Acana Pacifica Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Introduction

Our feline friends aren’t the only ones who crave fresh-caught fish. For dogs, fish offers a unique source of protein, omega fatty acids, and other key nutrients not always found in poultry or red meat.

The Acana Pacifica formula (and its U.S.-counterpart, Wild Atlantic) offers a grain-free kibble packed with tons of wild fish. On top of containing 70% animal ingredients, including five regional fish species, these recipes feature a wide range of fruit and vegetables for added nutrition.

Whether you’ve tried the brand before or not, Acana Pacifica and Acana Wild Atlantic are two great options for dogs who require a grain-free diet and love the taste of fish.

Acana Pacifica Dog Food Reviewed

Acana offers several dog food lines, including its “Regionals” formulas. These recipes are inspired by the natural ecosystems that surround the Acana factories, utilizing local ingredients taken from these environments.

Inspired by the company’s Canadian factory, the Acana Pacifica dog food uses a variety of wild-caught, Pacific fish species, half of which are utilized in a raw or fresh state.

As a brand, Acana believes in keeping things as local and fresh as they possibly can. To abide by this belief, the company’s U.S. factory produces a slightly different formula that uses regionally sourced ingredients from Kentucky and the surrounding area

Who Makes Acana Pacifica and Where Is It Produced?

The Acana brand name is owned and manufactured by Champion Pet Foods, a small pet food company that also owns Orijen. All Acana formulas are made in Champion Pet Foods’ independent factories, located in Alberta, Canada, and Kentucky, U.S.

Since the Acana Pacifica recipe is specifically formulated for the Canadian marketplace, it is only manufactured in the company’s Canadian factory. Likewise, the Acana Wild Atlantic formula is only made in the U.S. factory.

Which Types of Dogs Is Acana Pacifica Best Suited For?

Because Acana Pacifica and Acana Wild Atlantic are grain-free formulas, we recommend this food to dogs who have a grain sensitivity or allergy.

While some owners do prefer to feed their dogs grain-free formulas regardless, many vets advise feeding a grain-inclusive diet whenever possible. If you’re looking for a grain-inclusive version of these fish-based recipes, U.S. customers can opt for the Acana American Waters with Wholesome Grains formula instead.

A Quick Look at Acana Pacifica/Wild Atlantic Dog Food

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Ingredients and Nutritional Analysis

1. Acana Pacifica

Guaranteed Analysis:

Ingredient Breakdown:

Calories/ per cup:

Real fish make up the bulk of this recipe. In order of inclusion, you’ll find meat, cartilage, and organs from herring, pilchard, flounder, silver hake, and rockfish. In total, Acana claims that 70% of this dog food is comprised of animal products.

The reliance on high-quality animal ingredients shows when you look at the nutritional breakdown for this dog food formula. After fish, Acana Pacifica is largely made up of legumes like peas, chickpeas, and lentils. It also contains tons of fruit and vegetables for key vitamins and minerals and freeze-dried liver for a boost of flavor.

Overall, Acana Pacifica is formulated with high-quality, nutritional ingredients, but the high concentration of legumes may concern some owners. While no definitive evidence has been found, as of 2019, research was being conducted regarding the potential connection between legumes and canine heart disease.

To learn what other dog owners have to say about the Acana Pacifica recipe, you can read the Amazon reviews here.

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2. Acana Wild Atlantic

Guaranteed Analysis:

Ingredient Breakdown:

Calories/ per cup:

In this recipe, you’ll find wild-caught fish species like mackerel, herring, redfish, silver hake, and flounder. While some of these species do overlap with the ones used in Acana’s Pacifica formula, they are not entirely identical. Like the Pacifica formula, this one contains 70% animal ingredients, half of which are either raw or fresh.

Aside from its slightly lower protein content, the U.S. version features an almost identical nutritional breakdown: This similarity makes sense when you compare the rest of the ingredients lists for these two formulas. Again, legumes are high on the list of ingredients, followed by various fruit, vegetables, and a bit of freeze-dried liver.

If you want to know how other dog owners feel about this formula, you can find the Amazon reviews here.

Recall History

Impressively, Acana and its parent company, Champion Pet Foods, have no history of product recalls.

On a similar note, however, Champion Pet Foods has been the target of several lawsuits in recent years. These class-action lawsuits have focused on the presence of heavy metals and BPA in the company’s pet food formulas. Most of these claims have been dismissed, but at least one seems to still be ongoing.

If you want to learn more, we encourage you to check out Champion Pet Foods’ related statements here.

What Other Users Are Saying

As with any health-related issue concerning our canine companions, the more information we have access to, the better. For the sake of this review, we’ve collected comments from other reviewers of the Acana Pacifica and Wild Atlantic formulas:

The Bark Space: “Acana reformulated their classic Pacifica, but did so for the betterment of the product and the dogs who eat it.  While the previous formula contained three varieties of whole fish, the new formula contains five.”

Pet Food Reviewer: “[Acana Wild Atlantic] contains a very wide range of high-quality fish including Mackerel, Herring, Redfish, Hake, among others. One of the many benefits of these fish ingredients is the very high levels of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids they provide.”

World’s Best Dog Foods: “Choosing Acana Pacifica will not only yield health benefits for your dog, but it would also ensure that its taste buds are left satisfied. Even with its premium price, this product is worth a try.”

DogFoodAdvisor: “Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the legumes, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.”

Conclusion

As a whole, Acana provides high-quality, regionally sourced ingredients at a decent price for what you get. While some owners might have trouble finding these formulas in their local pet store, both the Acana Pacifica and Acana Wild Atlantic are excellent choices for dogs on a grain-free diet.

If you’re not already feeding a grain-free diet, though, we do recommend speaking with your vet to determine if it’s right for your dog. But if not, you can always try out one of Acana’s grain-inclusive formulas instead.

Have you tried any of the Canadian or U.S. Acana dog food formulas? What did you think?