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Essence vs Under The Sun

Essence vs. Under The Sun

In this comparison article for Essence vs Under The Sun, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and Under The Sun, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Under The Sun vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or Under The Sun Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Under The Sun vs. Essence

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Essence Dog Food vs. Under The Sun Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodEssenceUnder The Sun
Crude Protein40.9%27.5%
Crude Fat19.3%12.1%
Crude Fiber5.7%4.6%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodEssenceUnder The Sun
Crude Protein46.2%41.1%
Crude Fat32.6%24.5%
Crude Fiber6.0%6.1%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

The comparison table above shows that Essence dry dog foods provide significantly more protein than Under The Sun. More specifically, Essence guarantees at least 13.39% more protein. For wet dog foods, Essence provides more protein (about 5.15% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of Essence and Under The Sun. On average, Under The Sun dry dog food recipes contain 7.25% less fat than Essence recipes. In addition, Essence wet dog foods also provide more fat than Under The Sun wet foods.


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Under The Sun and Essence also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Essence Cat Food vs. Under The Sun Cat Food

Wet/Canned Cat FoodEssenceUnder The Sun
Crude Protein46.2%46.5%
Crude Fat31.8%22.3%
Crude Fiber4.8%6.7%

Crude Protein Comparison For Cat Food

Cats require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Eleven of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining eleven are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these eleven essential amino acids.

Essence and Under The Sun both provide roughly the same amount of crude protein.


Crude Fat Comparison For Cat Food

There are many ways in which dietary fat contributes to the overall health of our feline friends. Here is a short list of benefits provided by fats (not exhaustive):

  • Fats help with the digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
  • Slow the growth of yeast infections
  • Prevent or reduce the likelihood of certain heart problems.
  • Aid in the development of the retina and visual cortex.

When you look at the average percentages of crude fat for wet cat food, it's clear that Essence provides significantly more fat. On average, Essence guarantees about 9.48% more protein than Under The Sun.


Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. Under The Sun Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Under The Sun.

Canola Oil
Pea Protein

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Under The Sun.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & Under The Sun?

According to our records, neither brand has issued any product recalls. Therefore, consumers have no reason to question the safety of Essence or Under The Sun pet food products.

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodEssenceUnder The Sun
Per Pound$4.11$1.67
Per Calorie$0.0024$0.0011

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Essence or Under The Sun, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Essence or Under The Sun will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and Under The Sun. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Essence Pet Foods

You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:


12 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Under The Sun Pet Foods

You can purchase Under The Sun pet food products from these retailers:


4 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductEssenceUnder The Sun
Dry Dog Food6 Recipes7 Recipes
Wet Dog Food6 Recipes8 Recipes
Dog TreatsNoneNone
Dry Cat Food3 RecipesNone
Wet Cat Food3 Recipes9 Recipes
Cat TreatsNoneNone

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