Have you ever taken a stroll down the dog food aisle at your local supermarket or pet store? If so, you may have felt overwhelmed with the options you have to choose from–and for good reason. With the various types of dog food, differing formulas and recipes, types of labels, and even dog food categories like age and weight to choose from, there are a lot of choices. 

It’s no secret that shopping for dog food can be overwhelming, but you also have to consider which dog food is the healthiest option for your pup. From brands like Blue Buffalo to Purina Pro, there’s a lot to consider. 

Eukanuba is a popular dog food brand, but is it really healthy for our furry friends? 

Let’s take a closer look at Eukanuba dog food, whether it’s actually healthy, and what you need to know about how it compares to Sundays for Dogs. Here’s what you need to know.

Before we dive into an in-depth comparison of Eukanuba and Sundays for Dogs, it's essential to establish a criteria for what makes dog food “good” or “better” in the first place. Let’s start by establishing which factors to look at when comparing dog foods. 

The first factor to look at is the ingredients. The ingredients are the parts to the whole, so if they’re not in good shape, the whole product won’t be, either. When examining the ingredients in a dog food, look for words and foods that you recognize or can pronounce easily. These should be whole fruits, whole vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. 

It’s also important to look at the quality of ingredients. You can typically find the quality listed on dog food labels. Does your dog food bag say “all-natural” or “human-grade”? If it does, this gives you insight into the ingredients and how they were processed and made.

Many dog food brands exclude vital nutrients and include unnecessary foods with high calories and low nutritional content. In the long term, this can lead to an array of health problems for your furry friend, so it’s best to choose a high-quality dog food that is naturally derived and made with human-grade for the best quality. 

Eukanuba dog food is a dog food focused on canine performance. Whether you have a large breed dog, small breed dog, adult dog, or a new puppy, Eukanuba likely has a dog food plan that caters to your dog’s needs. 

What should you know about this brand’s dog food and whether it’s a healthy option? This guide breaks down what you need to know below. 

Corporation Owned

One notable quality of Eukanuba dog food is that it’s owned by a corporation. While many successful companies are owned by a corporation, there are also some concerns that accompany this. 

For instance, corporate-owned businesses tend to overlook family values, personalized customer care and attention, and other facets of business that a family-owned company would be able to consider. 

Mars Wrigley INC. is the corporation in charge of Eukanuba, along with manufacturing chewing gum, mints, chocolate, and other fruit-flavored candies in addition to dog food. If you’re dealing with a corporation-owned business, it’s important to be prepared for a less-than-personalized approach to your pet’s wellness. 

Eukanuba’s Ingredients

When you first take a look at the Eukanuba dog food, flip around the bag or scroll down the web page to the ingredients section. Take a close look at each item listed to get a general idea of what’s in the food. Are these ingredients healthy? Here’s what you should know. 

Feed grade

Feed grade ingredients refer to the standards for dog food ingredients. When food is “feed grade” it can contain all the byproducts of the animal that you don’t want to eat. For instance, chicken meal is a feed grade product and can contain the feathers, beak, eyes, talons, blood, and leftovers in addition to some of the meat.

Ingredients in dog food are held to much lower standards than ingredients in human food. But, when your dog is part of your family, shouldn’t they eat like it, too? We sure think so! That’s why we make all of our dog food up to human standards rather than typical dog food standards, which, we hate to say, are pretty low. 

All of our food is made so high quality that you could sit next to your pup and take a bite, too if you really wanted to. Eukanuba dog food isn’t made the same, and we wouldn’t give it to our dogs, nevertheless take a bite of it.

Filler ingredients

Filler ingredients are a common issue to run into when searching for healthy human food and dog food. In short, filler ingredients are ingredients that have little to no nutritional value while still having a significant amount of calories. 

When used in dog food, filler ingredients are designed to fill your dog up quickly without using as many nutritional (read: expensive) ingredients. 

One of the most common filler ingredients used in dog food is corn, which we can find in Eukanuba’s dog food formulas in the form of Corn Meal. In fact, not only is Corn Meal in the recipe at all, which is a problem enough on its own, but this ingredient is the second on the list. This means it’s the second-most prominent ingredient in the food. 

Would you feed your dog a recipe that’s mostly made out of corn? 

Synthetic ingredients

Another issue to consider when evaluating Eukanuba’s dog food options are their ingredients and whether they’re real or synthetic. Unfortunately, there are 25 synthetic ingredients found in Eukanuba dog food. These include synthetic vitamins and fructooligosaccharides, which is an alternative sweetener that can lead to long-term health conditions and risks.

Synthetic ingredients are a common red flag to keep an eye out for when looking for the best dog food for your furry best friend. 

Sketchy ingredients 

It’s also important to be on the lookout for sketchy ingredients in dog food. What is a sketchy ingredient and why should you avoid them? Sketchy ingredients are any ingredients that don’t necessarily have nutritional value or purpose in the food and may cause other harm, too. 

Eukanuba dog food contains five sketchy ingredients, including the following:

These ingredients are better left avoided rather than included in your dog’s food. 

In addition to synthetic ingredients, sketchy ingredients, fillers, and poor standards, Eukanuba dog food also includes common dog food allergens in their foods. Just like humans, dogs can have allergies and be sensitive to certain ingredients in dog food. Dog food allergies can result in skin conditions, gastrointestinal upset, scratching or itching, licking paws, and more. 

If you notice any out-of-the-ordinary behavior from your pup, it may be because of a dog food allergy. You can work to figure these yourself via an elimination diet, or take your dog to the vet where a professional can help pinpoint the cause of your dog’s reaction. 

A few of the most common dog food allergens are, corn, soy, wheat, dairy, and. Eukanuba dog food includes three of these ingredients in their recipe. If your pup is prone to gastrointestinal upset or has a sensitive stomach, it’s best to avoid most allergens if possible. 

The last factor to consider is how a dog food was processed. Every food is processed to some degree. Eukanuba dog food unfortunately uses a process known as heat extrusion, a method that kills bacteria but significantly lessens the nutritional value of the ingredients.

It’s clear that Eukanuba dog food isn’t the healthiest choice for your pup. How does Sundays compare to Eukanuba dog food? Here’s what you should know! 

First, Sundays is family owned and operated, rather than being run by a large corporation. This means our dog food can get the attention it needs in smaller batches rather than being mass-produced in a larger setting. 

Our ingredients are also free of synthetics, artificial preservatives, and any of the fake stuff. Instead, we use real ingredients you know and love, like USDA-grade beef, salmon oil, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, apples, carrots, turmeric, parsley, ginger, beets, cherries, and more. 

With Sundays, you won’t find any filler ingredients, and you’ll enjoy dog food made with human-grade standards that will help you feed your furry best friend the food they deserve and love. 

Another benefit of Sundays over the other dog food brands is how we process our food. Instead of using heat and pressure to kill nutrients, we use gentle air-drying methods and make our dog food in smaller batches. This helps retain the nutritional value of food so your pup gets nutrients packed into every bite. 

If you feel overwhelmed when deciding what dog food to give your pup, you’re not alone. There’s a lot to consider, but with our tools and resources, you’ll have everything you need to know to give your pup the most nutritious option for them! 

Sources:

Fructooligosaccharides: Risks, side effects, and benefits | Medical News Today 

Dog Allergies: Symptoms and Treatment | American Kennel Club 

First study on human-grade dog food concludes that it's highly digestible, according to roosters | AAHA