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Eukanuba Dog Food Ingredients


According to our research, Eukanuba manufactures 46 dog food recipes using 127 unique ingredients. To evaluate the quality of ingredients used by Eukanuba, we've studied all 127 ingredients. In this article, we'll share our findings on Eukanuba ingredients.

Dog Food Recipes46
Unique Ingredients127
Artificial Colors0
Animal By-Products2
Anonymous Meats1
Controversial14
Harmful0

First 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients in the United States are listed in descending order of pre-cooked weight. The first 5 ingredients typically constitute a significant portion of the recipe.

For Eukanuba, these are the most common ingredients found within the first 5 dog food ingredients.

  1. chicken
  2. chicken by-product meal
  3. corn
  4. chicken fat
  5. wheat

As you can see, the most common first ingredient in Eukanuba is chicken. The most common 2nd ingredient is chicken by-product meal, followed by corn, chicken fat, and wheat.

Artificial Food Coloring Dyes

Eukanuba does not use any artificial food coloring dyes. According to our records, none of the 46 Eukanuba dog foods contain artificial food dyes.

Artificial food coloring dyes are unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients. In general, we not not recommend feeding any pet foods that contain artificial dyes.

In 2010, the CSPI raised serious concerns regarding the safety of many artificial dyes. Most of the studies referenced by the CSPI involved prolonged or excessive consumption. Since most dogs consume the same foods throughout their lives, concerns raised by the CSPI are alarming to say the least.

To read more about Artificial Food Dyes, click here.

Animal By-Products

Eukanuba does indeed use animal by-products. More specifically, 2 animal by-product ingredients were found during our analysis of Eukanuba dog food ingredients.

According to AAFCO, by-products are defined as the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. In other words, animal by-products are the leftover ingredients that humans typically do not consume (lung, heart, tongue, stomach, intestine, blood, etc).

Many consumers have equated animal by-products with slaughterhouse waste. Animal by-products are still very controversial. Most premium brands have abandoned them in favor of specific named organ ingredients (duck liver, chicken heart, etc).

If you must feed a product with animal by-products, ensure that the specific animal source is specified. In other words, avoid ingredients such as meat by-products or poultry by-products.

pork by-products
1 Recipes

By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, pork by-products contain nearly all parts of pork which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, pork by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as pork by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain pork by-products:

chicken by-product meal
34 Recipes

Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:

Anonymous Meat Ingredients

Anonymous meats are animal-based ingredients which do not provide the source animal's name. These ingredients are controversial because they can come from almost any animal.

In addition, anonymous animal-based ingredients are very inexpensive and often the lowest quality meats that are still allowed to be used in pet food.

In general, we do not recommend feeding any products which contain anonymous meats. When in doubt, always contact the brand's customer service desk for further clarification.

Unfortunately, we've identified 1 anonymous meat ingredient used by Eukanuba.

fish meal
15 Recipes

Fish meal is defined by AAFCO as "the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cutting, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil." Since the specific type of fish is not mentioned, we cannot discuss any specific qualities of this ingredient. In general, anonymous ingredients are low quality inclusions when compared to ingredients such as tuna meal, salmon meal, catfish meal, etc.

The following recipes contain fish meal:

Controversial Ingredients

In most cases, ingredients which are given the controversial classification can be substituted with higher-quality alternatives. You should evaluate each controversial ingredient independently to see if there is truly a valid cause for concern.

Keep in mind, certain sacrifices often must be made to produce dog foods at a reasonable price. In general, the more expensive the product, the fewer controversial ingredients you'll find.

In our analysis, we've identified 14 controversial ingredients inside Eukanuba products. These controversial ingredients are listed below. Click on each ingredient for more information.

dried tomato pomace
1 Recipes

Dried 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.

The following recipes contain dried tomato pomace:

pork plasma
5 Recipes

Pork plasma is the colorless fluid part of a pig's blood. It may sound disgusting, but it's actually very nutritious for dogs. Regardless of the nutritional aspects, consumers are shocked by this ingredient, which is why pork plasma is considered a controversial ingredient.

The following recipes contain pork plasma:

corn meal
9 Recipes

Corn meal is another name for ground corn. Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in dog food.

Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.

In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by dogs to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.

Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in dog food should certainly warrant further questioning.

The following recipes contain corn meal:

corn
21 Recipes

Corn is a cereal grain which provides a modest amount of vitamins, minerals, and plant based protein. It also happens to be one of the most controversial ingredients in dog food.

Proponents of corn claim that corn is highly digestible and an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids.

Opponents however believe that positive claims in regards to corn are either half-truths or completely false, we'll discuss a few of the opposing arguments.

