American Journey is a relatively new brand on the dog food market. However, in a few short years, they’ve managed to make a lasting impression on pets and pet owners who have tried their products.
They have food that caters to all three life stages: puppy, adult, and senior. This is excellent because each life stage has different needs that must be addressed with nutrition specific to the dog’s age. They also have options for dogs who have stomach sensitivities. American Journey also includes grain-free and grain-inclusive recipes, so owners are free to take their pick of what suits their dogs better. They also have a few variants of wet food if your pet prefers or needs it in their diet.
Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know about American Journey. Table Of Contents
Having been established in April of 2017, American Journey is a new player among the giants of the dog food industry. It’s the flagship dog food brand of Chewy.com. Chewy is a trusted brand among pet parents, so it’s good to know that American Journey builds on that trust further with the great quality of its products.
Most of American Journey’s food is produced in Kansas, while their limited, grain-free formula is made in California. American Journey takes great pride in sourcing its ingredients only from reputable suppliers both in the US and around the world. Throughout its short history, the company has supplied countless dogs with high-quality kibble and wet food that nourishes them completely. The future certainly looks bright for American Journey.
American Journey carries a decent amount of formulas. While we review both dry and wet foods, we place special emphasis on the dry kibble. This is because dry kibble tends to be the most complete in nutrients. It also has food that is tailored to your dog’s every life stage. Wet food does not have much in the way of variety, but we’ll still be looking at the regular line as well as the limited-ingredient formulas.
American Journey definitely has more to offer with its line of dry kibble. Here’s the lowdown on their most popular formulas spanning different life stages. We’ll also look into their weight loss kibble, which is perfect for pooches who may need to drop a few pounds.
American Journey has three puppy formulas that have gained favor among many pet owners. Two of the formulas are grain-free, while the third one includes grains. This gives good variety among pups with different needs. The grain-free formulas are a bit more expensive than their grain-inclusive counterparts. This is because they have a more complex manufacturing process. While each formula does a good job of providing your puppy with complete nutrition, the grain-free formula is best for puppies with sensitive stomachs.
American Journey’s puppy formulas don’t have a focus on particular breed sizes. While this is fine for more average-sized breeds, smaller and larger breeds may need more specific nutrition. When picking a puppy formula, you have to consider the quality of food and your dog’s breed, and expected size. Puppyhood is extremely important to a dog’s development, and, to ensure that your pup grows up to be a healthy adult, they should be eating food tailored to their needs.
Despite this, most dogs have no problem chowing down on American Journey’s puppy formula. It contains plenty of nutrients from fruits and vegetables, including antioxidants for a fortified immune system. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids also play a crucial role in developing eyes and brains, as well as in keeping the skin and coat healthy. American Journey’s puppy food contains real, deboned meat or fish as the first ingredient, so your puppy has the fuel they need to grow up big and strong.
Contrary to popular belief, grains can actually play a significant role in your dog’s nutrition. Good grains can supply your dog with complex carbohydrates, which are great sources of energy. They’re also packed full of fiber for easier digestion and better nutrient absorption. Fiber also helps keep your dog fuller for longer. The caveat to grain-inclusive food is that many dogs have sensitivities to grain. As such, this formula is best suited for dogs who have stronger stomachs.
American Journey’s grain-inclusive formulas come in four delicious flavors (in both dry and wet food options). All of these use whole ingredients, with the primary ingredient always being real meat. This formula has an excellent amino acid profile, a great supply of complex carbohydrates, and a good amount of antioxidants. All of these components work together to provide your dog with stable and complete nutrition.
It’s important to note that American Journey’s adult formulas are marketed as being for “all life stages.” This is usually fine to feed your adult dogs, but puppies and seniors definitely have different requirements in their diet. It’s always best to feed your dog food that is appropriate for their life stage. When keeping American Journey’s adult formula in mind, you can transition your dog from puppy to adult formula at around the age of one, provided they’re of average size.
The most popular American Journey’s lineup formula is their grain-free adult recipe. It often runs a bit pricier than its grain-inclusive counterpart, but the benefits are well worth the cost. If your dog has sensitivities to grain, it’s a great idea to give them a diet with complex carbohydrates sourced from ingredients like sweet potatoes. It’s delicious, nutritious, and much gentler on the tummy. Do note that switching from grain-inclusive food to grain-free may need to be under the supervision of a veterinarian. This is to ensure no complications arise from the change in diet.
American Journey’s adult formulas hold up well against other food brands. It’s no surprise that their grain-free formula also contains impressive levels of high-quality nutrients. Your dogs are sure to get all the nourishment they need from this diet. This includes high-quality protein, a boost of antioxidants, as well as Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. Vitamins and minerals from the superfoods contained in this formula are also instrumental in promoting your dog’s overall health. As usual, we recommend this type of dog food for adult dogs of average size. They receive the most benefit from this formula.
Limited-Ingredient formulas contain only the essential ingredients for your dog’s nutrition. This formula is perfect for dogs with allergies and sensitivities since it doesn’t contain grains and fillers that could potentially make them sick. There are five formulas to choose from: salmon, duck, lamb, turkey, and venison. A good range of flavors gives freedom of choice to discerning pet parents who want only the most delicious food for their fur babies. More flavors also mean a better chance you’ll find something even the pickiest pets will enjoy.
