Taste of the Wild vs. Acana Dog Food: Our 2024 In-Depth Comparison

If you are currently shopping for new dog food to serve your pooch, both Taste of the Wild and Acana are exquisite choices. They cater to the health of dogs and cats with species-specific formulas.

But which outstanding dog food company will work best for your dog? We have our own opinion about this, but we want to clarify before you read our reviews that both companies are top-notch and get a big thumb from us.

A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Acana

Our research shows that both dog food brands are of premium quality and have excellent customer service. We delved through the recipes, checked the quality of the food, and tried out the taste test. We also looked deeply into the values and customer satisfaction of both companies.

But because Acana uses a combination of raw and fresh ingredients and their dry kibble selections, we think they have the highest nutritional value to offer.

About Taste of the Wild

Diamond Pet Foods’ own Taste of the Wild Dog Food. Taste of the Wild has firmly built a rapport with its customer base. They began the recipes by crafting specific formulas for canines that cater to their natural instincts.

Company History

Despite how much Taste of the Wild has grown, they are still owned by a single family. This is likely to uphold its recipes to the highest standards.

Taste of the Wild was a real innovator of their time, emerging with a new spin on traditional dog food. Their entire aim from day one was to create species-specific formulas for dogs and cats that cater to their carnivorous needs.

Over the years, their recipe lines haven’t changed tremendously, but we hope to see new recipe lines as pet nutrition evolves.

Available Recipes

Taste of the Wild offers a variety of dry kibble and canned dog foods along with tasty treats. Their recipes are notoriously high in fat and calories, aimed at high-energy breeds that burn many calories throughout the day. They make all life stages formulas that match the needs of most healthy dogs.

About Acana

While Acana has been around for quite some time, they have recently adjusted its recipes to match the nutritional needs of present-day domesticated canines.

Company History

Acana Pet Foods is a natural dog food company owned by Champion Pet Foods. The company was named after its birthplace in Alberta, Canada where this food was first thought up. Initially, Acana didn’t offer raw and fresh-infused dietary choices.

However, Acana has evolved through the years to match the needs of our beloved canine companions. Since its modest beginning, this company has grown tremendously and continues to do so. They are raising the standard for modern dog foods, changing how we look at pet food nutrition.

Available Recipes

Acana contains a variety of raw and fresh infused dry kibble, wet canned food, and treats.

The 3 Most Popular Taste of the Wild Dog Food Recipes

1. Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie with Ancient Grains

This grain-inclusive recipe contains all of the right ingredients to match all life stages everyday formula. It includes the right calories to be perfect for seniors, puppies, and active adult dogs. We think there’s a lot to offer here.

This recipe contains just the right ingredients to help your pup’s gut flourish. It has easily digestible grains that typically don’t disrupt your dog’s digestive system. Each bag contains canine-specific pre and probiotics, which aid in the growth of good gut bacteria.

You get a real mix tape of protein variety in this dish. It contains water buffalo, chicken, and turkey for a tasty protein variety. However, because it has chicken, it can trigger protein allergies and sensitive dogs.

We think the ingredients list and nutrient content are otherwise terrific. However, overweight dogs might gain too much weight from this recipe. So, we recommend it for active dogs only.

---

2. Taste of the Wild Pine Forest

This grain-free selection contains venison as a number one ingredient. In most cases, this will act as a novel protein for dogs, which is less likely to trigger protein allergies. So, if you have a sensitive pup, this soothing meal will have them feeling their best in no time.

Rather than using grains, this recipe contains ingredients like garbanzo beans, peas, and lentils. These items create a solid carbohydrate source without irritating side effects. However, these ingredients won’t agree with every dog, so check with your veterinarian for approval.

This recipe contains superfoods that contain antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and several other nutrients. Like all Taste of the Wild recipes, it includes a live dose of probiotics and prebiotics to aid gut health.

Even though it is a terrific recipe for particular pups, it contains questionable ingredients like peas and lentils—some dogs can be very sensitive to these. So, check this recipe with a vet before making the switch.

---

3. Taste of the Wild High Prairie

If you’re looking for a way to spark your dog’s appetite, we recommend Taste of the Wild High Prairie dog food. This is canned food, so it contains a high amount of moisture to keep your pup hydrated, along with a tasty variety of delicious ingredients. This type of dog food works as a standalone dog or a wet food topper.

This specific formula can be perfect for picky eaters. Each can triggers the appetite with a chunky mix of delightful ingredients. So, if you have a dog that seems to snub its nose at everything you give, this can be a game-changer.

This is a rich, highly digestible recipe that contains antioxidants with prime ingredients like blueberries and raspberries. We also love the protein combo—fish, beef, and chicken. We think your dog will definitely approve.

These cans are perfect for toppers for big dogs but can get really expensive if you serve as a standalone diet.

The 3 Most Popular Acana Dog Food Recipes

1. Acana Wholesome Grains Red Meat & Grains

If you’re looking for a standard diet with no particular health target, we recommend Acana Wholesome Grains. It is a fantastically canine-friendly red meat diet that is grain-inclusive.

The first three ingredients are protein sources: beef, debone pork, and beef meal. This particular recipe contains 27% protein in the guaranteed analysis. It is an excellent recipe to keep muscles healthy and strong while providing an adequate amount of fat and fiber to nourish the digestive tract.

Exercise is an essential part of your dog’s everyday life. With the fat content being 17%, ensure they burn off their steam. The calorie content in this recipe is moderate, meaning it will work for a wide variety of healthy adults.

