This is a photo of an extruder die plate showing where pet food kibbles are born. The ingredients come out of the three small holes located around the front of the extruder. The blade-like objects are actually sharp knives that spin in perfect timing to make the kibble a certain length. Because we use no food coloring in our natural products, kibble will vary slightly in color. Shape variations will also occur due to the cooking process. Our hope is that you now have a better understanding of how your dog food is made.

Our customers asked for natural, holistic grain free pet foods. We responded by consulting with our nutritionists and veterinarians to develop the CANIDAE Grain Free formulas: CANIDAE Grain Free pureSEA™, CANIDAE Grain Free pureELEMENTS™, CANIDAE Grain Free pureLAND™, and CANIDAE Grain Free pureSKY™. These grain free diets are formulated for dogs that do not tolerate grain well, are prone to dietary allergic reactions, and require a higher level of meat protein in their diets.

Traditionally, CANIDAE has offset the abundance of meat protein in its foods by including nutritious grains or starches. For many dogs this provides an optimal blend of protein, carbohydrates and fat. Some dogs however can benefit from a further increase in meat protein and a complete absence of grains of any kind. In these grain free formulas, the carbohydrates are derived from sources like potatoes and peas instead of grains.

Our CANIDAE Grain Free pureELEMENTS™ diet is an optimal blend of multiple meat sources. With a protein level of 34% and fat at 18% you will need to make sure your dog can tolerate that high a level of protein and adjust the intake to your dog's nutritional needs. Our CANIDAE Grain Free pureSEA™ diet yields a protein level of 40% with fat at 20%. Because Salmon yields such a high protein value and we utilize a low starch offset, this product is much higher in protein than our other formulas. We feel as though very sensitive dogs, higher stress dogs, and underweight dogs will benefit from our CANIDAE Grain Free pureSEA™ formula.

All four of these grain free foods may not be suitable for all dogs. It is always best to consult with your veterinarian before making a substantial change to your dog's diet.

Yes. Though we were not involved in any way with the recalls of contaminated pet food in 2005 and 2007, we have substantially increased our testing procedures. To assure the safety of our products, CANIDAE has strict protocols which require that all formulas are tested in-line during our production runs and cleared by a second supervisor every 30 minutes. Additionally, there are 141 ingredient tests and 10 finished product tests that are performed. A sample of each finished goods batch is also sent directly to our research and development center where they are tested again, this time by a third party lab, for known toxins and potential risk hazards.

Please read our published Commitment to Pet Food Safety for detailed information.

The exact formulation for each of our pet foods and gourmet treats is listed on the bag, can or box. The ingredients are also listed on each product's webpage. We also have an ingredients page that discusses the benefits and sources for the ingredients we use.

Our Store Locator will direct you to the nearest pet food retailer that carries our products. Our natural dog foods, dog treats and cat foods are available at thousands of locations in the United States and Canada and at select locations worldwide.

Yes. Please visit our Links Page for a list of fine online retailers who stock our full line of pet foods and gourmet treats.

CANIDAE pet foods are preserved with Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and Vitamin C. We do not use anything artificial. CANIDAE pet foods are naturally preserved.

CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods prides itself on following all of the AAFCO guidelines in all fifty states. In order to satisfy updated ingredient definitions, from year to year and from time to time the exact words used on pet food labels must be updated periodically to the new regulations.

Normally, no. CANIDAE cat and dog foods are nutritionally complete. We continually consult with our veterinarians and pet nutritionists to formulate the healthiest foods possible. Our formulas meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the Nutrient Profiles set by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). If you do decide to include additional supplement or vitamins, we recommend consulting with your veterinarian.

No. CANIDAE neither conducts nor condones any inhumane laboratory live animal testing. After many years of making pet food and over a million tons a month being fed without incident world wide, we have passed the real world test without harming or inhumanely caging a single dog or cat.

Dry Matter is the value for a nutrient assuming all moisture is removed. Dry matter is mostly used by veterinarians because it yields specific information on a more uniform basis. As Fed would be the value for a nutrient without removing the moisture.

CANIDAE and FELIDAE canned products are loaves. Our loafed formulas are of a very high meat content make up. Each batch run consist of 2000 pounds. The ingredients are placed into the can and then the lid is applied. The can then goes into the cooking process and the meat in the can is cooked. The can is then cooled with water and the final process applies the label and puts the cans into trays. We run many batches each and every day utilizing this canning process.

Because we use so much meat in our products, and the canning processes cooks the products in the can, each batch will vary slightly in color and texture. If you could imagine cooking your favorite dinner recipe two separate times utilizing the same ingredients and the same cooking temperatures, each dish would vary slightly in color and consistency. The same theory applies to loafed cans slightly varying in color and texture.