American Journey’s limited ingredient formula has fewer key ingredients but doesn’t compromise on the nutrition it provides your pet. It’s a fairly similar recipe to others on this list, so you may find transitioning from other formulas to this one is quite easy. Rest assured that your dog gets all the nutrients they need from their new diet while being safe from allergies and stomach upset.
American Journey carries three different formulas specifically meant for senior dogs. These include grain-inclusive chicken, grain-free chicken, and grain-free salmon. The senior formula is also comparable to their Healthy Weight formulas as it has fewer calories. This is great because senior dogs should be eating less than their adult counterparts due to their decreased activity levels.
A senior dog food formula is tricky to get right. Manufacturers need to be aware of the changes in a senior dog’s diet requirements. Senior dogs need an increase in Glucosamine and Chondroitin in order to strengthen their aging bones and joints. More vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are also needed to boost organ function and strengthen the immune system. Luckily, American Journey knows this and has crafted its senior recipe well, making it a great choice for many older dogs.
American Journey also carries an Active Life formula. Each recipe in this line provides a blend of nutrients and antioxidants to support a healthy immune system and overall well-being. They also sell a variety pack that features chicken and beef recipes with real, high-quality protein as the first ingredient to fuel an active lifestyle, plus wholesome vegetables and carbohydrate sources.
While dry kibble is the best for your dog’s overall health, sometimes your dog just needs something to spice up their dinner. Mixing in wet food is a great way of doing this. American Journey creates a selection of wet foods that are perfect toppers for your dog’s regular kibble. We’ll be talking about the regular wet food as well as the limited-ingredient wet food. It’s good to note that both these foods are excellent sources of nutrition for your dog and are a perfect, delicious supplement to any meal.
American Journey’s regular wet food formulas come in two forms: premium loaf and stews in gravy. They are all grain-free and come in a variety of different flavors. These include Chicken & Vegetables, Beef & Vegetables, Chicken & Turkey, and Beef & Chicken. These are all highly palatable foods that dogs of any age are sure to love. They contain high amounts of protein, omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. They never contain poultry by-product meal, grains, corn, wheat, soy, and artificial ingredients. Your dog gets nothing but delicious, wholesome goodness in every can.
There are three flavors of limited ingredient wet food: Lamb & Sweet Potato, Duck & Sweet Potato, and Chicken & Sweet Potato. While these products only have a limited number of key ingredients, your dog still gets the best in nutrition. This formula is perfect for dogs who may have difficulties processing regular dog food and, as such, need a simpler diet. Limited-ingredient wet foods are an awesome addition to any meal, without the added risk of allergies or sensitivities.
Our Rating of American Journey Dog Food
American Journey Active Life is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 4.5 stars.
February 2017: Voluntary recall of specific lots of wet tinned food. This was due to possible aluminum metal contamination, no reported illnesses or injuries.
American Journey promises to use deboned meat protein as the first ingredient. This is true of every formula and is the main reason why they are considered to be a high-quality brand. It’s not common within their price range, as similarly priced recipes don’t promise this. This is why we like American Journey. The usual meat ingredients are used, with Chicken and Salmon being their most-used meat proteins. This is followed by Lamb, Beef and Turkey. Duck and Venison meat are also offered in their Limited Ingredient kibbles as the only protein.
They have a mixture of grain-free and grain inclusive recipes. Blue Buffalo also offers both large breed and small breed puppy recipes, with a variety of flavors. 4 of the recipes, known as Baby Blue, have only just been released. They are not yet available on online markets, only in-store or directly from their website.
The diet of an adult should be focused on a well-balanced diet, that meets the individual needs of your pup. We always recommend adding additional fruits or vegetables to your dog’s diet. But that’s no replacement for a good base of dry kibble, which are the building blocks for your pup.
Additionally, in 2014 Purina PetCare filed a lawsuit against Blue Buffalo for false advertising, after finding poultry by-product meals in their recipes that claim never to use by-products. After conducting their own testing, Blue Buffalo acknowledged that this was true, but stated it came from their ingredient supplier.
We fed American Journey to our other dog so when we got our pup, we started with this. She’s a Goldendoodle and her coat is absolutely beautiful. We also add American Journey canned to it and feed her twice daily. She’s 10 months now and this what we’ve fed her forevermore. I would never switch.Rated 2 out of 5 starsEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starBy ARSP918 on Jul 17, 2022
I like the American Journey line of dog food. This bag I just got I do not see the expiration date in the area it is supposed to be in. If stamped in the dark area of the bag its going to be hard to findRated 5 out of 5 starsEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starBy Coaleyes on Aug 19, 2022
American Journey Active Life recipes always start with protein. That means real, deboned salmon or chicken to provide growing puppies the delicious protein they crave, and the essential amino acids they need for lean muscle growth.
Strong Bones – Precise balance of calcium and phosphorus help support proper bone development in puppies.
She LOVES IT! And it’s about time because we have worried over her not eating some other brands we’ve tried. I heard about Chewy from a friend that loves animals— she was right! Buy our food at Chewy!Rated 2 out of 5 starsEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starFilled starBy Tara on Jul 11, 2022
FAQ
Is American Journey all life stages good for puppies?
What company makes American Journey dog food?
Is American Journey only sold at chewy?
Is American Journey dog food highly recommended by all the critics?