American Journey Dog Food Review 2024

Searching for the best dog food for your fur-baby? If you’re here, you’re wondering whether American Journey offers high-quality dog food and whether it’s the right choice for your furry family member.

The pet food brand of online pet supplies store Chewy, American Journey offers an extensive range of wet and dry dog food, including options for puppies, seniors, and pooches with sensitive stomachs. But is it the right choice for your pet?

Keep reading for a detailed look at the American Journey product range, its pros and cons, and what to expect if you choose American Journey dog food for your pet.

The first thing you notice when shopping the American Journey product range is that you’re spoiled for choice. There’s a huge range of dry and wet food recipes to choose from across multiple product lines, so the sheer range of options available can be a little overwhelming.

To help make it easier to determine what’s on offer, let’s break down the different types of American Journey dog food.

Protein & Grains

Designed to support a healthy and active lifestyle, the Protein & Grains range (also called Active Life) from American Journey features high-protein recipes in both dry and wet formulas. Recipes include energy-rich grains like brown rice, and feature real meat or fish as the first ingredient.

There are formulas for puppies and senior dogs, as well as the convenience of all life stages formulas. There are also key ingredients designed to meet specific nutritional needs. For example, large-breed formulas feature glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support, while weight control recipes boast reduced calories but also contain all the fiber your pup needs for healthy digestion.

Protein & Grains dry formulas include: 

• Puppy Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Puppy Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Large Breed Puppy Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Large Breed Puppy Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• All Life Stages Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• All Life Stages Beef, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• All Life Stages Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• All Life Stages Lamb, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Adult Healthy Weight Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Adult Healthy Weight Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Small Breed Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Small Breed Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Large Breed Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Large Breed Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Senior Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables

Protein & Grains wet formulas include: 

• Turkey & Vegetables  
• Beef & Vegetables
• Chicken & Vegetables

Grain-Free

If your veterinarian has advised you that your dog could benefit from a grain-free diet, American Journey’s Grain-Free range is worth a look. The recipes in this product line don’t contain any grains, corn, wheat, or soy, so they’re designed to suit dogs with food sensitivities.

Once again, there are recipes to suit puppies, seniors, and dogs at all life stages. There are Healthy Weight formulas too if your dog needs to cut down on their calorie intake, plus recipes to suit large and small breeds. There’s a diverse range of protein sources to choose from, including alternative options like salmon and duck, plus fruits and veggies like blueberries and carrots to provide important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for a strong immune system.

Grain-Free dry formulas include: 

• Puppy Lamb & Sweet Potato
• Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato
• Puppy Lamb & Sweet Potato
• Large Breed Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato
• Large Breed Puppy Salmon & Sweet Potato
• Adult Healthy Weight Chicken & Sweet Potato
• Adult Healthy Weight Salmon & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Beef & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Lamb & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Lamb, Venison & Beef
• All Life Stages Chicken & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Duck & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Salmon & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Salmon, Whitefish & Trout
• All Life Stages Large Breed Chicken & Sweet Potato
• All Life Stages Large Breed Salmon & Sweet Potato
• Senior Chicken & Sweet Potato
• Senior Salmon & Sweet Potato

Grain-Free wet formulas include: 

• Beef Recipe
• Beef & Chicken
• Chicken
• Chicken & Salmon Recipe
• Chicken & Turkey
• Turkey
• Lamb
• Beef & Vegetables Stew
• Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Grain-Free Limited Ingredient

If your pup has a sensitive stomach, the Grain-Free Limited Ingredient range aims to make tummy troubles a thing of the past. The recipes in this range feature a single protein source to reduce the risk of allergies, and less common proteins are used in case your dog doesn’t cope well with chicken or beef.

There are dry and wet food recipes available in this range, offering nutrition designed to suit dogs at all life stages. Real meat or fish is the first ingredient, while recipes also feature omega fatty acids for skin and coat health. Sweet potatoes provide carbohydrates for energy, while ingredients like blueberries provide important antioxidants and fiber for your fur-baby.

