# Acana Pacifica versus Annamaet Aqualuk



## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

For the past 3-4 months I've been feeding Acana Pacifica with good success to my lab and my golden. My lab has a chicken intolerance and my golden has fewer skin problems when eating grain-free. So, the Acana Pacifica seems to suit them both.

I've been hearing more about Annamaet and have read about the Annamaet Aqualuk a lot. It seems to have a lot going for it except for the very expensive price and having to order it. Does anybody feed it or care to make a comparison about whether it is worth a try?

Annamaet Grain Free Aqualuk Dog Food

Pacifica | Acana

Thanks.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Buying Annamaet online is much more expensive than in the stores. Aqualuk & Manitok are $60 -$65 and Salcha is $53 in the east.

Annamaet has been around for over 25 years and is owned by a guy that is well known for his expertise, and he has published research quite a bit actually. He worked in the lab of Dr. Kronfeld at U of Penn. His foods have been used for a long time, as have his supplements. If you dog has surgery at Penn or Cornell there is a good chance they will feed Impact post-op.

There is no comparison to Champion. Champion is a marketing company. The issue is gonna be price if you have to buy on-line.

If you want the best quality, then Annamaet is one of a small handful I would use. If you call there is a good chance you can speak to him, and he will be the first to recommend a less expensive formula based on the situation. He will never use buzzwords like "species appropriate". He also has an in-house kennel for testing. Some of the older dog owners on this forum will recall Ultra was among the first, if not the first, performance food on the market.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I have not tried annamaet due to high cost, but my dog has done well on acana, it's still pricy, but I dont see myself spending $80 on a bag of food anytime soon.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

Odd. In stores in Ontario Annamaet products always seemed to be priced cheaper than comparable foods. Are all Annamaet foods produced at the same factory, even the ones in Canadian stores? Anyone know?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

Yes they are made in the same place.

Holistic Select makes a grain free fish now that is cheaper than both.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

I am not as impressed with Annamaet, as I am with Acana. I would stick to Acana. If you are wanting to switch it up a little bit, incorporate a little bit of Orijen 6 fish into their diet.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

RawPitbulls said:


> I am not as impressed with Annamaet, as I am with Acana. I would stick to Acana. If you are wanting to switch it up a little bit, incorporate a little bit of Orijen 6 fish into their diet.


Acana will have less fish protein than Annamaet. Hard to say by how much.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

I live in the Northwest so unfortunately I'd have to order from Chewy for about $84. I can afford it but don't want to place an order without hearing some positive feedback first. My overall vet bills are pretty low since we don't need many vaccines or heart-worm in our area.

RawPitbulls: thanks for your comments; Are they based on looking at the formulas on paper or have you tried either one in the past?

monster'sdad: Good to hear about Annamaet's stellar customer service. I wonder what other formula might be suggested given my golden's tendency to not do well with grain-heavy foods. Also, did not know about the holistic select salmon grain-free. It has a little lower fat than I'm used to feeding but that could always be supplemented. Any idea what the ash is on that formula?


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

PDXdogmom said:


> I live in the Northwest so unfortunately I'd have to order from Chewy for about $84. I can afford it but don't want to place an order without hearing some positive feedback first. My overall vet bills are pretty low since we don't need many vaccines or heart-worm in our area.
> 
> RawPitbulls: thanks for your comments; Are they based on looking at the formulas on paper or have you tried either one in the past?
> 
> monster'sdad: Good to hear about Annamaet's stellar customer service. I wonder what other formula might be suggested given my golden's tendency to not do well with grain-heavy foods. Also, did not know about the holistic select salmon grain-free. It has a little lower fat than I'm used to feeding but that could always be supplemented. Any idea what the ash is on that formula?


Dunno. You would have to ask. Can you get First Mate there? 

I am not sure what you mean by "grain heavy"? You have to go by each component's contribution to total calories, not the way the label reads. Look at Dr. Tim's Momentum, that has about the same carbohydrates as Evo, but does it read that way?

If your Golden is high energy and gets out then use something with 20% fat, that will have a pretty low carbohydrate count.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

monster'sdad said:


> Dunno. You would have to ask. Can you get First Mate there?
> 
> I am not sure *what you mean by "grain heavy"? * You have to go by each component's contribution to total calories, not the way the label reads. Look at Dr. Tim's Momentum, that has about the same carbohydrates as Evo, but does it read that way?
> 
> If your Golden is high energy and gets out then use something with 20% fat, that will have a pretty low carbohydrate count.


