The scores
Eukanuba Adult Medium Breed Chicken: B (76/100) — Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice.
Inukshuk Professional 26/16 Working Dog Formula: B (75/100) — Chicken Meal, Fish Meal (Herring and Anchovy), Ground Whole-Grain Barley, Ground Whole-Grain Corn, Ground Whole-Grain Wheat.
How the ingredients compare
The top-five ingredients reveal the formulation split between these two products:
Eukanuba: Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Brewers Rice
Inukshuk: Chicken Meal, Fish Meal (Herring and Anchovy), Ground Whole-Grain Barley, Ground Whole-Grain Corn, Ground Whole-Grain Wheat
The 1-point gap (Eukanuba wins by 1 point) shows where the v15 rubric weights ingredient breadth, protein density, and supplement depth differently.
Where Eukanuba pulls ahead
Fresh chicken at #1 (whole-meat-led structure): Eukanuba Adult Medium Breed Chicken leads with fresh chicken at #1 followed by chicken by-product meal at #2. The fresh whole chicken in primary position brings moisture-included muscle meat that the v15 rubric awards more points to than chicken-meal-alone lead. Inukshuk leads with chicken meal at #1 followed by fish meal at #2 — both are honest concentrated proteins but neither is whole-meat structurally. Shop on Amazon →
Mass-market pet-aisle distribution: Eukanuba is stocked at PetSmart, Petco, Target, Walmart, most grocery retailers with pet aisles, and Amazon. For travelers, multi-location households, or first-time switchers from generic mass-market food, the availability lowers switching friction substantially. Inukshuk distribution is concentrated in working-dog supply outlets, mushing supply, and gun-dog retailers — not mainstream pet-aisle channels.
Mars Petcare backing for breed-specific and life-stage variant lines: Eukanuba is part of the Mars Petcare portfolio with adjacent product lines including Royal Canin (breed-specific) and Pro Plan (sport / performance variant). For households with multiple dogs at different life stages or breed needs, the Mars portfolio depth lets you stay within the same supply chain when transitioning. Inukshuk has Marine 26/16 (sensitive skin) and 30/25 (extreme endurance) variants but no breed-specific or life-stage range comparable to the Mars portfolio.
Where Inukshuk holds its own
540 kcal/cup caloric density for working dogs: Inukshuk delivers roughly 540 kcal per measured cup — about 35-40% more than Eukanuba Adult Medium Breed’s ~390 kcal/cup. For a working dog burning 3,000-5,000 kcal/day during mushing, hunting season, or sport competition, the per-cup math means appropriate caloric load without distending the stomach. Eukanuba’s calorie density is structurally calibrated for sedentary pet dogs, not working dogs. Shop on Amazon →
Fish meal (herring + anchovy) + herring oil double marine omega-3 source: Inukshuk includes fish meal at #2 plus herring oil at #11 — two stacked sources of direct marine EPA + DHA. Eukanuba includes fish oil in the supplement section but doesn’t use marine meal as a primary protein. For working dogs with high inflammatory joint load and cold-weather operations, the double marine omega-3 source provides more functional anti-inflammatory benefit than fish oil alone.
Glucosamine + chondroitin baked into the formula + independent ownership: Inukshuk includes glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate as standard formula ingredients supporting joint cartilage under repetitive impact. Eukanuba Adult Medium Breed includes glucosamine in some variants but the base medium breed formula doesn’t carry the full glucosamine + chondroitin pair at working-dog dosing levels. Inukshuk is also independent (Corey Nutrition Company, New Brunswick Canada) — for owners specifically prioritizing non-conglomerate brand sourcing, this matters; Eukanuba is owned by Mars Petcare.
The bottom line
Effectively tied at B/76 vs B/75 — one point within rubric noise. Pick on the trade-off you weight more heavily. Eukanuba delivers fresh-chicken-led structure at mainstream pet-aisle availability, Mars Petcare portfolio backing, and standard adult-maintenance calorie density (~390 kcal/cup) calibrated for sedentary pet dogs. Inukshuk delivers high-NRG sport-dog calorie density (~540 kcal/cup), double marine omega-3 source (fish meal + herring oil), glucosamine + chondroitin baked in, and independent (non-conglomerate) ownership distributed through working-dog supply outlets. For sedentary pet feeding, Eukanuba. For working-dog feeding, Inukshuk.