Grain-Free Limited Ingredient dry formulas include: 

• Turkey & Sweet Potato
• Duck & Sweet Potato
• Salmon & Sweet Potato
• Lamb & Sweet Potato
• Venison & Sweet Potato

Grain-Free Limited Ingredient wet formulas include: 

• Duck & Sweet Potato
• Chicken & Sweet Potato
  
  

Savory Toppers

If you want to make dry food more palatable to your pet, or if you just want to give them an extra-special treat, American Journey also offers a range of Savory Toppers. These wet toppers are available in grain-free formulas and feature real meat or fish as the first ingredient. 

There are 3 recipes available, and all are designed to provide a nutritional and flavor boost for your dog at mealtime. The toppers offer an extra boost of protein to help your pet build and maintain muscle, and they don't feature any artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors.

Savory Toppers flavors include:

• Grain Free Savory Toppers Salmon
• Grain Free Savory Toppers Beef
• Grain Free Savory Toppers Chicken
  

Wide range of recipes

No matter what sort of food your dog craves more than any other, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to suit in the American Journey range. With a huge variety of protein sources and formulas to choose from, you’ll find plenty of options to help you fill up your pup’s dinner bowl.

High in protein

Real meat or fish is the first ingredient in American Journey recipes. Diets are high in protein to ensure healthy development in puppies and maintain lean muscle mass in adults and seniors, helping to maintain their general wellbeing.

Foods for different life stages and breeds

With formulas to suit puppies, adult dogs, and seniors, plus foods that meet the nutritional needs of dogs at all life stages, American Journey offers a convenient range of food options. The range also includes recipes for weight control and to suit small and large breeds, so there’s something to keep every furry family member happy.

Limited-ingredient recipes available

If your dog could benefit from the simplicity of a diet with minimal ingredients, American Journey’s range of limited-ingredient recipes might be just what they need. These recipes feature a single animal protein source, reducing the risk of tummy upset for any dog with a sensitive stomach.

Affordably priced

American Journey is a competitive option for pet parents on a tight budget. Compare the price per lb of different American Journey recipes to other popular brands to work out whether it offers good value for money for you and your pet.

Grain-free recipes

Some American Journey dog food recipes are grain-free. Grain-free diets have attracted plenty of controversy in recent years, following the FDA’s investigation into potential links between grain-free food and a form of heart disease known as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs.

However, the FDA has reported that DCM appears to be caused by multiple factors. And while most diets associated with reports of non-hereditary DCM have legume seed ingredients high in their ingredient lists, those foods include both grain-free and grain-inclusive products.

Relatively new brand

American Journey was established in 2017. So, while it has so far earned a good reputation, it doesn’t have the same long history behind it of providing high-quality nutrition as some other brands do.

Not as widely available as other brands

If you want to buy American Journey products, you’ll need to shop on Chewy.com or on the American Journey website. This means you can’t shop around and take advantage of sales or coupon codes at different stores to save money on your pet food purchase.

“I have a Pit mix who has sensitive skin that will get very dry and itchy with dandruff if she doesn't have the right food. I had been using American Journey for a while but decided to try another food because the price had gotten ridiculous. After transitioning her to the new food (which is also a very good brand and formulated for sensitive skin), I noticed her scratching a lot. Then, the dandruff was all over her coat, and it just looked dull. I went back to American Journey, and within 2 days her coat was back to the glossy and shiny black fur that I'm used to. This is the best food I've found for my Pit rescue, and I won't change her food again. Thanks to Chewy for prompt delivery!”

“I have been with American Journey for years. After researching different brands of dog food my choice is American Journey. I have 2 labs, 1 who is 14 and the other 7, and they both love grain-free salmon and the beef. I’m a true believer in good ingredients for my dogs.”

“I am very happy with my new purchase of American Journey. And what I really like is that Gracie eats it right up. It’s so funny, during this weaning-in period, she is spitting out her old food and eating the American Journey. But I just wish the bag had a resealable top.”

Read more reviews on Chewy.

American Journey was launched in 2017. It’s the pet food brand of online pet store Chewy.com, and is distributed exclusively by Chewy. This provides the retailer with food it can sell directly to its customers and, in doing so, keep its prices competitive.

American Journey pet food is made in the USA, in Kansas.

Since it was established in 2017, American Journey pet food has not been the subject of any recalls.

All product images sourced from the Chewy website. Copyright Chewy, Inc.