Update: This formula is unavailable.
Acana Pacifica Regional is a meat-fish-based formula with local ingredients from Canada. This recipe contains 100% wild-caught fish including herring, flounder, and pacific hake from off North Vancouver Island.
Acana Pacifica is a grain and potato-free formula in its main 5 ingredients to reduce the harmful excess of carbohydrates so commonly found in dry cat foods which causes obesity and blood sugar levels to rise and fluctuate.
The formula also includes fruits and vegetables delivered fresh and whole from locally grown from sun-drenched orchards and black prairie soils.
This cat food is made with selected ingredients to satisfy the cat’s carnivore diet. The recipe balances a rich meat diet with small amounts of fruits, vegetables, and grasses.
CALORIC CONTENT IN ACANA FORMULA
The main source of calories comes from protein and fat and a low percent from carbohydrates. This helps to reduce the risk of obesity or diabetes in pets.
Metabolic Energy is 4060 kcal/kg (500 kcal per cup) with 34% of energy from protein, 42% from fat, and 24% from fruit and vegetables.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude protein (min.) 35% – Crude fat (min.) 20% – Crude fiber (max.) 3% – Moisture (max.) 10% Calcium (min.)1.6 % – Phosphorus (min.) 1.3% – Omega-6 (min.) 2.3%, LA (min.) 2.4% – AA (min.) 0.1% – Omega 3 (min.) 2% – EPA (min.) 0.8% – DHA (min.) 0.6% – Magnesium 0.1%.
INGREDIENTS
Boneless herring*, herring meal, pollock meal, boneless flounder*, boneless Pacific hake*, chickpeas, red lentils, canola oil, green peas, green lentils, yellow peas, herring oil, sun-cured alfalfa, dried kelp, pumpkin*, butternut squash*, spinach greens*, carrots*, apples*, pears*, cranberries, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, chamomile, peppermint leaf, ginger root, caraway seeds, turmeric, rose hips, freeze-dried herring, freeze-dried hake, freeze- dried flounder, Enterococcus faecium fermentation product plus premium vitamins and minerals. * Delivered fresh from Canada, daily.
SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, sodium selenite, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
VITAMINS
Vitamin A 56 KIU/kg – Vitamin D3 2550 IU/kg – Vitamin E 390 IU/kg – Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 78 mg/kg – Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 52 mg/kg – Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 175 mg/kg – Vitamin B5 (Pan. Acid) 47 mg/kg – Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 42 mg/kg – Vitamin B12 0.5 mg/kg – Biotin 0.8 mg/kg – Folic Acid 4.3 mg/kg – Choline 3,180 mg/kg – Vitamin K 0.2 mg/kg.
MINERALS
Sodium 0.69% – Chloride 1.00% – Potassium 0.90% – Iron 150 mg/kg – Zinc 240 mg/kg – Copper 25 mg/kg – Manganese 26 mg/kg – Iodine 3.2 mg/kg – Selenium 1.7 mg/kg.
AMINO-ACIDS
Lysine 2.8% – Threonine 1.5% – Methionine 0.9% – Isoleucine 1.5% – Leucine 2.7% – Valine 1.8% – Arginine 2.4% – Phenylalanine 1.5% – Histidine 0.8% – Tryptophan 0.35% – Cystine 0.3% – Tyrosine 1.0% – Taurine 0.2%
BOTANICAL INCLUSIONS
Chicory root 500 mg/kg – Dandelion root 250 mg/kg – Chamomile 150 mg/kg – Peppermint Leaf 150 mg/kg – Ginger root 150 mg/kg – Caraway seeds 150 mg/kg – Turmeric 150 mg/kg – Rose hips 150 mg/kg.
Important Point when Feeding your Cat with Acana Pacifica:
It is very important to give plenty of water to your cat while feeding it with Acana Pacifica Fish Formula. Also, it is important to provide your pet a permanent source of fresh water at all times.
ANALYSIS OF FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS OF ACANA PACIFICA FISH FORMULA:
Boneless herring: 2 stars. Good source fatty acids. Boneless fish may add water to the weight resulting in fewer proteins.
Herring meal: 4 stars. Excellent source of proteins but low content of fatty acids because oils get extracted when making the meal.
Pollock meal: 4 stars. Good source of proteins. Pollock adds good fatty acids.
Boneless flounder: 3 stars. Boneless fish may add water to the weight. Not a significant source of fatty acids.
Boneless Pacific hake: 2 stars. Boneless fish may add water to the formula. Low source of Omega-3.