In regards to digestibility, the claims of "highly digestible" are only true if corn is processed into a meal or flour and subsequently cooked. In regards to the protein contribution, we must note that corn is a plant based protein which does not contain all of the necessary amino acids required by dogs to sustain life. Therefore substituting corn for meat is an unsuitable substitution and actually degrades the overall protein quality of the product.

Finally, we'll discuss the claims about vitamins and minerals in corn. Although corn does provide many vitamins and minerals, it not necessarily an exceptional ingredient in this regards. There are many other ingredients which are more complete and biologically appropriate. Therefore the usage of corn as the primary ingredient in dog food should certainly warrant further questioning.

The following recipes contain corn:

corn gluten meal
2 Recipes

Corn gluten meal is a by-product from the production of various corn products (corn starch, corn syrup, etc). It's very high in protein (nearly 60% protein) and therefore can significant boost the protein content of the product. Because plant based proteins such as corn gluten meal are inferior to meat based proteins (lack many essential amino acids), they are not suitable substitutes.

The following recipes contain corn gluten meal:

wheat gluten
7 Recipes

Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat. Although wheat gluten is mostly protein, wheat gluten is considered controversial because it significantly boosts the protein content of the product. This is undesirable because plant based protein does not provide the same amino acid profile as meat based protein.

The following recipes contain wheat gluten:

caramel color
2 Recipes

Caramel color is a concentrated form of caramel, a natural food colorant. Caramel color has been linked to cancer in laboratory animals. Since our pets do not care about food color, caramel color is an unnecessary addition with possible health risks.

The following recipes contain caramel color:

brewers rice flour
1 Recipes

Brewer's rice flour is powdered brewer's rice. Brewer's rice is the small fragments of rice kernel that are separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. It's important to note that brewer's rice does not contain the same nutrition profile as regular whole grain rice. Thus, brewer's rice is typically regarded as an inexpensive and low quality filler.

The following recipes contain brewers rice flour:

pork by-products
1 Recipes

By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, pork by-products contain nearly all parts of pork which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, pork by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as pork by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain pork by-products:

chicken by-product meal
34 Recipes

Chicken by-product meal is produced by cooking chicken by-products using a process called rendering. By-products are defined by AAFCO as the "non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals." Thus, chicken by-products contain nearly all parts of chickens which are typically not consumed by humans. These parts include the liver, lung, spleen, kidney, stomach, blood, intestine, bone, etc.

Like other meat by-products, chicken by-products are considered controversial, mainly because they are inexpensive ingredients which consumers have equated with slaughterhouse waste. However, manufactures and many experts claim that animal by-products are unjustly criticized. Proponents state that "named" by-products, such as chicken by-products, supply many important nutrients required by dogs.

The following recipes contain chicken by-product meal:

Potentially Harmful Ingredients

Harmful ingredients are those which have been linked to adverse health effects. In general, we do not recommend feeding any product which contains any harmful ingredients.

During our review, none of the Eukanuba ingredients analyzed were classified as harmful by our system. The absence of harmful ingredients is indicative of a relatively premium dog food brand.

Eukanuba Dog Food Ingredient Lists

Eukanuba

Premium Performance
30/28 Work Recipe
Eukanuba
Premium Performance 30/28 Work Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product meal
chicken fat
corn
wheat gluten
brewers rice

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Boxer
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Boxer
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
ground whole grain barley

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Dachshund
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Dachshund
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
ground whole grain barley

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
German Shepherd
Eukanuba
Breed Specific German Shepherd
First Five Ingredients
chicken
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
chicken by-product meal
natural chicken flavor

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Labrador Retriever
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Labrador Retriever
First Five Ingredients
chicken
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
ground whole grain barley
chicken by-product meal

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Rottweiler
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Rottweiler
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
ground whole grain barley

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Yorkshire Terrier
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Yorkshire Terrier
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
brewers rice

Eukanuba

Excel
Adult Salmon
Eukanuba
Excel Adult Salmon
First Five Ingredients
salmon
brewers rice
ground whole grain sorghum
potato
ground whole grain barley

Eukanuba

Excel
Large Breed Adult Salmon
Eukanuba
Excel Large Breed Adult Salmon
First Five Ingredients
salmon
brewers rice
ground whole grain sorghum
chicken meal
potato

Eukanuba

Premium
Sport 28/18
Eukanuba
Premium Sport 28/18
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
brewers rice

Eukanuba

Senior Medium Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Senior Medium Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
wheat
corn
chicken fat

Eukanuba

Breed Specific
Chihuahua
Eukanuba
Breed Specific Chihuahua
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn meal
ground whole grain sorghum
brewers rice

Eukanuba

Puppy
Lamb Recipe
Eukanuba
Puppy Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lamb
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
lamb meal
wheat

Eukanuba

Fit Body
Weight Control Small Breed Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Fit Body Weight Control Small Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
wheat
corn
barley

