Eukanuba is a Mars-owned premium pet food brand that manufactures a wide range of dry and wet recipes for dogs. Founded in 1969, the company focuses on science-backed nutrition and supporting the nutritional needs of active dogs.

Eukanuba dog food is available in nearly 30 different recipes, including formulas for puppies, seniors, small and large breeds, canine athletes, working dogs, and pups that need to lose weight. 

Keep scrolling for Wag!’s in-depth Eukanuba dog food review where we examine product ranges, recalls, pros, cons, and more. 

You’re spoiled for choice when shopping the Eukanuba range, with almost 30 different recipes to choose from. Here’s a breakdown of the formulas that are available.

Eukanuba’s puppy food range features five dry foods and two wet food recipes. 

Eukanuba dry puppy foods are a mixed bag when it comes to quality—whole cuts of real meat are the main protein source, followed by highly processed meat by-product meals. 

Other common top five ingredients include chicken fat, corn, wheat and ground grain sorghum. Corn and wheat provide some modest nutritional benefits as an energy source, but we prefer not to see them among the main ingredients in dog food. Other lower-quality ingredients in these recipes include dried beet pulp and brewer’s rice. 

Eukanuba wet puppy foods are generally good quality, with water sufficient for processing, chicken, beef liver, tomato, beef, and carrots as the top five ingredients in the Mixed Grill recipe. Despite being called Puppy With Lamb & Rice, this recipe lists pork by-products and chicken liver above lamb in its ingredients list. 

Puppy Medium Breed Dry Dog Food contains above-average protein (32.2% as dry matter) and above-average fat (20% as dry matter) compared to standard dry dog food. Puppy Mixed Grill wet food has high protein (50% as dry matter) and above-average fat (22.2% as dry matter) levels compared to the average wet dog food. 

Once your pup reaches maturity, it’s time to switch them over to a food designed for adults. Eukanuba offers 11 standard formulas to meet the nutritional needs of adult dogs.

Eukanuba dry adult foods have almost identical main ingredients to its puppy range. The top five ingredients in Adult Medium Breed Chicken are chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn, wheat, and chicken fat. It also contains the same protein (32.2% as dry matter) and fat (20% as dry matter) as the puppy recipe. Overall, Eukanuba adult kibbles are good quality but not top-of-the-line. 

Like its puppy range, some Eukanuba wet adult dog food recipes are better than others. Several varieties, like Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Dinner, and Lamb & Rice, list pork by-products as the primary protein source. These recipes also include chicken by-product meals. Its Vegetable Stew and Mixed Grill varieties are better quality and contain no meat by-products.  

Eukanuba Adult Chicken & Vegetable Stew contains above-average protein (42.1% as dry matter) and above-average fat (20.5% as dry matter) compared to other wet dog foods. 

When your fur-baby reaches their golden years, they become less active and their nutritional needs change. Eukanuba has four dry foods specifically designed for seniors. 

Three of these recipes feature chicken as the first ingredient and are designed to suit small, medium, or large breeds, while the fourth recipe features lamb as an alternative protein source for dogs that have poultry allergies. 

The main ingredients in Eukanuba senior dog foods are essentially the same as those in adult and puppy foods but with controlled fat levels to prevent weight gain in older pups. Eukanuba adds several supplements to support senior dogs, like DHA fatty acids and antioxidants to promote brain function and 50% more glucosamine for joint health. 

Eukanuba Medium Breed senior dog food has above-average protein (30% as dry matter) and near-average fat (13.3% as dry matter) compared to standard dry dog food. 

Eukanuba’s Premium Performance range is designed to meet the increased nutritional needs of canine athletes and working dogs. These recipes are designed to provide the energy your dog needs to keep going all day long, and feature glucosamine and chondroitin to support strong joints and include fiber and prebiotics for healthy digestion.

Premium Performance’s ingredient quality is worse than Eukanuba’s other dog foods—all recipes list chicken by-product meal or brewer’s rice as the top ingredient. 