I probably should have said "grain complicated". At one point he was on a grain-inclusive formula that only had rice which worked OK for him. But so many grain-inclusive formulas now have a long laundry list of grains. And you're right; lower carbs tend to work better for him.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

PDXdogmom said:


> RawPitbulls: thanks for your comments; Are they based on looking at the formulas on paper or have you tried either one in the past?


Before I went raw, I used Acana and Orijen, and I knew someone who ordered Annamaet. I had a great experience with both. The lady who was feeding Annamaet eventually turned to Orijen 6 fish after comparing ingredients. She has been very pleased. 
With Annamaet, I am seeing them use one meat ingredient, then they reach for simple carbs. Then they have one more meat ingredient, then it is on to the long list of other things in the food. This is much better than many foods on the market, but unfortunately, not so great.
Lets compare to Orijen 6 fish. There is 5 meat ingredients before you see anything else. And there is several other meat ingredients on the list as well. Most of them I might add, are delivered fresh and never frozen. The protein content is higher on Orijen as well. I don't think there is much comparison here. 
Annamaet Aqualuk:
Salmon meal, potato, catfish meal, field peas, tapioca, menhaden oil (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols (vitamin E)), herring meal, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, spinach, canola oil, natural flavor, lecithin, calcium carbonate, salt, dl methionine, l-lysine, cranberry, ascorbic acid, choline chloride, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, oligofructose, Yucca schidigera extract, kelp meal, vitamin E supplement, biotin, niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A acetate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, citric acid, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, potassium chloride, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate

Crude Protein, min 30%
Crude Fat, min 16%
Crude Fiber, max 3.5%
Moisture, max 10%

Orijen 6 fish:
Fresh boneless salmon*, salmon meal, herring meal, fresh boneless herring*, fresh boneless walleye*, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), fresh boneless lake whitefish*, sun-cured alfalfa, fresh boneless flounder*, fresh boneless northern pike*, pea fiber, organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. *

* DELIVERED FRESH, preservative-free and never frozen.

Crude protein (min.)	38.0 %
Crude fat (min.)	18.0 %
Crude fiber (max.)	3.0 %
Moisture (max.)	10.0 %
Calcium (min./max.)	1.4 % / 1.6 %
Phosphorus (min./max.)	1.2 % / 1.4 %
Omega-6 (min.)	2.6 %
Omega-3 (min.)	1.8 %
DHA (min.)	1 %
EPA (min.)	0.6 %
Carbohydrate (max.)	25%
Ash (max.)	7%
Taurine (min.)	0.4 %
Glucosamine (min.)	1250 mg/kg
Chondroitin (min.)	

BOTH are good foods!


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

We were comparing Acana. Acana has two dry legumes with 25% protein or more and Annamaet doesn't. All the fresh ingredients don't add much. What people don't realize is that water is added to fresh meat to make a mousse or slurry so its about 90% water. 

Orijen 6 Fish has more protein but nothing the dog is going to use, it will just get peed out.

The typical Champion label has lots of ingredients to confuse the reader. Its just optics and most consumers swallow the hook. 

The new Orijen foods will be adding all kinds of legumes to lower the ingredient cost just like Acana did.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

monster'sdad said:


> We were comparing Acana. Acana has two dry legumes with 25% protein or more and Annamaet doesn't. All the fresh ingredients don't add much. What people don't realize is that water is added to fresh meat to make a mousse or slurry so its about 90% water.
> 
> Orijen 6 Fish has more protein but nothing the dog is going to use, it will just get peed out.
> 
> ...


I respect your opinion.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

RawPitbulls said:


> I respect your opinion.


I am just stating the facts. It comes down to who is behind the company as well. In the case of Annamaet, you have a guy that has published scientific research, is well known for his expertise, and accomplished sportsman himself, Vice Chair of the ISDRA for quite a while and who was active in drafting the NRC guidlines.

In Champion's case, you have a guy that was involved in fertilizer and propane gas sales.

And likewise, I respect your opinion.


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

RawPitbulls said:


> Orijen 6 fish:
> *Fresh boneless salmon**, salmon meal, herring meal, *fresh boneless herring**, *fresh boneless walleye**, russet potato, sweet potato, peas, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), *fresh boneless lake whitefish**, sun-cured alfalfa, *fresh boneless flounder**, *fresh boneless northern pike**, pea fiber, organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, blueberries, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, selenium yeast, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium. *


The items in bold *can* amount to maximum 30 to 33% of the total, in wet slurry. That is todays production limits, maybe some can push the limits somewhat but not by much.