Eukanuba

Premium Performance
21/13 Sprint Recipe
Eukanuba
Premium Performance 21/13 Sprint Recipe
First Five Ingredients
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
corn
chicken fat
natural flavor

Eukanuba

Premium Performance
26/16 Exercise Recipe
Eukanuba
Premium Performance 26/16 Exercise Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product meal
corn
brewers rice
chicken fat
wheat gluten

Eukanuba

Fit Body
Weight Control Medium Breed Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Fit Body Weight Control Medium Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
wheat
corn
barley

Eukanuba

Premium Performance
30/20 Sport Recipe
Eukanuba
Premium Performance 30/20 Sport Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken by-product meal
corn
brewers rice
chicken fat
wheat gluten

Eukanuba

Small Breed Puppy
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Small Breed Puppy Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
chicken fat
wheat

Eukanuba

Senior Small Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Senior Small Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
wheat
chicken fat
corn

Eukanuba

Senior
Lamb Recipe
Eukanuba
Senior Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lamb
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
wheat
lamb meal

Eukanuba

Adult
Lamb Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lamb
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
corn
wheat

Eukanuba

Adult Large Breed
Lamb Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Large Breed Lamb Recipe
First Five Ingredients
lamb
brewers rice
chicken by-product meal
wheat
corn

Eukanuba

Adult Medium Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Medium Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
wheat
chicken fat

Eukanuba

Adult Small Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Small Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
chicken fat
wheat

Eukanuba

Fit Body
Weight Control Large Breed Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Fit Body Weight Control Large Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
wheat
chicken by-product meal
corn
barley

Eukanuba

Puppy Medium Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Puppy Medium Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
chicken fat
wheat

Eukanuba

Senior Large Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Senior Large Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
wheat
chicken by-product meal
corn
chicken fat

Eukanuba

Adult Small Bites
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Small Bites Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
wheat
chicken fat

Eukanuba

Puppy Large Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Puppy Large Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
chicken by-product meal
corn
wheat
chicken fat

Eukanuba

Adult Large Breed
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Adult Large Breed Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
corn
chicken by-product meal
wheat
ground grain sorghum

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
Chicken & Vegetable Stew For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food Chicken & Vegetable Stew For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processing
chicken
tomato
pork liver
chicken liver

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Dinner For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Dinner For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
water
chicken
pork liver
chicken liver
wheat flour

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner In Gravy For Puppies
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner In Gravy For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processing
chicken
beef liver
tomato
beef

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
With Lamb & Rice For Puppies
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food With Lamb & Rice For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
chicken
water sufficient for processing
pork by-products
pork liver
chicken liver

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
With Lamb & Rice Loaf In Gravy For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food With Lamb & Rice Loaf In Gravy For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
water
chicken
pork lung
pork liver
chicken liver

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
Beef & Vegetable Stew For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food Beef & Vegetable Stew For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processing
chicken
beef liver
beef
tomato

Eukanuba

Canned Dog Food
Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner In Gravy For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Canned Dog Food Mixed Grill Chicken & Beef Dinner In Gravy For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
water sufficient for processing
chicken
beef liver
tomato
beef

Eukanuba

Healthy Extras
Baked Bars For Large Breed Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Healthy Extras Baked Bars For Large Breed Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
wheat flour
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp
natural chicken flavor
dried brewers yeast

Eukanuba

Healthy Extras
Baked Bars For Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Healthy Extras Baked Bars For Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
wheat flour
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp
chicken fat
natural chicken flavor

Eukanuba

Healthy Extras
Baked Bars For Small Breed Adult Dogs
Eukanuba
Healthy Extras Baked Bars For Small Breed Adult Dogs
First Five Ingredients
wheat flour
chicken by-product meal
dried plain beet pulp
chicken fat
natural chicken flavor

Eukanuba

Healthy Extras
Baked Bars For Puppies
Eukanuba
Healthy Extras Baked Bars For Puppies
First Five Ingredients
wheat flour
chicken by-product meal
chicken fat
dried beet pulp
natural chicken flavor

Eukanuba

Healthy Extras
Baked Bars For Adult Weight Control
Eukanuba
Healthy Extras Baked Bars For Adult Weight Control
First Five Ingredients
wheat flour
chicken by-product meal
dried beet pulp
natural chicken flavor
dicalcium phosphate

Eukanuba

Activ Mobility
Fit Body Treats
Eukanuba
Activ Mobility Fit Body Treats
First Five Ingredients
wheat
rice flour
glycerin
chicken
ground brown rice

Eukanuba

Activ Trainers
Chicken Recipe
Eukanuba
Activ Trainers Chicken Recipe
First Five Ingredients
chicken
wheat
glycerin
rice flour
oat groats

Eukanuba

Activ Trainers
Salmon Recipe
Eukanuba
Activ Trainers Salmon Recipe
First Five Ingredients
salmon
wheat
glycerin
oat groats
barley