Below, you can read the comparison between two dog foods that are known to provide good amounts of protein, Canidae vs Zignature. In general, both of them are considered as high-quality dog foods. But let’s take a look at their ingredients and nutritional values so that you can be more certain about which dog food to choose.
This article will discuss further about:
– The ingredient analysis of each dog food
– The nutrition of Canidae vs Zignature
– The recall history of each dog food
– The available formulas of Canidae and Zignature
– Which dog food that is generally more recommended
Ingredients of Canidae
The first ingredients of Canidae include chicken, chicken fat, dried whole egg, menhaden fish meal, suncured alfalfa, potatoes, lentils, peas, flaxseed, natural flavor, added vitamins and minerals, as well as probiotics and dried fermentation products. Overall, the ingredient quality of Canidae is very good. See also: Orijen vs Zignature.
This dog food uses real meat and meat-based ingredients (chicken, chicken meal, dried whole egg, menhaden fish meal) as protein sources. This is nice because meat-based proteins are the best for dogs. To be fair, dogs also need vegetables in order to grow well and stay healthy, but meat-based proteins provide the most amino acids for dogs and are easier t digest.
There are also good vegetables in this dog food, such as potatoes, lentils, peas, and flaxseed. They provide carbohydrate and dietary fiber. Flaxseed, in particular, is high in omega-3 fatty acid. The addition of these ingredients ensures complete and balanced nutrition for your dog.
The only notable weakness of this dog food is that it uses protein-rich vegetables, such as alfalfa and flaxseed. This can be beneficial for your dog. However, as mentioned above, meat-based proteins are the best for dogs. There is some possibility that a significant amount of the total protein content of Canidae comes from vegetables rather than meats.
Ingredients of Zignature
The first ingredients of Zignature includes trout, salmon meal, salmon oil, natural flavor, pea flour, peas, chickpeas, flaxseed, dehydrated alfalfa meal, sunflower oil, dried beet pulp, as well as added vitamins and minerals. In general, the ingredient quality of Zignature is good.
As you can see, Zignature uses great meat-based ingredients, which are trout and salmon meal. Besides providing protein, they also provide some other important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, DHA, and EPA. The vegetables are great for providing carbohydrate and dietary fiber. However, there are also somewhat controversial ingredients. Sunflower oil is nice for providing omega-6 fatty acids.
Just like the case with Canidae, Zignature also uses several protein-rich ingredients, such as peas and flaxseed. So, it is possible that a large amount of the total protein content actually comes from vegetables instead of meats. Even so, the dog food still provides good nutrition.
Furthermore, Zignature uses dried beet pulp. This is mostly considered as a cheap, inexpensive filler. It is actually a byproduct of sugar beet processing, and is high in dietary fiber. Most people believe that it doesn’t really provide nutrition for your dog, but it may be beneficial for digestive health and blood sugar health.
Nutrition
If we compare the nutrition of Canidae vs Zignature, we may be surprised upon find out that they actually have similar amounts of protein. They do have different levels of fat and carbohydrate.
Canidae is estimated to have 33% protein, 45% carbohydrate, and 13% fat on the dry matter basis. There are vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B12, iron, copper, zinc, potassium, manganese, sodium, and calcium. There are also probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Enterococcus faecium.
Zignature is estimated to have 33% protein, 43% carbohydrate, and 16% fat on the dry matter basis. There are also vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin B12, zinc, iron, copper, and calcium. It doesn’t contain probiotics.
So, in general, Canidae is better than Zignature. Canidae has more carbohydrate, so it can provide more energy for your dog. More importantly, it comes with probiotics, which are beneficial for your dog’s digestive health and immunity. The probiotics can help to prevent some diseases that are caused by pathogenic bacteria. Zignature has lower carbohydrate and higher fat, but is without probiotics.
Recall History
The next thing that we can compare between Canidae vs Zignature is the recall history. Before buying a product, we can check the company’s track record to estimate their quality control. If the company is truly good, they supposedly have a clean track record without many problems.
Canidae has been recalled once in 2012. The problem was salmonella contamination. Salmonella infection can cause serious health problems on a dog. The symptoms include lethargy, vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. It may also cause miscarriage if it happens in a pregnant dog. However, Canidae hasn’t recalled any product since then, so we may assume that the cause of the problem has been taken care of.
Zignature, on the other hand, hasn’t been recalled at all. It has a clean track record. This is definitely a good thing. Hopefully, the company will maintain good quality control and a clean track record in the future.
Available Formulas
Canidae is available in several formulas that use slightly different ingredients. There are also some formulas for small breed dogs. Some of the most popular formulas are:
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Fields
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Meadow
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Sea
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Sky
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Elements
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Land
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Wild
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Chicken
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Bison
– Canidae Grain Free Pure Petite Small Breed Salmon
Zignature is available in a variety of formulas, too. They use slightly different ingredients. Some popular examples include:
– Zignature Trout and Salmon Formula
– Zignature Turkey Formula
– Zignature Pork Formula
– Zignature Catfish Formula
– ZignatureZssential Formula
– Zignature Duck Formula
– Zignature Lamb Formula
– Zignature Venison Formula
– Zignature Kangaroo Formula
Canidae vs Zignature
| Canidae | Zignature |
|---|---|
| - Good ingredient quality with meats and vegetables | - Good ingredient quality with meats, grains, and vegetables |
| - Slightly higher carbohydrate, lower fat | - Slightly lower carbohydrate, higher fat |
| - Enriched with probiotics | - Doesn’t have probiotics |
| - Has been recalled once 2012 due to salmonella contamination | - Hasn’t been recalled so far |
Conclusion
In general, Zignature is more recommended. This dog food has good ingredient quality and good nutrition. The strong point is that it has a clean track record, as it hasn’t been recalled. Zignature is available in a variety of formula.