The Eureka Dog Food Review:
Tested & Evaluated 2024

Written By Eloisa Thomas | Canine Coach, Double M.A in Anthropology.
Edited & Fact Checked By Renae Soppe | B.A Journalism & Science.
Last Updated: 4th January 2024

Fact Checked & Medically Reviewed by Dr Kathryn Rosalie Dench | M.A VetMB MRCVS.
Review Guidelines & Methodology: Our product reviews are 100% unbiased.

Air-dried? Check. Full of meat? Check. Australian-made? Check.

Eureka is a new Australian pet food manufacturer that has been gaining popularity recently. But is it a good ZiwiPeak replacement? Is Eureka dog food good? In today’s Eureka pet food review, we’re going over everything you need to know about their food options so you can make the right choice for your pup.

Eureka is an Australian air-dried dog food subscription-only service
Exclusively uses Australian ingredients
All recipes are grain and filler-free, with over 90% Australian meat, bone and offal.

Table Of Contents

Australia's Eureka Pet Food Review

Australia's Eureka Pet Food Review

Eureka being tested by our independent expert team.

Eureka Pet Food being tested by our independent expert team.

Eureka - 4.5 Star Rating

Ingredients: Wild boar and chicken recipe: Wild boar (Meat, liver, Heart, Lung, kidney, finely ground bone), Free Range Chicken (meat, Liver, Heart, Lung, finely ground Bone, Cartilage), Salmon Oil, Apple Fibre, Lecithin, Green Lipped Mussel, Flax Meal, Chia Seed, Free Range Eggs, Broccoli, Vitamin & Minerals, Sea Salt, Blueberry, Kelp, Citric Acid, Chicory Root (Inulin), Mixed Tocopherols, Turmeric, Postbiotic (blend of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum)
Named Protein First: Yes.
Dog Food Type: Air-dried dog food
Recipe Range: Wild venison & lamb, wild kangaroo & lamb, wild boar & chicken.
Suitable For: Dogs of all ages. Puppies, adults and senior dogs.
Cost: $$$$
Australian Owned: Yes.

Eureka Dog Food Review
Taste
Ingredients
Protein content
Additives
Variety
Price

If you’re interested in a dog food subscription service, you’ve probably heard of Eureka.co. This is a relatively young Australian start-up that sends delicious grain-free, air-dried dog food straight to your doorstep. The promise is a no-nonsense dog food, jam packed with nutrients, without fillers and is environmentally conscious. Does it deliver on its promise? Here’s what you should know.

Taste 5/5

As with other air-dried foods, Eureka recipes are particularly palatable. The extra deliciousness in the recipes has two main reasons: first, the air-drying process tends to better preserve naturally occurring smells and flavours. This means as soon as you open a pack, your pup will immediately know. In our experience, it has a very meaty smell! The second reason is the large percentage of meat and the inclusion of animal ingredients like offal, in line with other air-dried foods (like Ziwi peak), these recipes’ main ingredients are animal-sourced. Since dogs naturally prefer meaty foods, it’s no wonder customers report their pups lick their bowls clean.

All in all, it’s really no surprise these recipes fare well in the taste department: they are mostly made out of meat and bone.

Because of the happy customers and meaty bags, we’re giving this brand 5 out of 5 in taste.

Related: The Best Meal Toppers For Dogs.

Ingredients 5/5

This is where Eureka really shines. After reviewing many dog food recipes, it’s easy to spot a high-quality option. This brand has a lot of great points!

Let’s start with the ingredient list. All recipes begin with at least two main meat sources, split into different ingredients. Taking the wild boar and chicken as an example, the first ingredient is “wild boar”, which includes “meat, liver, heart, lung, kidney, finely ground bone”, followed by free-range chicken (also with a mix of muscle meats and offal). We will go over the highlights of the protein choice in the next category, but suffice to say having a good mix of meat, offal and bone is one of the markers of high-quality dog food. The rest of the ingredient list is equally great: some healthy fats from salmon oil, flaxseed and eggs, then a few fruits and vegetables.

The guaranteed analysis of the recipes reflects the high amount of healthy protein. The wild boar and chicken recipe packs a whopping 37% protein (minimum), a minimum of 25% fat and a maximum of 6% carbohydrates. For comparison, the ZiwiPeak air-dried chicken recipe has 38% minimum crude protein and 30% minimum crude fat.

On the other hand, Eureka’s recipes are all air-dried, which is great news! This means the moisture in raw ingredients is removed through evaporation without adding heat (AKA, without cooking the food) [1]. Unlike freeze-dried dog food, air-dried dog food sticks together better and is less crumbly. Since air-dried dog food isn’t subjected to high temperatures, nutrients are better preserved and it has all the benefits of raw feeding your pup [2]. As a plus, air-dried food can be kept in the pantry and has a relatively long shelf life, so it’s a great alternative if you don’t have the space to freeze raw dog food.

