Singles Limited Ingredient Duck & Pear Grain-Free High-Protein Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
ACANA Singles Limited Ingredient Duck & Pear is a grain-free dry dog food with duck and duck liver as its primary proteins.
This food has a strong protein profile, with duck as the primary ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also includes quality fat sources like duck fat and fish oil, providing beneficial EPA and DHA. The formula is backed by AAFCO feeding trial substantiation.
There's some legume stacking with chickpeas and lentils appearing in the top 15 ingredients. This is a pattern the FDA has flagged, but the duck liver in the top 10 helps mitigate this concern.
Good fit for adult dogs, especially those with sensitivities who might benefit from a limited ingredient diet. Less ideal if you're concerned about legume stacking.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult French Bulldogs navigating a sensitive stomach. Working in its favor: prebiotic fiber (chicory or FOS) for gut health. Duck leads at position 1, and a single-species protein design that makes trigger isolation easier. What we'd flag: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers). Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well.
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 72/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+21 points): Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points). Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. A-tier is 3.0 points away. Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty is the most direct route.
Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Bottom 10% for fat quality in ACANA's lineup (12/16)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-free dry kibbles (72/100)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in ACANA's lineup (19.3%)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
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Scores 11 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
ACANA Classics Beef & Barley Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag
$2.89/lb vs your seed's $4.71/lb (39% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalduck meal
Duck cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh duck.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalduck liver
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6duck fat
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8lentil fiber
Position 8. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 9pears
- 10fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11natural duck flavor
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 16supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 17vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 18supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 19mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 20preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 21vitamin a acetate
- 22vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 23vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 24vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 25vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.