Why choose a natural Canadian pet food?
Keep your pet healthy with local premium Canadian ingredients while supporting your local economy!
As pet owners, we want to provide our dog and cat companions with the best care and nutrition possible. One essential aspect of their well-being is their pet food. Choosing the right pet food can significantly impact your pet's health and happiness. Did you know that Canada produces some of the highest quality pet food? Canadian pet foods and their natural ingredients are know as premium options for pet owners across the globe.
Stringent Quality Control
Canadian dog and cat food manufacturers adhere to strict quality control standards and regulations. These high standards ensure that the ingredients used in Canadian pet foods are of the highest quality and meet specific safety guidelines. When you choose Canadian pet foods, you can have confidence that your pet's meals are manufactured with rigorous quality assurance, minimizing the risk of contaminants or subpar ingredients that lead to recalls.
Ensure your pets food meets or follows the following guidelines. The manufacturing plant should be audited by the CFIA regularly and participate in the HACCP certified Quality Assurance program. All ingredients should meet a raw material and supplier approval program which analyzes nutritional integrity and safety standards. The facility should be able to trace each batch by keeping a sample on hand of every production run which is labeled by its corresponding lot number. Additionally the manufacturing plant should be FSSC 22000 certified (a GFSI standard) for food safety and quality.
How do you know if a pet food is Canadian?
The easiest way to identify the origin of your pet food is by checking the label. Legally, pet food labels must include information about the manufacturer's location. Look for "Made in Canada" or "Product of Canada" statement on dog and cat food the labels. These statements indicate that the pet food is produced in Canada.
Terms to know
Understanding these terms will help you identify if your pet food is Canadian.
Made in Canada:
- the last substantial transformation of the good occurred in Canada;
- at least 51% of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the good have been incurred in Canada; and
- the "Made in Canada" representation is accompanied by an appropriate qualifying statement, such as "Made in Canada with imported parts" or "Made in Canada with domestic and imported parts". This could also include more specific information such as "Made in Canada with 60% Canadian content and 40% imported content".
Product of Canada:
- the last substantial transformation of the good occurred in Canada; and
- all or virtually all (at least 98%) of the total direct costs of producing or manufacturing the good have been incurred in Canada.
What pet food brands are Trusted Canadian options?
Satori is the first and only Domestic Appropriate pet food on the market, made right here in Canada since 2010. Our healthy recipes have a logical philosophy which considers two important factors, the pet’s anatomy and modern lifestyle. Canines and Felines, like the wolf and wildcat, have digestive systems designed to efficiently process meat therefore our recipes are grain free and include fresh proteins! We then took it a step further by understanding that pets’ caloric needs are not the same as their wild ancestors since they do not travel 20-25km per day hunting and chasing down prey. Our pets instead have the luxury of their food being served to them and exercise through less demanding forms by enjoying regular walks or visiting the dog park. These differences are the reason we adjusted the nutrition to fit their domestic lifestyle which consists of living in houses and backyards.
All of our natural recipes have been formulated by an experienced Animal Nutritionist with following education and credentials:
• Hons BSc Animal Biology, Minor in Nutrition
• MSc in Animal Nutrition
• 10+ years experience in Formulation, Ingredient Sourcing, Product Development and Quality Assurance
Shop Satori here.
Boka is crafted with the desire to fuel your pet’s healthy way of life. Proudly produced in Canada since 2010, our recipe features high quality ingredients including Chicken Meal, Pork Meal and whole grains that provide vital nutrients in every bite. Boka supplies superior nutrition at a value that cannot be matched, found only at your trusted neighborhood pet store.
All of our natural recipes have been formulated by an experienced Animal Nutritionist with following education and credentials:
• Hons BSc Animal Biology, Minor in Nutrition
• MSc in Animal Nutrition
• 10+ years experience in Formulation, Ingredient Sourcing, Product Development and Quality Assurance
Shop Boka here.
The Vintage way of feeding your dog occurred naturally before they were part of our households. In their natural habitat, the canine would hunt and thrive on a meat based diet in the raw form. Vintage Pet Food is packed with Butcher Shoppe fresh meat then balanced with Nutritious Whole Ingredients and Market Fresh Produce so it can be fed as a complete diet. We only blend first class ingredients from certified suppliers and inspected facilities. We make sure our premium meats are both hormone and antibiotic free which you can feel confident feeding your best friend. Our goal is to provide nutritious foods to help nourish your pet’s soul with every bowl.
Oven Fresh
Take a step closer to raw with vintage oven-fresh pet food. The unique pieces have a distinct look, aroma and flavour. After opening the bag you will notice grill marks from the oven, a fresh smell and no greasy feel; much different than conventional extruded kibble. There are no rendered fats applied to enhance flavour; your pet naturally loves Vintage since it is full of fresh meat. Try this next generation pet food, your pet will enjoy each meal as if it were a treat.
Shop Vintage Oven Fresh here.