As a final note, our team appreciates the care taken to choose environmentally conscious ingredients. This is hard to find among commercial pet food manufacturers, especially here in Australia where pet food regulations are quite lax [3]. Nevertheless, the Eureka team is proud to only have carbon-neutral recipes with sustainably-sourced ingredients, certified through NoCO2 (the longest-running Australian climate change certification) [4]. Plus, since the food is made in Australia, it doesn’t need to travel far to reach your pooch.

All in all, both the ingredients and manufacturing process from this brand are great. The ingredient list and guaranteed analysis are comparable to those of other comparable options in the market, with the added bonus of being sourced in Australia. We’re giving Eureka 5 out of 5 in this category.

Protein Content 5/5

The protein choices are one of the better features of this food. If you’re looking for a high-protein low-carb dog food for your pup, this brand might be a great fit.

As we’ve mentioned above, all recipes pack a minimum of 37% protein. This is well above minimum AAFCO recommendations of 18% for adult dogs [5] as well as most traditional kibble recipes that tend to have around 24-28% of protein per 100g. As of the writing of this article, Eureka has recipes with wild boar, lamb, kangaroo and chicken. They pride themselves in adding novel proteins to every recipe to increase the health benefit of the food, but is this backed by science?

According to a recent study, dogs fed “a variety of novel proteins'' showed improved nutrient absorption [6]. This is interesting, since we also advocate for rotating your dog’s food. Apparently, adding some new proteins every once in a while can prevent nutritional deficiencies, which is always great news. Feeding uncommon proteins can have other benefits: it’s particularly useful if you have a pup with food allergies. As we’ve mentioned before, dogs tend to develop allergies to the most common foods in their diet (including chicken) [7]. If your dog has been diagnosed with an allergy to a common protein, this brand might be a good choice since there are some recipes without chicken or beef (the most common meat allergies).

As for the selection of proteins, we appreciate that all the meats either come from grass-fed/free-range animals or from sustainable wild-caught sources. Keeping in line with the general environmental consciousness of the brand, it’s only logical to choose meat sources with animal welfare in mind.

Finally, we couldn’t finish this Eureka dog food review without mentioning the offal included in the ingredients. If you’re wondering, “offal” are all organ meats of a butchered animal, such as liver, lung, kidneys. Adding internal organs to your dog’s diet is always a healthy choice, they are packed with micronutrients, especially iron and magnesium [6]. Dog foods that have offal also better replicate what your dog would eat “in the wild ''. If your dog were to catch prey, they would eat a moderate amount of muscle meat, some bones, and a good chunk of internal organs. Overall, this gives your dog a more balanced nutrient intake with naturally-occurring micronutrients.

We really can’t complain about Eureka’s protein choices, so we’re giving this brand 5 out of 5 in this category.

Additives 5/5

Very few dog food brands have little to no additives, but Eureka is one of them. There are no added colourants, flavourings or other processed additives. Instead, the recipes have a few extra ingredients to round up the composition:

Healthy fats: From salmon oil and flaxseed, which is rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
Anti-inflammatory extras: All recipes have green-lipped mussels, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and help fight chronic inflammation. Kelp and blueberries are also rich in antioxidants, which can help your pup age more gracefully and keep active for longer. One of the recipes (boar and chicken) includes turmeric, with a proven positive effect on joint pain among arthritic dogs [8].
Probiotics: All recipes include 2 strains of lactobacillus and one strain of Bifidobacterium, which can all help with gut health. As shown by several different studies, a healthy gut microbiome can improve long-term health outcomes, and is directly linked to your dog’s diet [9].

Considering Australian pet food manufacturers are still struggling to not include sulphites (that can be dangerous to your dog’s health) as preservatives [10], a dog food that only uses natural preservatives and no fillers is always a great sight.

Because of the nice extras and no artificial additives, we’re giving this brand 5 out of 5.

Variety 3/5

This is a small company so there’s a small recipe range available. As of the writing of this article, only three recipes are on sale: wild venison & lamb, wild kangaroo & lamb, and wild boar & chicken. While these can be enough, it’s always nice to have a few more options to rotate with.

If you’re looking for an Eureka puppy food review, there are no puppy- or senior-specific recipes from this brand. All three existing recipes fulfill the AAFCO’s nutritional requirements for puppies and nursing dogs, so you can offer Eureka to any puppy without worry. However, some owners state the pieces are slightly large for the small mouths of puppies and small dogs: if your dog is especially small or has dental issues this might become a problem. However, for most dogs it isn’t very important.