The Premium Performance range is only slightly higher in protein and fat than Eukanuba’s normal adult dry foods. For example, Premium Performance 30/20 Sport contains 33.3% protein as dry matter and 22.2% fat as dry matter. 

Eukanuba’s Fit Body range features three weight control formulas to help dogs stay in tip-top shape. The Weight Control Small Breed formula suits dogs that weigh up to 23 lbs, the Medium Breed formula is for dogs that weigh 24 to 54 lbs, while the Large Breed recipe suits dogs 15 months and over that weigh more than 55 lbs.

All three recipes are low in fat and feature high-quality protein to support lean muscle mass. They also feature glucosamine and chondroitin for strong and healthy joints, plus DHA and vitamin E to support brain function. 

Eukanuba Fit Body Weight Control Medium Breed contains above-average protein (30% as dry matter) and below-average fat (10% as dry matter) compared to standard dry dog foods. 

There are several important reasons why you might want to feed Eukanuba to your dog. 

Every recipe in the Eukanuba range is developed using nutritional science. Eukanuba food is formulated to exceed AAFCO guidelines and provide complete and balanced nutrition for dogs of various life stages. 

Eukanuba’s focus on formulas for active dogs is a unique selling point. These high-protein foods are designed to maximize performance, providing all the energy working or sporting dogs need to reach their full potential, so they’re well worth a look if your pup has a highly active lifestyle.

The diversity of the Eukanuba range is another big bonus. No matter whether you’re searching for a dry or wet dog food, an alternative protein source, a small-breed dog food, or a recipe for a puppy or senior dog, you’ll find something that suits from Eukanuba.

Eukanuba's formulas are manufactured in the USA, so you can enjoy peace of mind when feeding them to your fur-baby.

Here are a few things to bear in mind before purchasing Eukanuba dog food. 

One factor you’ll need to consider before choosing Eukanuba dog food is the price tag. A 30 lb. bag of Eukanuba Adult Medium Breed Dry Dog Food retails for $77.99 on Chewy at the time of writing, so this is not a cheap food. Check out our round-up of the best budget-friendly dog foods if you're on a tight budget.

 

The other issue to take into account is the use of specific ingredients. For example, several recipes in the Eukanuba range feature meat by-products, which is controversial in the eyes of some pet parents. 

Several dry food recipes include dried beet pulp and brewer's rice, which are manufacturing by-products not fit for human consumption. While they're safe for dogs to eat, they're low-quality filler ingredients. 

Eukanuba has been the subject of product recalls in the past, which is something to be aware of when choosing the right food for your dog.

“I have been using this brand for every dog I've had through the years. I absolutely love it. My dogs are very healthy. Their coats are healthy and shiny. Great teeth. Plus I use other things for their teeth too. But overall great product.”

“I have raised all three of my dogs on Eukanuba from puppy to adult and find that it produces healthy dogs with beautiful Australian Shepherd coats and they all love it. Their overall health, according to our vet, is excellent.”

Read more reviews on Consumer Affairs.

Eukanuba was established in 1969. The man behind the brand, Paul Iams, was actually responsible for creating the IAMS dog food brand more than 20 years earlier. His goal was to create a food that met the unique nutritional needs of active and working dogs, so the high-protein Eukanuba range was launched.

Previously managed by Procter & Gamble, Eukanuba is now owned by Mars, Incorporated. And if you’re wondering about the origins of that unique name, eukanuba is actually a term from the world of jazz music that means “supreme”.

Eukanuba’s most recent recall occurred on August 14th, 2013 when Procter & Gamble voluntarily recalled Eukanuba and IAMS dry food due to potential Salmonella contamination. The affected products were manufactured over a 10-day period, but no related cases of illness were reported.

Eukanuba and IAMS products were also voluntarily recalled on July 30th, 2010 due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Finally, on March 16th, 2007, among a widespread wave of pet food recalls due to melamine contamination, Eukanuba recalled various canned and wet pouch food products.

All product images from Chewy. Copyright Mars, Incorporated.