40 percent carbs and 10 percent fiber without producing a lot of poop.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 27.8 percent protein, 10 percent fat, 10 percent fiber, 45.6 percent carbohydrates, and 304 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars
American Journey Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Puppy Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 30% Min
- Fat: 12% Min
- Fiber: 5% Max
- Moisture: 10% Max
You can take a look at the ingredients:
Deboned Lamb, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Peas, Chickpeas, Sweet Potatoes, Tapioca Starch, Dried Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon Oil, Flaxseed, Menhaden Fish Meal, Blueberries, Carrots, Salt, Pea Protein, Dried Kelp, Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (Natural Preservative), Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Proteinate, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Taurine, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Rosemary Extract
This puppy food has plenty of protein for growing puppies. However, it still has peas and chickpeas in the first ten ingredients.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 33.3 percent protein, 13.3 percent fat, 5.6 percent fiber, 40 percent carbohydrates, and 380 kcal/cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
How Much Does American Journey Dog Food Cost?
American Journey foods are priced lower than most other premium dog foods.
What Do Customers Think of American Journey Dog Food?
Many customers on Chewy.com have good things to say about American Journey dog foods. However, as mentioned earlier, we have seen people report that they had posted negative comments about the foods on the site and Chewy.com had removed them.
This is very troubling since it raises questions about all of the reviews on the site and whether Chewy.com removes negative comments about other brands.
Overall, Is American Journey Dog Food a Good Choice?
All American Journey dog foods appear to include peas in the first ten ingredients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has specifically suggested that it’s not a good idea to feed your dog foods that contain peas, lentils, or legumes as a main ingredient (one of the first ten ingredients), at least while they are investigating the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
It’s hard to ignore this advice. As a consumer, you can buy whatever dog food you like for your dog. However, we can’t be responsible for recommending foods that might be harmful, even if only a few dogs out of thousands might become sick.
This is probably a brand that should be revisited at a later time.
Where Is American Journey Dog Food Sold?
You can buy American Journey dog foods from Chewy.com and from PetSmart.