Our biggest concern for this category is the lack of shopping options. Because of the nature of the company, Eureka dog food is only available online. This is fine for us, and it can be an asset if you’re too busy to actually go into the store and get the food. However, the only way to try the food is to go through the questionnaire and then sign up for a monthly subscription.

However, they offer a small sampler package which gives you and your pup a chance to test it first.

We’re giving Eureka 3 out of 5 in this category.

Price 3/5

At last, a category where this brand doesn’t shine. Eureka dog food can be pricey, especially if you’re feeding several dogs. We appreciate that every shipment includes a daily cost breakdown, so owners can figure out how much feeding their pups actually costs.

The price tag puts Eureka among other top-tier foods, such as ZiwiPeak. After reviewing the ingredients, our team felt the cost was appropriate with the quality of the food. We understand the price: manufacturing air-dried dog food, with sustainable ingredients and sourced in Australia can be very costly. This air-dried food would definitely be pricier if sold at a regular store, so it’s obvious some efforts have been made to reduce some costs via a subscription service.

However, the higher price can be a barrier for many and it’s a shame. We believe all dogs should get food of this quality!

Therefore, we’re giving Eureka 3 out of 5 for the price.

Do Not Buy If…

We really liked the composition of this food, but it might not be the right choice if you:

Want a budget food: It has a higher price point compared to traditional kibble, so it can be a big change budget-wise. However, the price is fair and in-line with comparable foods like ZiwiPeak. If you’re already feeding higher-priced food, Eureka can be a great choice.
Are looking for fish-based dog food: As we mentioned, the recipe options are relatively limited. None of the recipes have fish as the main protein, although all of them include salmon oil.

Final Verdict

This is one of the best dog foods we’ve reviewed. Plus, it’s the only air-dried dog food of this quality actually manufactured in Australia, and we love to support local businesses. If you can afford it, give this one a try!

Want to read more dog food brand reviews? Check out the below:

References

McLaughlin, K. January 8, 2021. “What Is Freeze-Dried Dog Food? Is It Better Than Dehydrated Dog Food?” PetMd. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/what-freeze-dried-dog-food-it-better-dehydrated-dog-food
Freeman, LM. December 1, 2013. “Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats”. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 243(11), 1549–1558. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549.
“How is the pet food industry regulated in Australia?” Australia RSPCA Knowledge Base. August 12, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-is-the-pet-food-industry-regulated-in-australia/
Carbon Reduction Institute. NoCO2 Business Certification. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://noco2.com.au/certification/
“Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs. A Science-Based Guide For Pet Owners”. 2006. National Research Council of the National Academies. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/10668/dog_nutrition_final_fix.pdf
Rudinsky, A. J., Rowe, J. C., & Parker, V. J. September 1, 2018. “Nutritional management of chronic enteropathies in dogs and cats”. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 253(5), 570-578. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.253.5.570
Llera, R., Barnette, C., Ward, E. “Food Allergies in Dogs”. VCA Animal Hospitals. Retrieved March 29, 2023.https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/food-allergies-in-dogs
Bradūnaitė, R et al. 2020. “Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of turmeric extracts in rat adjuvant arthritis”. Veterinarski. Arhiv, 90(4), 393-402. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Migle-Leonaviciute-Klimantaviciene/publication/344508376_Anti-inflammatory_and_antioxidant_effects_of_turmeric_extracts_in_rat_adjuvant_arthritis/links/6230305bc2d665734f12349c/Anti-inflammatory-and-antioxidant-effects-of-turmeric-extracts-in-rat-adjuvant-arthritis.pdf
Mondo, E, et al. September 1, 2019. "Role of gut microbiota in dog and cat’s health and diseases." Open Veterinary Journal 9.3 (2019): 253-258. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ovj/article/view/190200
“Are preservatives in pet food products a concern?”. Australian RSPCA Knowledge Base. Retrieved March 29, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/are-preservatives-in-pet-food-products-a-concern/

Eloisa Thomas

Eloisa Thomas is Gentle Dog Trainers Canine Coach & Anthropologist.

With a double master's degree in Anthropology and awarded a Chancellor's International Scholarship to pursue a PhD in History at the University of Warwick (UK), she's well equipped to write well written and factual canine information that will actually help people understand their dogs better.

The Eureka Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Australia's Eureka Pet Food Review

Taste 5/5

Ingredients 5/5

Protein Content 5/5

Additives 5/5

Variety 3/5

Price 3/5

Do Not Buy If…

Final Verdict

References

Eloisa Thomas