Eukanuba Dog Food Review
Eukanuba has been a popular brand of dog food in Australia for many years.
As one of the any Mars brands we find on the shelves, this is probably more mid-range, sitting beneath Advance and Royal Canin as the more flagship brand.
Eukanuba may suit you if you trust the quality control of Mars Petcare which tends to be pretty good, but let’s dig into the ingredients to find out what this dog food is all about…
Eukanuba review
We’ll take a look at the ingredients of Medium Adult, but you’ll find the ingredients of other formulas very similar.
It’s worth noting there’s a Eukanuba Premium Performance range which is better as a 30/20 formula (30% protein / 20% fat / lower unnecessary carbohydrates), as well as a senior formula (meh), puppy, small and large breed to appeal to your needs.
Right then, out of the 6 main ingredients, only 2 are animal (poultry protein and poultry fat) which your dog will benefit from the most.
The other 4 are wheat, corn, barley, and brewers rice, as if the wild ancestors of your domestic pooch would strut around eating crops.
The reason for all these grains – no matter how they spin it “scientifically” – is they keep the cost of production down.
Cheaper production, cheaper sale price, more buyers (like you).
However, this isn’t about the health of your dog. It’s about marketing and consumerism, and Mars have a fantastic marketing department.
I associate grains (particularly wheat) with itchy skin, paws, and ears, gut issues, weight gain, smelly farts, and more.
So what else do we find in Eukanuba to benefit your dog?
Well, not much else.
Beet pulp as a fairly standard source of fibre, fish oil and chondroitin to help prevent arthritis in later years, and all the required vitamins and minerals to make the recipe “complete and balanced” according to pet food standard AAFCO.
Were you expecting a glowing review? (Let me know in the comments!)
Where to buy?
Eukanuba is available at many retailers in Australia.
Ingredients
The ingredients of Eukanuba dry dog food (Adult Medium Breed):
Dehydrated poultry protein, wheat, corn, barley, poultry fat, brewers rice, dried plain beet pulp, hydrolysed poultry protein, yeast products, salt, potassium chloride, sodium tripolphosphate, fructooligosachharides, fish oil, choline chloride, DL- methionine, antioxidants, vitamins (DL- alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), vitamin A, vitamin B5, vitamin B3, biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin B1, vitamin D, vitamin B2, folic acid, trace minerals (zinc, manganese, iron, copper, potassium, sodium selenite) glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate.
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis of Eukanuba dry dog food (Adult Medium Breed):
| Protein | 25% |
| Fat | 16% |
| Crude Fibre | (max) 3.8% |
| Carbohydrates * | Estimated 41% |
I was first introduced to Eukanuba and Iams(cat) products while working as a vet nurse in the UK over 30yrs ago. Dad was a vet and we used the products on our own animals including the lab puppies we bread. We had nothing bad to say about it. Since moving to Australia and having dogs I’ve tried a few brands. I always go beck to Eukanuba. My dogs coat is shiny. He’s a healthy weight. He has great teeth. And he passes small amounts of firm stools. The low amounts of bulking agents is a plus.
I was feeding my pup Supercoat and found that he was never gaining any weight despite feeding him a lot of food. I decided to do some more research and found Eukanuba was rated well on this website and offered a good balance of cost and nutrition as compared to so many other brands. I’ve been really pleased and impressed. Pup seems to like it and he’s built out now to a proper, healthy adult physique, and all on less food too. He also poos less. Highly recommend.
If I were to fault anything about Eukanuba it’s that I wish they had recipes with other flavours to give my pup some variety.
Please review the performance range! Thanks 🙂
I heard Eukanuba will be manufactured in Australia, I can’t find any news on this company, Would anyone on here know what is happening, Thanks for any info
Seems like some changes have happened and not for the better, the new ingredient list doesn’t have percentages and no longer lists chicken and turkey but instead as hydrolysed poultry protein, taking the Royal high road with ambiguous ingredients.
I started feeding my 4 year old Airedale Eukanuba “Sterilized & Overweight” about 2 1/2 years ago and she has never looked back. She is in excellent condition. Previously on cheaper dry food she was always hungry and would eat her own poo.
We are giving the Eukanuba puppy food mix to our young Jack Russell, basically on an available all day in a feeder, he does not seem to eat a lot as he is given his main meal of fresh beef or chicken raw with some rice and vegs, (peas, carrots). So his dry food is just an available in between snack. We did the same with our previous Jack who passed on at 17 years. We also supplement with a brisket or rib bone a couple of times a week. Also make his own treats and dog biscuits from quality ingredients and give them as a treat, also dry our own fresh chicken and beef strips in a dehydrator as a training reqard, the shop ones are rubbish.
Can you recommend to me what is a good quality wet or rehydratable pellet to start weaning 3-4 week old pups on to.
I personally love Ziwipeak and K9 Natural their foods are amazing and have helped Rusty with his various health problems, I also really like Artemis osopure kibble it soaks great and contains the very valuable coconut oil, which has been said to be very good for puppies.
K9 Natural states on the bag that it can be used by all life stages even pregnant dogs, so it’s quiet good indeed.
Any comment on the addition of beet pulp? The reps really push it as super healthy.
Hi Narelle, it’s an ingredient common to many pet foods these days and there’s mixed opinion. It’s a by-product from making sugar which makes it very cheap, and manufacturers love to promote cheap ingredients claiming they have nutritional benefits. It’s a source of insoluble fibre. It artificially hardens stools by absorbing moisture in the colon, which I don’t see as a good thing, and many people gauge their pets health based on how firm their stools are. There’s evidence that it’s harsh on digestion, but it’s not substantial evidence. In any case it’s in such a small quantity it’s very unlikely to have a negative effect. I wouldn’t consider it a concern.
Hi there!
I have noticed Science Diet & Ekanuba both have a “sensitive stomach” food range! I was just wondering how they differ from ordinary kibble? Is there no wheat or eggs? Is it better to just go grain
Thank You
Mostly they substitute one grain, such as wheat, with a similar grain, such as sorghum.
I feed our dog Eukanuba as well – I heard both advance and Eukanuba owned by same company now
Procter & Gamble sold Eukanuba & Iams to Mars Incorporated 2014, Eukanuba & Iams will be part of Mars Petcare joining leading brands Pedigree, My Dog, Whiskas, Dine, Optimum, Royal Canine, Nutro Natural Choice & Advance dog & cat foods….. All brands have crappy ingredients like Corn gluten, Maize, Wheat & Beet Pulp, it’s 2016 you’d think they’d improve their ingredients but corn, Wheat, Beet Pulp are very cheap fillers & Mars cares more about making money then caring for dogs & cats health…. Read ingredients & shop around there’s better quality kibbles & wet tin foods then these brands..
I have always used Eukanuba and have never had an issue, I make my own mince/rice/veg mixture and add some to the biscuits. Both my dogs love it. No skin issues, no runny poo etc. Both dogs are fit and healthy with glossy coats
i’m dissappointed, i spend a fortune on this food only to find out this could be causing my dogs allergy