Rather than using potentially harsh grains, this recipe uses oat groats, sorghum, and millet with butternut squash. However, one significant upside of this is that it contains no gluten, artificial preservatives, or flavors. As far as standard everyday diets go, we think this is a fantastic choice to promote optimal health in your dog.

---

2. Acana Singles Limited Ingredient Diets

Acana Singles Limited Ingredient Diets is a terrific choice for your sensitive pup. While this recipe isn’t for every dog, it will definitely work for a grain-sensitive dog who has trouble with digestion. Pork is considered a novel protein, so it won’t trigger protein allergies in most dogs.

Then, it’s also grain-free for dogs who have gluten sensitivity. Instead, it uses easily digestible carbohydrates like squash that nourish the digestive system. This recipe contains 31.0% protein content to strengthen muscles and bones, With over 60% pork ingredients in total.

To be on the safe side, this recipe is free of ingredients like corn, protein isolates, and peas. Unlike some of Acana’s other recipes, this particular one does contain legumes, including lentils.

This limited ingredient diet is especially recommended for dogs with protein allergies, but it could also be good for sensitive stomachs. As with all grain-free selections, it’s best to ask your veterinarian if the recipe is suitable before switching.

---

3. Acana Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Consider Acana Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food if you want to start your dog off on the right foot. It has the right ingredients to get your pop off on the right foot. This recipe is grain-free, meaning instead of grains, and includes easy-to-digest carbohydrates.

This recipe contains 408 cal per cup, which is the perfect amount for an active puppy.

It also contains 60% animal ingredients, totaling 31% protein in the guaranteed analysis.

We want to point out that this recipe is totally grain-free, which can be really controversial with young dogs. After all, you’re trying to give your dog the best jump-start in life. Make sure you ask your vet before offering this recipe.

But as far as puppies who need it—it’s superb.

Recall History of Taste of the Wild and Acana

Taste of the Wild had one recall in May of 2012 for potential salmonella. However, in addition to this recall, they have had several lawsuits thinned against them, including allegations about heavy metals and toxins in dog food.

Also, in 2019, Taste of the Wild was among the brands under scrutiny due to potential heart-related issues linked to grain-free diets. So even though they have had several allegations regarding their recipes, there have been no verdicts about the topics.

Acana, as a solo brand, has never had any recalls that we could find to date.

Brand Taste of the Wild VS Acana Comparison

Now we’re going to get down to the nitty-gritty. We know about both companies, and you’re ready to learn more about the individual quality factors we considered when we review these products.

Recipe – Acana

Both recipes contain a whole protein source as the first ingredient. Taste of the Wild includes water buffalo, while Acana uses raw or fresh freeze-dried deboned chicken.

On the one hand, ingredients like water buffalo and pork are considered novel proteins, which can be ultra-digestible for some dogs. However, they also contain common proteins like turkey and chicken, which can be triggering.

Taste of the Wild has significantly more calories in their recipes than Acana. While this has its ups and downs, Taste of the Wild is much more geared toward high-energy working breeds that deplete many calories throughout the day. It isn’t the best choice for dogs with moderate to low activity levels or relaxed lifestyles.

Both recipes contain easily digestible grains rather than harsh carbohydrates.

Even though Acana has raw and fresh protein in the recipe, Taste of the Wild has a higher protein content on the guaranteed analysis.

Both recipes contain almost the exact same amount of fat, which is slightly higher than standard recipes on the market.

One added perk we really love about Taste of the Wild recipes is that they all contain canine strain-specific pre and probiotics for optimal digestion. However, Acana equally uses easily digestible ingredients to promote excellent digestive system function.

Taste – Acana

Regarding Taste, our pups preferred the Taste of Acana to Taste of the Wild. They aren’t very picky pups, but they seem to gravitate toward the savory raw and fresh infused aspects of the Acana formula.

Nutritional Value – Acana

Each one of them creates canine-specific recipes that nourish your dog’s internal systems so they can live their best lives. When it comes to nutritional value, both of these companies surpass traditional dog foods by a long shot.

However, they won this category because Acana is so up-and-coming with their raw and fresh coated kibble.

Price – Taste of the Wild

If you are interested in budgeting, you might want to know which one of these dog foods is the most affordable. While both are premium food selections, raising the cost from average dog food, Taste of the wild is less expensive.

We think that both dog foods are reasonably priced considering their contents, but Taste of the Wild has a lower price. This is likely because it costs Acana more to create freeze-dried raw and fresh pieces in their kibble. These ingredients are healthy, and you must freeze-dry at just the right time, which requires quality control.

Selection – Taste of the Wild

Both Taste of the Wild and Acana have excellent recipes that are very similar. They have both wet and dry kibble selections and a series of specialized diets that cater to the restrictions of sensitive canines.

However, Taste of the Wild has a broader selection of dietary choices.

Overall – Acana

As you can see, Taste of the Wild has plenty to offer your dog. They truly do have an excellent reputation and work hard to keep the recipes relevant to canine nutrition. However, Acana has stolen the limelight with their spin on canine nutrition, keeping only the best ingredients in while giving the added benefit of having more nutritious proteins.

Conclusion

We are happy to tell you that both Taste in the Wild and Acana have exquisite recipes that can keep your dog feeling their healthiest and living their longest life span.

Even though Acana is our favorite because they have raw and fresh ingredients in the recipes, Taste of the wild remains a leader in the industry. As dog food nutritional needs start to change, we know that Taste of the Wild will rise to the occasion, producing relevant and comprehensive recipes.

• See Also: Victor vs Taste of the Wild Dog Food