What are the Pros and Cons of Acana Pacifica Cat Dry Food Fish Formula?
PROS
- It contains all the essential amino acids cats need.
- No fillers in the first 5 ingredients
- No salmon in the first 5 ingredients
- A very good amount of magnesium of 0.1%, preventing urinary crystals.
- Wild-caught fish comes from the west Canadian coast
- Vegetables and fruits are locally grown in Canada
- Good balance of vitamins and minerals
- The recipe is low in carbohydrates
- Low glycemic carbohydrates
- It contains all the essential amino acids cats need
- Cats get satisfied with less amount of food
- It helps to control odors in feces
CONS
- Boneless Herring, Flounder, and Pacific Hake might add some water to the crude protein weight
- It has a strong fish smell
- It has to be complemented with meat proteins (canned wet food) to avoid urinary crystals, especially with male cats.
- Price
CONCLUSION
Acana Pacifica has a balanced formula of fish, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits. The carbohydrates on the recipe are low glycemic (chickpeas, red lentils, and green peas) and they are highly nutritional. Acana Pacifica does not incorporate grains or potatoes in the main 5 ingredients which helps to prevent obesity. Even though this is a good formula, my main concern is feeding a cat with a recipe purely based on fish-sourced proteins. Feeding fish-based formulas for cats pose a risk of developing a tendency to food allergies and also has the risk of developing urinary tract issues, especially in male cats.
x I don’t recommend it:
- To cats that don’t drink enough water
- For cats with a tendency to develop allergies
- Male cats that tend to develop urinary tract disease
- Feeding your cat only this dry cat food and nothing else.
- Feeding this food on a long-term basis.
Yvonne Rudicil says
Everything I have been reading, spinach is not good for cat with UTI. Why is this or the other cat food ok for them when they contain spinach. I have a big household of cats. 2 have had UTI 1 was blocked but doing better but not blocked now. I want to choose the best possible. For all.
Lorena Ávila says
Hello Ivonne, as you can see in the final recommendations, this cat food is not recommended for cats with UTI.
Yvonne Rudicil says
Is there one out there that has all the best like this but also for cats with UTI problems. I checked into the Innova but places seem to be pulling it and I was told it was discontinued. Even though I have a big cat colony, I want to provide the best dry. Hope you can help. I’ve tried researching but after awhile it all becomes mind boggling.
Lorena Ávila says
Hi Yvonne, as far as I know, Innova Nature’s is not discontinued and this cat food contains all the aminoacids cats need which prevents future diseases. I suggest you to try this one with your healthy cats.
Regarding your cat with UTI problems, I really think it is better idea to feed them wet canned food. Cats with Urinary Tract Infections don’t do good with dry foods as dry foods lack the water they need to avoid the formation of crystals. The other option is to mix a little bit of Innova dry food with canned food for your cats with UTI.
Sylvia Irvine says
Are there any GM ingredients in Acana Pacifica cat food?
Lorena Ávila says
Hello Sylvia, Acana Pacifica cat food is informed as GMO free.
- says
Had been feeding my cat this food for 2.5 years, and he unfortunately recently had to take an emergency trip to the vet due to a urinary tract crystal blockage. He will now be on a completely wet food diet for the rest of his life. The vet mentioned that diet was the largest contributor to this problem, so i suggest if you would like to save upwards of $1000 on an emergency vet bill and potentially your cats life (the condition he had is potentially fatal), make sure your cat has at least a half and half diet of wet and dry food, and always has a ton of water to drink (multiple bowls is best). Not trying to discredit this food, the ingredients are great and it seems very nutritious, but I wouldn’t want someone to run into the same problem my cat did because they are feeding this dry brand exclusively.
Lorena Ávila says
Hello Charlotte, I am so sorry to hear what your cat has been going through. Many times people feed their cats only dry food and that’s a mistake, especially with dry cat foods based mostly in fish. I made sure to mention in my review as a “Con” and as “IMPORTANT” in conclusions that this cat food MUST be complemented with wet food and giving plenty of water to the cat. Any dry cat food can cause this problem to cats if not giving wet canned food complementing the diet and plenty of water at all times. It is very important and I hope more people read this comment so they understand how important is to feed cats a mixed diet and water intake. I am sorry again for your cat being in such a bad condition, all my best wish for its recuperation.
Katie says
I wish that I had read this a month ago. My male cat, Pharaoh, died this morning due to a UTI and kidney failure brought on by a diet of only Acana Pacific. if only I knew, I would have been happy to supplement or change.