California Natural Dog Food Reviews, Coupons and Recalls 2023

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California Natural markets their products as being made “for dogs with food sensitivities”. This brand is an organic food brand made with fresh, premium ingredients in specially formulated recipes. They offer recipes for adult dogs and puppies as well as an assortment of size-specific recipes. Not only do they offer an assortment of products made with premium proteins and wholesome grains like brown rice and white rice, but they also offer a selection of grain-free recipes made with complex carbs like green peas, sweet potatoes, and green lentils. Simply put, this brand offers a product for every dog, no matter how old he is or what breed he is.

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One of the features that distinguishes them from other brands is the fact that each of their recipes is made with a limited number of ingredients. According to their website, “the more ingredients a food has, the higher the likelihood it may include an ingredient your dog may be sensitive to”. Each recipe features just 3 to 6 key ingredients and animal-based protein is always the number-1 ingredients. Not only is their food great for dogs with food allergies and sensitivities, but it is also ideal for dogs that suffer from sensitive stomachs, digestive problems, and skin and coat issues. They accomplished this goal by using novel protein and carbohydrate sources – because your dog is unlikely to have eaten these ingredients, the risk for triggering food allergies is very low.

Not only are all of their products made with a limited number of ingredients including high-quality proteins, but their products are all free from wheat, corn, and soy ingredients. They are free from dairy, eggs, and byproducts as well as artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. When it comes to the sources for their ingredients, this company only works with suppliers they can trust to offer high quality. In fact, their website offers their customers a chance to find out where each and every ingredient used in their products comes from. Simply plug in the species and product type, choose the individual recipe, and you will be provided with a list of sources.

Also Read: A Pup Above Fresh Dog Food Review 2023

California Natural Recalls 2023:

As you have already learned, they are very careful about where they get their ingredients and they offer their consumers complete transparency about that fact. It is also important to note that their products are all manufactured right here in the United States. They follow the strictest standards for quality and safety when it comes to the manufacture of their products – they don’t take shortcuts and they have received certifications from a number of prestigious organizations including ISO, APHIS, and the American Institute of Baking (AIB).

As dedicated as California Natural is to ensuring the quality and safety of their products, the brand has been affected by one recall:

  • In March 2013, the brand issued a voluntary recall for an assortment of dry dog food products and treats produced at one of their facilities due to potential salmonella contamination.

California Natural Dog Food Coupons 2023

True to the name, their products are made with high-quality, natural ingredients so this brand might be a little more expensive than a typical food product. For a 30-pound bag of adult dry food, you will spend about $55 while grain-free formulas cost a little more, around $75 for a 30-pound bag. Fortunately, you can save money on California Natural dog food by finding printable coupons online.

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California Natural Reviews

All of this brands of food products are rich in quality animal proteins and digestible carbohydrates. The company’s dry food formulas for puppies are made with quality proteins like chicken meal and lamb meal to support the needs of growing puppies – there is even one formula designed specifically for small- and medium-breed puppies. Their weight management formulas provide precisely balanced blends of protein and fat to help your dog maintain lean muscle mass while working toward a healthy weight. The grain-free line of dry foods is loaded with natural flavor from quality animal proteins and is rich in omega fatty acids as well. No matter which product you choose for your dog, he is sure to love the flavor and you will love the quality.

Here are the Top 9 Foods We Recommend Feeding your Puppy or Adult Weimaraner

Is California Natural Food Good for my Dog?

Many food brands claim to offer high-quality ingredients and nutritious formulas but fail to provide the details to confirm these claims. This brand, however, is a brand that offers its customers complete transparency. Not only do they provide general information about their manufacturing methods and the location of their production facilities, but their website offers a feature where consumers can look up the exact suppliers for individual ingredients. This combined with the use of high-quality proteins, wholesome grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables makes this an excellent brand of food. To add to the list of benefits for this brand, their products are made with a limited number of ingredients and they are free from artificial additives as well as corn, wheat and soy ingredients – simply put, any dog would be lucky to receive this food.

