Acana

Acana Singles: Free-run Duck review

Name: Acana Singles: Free-run Duck
Brand: Acana

68.1/100Good

DryAdult

Flavour

Acana's answer to the allergy question: three grain-free recipes that each keep to one named animal from the lead meat down to the fat. The lamb sits in our Excellent band and the duck and pork just below in Good. Algae supplies the omega 3s, so no fish oil bends the promise.

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Our view

Likely to suit

The dog that reacts to half the pet shop
Elimination trials and confirmed protein allergies, with no unnamed fat to muddy them
Dogs kept off fish; the EPA and DHA come from algae
A less common protein. Duck and pork are rarely labelled this plainly
Sensitive dogs on a conventional kibble, short of a prescription diet

Worth watching

A bigger share of peas, lentils and chickpeas than the brand's meat-denser ranges
Duck and pork labelled for adults only

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

68.1/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceExcellent

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Lamb is listed for puppies, adults and seniors; duck and pork for adults. For a large-breed puppy, check the lamb's calcium with your vet first.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Duck

The score, in context

Grass-fed Lamb 70.8
Yorkshire Pork 68.5
Free-run Duck 68.1

Three recipes across Excellent and Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Keeping every second species out means legumes shoulder more of the load and our scoring notices; for a dog that needs the single-animal promise, it is the right trade.

What's in it

Raw duck18%
Duck meal17%Dried, so it carries more protein than its share suggests.
Whole green peas, whole red lentilsThe start of a broad legume run.
Raw duck liver9%The species' own liver, at a named percentage.
Duck fat6%Named to species, so the single-animal promise holds.
Fresh pears4%The fruit note.
Chickpeas, green lentils, yellow peas, pea starch, lentil fibreLegumes carry more of the load than in the brand's meat-denser lines.
AlgaeEPA and DHA without a fish in sight.
Butternut squash, pumpkin, kelp, salt, chicory root, berries and herbs

Taurine at 1500 mg per kilo, the right response to questions about legume-rich diets, plus choline, a full B group, zinc, copper and a live probiotic strain.

Labelled for adults only.

Named ingredients

Raw duck (18%), duck meal (17%), whole green peas, whole red lentils, raw duck liver (9%), duck fat (6%), fresh pears (4%), whole chickpeas, whole green lentils, whole yellow peas, pea starch, lentil fibre, algae (source of EPA and DHA), fresh whole butternut squash, fresh whole pumpkin, dried kelp, salt, dried chicory root, whole cranberries, whole blueberries, turmeric, milk thistle, burdock root, lavender, marshmallow root, rosehips.

Against the range

Meat: Raw duck 18%, meal 17%, liver 9%; Lamb 21% and 19%; pork 18% each
Fat source: Duck fat 6%; Pork fat on the pork; plant oils on the lamb
Life stage: Adults only; Only the lamb covers puppies and seniors

A natural first try for a dog that has reacted to the common poultries.

Each recipe is the same build with a different animal: raw meat and a matching meal at the top, the species' own liver at a named percentage, and nothing animal from a second species anywhere. Algae supplies EPA and DHA, so even fish oil stays out.

Starch comes from a broad run of peas, lentils and chickpeas. The analysis is identical across the three: protein 35.2% and carbohydrate 33.6% of dry matter, below the 46.2% typical for adult dry food. Taurine is dosed at 1500 mg per kilo on every variety.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

339.3 kcal/100g

Protein

31%

Fat

15%

Fibre

Ash

7.5%

Moisture

12%

Dry weight

Protein

35.2%

Fat

17%

Fibre

5.7%

Ash

8.5%

Carbs

33.6%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Meat

44%

Carbs

44.7%

Veg

5.2%

Oils

Other

0.2%

Pricing & size