Top Canadian Pet Food Brands: Prioritizing Quality and Nutrition for Your Pets
1. Canadian Pet Foods
FirstMate & Kasiks
- Founded: 1989, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: FirstMate & Kasiks aim to create healthy, nutritious pet food that reflects the natural diet of dogs and cats. They focus on holistic nutrition with a strong emphasis on high-quality ingredients.
- Specialty: Grain-free, single-protein formulas, and limited-ingredient diets.
- Why It Stands Out: Their commitment to using premium ingredients, along with their focus on small-batch manufacturing, makes FirstMate & Kasiks a trusted brand for pet owners.
Petcurean: GO! Solutions & Now Fresh
- Founded: 1999, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada & USA
- Mission & Vision: Petcurean creates premium, nutritionally balanced pet food by focusing on fresh, local ingredients. Their vision is to provide food that helps pets thrive while promoting health and well-being.
- Specialty: High-quality, grain-free, and protein-rich formulas.
- Why It Stands Out: Petcurean uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients in all their recipes and focuses on sustainability, making them a top choice for pet owners who want quality and transparency.
Nutram
- Founded: 1993, Ontario, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Nutram’s mission is to provide superior nutrition through high-quality ingredients, supporting the overall health and well-being of pets. They aim to produce holistic pet foods that promote long-term health.
- Specialty: Holistic pet foods with a focus on high-quality proteins and locally sourced ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Nutram emphasizes nutritional balance and optimal health for pets, using fresh, local ingredients to create a diet that caters to all life stages. They offer a variety of products that address specific dietary needs, such as grain-free or weight management formulas.
Boreal
- Founded: 2006, Alberta, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Boreal aims to provide high-protein, low-glycemic pet food to support pets' health and longevity, using sustainable ingredients and ethical sourcing.
- Specialty: Low-glycemic, high-protein recipes made from wild game and sustainable proteins.
- Why It Stands Out: Boreal’s focus on sustainable, low-glycemic foods makes it a standout option for pet owners looking to optimize their pet’s diet.
Iron Will Raw
- Founded: 2011, Ontario, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Iron Will Raw's mission is to provide high-quality, biologically appropriate raw food for pets, promoting a natural and healthy diet that mimics what dogs and cats would eat in the wild. They are committed to offering clean, fresh, and whole food ingredients that are ethically sourced.
- Specialty: Raw, frozen pet food with high-quality proteins and whole-food ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Iron Will Raw stands out because of their focus on offering a raw feeding program that’s easy to use and provides complete and balanced nutrition. Their meals are packed with fresh meat, organs, and bones, without any fillers or artificial additives.
Happy Dogs Raw Food
- Founded: 2012, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Happy Dogs Raw Food provides raw, biologically appropriate diets for dogs, with a focus on natural ingredients and raw feeding principles.
- Specialty: Raw, frozen food with human-grade ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Their commitment to raw, natural diets for dogs is what sets them apart, ensuring pets receive a balanced and nutrient-dense meal.
Petkind
- Founded: 1995, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Petkind’s mission is to provide premium, high-quality pet food that is nutritionally balanced, with a focus on sustainable ingredients. They pride themselves on producing limited-ingredient diets for pets with food sensitivities.
- Specialty: Limited-ingredient diets, with a focus on novel proteins like lamb, venison, and bison.
- Why It Stands Out: Petkind stands out for its use of unique protein sources and its dedication to hypoallergenic formulas that cater to pets with sensitivities.
Identity Pet Foods
- Founded: 2016, Ontario, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Identity Pet Foods strives to offer premium, nutritious pet food made from whole ingredients. Their mission is to provide a natural, species-appropriate diet to pets through a holistic approach.
- Specialty: Species-appropriate diets with high-quality meats and minimal processing.
- Why It Stands Out: Identity’s focus on whole food nutrition, fresh local ingredients, and minimal processing makes it stand out as a premium pet food brand.
Canadian Naturals
- Founded: 2000, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Canadian Naturals is committed to producing high-quality, premium pet food using fresh Canadian ingredients, promoting long-term health and well-being for pets.
- Specialty: High-protein, grain-free diets.
- Why It Stands Out: Canadian Naturals prides itself on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients from Canadian farms and fisheries, making it a true Canadian brand.
Smack
- Founded: 2011, Quebec, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Smack is dedicated to offering nutrient-dense raw food that mimics a pet’s natural diet. They believe in providing pets with the best, fresh ingredients to support their overall health.
- Specialty: Raw, freeze-dried food with a focus on whole food nutrition.
- Why It Stands Out: Smack’s raw food formulas are designed to maximize health, energy, and longevity in pets.
Zeal
- Founded: 2013, Vancouver, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Zeal’s mission is to create whole, raw foods that provide pets with a biologically appropriate diet that supports their health.
- Specialty: Raw food, freeze-dried diets, and single-protein recipes.
- Why It Stands Out: Their focus on raw, minimally processed ingredients makes Zeal a great option for pet owners looking for natural, biologically appropriate meals.
Carna4
- Founded: 2013, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Carna4 provides quick-baked, nutrient-dense food that preserves the natural goodness of ingredients, aiming to offer pets the health benefits of a raw diet with the convenience of cooked food.
- Specialty: Quick-baked food that retains natural nutrients, combined with raw ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Their quick-bake process ensures that all nutrients are locked in while making the food easy to digest.
Bold by Nature
- Founded: 2015, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada
- Mission & Vision: Bold by Nature’s mission is to provide biologically appropriate raw food that supports pets’ natural health and vitality.
- Specialty: Raw, freeze-dried, and frozen food with a focus on protein-rich ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Bold by Nature offers high-protein, raw meals that are minimally processed to retain nutritional value.
2. Semi-Canadian Pet Foods
1. Acana (Champion Petfoods)
- Founded: 1985, Alberta, Canada
- Owned By: Mars, Inc. (USA)
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada & USA
- Mission & Vision: Acana’s mission is to craft biologically appropriate food using the finest fresh ingredients sourced from local farms and fisheries.
- Specialty: High-protein, grain-free food with a focus on sustainability.
- Why It Stands Out: Acana’s commitment to fresh, local ingredients and biologically appropriate meals makes it a top choice for pet owners.
2. Orijen (Champion Petfoods)
- Founded: 1985, Alberta, Canada
- Owned By: Mars, Inc. (USA)
- Manufacturing Facilities: Canada & USA
- Mission & Vision: Orijen aims to provide pets with biologically appropriate meals that reflect their natural diets, using the highest quality ingredients.
- Specialty: High-protein, grain-free food made with fresh, regional ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Known for its emphasis on fresh, regional ingredients and biologically appropriate meals for pets.
3. Open Farm
- Founded: 2014, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Owned By: Canadian-owned
- Manufacturing Facilities: USA
- Mission & Vision: Open Farm strives to create ethically sourced, sustainable pet food while promoting transparency in every step of the supply chain.
- Specialty: High-protein, ethically sourced, and sustainable ingredients.
- Why It Stands Out: Open Farm’s focus on transparency and sustainability sets it apart from other pet food brands.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a reputable Canadian pet food brand ensures that your furry friend receives the nutrition they need to thrive. Whether you're looking for grain-free options, high-protein diets, or recipes for food sensitivities, Canadian brands offer a range of products to suit every pet's needs.
