Kasiks is a family-owned pet food company founded in 1989. They are based in British Colombia, Canada, and owned by the parent company Firstmate. The brand manufactures all of their products in company-owned facilities in Canada. Their founder, Michael Florian, is a former commercial fisherman who left the field to invest in sustainable aquaculture and salmon farming. He observed how much the dogs on his fish farm loved eating their fish, which inspired the creation of his pet food line. Firstmate and Kasiks are both manufactured in the same facilities and contain a lot of the same ingredients. Kasiks is differentiated by its focus on treating specific health issues.
Types of Kasiks Dog Food
Kasiks produces both dry dog food and wet dog food. They currently offer three dry food options and three canned wet food options. All of their products are manufactured in-house.
If you’re looking for something more specialized, You can also check out our other recommendations for dry dog food and wet dog food.
Following is a complete list of Kasiks’ dog food products:
Dry Food Recipes:
Wet Food Recipes:
Ingredients
Kasiks’ dog foods are all free of grain and gluten, with whole meats as the first ingredient followed by different types of legumes and pulses. Their meats are all wild caught, cage-free or free-range. They ensure all animals are treated humanely and only feed all-natural ingredients. In general, all of Kasiks’ ingredients are more carefully sourced and sustainable compared to Firstmates’ main line.
Kasiks’ moist foods contain at least 95 percent of the main protein with the remainder derived from vegetable protein and their dry foods are also primarily meat-based. Their recipes do not include any GMO’s, fillers or artificial flavors. They use poultry, fish and lamb as their primary meat sources and generally only have one type of meat in each recipe. The secondary ingredients in all of their recipes are different types of legumes and pulses, including chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, green peas and yellow peas. These are a nutrient dense source of carbohydrates, fiber, and plant protein. Tomato pomace is also added to their recipes, which is often considered to be a “controversial” ingredient as it is a byproduct of processing tomatoes into human food products. However, it is also high in fiber in nutrients, which is why it is seen in so many dog foods, including high-end brands. Pea starch is also sometimes seen as a filler, though in this case it is used for its binding capabilities.
Selenium east and chelated minerals are high-quality supplements that can be found lower down on their ingredient list. Yeast is high in nutrients and is thought to have anti-cancer properties and heal skin problems. Chelated minerals, which are typically found in top-shelf dog food brands, are also found in Kasiks’ formulas. Chelation is the process of chemically attaching minerals to a protein molecule, making them more bioavailable and easier to absorb.
Kasiks does include fruits and vegetables in their recipes such as blueberries, cranberries, coconut, and kale. However, these ingredients are all the way at the bottom of their ingredient lists. We would like to see these ingredients higher on the list, as they are important sources of nutrients vital do health.
Kasiks’ dog foods have variable nutrient contents between their different recipes. However, all are generally satisfactory in their proportions. On average in their dry foods, 46 percent of calories are from carbohydrates, 29 percent are from fat and 25 percent are from protein. The fiber content is 8.9 percent, which is quite high compared to other dry dog foods, which are generally between 3 and 5 percent fiber. Their wet foods are higher in fat and protein and lower in carbohydrates, which is normal for wet foods.
Comparison to Other Leading Brands
Kasiks is a moderately expensive brand of dog food – certainly more expensive than your average grocery store kibble but mid-range compared to other natural grain-free brands. It is important to keep in mind that the increase in price goes towards better quality ingredients. A 25-pound bag of their dry dog food is priced at $58. Their dry food is also sold in smaller 5-pound bags, which is useful for testing if your dog likes a certain flavor or variety. Their wet food is sold in cases of 12 12.2-ounce cans for $39. This comes out to $3.25 per can.
Brands like Taste of the Wild and Blue Buffalo are similar in formula but cheaper and easier to find in stores than Kasiks. Natural Balance and Diamond are also great options for dog owners on a budget but still looking for more natural dog food options. You can also check out our other recommendations for organic dog food and grain-free dog food.
Recall History
Kasiks has not had any recent recalls, which is reflective of their high standards for quality in safety in all their products. The fact that they manufacture all of their dog foods in company-owned facilities makes it easier to regulate their products and likely that they will continue to be a safe and reliable brand.
Coupons and Discounts
Kasiks dog food is primarily online for US-based consumers. Kasiks is a Canadian brand, so it is difficult to find them in local pet stores in the United States. However, their full product line is available on Firstmate’s website and free shipping is available for most of the US and Canada. Chewy and Amazon generally have the best selection of their products and most commonly offer discounted rates and free shipping. You can also sign up for FirstMates newsletter through their website, which often includes limited time offers and deals on their dog food.
Kasiks Dog Food Review Conclusion
We give Kasiks a final rating of “good”. While they generally use high-quality and carefully sourced ingredients, their recipes do contain some filler ingredients that aren’t bad, but we would hope to see ingredients only included for their dietary benefit to a dog food in this price range.
If you want some more options, check out our other favorite dog food brands that really stood out across all categories.
Sources