Raw
Vintage's simple fresh frozen complete diets include:
- Butcher Shoppe Canadian Meats that are Hormone & Antibiotic Free made with our tripartite-grind technique that results in a consistent fine ground bone
- SuperFood Produce Veggies including Collard Greens, Broccoli, Zucchini & Carrots made with our binary-grind technique for maximum nutrient absorption
- Balanced with Kelp to make Vintage a complete diet ready to feed
All of our natural recipes have been formulated by an experienced Animal Nutritionist with following education and credentials:
• Hons BSc Animal Biology, Minor in Nutrition
• MSc in Animal Nutrition
• 10+ years experience in Formulation, Ingredient Sourcing, Product Development and Quality Assurance
Shop Vintage Raw here.
FirstMate is a Canadian pet food brand with a long history of producing high-quality pet food. They offer grain-friendly and grain-free options, ensuring a variety of choices for your pets.
Shop Firstmate here.
We make Biologically Appropriate dog and cat foods from Fresh Regional Ingredients and we make them from start to finish in our very own award-winning kitchen. Our mission represents a new standard in pet food, designed to nourish your dog or cat completely. First, according to their natural evolution for a meat- and protein-rich diet. Second, using meats, poultry, eggs, and fish that are ranched, farmed, or fished by trusted suppliers and delivered to our kitchen fresh or raw.
Shop Acana here.
Shop Orijen here.
We lived and played together every day with our dogs – they were family, they were friends. Feeding and caring for them, we came to understand every detail of their happiness, health and wellness.
It was a natural evolution for us to be inspired to create dog food. Our unique upbringing compelled us to set new uncompromising standards which defined the search for original and exceptional ingredients and the innovation of green tripe.
Shop Petkind here.
As pet owners ourselves, we understand the importance of safety and health when it comes to our furry friends. We are proud of the transparency we’ve created when it comes to our process.
We started making raw pet food for our kennel, Big Country Kennels, with the desire to feed our dogs and growing puppies a nutritious raw diet. We opened our store in 2012 with a commitment to produce a high quality, affordable and safe raw pet food. We are thankful for the many loyal customers that have chosen to support us and our brand.
We are proud to call Ontario home and contribute to the Canadian pet food industry. Our family, faith, and hardworking team is what makes us proud owners of Big Country Raw.
Shop Big Country Raw here.
Bold by Nature is another reputable Canadian brand that focuses on raw pet food options. They believe in providing pets with unprocessed, natural meals that mimic their ancestral diet.
Bold by Nature products are hand-crafted in our 24,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility in Erin, Ontario, and shipped in temperature controlled transport from coast to coast.
Our manufacturing equipment has been designed for optimal health and hygiene, allowing us to maintain a sanitary production facility. We are constantly updating and evolving our process to ensure consistent and safe products that you can be proud to serve.
Shop Bold here.
Canadian Naturals is a 100% family owned pet food company with more than 50 years of experience in the pet industry.
Shop Canadian Naturals here.
To contribute significantly to the health of our dogs and cats by manufacturing and marketing food according to government standards established for human nutrition, both in terms of the quality of the ingredients and the manufacturing process.
CaniSource was not originally created to solve a specific problem with dogs. After understanding how the pet food industry works, we decided to do something completely different: Use only ingredients approved for human consumption and try to preserve as many nutrients as possible by using an innovative dehydration process.
The logic was that if we could execute these two requirements well, our pets would be healthier. We could never have predicted that the results would be so impressive. The benefits that our customers tell us are the result of all our work. These two requirements are the very foundation of our company and will always remain at the heart of all our future projects.
Another cornerstone of our philosophy is our working method. CaniSource has always developed its processes and formulations based on results. We realized that there are a lot of prejudices in the industry as well as a lot of contradictory information.
Shop CaniSource here.
As a result of our commitment and experience, we have successfully supported thousands of pet owners across Canada and around the world. It's extremely gratifying to hear from people that are amazed, thrilled and committed to feeding this way.
Over the years, we have prepared and trialed many variations of "natural" diets. Some were learning experiences and others were just too complicated. At Carnivora, we decided we didn't want use "by-products" and we didn't want to follow the pet food industry standards by using a recipe or formulation based on nutritional assumptions or "science". Instead, we wanted to provide a diet that contained every valuable nutrient available in the neat package of a whole animal. We felt it was important that people not only feed a diet based on a variety of whole animals, but a diet that was tailored toward their dog as an individual. We wanted foods that came from naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic free sources. We wanted to know exactly what the animals were being fed and how they were raised.
Shop Carnivora here.
You can rest assured that Carna4 recipe formulations and ingredient suppliers are unchanged! Instead, we have made some improvements to production. We’ve upgraded equipment and have moved to a coarser ingredient grind. This efficient, gentler ingredient handling will yield more nutritious and better performing food. Our nuggets are a little more rustic looking now, better reflecting the whole food nutrition that they provide!
Feeding trials conducted before these improvements were implemented showed that most dogs either enjoyed or didn’t notice the changes, but we do know that some may take time to adjust to even these minor differences. For dogs sensitive to change, we’ve found that a packet of our Flora4 Sprouted Seeds toppers can help facilitate transition.
Shop Carna4 here.
We craft recipes that nourish pets from the inside out, covering everything from skin + coat health, to limited ingredient recipes for food sensitivities, and recipes packed with meat protein for pets with high energy needs. Each recipe provides solutions pet parents can trust, and pets will love.
Shop GO! Solutions here.