Dry: When it comes to their dry food offerings, their products can be divided into two product lines: traditional and grain-free. There are eight traditional recipe dry foods which feature 3, 4, or 6 key ingredients such as premium proteins and whole grains. They offer two puppy food recipes, two traditional adult dog recipes, a small-breed recipe, a large-breed recipe, and two weight management formulas. All of these recipes feature a premium-quality protein as the number-1 ingredient. For grain-free options, they offer five recipes, all formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of dogs in all life stages. Here is a list of dry foods:

  • Chicken Meal & Rice Puppy Recipe
  • Lamb Meal & Rice Puppy Recipe
  • Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Recipe
  • Lamb Meal & Rice Adult Large Breed Recipe
  • Lamb Meal & Rice Adult Small Breed Recipe
  • Herring & Sweet Potato Adult Recipe
  • Weight Management Brown Rice & Chicken Meal
  • Weight Management Brown Rice & Lamb Meal
  • Grain-Free Salmon Meal & Peas Recipe
  • Grain-Free Kangaroo & Red Lentils Recipe
  • Grain-Free Chicken Meal Recipe
  • Grain-Free Lamb Meal Recipe
  • Grain-Free Venison & Green Lentils Recipe

Canned: They currently do not offer any canned food recipes and the website does not provide any information regarding plans to offer them in the future.

California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Dry Food Formula Review:

This Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Dry Food Formula is marketed as a limited ingredient diet, featuring just 4 key ingredients. These ingredients include high-quality chicken meal as a concentrated source of protein and fat, rich in both natural flavor and omega fatty acids. Brown rice and rice are the primary sources of carbohydrate and dietary fiber, included to improve your dog’s digestion. Sunflower oil and flaxseed offer a balance of healthy fats to support your dog’s healthy skin and coat. Not only does this recipe include plenty of healthy ingredients, but it is free from corn, wheat, and soy ingredients as well as dairy, white potatoes, and eggs.

As promised, the first ingredient listed for this Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Dry Food Formula is chicken meal. You may be wondering about the inclusion of chicken meal here as opposed to fresh chicken. What you need to remember is that fresh meats contain up to 80% moisture by volume. When the product is cooked to remove moisture, the actual volume of protein provided by this ingredient could be significantly less. Meat meals, on the other hand, have already been cooked to remove moisture and they can contain up to 300% more protein by volume than fresh meats. So, in a recipe that only includes one source of animal protein, chicken meal is preferable to fresh chicken. It never hurts, however, to include both a fresh meat and a meat meal.

After the chicken meal comes both brown rice and rice. The ingredients list does not state what kind of rice is used as the third ingredient, but it is generally assumed to be white rice. Both brown rice and white rice are considered digestible carbohydrates for dogs and while they are technically grains, they have a low risk for triggering food allergies or sensitivities. The flaxseed that appears in the fifth ingredient slot provides some dietary fiber as well, though it is primarily included as a source of omega-3 fatty acids. The sunflower oil that takes the fourth slot is a source of omega-6 fatty acids. It is important for your dog to get a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and plant-based fats are not harmful, but animal-based fats are more biologically valuable for dogs. This recipe also includes chelated minerals which have been bound to protein molecules to increase absorption.

According to the guaranteed analysis for this Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Dry Food Formula, the total protein content is 21% and the total fat content is 11%. Both of these values are within the ideal range for adult dogs, but they could both stand to be a little bit higher – more protein is always better for dogs. The fact that this recipe is made with such a limited list of ingredients may partially account for these values. One value that should be low is the crude fiber – it is listed at 2.5% which is well within the ideal range for dogs (under 5% is best). Carbohydrates provide your dog with dietary fiber and beneficial nutrients, but your dog has a limited ability to digest plant materials so you don’t want the carbohydrate or fiber content to be too high.

Overall, this Chicken Meal & Rice Adult Dry Food Formula has a guaranteed analysis as follows:

  • Crude Protein (Min) – 21%
  • Crude Fat (Min) – 11%
  • Crude Fiber (Max) – 2.5%
  • Moisture (Max) – 10%
  • Vitamin E (Min) – 300 IU/kg
  • Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Min) – 1.5%
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Min) – 0.3%
  • Calorie Content – 430 kcal/cup

Bottom Line:

Overall, their food is a great choice for dogs that suffer from food allergies and sensitivities – it can also be a good choice if you want to prevent your dog from developing an allergy or sensitivity. Based on the guaranteed analysis for several products, the protein content and fat content could be a little higher and it would be better to see some additional animal-based sources of fat, but the nutritional balance for most recipes is well within the acceptable range for dogs. Though there is room for some improvement, their foods are made with quality ingredients and manufactured in accordance with strict standards for quality and safety. All in all, they provide quality nutrition and healthy energy for dogs in all life stages.

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