Eukanuba Dog Food

Eukanuba dog food first appeared in the United States in 1969, and reviews were almost rave, as it was the first dry food to be based on animal protein. Until 1999, the brand belonged to Iams, which was sold to the giant Procter & Gamble. In 2014, the global pet community was shocked by the news that another mega-corporation, Mars Inc., had acquired the Eukanuba, Iams, and Natura brands.

Because Mars Petcare manufactures some of its commercial pet food in Russia, negative reviews of Eukanuba dog food have begun to surface. Incidentally, production is organized at the Royal Canin plant in the Moscow region. The official website states that this brand's food is super-premium. Customers are complaining about declining product quality and noting that the composition of Eukanuba dog food produced in Europe for its domestic market and the Russian version sold here are completely different.

Eukanuba School of Champions

It's worth noting that the brand has a unique project for Russia: the School of Champions. The project involves training dogs for professional dog shows free of charge. At the recent World Dog Show 2016, several participants took top honors. Check it out:

Assortment

The entire product range of this brand consists of 55 types of Eukanuba dry dog ​​food. The manufacturer has divided all diets into several categories, taking into account all stages of animal development: for puppies, adults, and senior dogs. Furthermore, owners can choose the feeding type based on their pet's weight category. Small dogs are offered Eukanuba small breed (up to 10 kg) and miniature (up to 4 kg) food, while other dogs are offered more familiar options for medium and large dogs.

We also cater to pets with special dietary needs, offering diets for digestive health, skin condition, joint function, and weight management. Eukanuba also produces food for dogs with high-energy needs: Eukanuba Jogging & Agility and Eukanuba Working & Endurance. Additionally, we offer food for ten different breeds and eight veterinary products.

Analysis of feed composition

Of course, such a wide selection of diets implies a diverse composition of Eukanuba dry dog ​​food. The vast majority of this brand's formulas are chicken-based, but there are a few options with lamb and rice, and even salmon. We chose Eukanuba salmon and rice food for dogs of all breeds over one year old.

Let's take a look at the general nutritional analysis (information taken from the brand's official website in the Russian Federation):

The result is worthy of a super-premium food. There's nothing particularly to complain about; all the items indicate a well-balanced diet, with just one caveat: the low fiber content; ideally, this figure should be twice as high.

This Eukanuba dry dog ​​food contains the following in the top five ingredients:

• freeze-dried chicken and turkey meat;
• salmon – 14%;
• rice – 14%;
• corn;
• sorghum.

It's immediately obvious that in the "salmon and rice" diet, "chicken and turkey" is listed first, with salmon making up only 14%. It seems the manufacturer was a bit disingenuous, and the name is simply a clever marketing ploy.

Squirrels

The first ingredient is one of the best sources of animal protein; it's easily digestible, and the freeze-drying process preserves all the beneficial and nutritious properties of the meat. This component is undoubtedly a plus for this food.

Salmon ranks second, a valuable source of high-quality protein and certainly a worthy ingredient. However, the question arises: fresh or dried salmon? There's a big difference. Cooking fresh salmon reduces its quantity, meaning its ranking on the ingredient list drops significantly.

Eukanuba dog food also includes dried whole egg, although its mass fraction is not indicated. This ingredient also contains animal protein and is beneficial for the animal's body.

Carbohydrates

From third to sixth place, in a row, come: rice, corn, sorghum and barley. Four grains and a source of fast carbohydrates. While this won't cause any harm to your pet's body, it won't do any good either. Moreover, high-glycemic carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels and can therefore lead to obesity or diabetes.

The only exception in this case is sorghum, it does not contain gluten.

Fats

Another indicator of the quality of pet food is the source of fat. This Eukanuba dry dog ​​food contains three types of fat: fish oil (from salmon), corn oil, and animal fat. Of these, only salmon oil is beneficial for the body, thanks to its omega acids. Vegetable fat is poorly digested by dogs, and animal fat is a questionable ingredient altogether.

Other ingredients

Veterinarians have expressed mixed opinions about Eukanuba dog food due to its ingredient, dried sugar beet pulp. Some consider it a useless, cheap ingredient, while others consider beet pulp an important source of fiber, essential for healthy digestion.

Another controversial ingredient is animal protein hydrolysate. Hydrolyzed proteins are better and more quickly digestible. However, when the protein source is unknown (as in our case), it's difficult to assess the benefits of this ingredient.

All the pros and cons of food

Now let's briefly summarize all the pros and cons of Eukanuba dog food.

Advantages

• high quality animal protein sources;
• does not contain wheat, soy;
• there are vitamins and microelements;
• a large selection of feed.

Flaws

• excess of cereals (corn, rice, barley);
• lack of fruits, vegetables, herbs;
• presence of components of dubious quality.

Reviews of food

We've compiled a comprehensive list of reviews of Eukanuba dog food from both customers and veterinarians for 2016, taking into account the fact that some of the product range is manufactured in Russia. Below, we'll review the most representative ones.

Customer Reviews

Dog owners are eager to share their impressions of this brand. Pet forums feature both positive and negative comments about Eukanuba dry dog ​​food, and reviews are provided below:

Marina, owner of Charlie the pug:

"I've been feeding my dog ​​dry food his whole life (five years now), and we've been on Eukanuba for four of those years. Everything was fine, but recently he started having health problems. We went to the vet, and he told me the manufacturer of our food had changed, but the name remained. He recommended changing the food; now I'll be looking for something else."

Fox terrier owner, Natasha:

"When we bought Foxy, the breeder gave him a pack of Eukanuba. I researched Eukanuba puppy food online, but the reviews weren't great, so I decided to switch him to a different one. He started getting so upset that we went back to the old food. So far, everything's fine, and his toilet habits have improved, so I won't be experimenting with feeding him again."

Reviews from veterinarians

An expert can help sort through the conflicting information. So, we reviewed veterinarian reviews of Eukanuba dog food and learned the following:

Diets of this brand rarely cause illness in pets, however, if the animal is prone to allergies, then it is necessary to carefully select food, since almost all Eukanuba diets contain chicken;

When choosing Eukanuba dry dog ​​food, don't rely on other people's reviews. Feeding is as individual as your pet's body.

Price

Price of Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Adult Dog Food:

Eukanuba dry dog ​​food for small breeds: price for chicken-containing diets:

This brand's products can hardly be classified as super-premium, but they are a good alternative when switching from economy-class foods.

Read also:

• Profine dog food
• Belcando dog food
• Husse dog food