# Experiences with Acana



## shellbeme (Dec 8, 2010)

I really like Champion best out of all of the companies I've looked into. We don't have our dog yet but we are planning for one in the coming months. (Squee so excited!) Anyway, I thought about going grain free but the fiance is concerned with everything we have read about dogs having issues with grain free foods.

We were kind of leaning towards the Acana grain inclusive line. Don't get me wrong, I have an open mind when it comes to feeding dogs-but there are two of us to make this decision. Out of all I have read I really like Acana-but I don't understand some things. I don't understand why Acana has a grain free line-when Orijen is also grain free, is it just a matter of lower protien between the two foods?

What are your experiences with Acana and your thoughts on it? Any suggestions on other brands we might really like? I kind of thought grain free is the way to go-but I'm not sure why other than people believing that the higher protien is better and believing that the grain causes allergies and is in no way beneficial to dogs. Is it really just a filler? Thanks in advance for your input


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm assumming that you live in Canada if you are looking at the grain inclusive line of Acana? Acana is by far my fave when we talk of kibble, we only get the grain-free line here in the states.

I've used the Acana line with great success when bringing in new rescues before trasitioning them to a raw diet. I like that it is a little lower in protein then the Orijen line and the dogs have never had an issue with a upset tummy or loose stools. I definitely would encourage you to go with the grain free line as grains are a real issue for so many dogs. Good Luck!


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## shellbeme (Dec 8, 2010)

Color me silly! I'm in Iowa, I didn't realize all we had the option for in the states was the grain free line!  Obviously I didn't do enough reading!  Thanks for letting me know. I still love champion, if grain free is what's available, I really would like to go that route.

Still happy to hear more input if anyone has any feedback to share


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Before we switched to raw I fed Acana to my older Pointer and I fed Orijen LBP to my pup. Both dogs did wonderful on both kibbles. I would rotate between the different Acana kibbles. My Pointer loved them all.

What kind of pup are you getting? :smile:


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## shellbeme (Dec 8, 2010)

saraj2878 said:


> Before we switched to raw I fed Acana to my older Pointer and I fed Orijen LBP to my pup. Both dogs did wonderful on both kibbles. I would rotate between the different Acana kibbles. My Pointer loved them all.
> 
> What kind of pup are you getting? :smile:



We are going to get a standard poodle and a year or so later we plan on adding an airedale as well. My fiance is allergic to many breeds of dogs but does well with those two.  I have always been a german shepherd lover but I'm sure I'll love the other breeds just as much.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

There are several Standard Poodles owners here on the board. I have a soft spot for them too. :smile: We have a Black Russian Terrier which doesn't shed too...I love it.

Those that have Standard Poodles do you recommend feeding a large breed puppy kibble? If so, I would look into the Orijen Large Breed Puppy kibble. I also know that there is one of the Acana kibbles that has acceptable Ca/Phos levels appropriate for a growing LB pup.

Congrats! You should post up some pics. once you get him/her. :smile:


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## PDXdogmom (Jun 30, 2010)

I fed my lab Orijen Large Breed Puppy for the first seven months and she did well with it. Now, I feed her and my senior golden the Acana Wild Prairie as part of a kibble rotation. I've very pleased with it and would probably try it for any new puppy in the future. It is, IMO, a good "all life stages" formula with moderate protein and fat and appropriate calcium/phosphorus levels.

Your fiance may have read that some grain-free foods (such as EVO, Nature' Variety Instinct or Wellness Core) may be problematic for puppies due to high protein and calcium levels. Acana doesn't fall into that category.


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## John Rambo (Sep 27, 2010)

Do yourself a favor...get an Avatar Standard Poodle..they are top notch...heck any Standard in general is an excellent choice....Also get a Giant Schnauzer..another excellent breed. Have a great day and enjoy that Spoo....


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## Gia (May 29, 2009)

I groom many, many Standard Poodles and I think they are a wonderful breed...super intelligent and very civilized! I highly recommend them, just remember that along with that non shedding type of coat, they need frequent professional grooming. :smile:


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## shellbeme (Dec 8, 2010)

Hehe Thanks so much for the warm welcome and the replies :smile: I promise many pictures once we finally find the pup and bring it home, so many that you'll get tired of them! I will share your feedback with the fiance as well!


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

Alot of dogs have allergies to grains. They seem to do better with potatoes, peas, and whatever other fillers are in grainfree. Basically grains and vegetables are fillers, to drive the cost of production down. Meat is the expensive part of dogfood and the nutritious part as well. The rest is waste. My dog does horrible on grain inclusive and great on grain free.

Some dogs have issues with the 40% protein kibbles. Acana is 32%. It's my favorite :biggrin: You can use the pacifica and praire while your puppy is growing. Make sure not to overfeed and keep your pup lean. You want your puppies bones to grow slow. Do not go by the chart on the bag. It's overkill When your puppy is finished growing, you can add grasslands to the rotation. Here is a thread on grainfree foods for LBP.

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/dry-canned-dog-food/5794-grain-free-formulas-lbp.html


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## Devils of York (Jul 28, 2010)

shellbeme said:


> We are going to get a standard poodle and a year or so later we plan on adding an airedale as well. My fiance is allergic to many breeds of dogs but does well with those two.  I have always been a german shepherd lover but I'm sure I'll love the other breeds just as much.


I vote for the Airedale! Years ago, my family adopted a gorgeous 85-pound female when her owner died. She was so much fun. Airedales think they are puppies all their lives. Obedient, loving, and playful dogs. :smile:

I believe Acana is a great product that works very well for most, but it didn't work for my one Yorkie. He does very well on grain free, high protein diets, but on Acana, he inhaled the kibble, he decreased his water intake, and his coat dried out.


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

I've used all three of the grain free formulas and liked them. Grasslands was the biggest hit around here.

My foster did much better on the lower protein in Acana than she had done on Evo prior (we switched when Natura was bought by P&G).

My dog Lily does better on the higher protein foods like Evo, Orijen, NV Instinct.


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