In comparison, this food from Canadian Naturals with just 1 "fresh" ingredient before the first meal *can* also have 30 to 33% fresh meat, turkey in this case. Comparing the number of a type of ingredients are not a good way to determine if you are looking at a quality product or not. So when you say product NN only have x number of animal sources before they reach for the carbs you are really limiting your choices for no reason. Multiple animal meat/meal sources says something about amino acid distribution but nothing about weight.

edit; For the record. Formulas with more than 50% animal protein sources dry matter is extremely difficult to produce, and slurry dries up during extruding. Just an anecdote related to Orijens 80/20 pitch. The reasonable 7.5% ash in their products is an indication that meat protein sources isn't as astronomical as they want to communicate to the world.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

DaViking said:


> The items in bold *can* amount to maximum 30 to 33% of the total, in wet slurry. That is todays production limits, maybe some can push the limits somewhat but not by much.
> 
> In comparison, this food from Canadian Naturals with just 1 "fresh" ingredient before the first meal *can* also have 30 to 33% fresh meat, turkey in this case. Comparing the number of a type of ingredients are not a good way to determine if you are looking at a quality product or not. So when you say product NN only have x number of animal sources before they reach for the carbs you are really limiting your choices for no reason. Multiple animal meat/meal sources says something about amino acid distribution but nothing about weight.


So if you do the math, the amount of protein from fresh ingredients is a rounding error more or less, 3-4% of the GA.


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## riddick4811 (Nov 2, 2011)

Not a whole lot to add, but I would try the Annamaet if I could afford it, but I can't pay $80 for a 30lb bag when I would need 4 bags a month! But I did try the Annamaet Extra (grain inclusive) and dogs did very well on it. 

My dogs did horrible on Orijen (except of course the most expensive Regional Red)the 6fish gave the worst results and they did ok on some of the Acana prior to ingredient changes, but couldn't eat the Acana Pacifica either. So not sure what was up with the fish based foods since that is normally what Caper and Rocky eat. They did better on the Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear.


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## meggels (May 30, 2010)

I really don't see a lot of dogs do well on Orijen. Acana...yes. Orijen? Not so much. Thinking its just too much for most dogs?

There are foods that have similar ingredient lists (Instinct and Evo come to mind, and similar Guaranteed Analysis, that a lot more dogs seem to do well on. Wonder why that is...


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

Continuing to be interesting comments from everyone and I appreciate it. I'm not wanting to feed a kibble that's more than 30-32% protein for my dogs; so Orijen isn't under consideration for me. The 33% protein in the Acana Pacifica they are eating now is fine, but I wouldn't want to go higher. The Annamaet's Aqualuk at 30% also meets my criteria. 

I really do wish the U.S. required the percentages of the first 5 to 10 ingredients be listed on the bag. In some European countries you can find that. So, I'm not really impressed if a company lists 3-5 different meat proteins before the first carb; because it might not represent any more animal protein than where only one specific meat protein is listed before the carbs. It's a marketing game to some extent.


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

Very interesting link from a UK online pet food site that illustrates what I mentioned in my post #19. Orijen and Acana both list percentages of meat ingredients online for other countries; but not for U.S. or apparently Canada. Acana Pacifica Dog Food 340g Acana Dog Food for Sale

Not sure what to make of them. Anyone care to give their analysis?


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## DaViking (Sep 27, 2011)

PDXdogmom said:


> Very interesting link from a UK online pet food site that illustrates what I mentioned in my post #19. Orijen and Acana both list percentages of meat ingredients online for other countries; but not for U.S. or apparently Canada. Acana Pacifica Dog Food 340g Acana Dog Food for Sale
> 
> Not sure what to make of them. Anyone care to give their analysis?


The EU "Boneless Salmon" would be "fresh salmon" or just "salmon" here. "Dehydrated xxxxxxxx" would be meal here. So Acana Pacifica includes 32% rendered fish meals and 22% fresh fish slurry. That is 22% fish slurry before the extruding process. The math becomes a little tricky because of the wet ingredients and no meal is pure proteins so I like to just look at it as animal sources vs non animal sources. I'd say this food is around 35 to 40% animal (proteins, fat, fiber, minerals) dry matter.


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## monster'sdad (Jul 29, 2012)

riddick4811 said:


> Not a whole lot to add, but I would try the Annamaet if I could afford it, but I can't pay $80 for a 30lb bag when I would need 4 bags a month! But I did try the Annamaet Extra (grain inclusive) and dogs did very well on it.
> 
> My dogs did horrible on Orijen (except of course the most expensive Regional Red)the 6fish gave the worst results and they did ok on some of the Acana prior to ingredient changes, but couldn't eat the Acana Pacifica either. So not sure what was up with the fish based foods since that is normally what Caper and Rocky eat. They did better on the Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear.


Annamaet Extra is $50 for 40lbs here. Very good deal. After 25 years that simple formula does a great job.


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