Eukanuba Dog Food Review

Dog Food Nutrition Reviews September 14, 2023
Eukanuba Dog Food Review

Eukanuba Dog Food Review

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Owned by Mars, Incorporated in North America, Eukanuba produces various dog and cat foods based on age, breed, lifestyle, and performance needs of the individual.

According to the company, animal-based protein is their number one ingredient. Per Eukanuba, dog food trends come and go but they remain focused on proven nutritional science.

Eukanuba is one of the brands that has been recommended by veterinary nutritionists and veterinary cardiologists concerned about the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

If you are interested in Eukanuba, read our unbiased review to see if their foods might be a good choice for your dog.

Eukanuba Dog Food – Top 5 Recipes Reviewed

Product NameFood Type Protein kcal/Cup
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dry Dog FoodDry23%331 kcal/cup
Eukanuba Breed Specific Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog FoodDry23%306.63 kcal/cup
Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Chicken FormulaDry26% 267 kcal/cup
Eukanuba Small Breed Senior Dry Dog FoodDry29%387 kcal/cup
Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Chicken Formula Dry Dog FoodDry29%431 kcal/cup

Brand Score

We’ve examined Eukanuba dog foods closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies.com standard.

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.

Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.

Eukanuba Dog Food
Brand
Overall Score
Pros
  • Eukanuba makes a diverse range of foods for dogs of different ages, sizes, and lifestyles
  • All animal protein comes from animals that are passed as fit for human consumption
  • Eukanuba foods have been recommended by veterinary cardiologists who are researching the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs
Cons
  • Eukanuba uses ingredients for nutritional purposes; some of them will not appeal to customers reading the label
  • The company does not discuss where they source their ingredients in any detail
  • Information about manufacturing facilities is scarce
Pros
  • Eukanuba makes a diverse range of foods for dogs of different ages, sizes, and lifestyles
  • All animal protein comes from animals that are passed as fit for human consumption
  • Eukanuba foods have been recommended by veterinary cardiologists who are researching the dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs
Cons
  • Eukanuba uses ingredients for nutritional purposes; some of them will not appeal to customers reading the label
  • The company does not discuss where they source their ingredients in any detail
  • Information about manufacturing facilities is scarce
Ingredients
Overall Quality
Customer Experience
Recall History
Formulation
Nutritional Standards
Research
Price

About Eukanuba

Paul Iams of the Iams Company created Eukanuba in 1969. The name Eukanuba is derived from a jazz term used to denote something exceptional. Previously, Proctor and Gamble owned Eukanuba; however, in 2014, it sold its North American holdings to Mars, Inc. Eukanuba was sold to Spectrum Brands Europe in Europe.

Iams and Eukanuba are sister companies, both of which are owned by Mars, Inc. We were unable to locate any information about Eukanuba’s headquarters as of the year 2020, if they even have one.

Most inquiries about Eukanuba begin with “Mars, Inc.” For instance, you are directed to this Mars contact page if you attempt to contact Eukanuba from the Eukanuba website.

Sourcing And Manufacturing

Most of Eukanuba’s ingredients come from the United States, but some nutritional supplements are imported from other countries. According to the company, the main ingredients in their dog foods – protein, cereal, and fat – come from Europe, New Zealand, and the United States.

According to one response we found, the company can’t guarantee that there are no ingredients sourced from China.

Eukanuba has earned the highest ranking of “Superior” from the American Institute of Baking (AIB) for nearly 10 years.

Eukanuba is made by Mars, Inc., which makes a number of other pet foods. Mars has some 20 pet food manufacturing facilities in North America and others around the world.

What Kinds Of Dog Food Does Eukanuba Offer?

Eukanuba is a premium brand that offers recipes for dogs according to lifestage, size, special concerns, and types of food.

  • Foods by lifestage (puppies, adults, seniors)
  • Foods by size (small, medium, large)
  • Foods by special concerns (weight control, joints, skin, digestion, pregnant/nursing)
  • Food types (dry, wet, treats)
  • Product formulas (Breed Specific, Lifestyle Formulas, Premium Performance, Excel, Wet Dog Food, Healthy Extras)

Eukanuba: Top Five Recipes Reviewed

We’re taking a look at five of the top-selling Eukanuba dog foods as found on Chewy.com so you can have a good idea what some of these different formulas are like.

1.

Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food

Product Info

  • Protein: 23% Min
  • Fat: 13% Min
  • Fiber: 3.9% Max
  • Moisture: 10% Max
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food is the bestselling Eukanuba dog food on Chewy.com. This formula is made for adult large breed dogs and contains glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Wheat, Ground Grain Sorghum, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Salt, Fructooligosaccharides, Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, minerals…

Sodium hexametaphosphate is added to the food to help reduce tooth tartar and plaque buildup. Eukanuba adds this ingredient to most of their foods. It’s part of their “DentaDefense” used in foods to keep teeth cleaner. Iams/Eukanuba sponsors and conducts a great deal of food research which has led to similar advances.

This recipe has a calcium to phosphorous ration of 1.2 to 1 which is suitable for large breed dogs.

According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 25.6 percent protein, 14.4 percent fat, and 4.3 percent fiber. This formula has an estimated 46 percent carbohydrates. It has 331 kcal/cup.

Our rating for this food is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
2.

