Champion Petfoods Lawsuit Claims Acana Grain-Free Dog Food Is Not as Nutritionally Complete as Advertised

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A proposed class action alleges that Champion Petfoods USA has falsely and misleadingly advertised that its Acana grain-free dog food provides complete nutrition, as the food allegedly increases the risk of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which can cause congestive heart failure in dogs.

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The 35-page lawsuit against Champion Petfoods USA asserts that the Acana grain-free dog food is neither beneficial nor nutritionally balanced for dogs to eat regularly. The complaint accuses Champion Petfoods of “health-washing” the dog foods at issue, falsely promising health benefits “beyond normal dog food to lure pet owners” into making a purchase.

According to the class action lawsuit, dogs who eat a grain-free diet have a higher risk of developing DCM, a serious heart disease, due to the presence of legumes and other pea-derived ingredients, and the absence of taurine, which is critical to canine health.

The Acana grain-free dog foods at issue in the class action lawsuit include the following recipes and varieties:

• -Acana Appalachian Ranch Formula;
• -Duck & Pear Singles Formula;
• -Freshwater Fish Formula;
• -Grasslands’ Formula;
• -Lamb & Apple Singles Formula;
• -Jerky Bites Beef Recipe;
• -Jerky Bites Chicken Recipe;
• -Jerky Bites Duck Recipe;
• -Butcher Favorites Free-Run Poultry & Liver Recipe;
• -Butcher Favorites Farm-Raised Beef & Liver Recipe;
• -Butcher Favorites Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe;
• -Puppy Recipe;
• -Free-Run Poultry Recipe;
• -Red Meat Recipe;
• -Light & Fit Recipe;
• -Highest Protein-Meadowland Recipe;
• -Highest Protein-Wild Atlantic Recipe;
• -Highest Protein-Appalachian Ranch Recipe;
• -Pork & Squash Singles Recipe;
• -Beef & Pumpkin Singles Recipe;
• -Freeze-Dried Food Farm-Raised Beef Recipe Morsels;
• -Freeze-Dried Food Free-Run Chicken Recipe Morsels;
• -Freeze-Dried Food Free-Run Duck Recipe Morsels;
• -Freeze-Dried Food Free Run Turkey Recipe Morsels;
• -Freeze-Dried Patties Farm-Raised Beef Recipe;
• -Freeze-Dried Free Run Chicken Recipe;
• -Freeze-Dried Patties Free-Run Duck Recipe;
• -Freeze-Dried Patties Free-Run Turkey Recipe;
• -Premium Pate Poultry;
• -Premium Pate Beef;
• -Premium Pate Duck;
• -Premium Pate Lamb;
• -Premium Pate Puppy (in bone broth);
• -Premium Pate Poultry (in bone broth);
• -Premium Pate Beef (in bone broth);
• -Premium Chunks Duck (in bone broth);
• -Premium Chunks Lamb (in bone broth);
• -Premium Chunks Pork (in bone broth); and others.

The filing conveys that grain-free dog food—which does not contain grain products such as barley, corn, grain sorghum, oats, wheat, rice or rye—deprives dogs of carbohydrates and essential nutrients. Per the case, grain-free dog food also lacks vitamins and minerals beneficial for canine cardiovascular health and digestion, such as iron, thiamine, calcium, riboflavin, folate and niacin.

Despite scientific evidence and studies evidencing that grain-free dog foods are harmful to man’s best friend, each bag of Acana dog food bears statements claiming that it contains a “Biologically Appropriate” formulation that is a “Complete Food” or “Superfood for Dogs.”

Despite the “unassailable truth” that Acana grain-free dog food lacks essential nutrients, as well as the correlation of grain-free food with high pea-content with DCM, Champion Petfoods USA has continued to misrepresent its food on the products’ packaging, in digital advertisements, and in descriptions of the products, the filing alleges.

Per the complaint, the plaintiff purchased Acana grain-free dog food from 2023 to 2025 after reading and relying on the defendant’s representations of healthfulness and complete nutrition. The plaintiff’s dog passed away in 2025 after developing DCM and subsequent heart failure at two-and-a-half years old, the lawsuit says.

The Champion Petfoods class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals in the United States who purchased any of the grain-free products listed above from the beginning of any applicable statute of limitations period through the date of judgment, or until the alleged conduct ceases.

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