Eukanuba Breed Specific Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food

Product Info

  • Protein: 23% Min
  • Fat: 13% Min
  • Fiber: 5% Max
  • Moisture: 10% Max
Eukanuba Breed Specific Labrador Retriever Adult Dry Dog Food is Eukanuba’s bestselling breed specific formula on Chewy.com.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken By-Product Meal (Natural Source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Chicken Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Fish Meal, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E), Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Source of Vitamin E), Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Flax Meal, Fructooligosaccharides, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals … , Dried Chicken Cartilage (Natural Source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Vitamins … , Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract

Some dog lovers will balk at ingredients such as corn meal and chicken by-product meal but they shouldn’t as long as they are part of a healthy dog food formula. You would not feed a food that is made up exclusively of corn meal but corn is a good source of some of the amino acids your dog needs. Chicken by-product meal contains some nutrients, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, that aren’t found in deboned chicken.

Fructooligosaccharides, which are used by Eukanuba in many of their foods, are a natural prebiotic fiber.

This food has 25.6 percent protein and 14.4 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 5.6 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 47.8 percent, DMB. It contains 306 kcal per cup.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
3.

Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Chicken Formula Large Breed Dry Dog Food

Product Info

  • Protein: 26% Min
  • Fat: 9% Min
  • Fiber: 4% Max
  • Moisture: 10% Max
Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Chicken Formula Large Breed Dry Dog Food is a weight control food for large breed dogs.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn, Barley, Ground Grain Sorghum, Natural Flavors, Chicken Fat, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Vegetable Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Vitamins, minerals …

This weight control formula has 27 less fat than Eukanuba’s Adult Large Breed Dog Food. It contains L-Carnitine which helps convert fat into muscle.

For large breed dogs, it has 50 percent more glucosamine and chondroitin than Eukanuba’s Adult Large Breed Dog Food to support healthy joints.

This food does contain wheat. Wheat is not a “bad” or harmful ingredient. It’s a common ingredient in many dog cookies and treats, for example. Your dog may eat it and you don’t even realize it. But, some dogs can have wheat allergies so we call your attention to it in this food.

This food is very low in fat and calories. Some dogs might be hungry between meals and beg for more food. That’s the major concern with foods that are very low in fat and calories. The food does have a lot of carbohydrates so it’s possible your dog might feel full after eating.

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 28.9 percent protein, 10 percent fat, 4.4 percent fiber, 50 percent carbohydrates (estimated), and 267 kcal per cup.

Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
4.

Eukanuba Small Breed Senior Dry Dog Food

Product Info

  • Protein: 29% Min
  • Fat: 17% Min
  • Fiber: 3.7% Max
  • Moisture: 10% Max
Eukanuba Small Breed Senior Dry Dog Food is formulated for small dogs (up to 23 pounds) that are seven years and older.

Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Wheat, Chicken Fat, Corn, Ground Grain Sorghum, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Vegetable Oil, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Salt, Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Vitamins, minerals …

Not all older dogs are overweight. This formula has plenty of protein and calories for older dogs that are still active.

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 32.2 percent protein, 18.9 percent fat, 4.1 percent fiber, 38.1 percent carbohydrates, and 353 kcal per cup.

Our rating for this food is 5 out of 5 stars.
5.

Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Chicken Formula Dry Dog Food

Product Info

  • Protein: 29% Min
  • Fat: 18% Min
  • Fiber: 3.4% Max
  • Moisture: 10% Max
Eukanuba Puppy Medium Breed Chicken Formula Dry Dog Food is made for puppies that will grow up to be medium in size as adults (24-55 pounds).

Ingredients:

Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn, Chicken Fat, Wheat, Ground Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice, Natural Flavors, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Fish Oil, Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Dicalcium Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Choline Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins, minerals …

Growing puppies need lots energy. This food provides plenty of protein, fat, and calories for medium breed puppies.

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 32.2 percent protein, 20 percent fat, 3.8 percent fiber, 37.3 percent carbohydrates, and 432 kcal/cup.

Our rating for this food is 4.5 out of 5 stars.

How Much Does Eukanuba Dog Food Cost?

Eukanuba foods are priced comparably to many other premium dog foods.

Recall History

Eukanuba had a limited recall because of concerns about possible Salmonella contamination in August 2013.

There was a recall in July 2010 because of concern for possible Salmonella contamination.

In March 2007, some wet/canned Eukanuba foods were affected by the melamine recall.

You can see the details of these recalls here. Note that some other information on that page is inaccurate. Proctor & Gamble sold Eukanuba to Mars in 2014.

What Do Customers Think Of Eukanuba Dog Food?

Eukanuba foods consistently receive positive customer feedback. Few people had any complaints about the food; those who did not like it said their dog did not like it.

Overall, Is Eukanuba Dog Food A Good Choice?

Yes, we think Eukanuba is a good brand. They make a wide variety of foods. They have a good reputation for their nutritional research and quality control in manufacturing.

They have had few recalls but nothing that suggests there is a serious problem with their facilities or operations.

Eukanuba is also recommended by many dog breeders and people with performance dogs.

It is one of the brands recommended by researchers, veterinary nutritionists, and veterinary cardiologists working on the dietary dilated cardiomyopathy issue.

If you don’t like ingredients such as corn, wheat, sorghum and other grains, there are other brands that don’t used them.

However, canine nutritional research supports their use in dog foods. We recommend Eukanuba dog foods.

Where Is Eukanuba Dog Food Sold?

You can buy Eukanuba dog foods from Chewy.com, Amazon.com and other online retailers as well as many pet stores.

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Carlotta Cooper is a long-time contributing editor for the weekly dog show magazine DN Dog News. She's the author of The Dog Adoption Bible, a Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) award winner. In addition, she is an American Kennel Club Gazette breed columnist and the author of several books about dogs. She has been reviewing pet foods and writing about dog food for more than 10 years.
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