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In The Kibble
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BRAND

FirstMate

Owned by Nasta Pet FoodSince 1989North Vancouver, British Columbia

RECIPES REVIEWED
12
AVG PROTEIN, DM
28.3%
AVG STARCH
40%
FDA RECALLS
None since 2012
LINES
Limited Ingredient Diet 8 Grain Friendly 1 KASIKS 1
THE LINES

FirstMate Lines, Reviewed

3 lines

FirstMate sorts its dog food into three lines, and all of them are kibble. Limited Ingredient Diet is the largest, with eight grain-free recipes. Each one is built on a single named animal meal (chicken, beef, lamb or ocean fish) plus Burbank and Norkotah potato, and none contains peas or lentils. Grain Friendly and KASIKS each have one recipe.

On the label, KASIKS is a grain-free fish kibble. It has the most protein at 30% and the lowest estimated starch at 34%, as fed. Grain Friendly is a chicken kibble and the only line that contains grain. It shows 28% protein and 37% starch. Limited Ingredient Diet averages 24.1% protein and 41.1% starch. The average kibble in our catalog shows 26.9% protein and 37.4% starch. All three FirstMate lines are more calorie dense, averaging 485 to 506 kcal compared with the catalog average of 395.

Limited Ingredient Diet

8 kibble
Protein
24.1%
Fat
12.9%
Starch
41.1%
Kcal / cup
506

Average kibble, as fed

FirstMate Limited Ingredient Diet is a line of eight grain-free kibbles, each built on one named animal meal (chicken, beef, lamb or ocean fish) and Burbank and Norkotah potato. None contains peas or lentils, and the recipes run from weight control to large breed.

A good fit for: Owners avoiding grain, peas and lentils in kibble; Owners rotating between fish, beef, lamb and chicken kibbles

Read the Limited Ingredient Diet review
WHICH LINE FITS

Choosing Between The FirstMate Lines

All recipes

12 foods matched · newest first
FirstMate Limited Ingredient Diet 8 recipes · See all
DEEP DIVE

Inside The FirstMate Range

Across 12 recipes we review

Protein is close to the average kibble we review (28.3% on a dry matter basis).

Starch is higher than average, at 40% of the food as fed.

92% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).

83% of recipes are grain-free.

NUTRITION

How The Range Measures Up

this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review

Protein, dry matter 28% 20% to 33%
15%site avg 30%50%
Fat, dry matter 14% 9% to 20%
5%site avg 18%30%
Starch, as fed 40% 30% to 50%
10%site avg 37%60%
Kcal per cup 500 470 to 540
250site avg 395600

Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out

INGREDIENTS

What Goes In The Bowl

Chicken 42% 56%
Fish 42% 34%
Beef 17% 20%
Lamb 17% 14%

Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.

Ingredients Some Owners Avoid

By-products 0% 13%
Artificial colors 0% 1%
Chemical preservatives 0% 9%
Corn 0% 15%
Wheat 0% 13%
Soy 0% 10%

These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.

LIFE STAGE
  • All Life Stages1
BREED SIZE
  • All Breeds9
  • Large Breed1
SPECIAL DIETS
  • Grain-free (no wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats)10
FirstMate Kasiks Free Run Chicken Meal Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food MOST PROTEIN FirstMate Kasiks Free Run Chicken Meal Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food 33.3% dry matter FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish Large Breed Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food LEAST STARCH FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish Large Breed Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food 30% as fed FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish Weight Control Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food FEWEST CALORIES FirstMate Pacific Ocean Fish Weight Control Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food 470 kcal per cup
THE COMPANY

About FirstMate

Owner
Nasta Pet Food
Ownership
Subsidiary of a private company
Founded
1989
Headquarters
North Vancouver, British Columbia

Who Makes It

FirstMate Pet Foods is a Canadian pet food maker that sells dry and canned dog and cat food under the FirstMate and KASIKS names. It is known for fish-based recipes, especially its Pacific Ocean Fish formulas, and for limited ingredient diets. The company says its products are formulated by a veterinarian and a PhD animal nutritionist. 1, 2, 3

Where It Is Made

FirstMate makes its own food rather than using a contract manufacturer. Dry food is produced at a company-owned plant in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and canned food at a company-owned cannery in Port Kells, British Columbia. The British Columbia government says both facilities are certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the USDA and the European Union. 4, 5, 3

History

Michael Florian founded FirstMate in Chilliwack, British Columbia in 1989, and it ran as a family-owned business for decades. According to the company, the idea began when guard dogs at fish farms kept eating the fish feed Florian monitored, so he was asked to make a dog food from the same ingredients. In February 2026, the French family-owned group Nasta Pet Food (owner of Bab'in, Forza10 and Natural Code) bought FirstMate and said it would keep running on its own with the same management and plants. 4, 6, 2

Worth Knowing

Pet Food Experts started distributing FirstMate across its US network in December 2024, which widened the brand's reach in independent pet stores. Recall trackers report no FirstMate recalls. 3, 7

  1. firstmate.com
  2. just-food.com/news/nasta-pet-food-snaps-up-firstmate
  3. blog.petfoodexperts.com/pet-food-experts-welcomes-firstmate
  4. www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/export-catalogue/bc-agrifood-seafood-export-catalogue/packaged-food-seasoning-dressing-companies/firstmate-pet-foods
  5. firstmate.com/our-quality-ex
  6. petage.com/nasta-pet-food-acquires-firstmate-pet-foods-to-accelerate-north-american-expansion
  7. dogster.com/dog-nutrition/firstmate-dog-food-review

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

RECALL HISTORY // FIRSTMATE

No Recalls In Our Record Since 2012

Our log holds FDA dog food recall notices from 2012 on, so this is not a guarantee that FirstMate has never had one. See the recall log

NEWS & PRESS

What FirstMate Has Announced

FEB 23, 2026
CORPORATE Nasta Pet Food snaps up FirstMate

Just Food reported that Nasta bought FirstMate for an undisclosed price and refinanced its business with a EUR 120 million facility from HIG WhiteHorse. The combined group expects about EUR 200 million in revenue in 2026. Just Food

FEB 17, 2026
CORPORATE Nasta Pet Food Acquires FirstMate Pet Foods to Accelerate North American Expansion

French family-owned Nasta Pet Food bought FirstMate Pet Foods of British Columbia. Nasta said FirstMate will run on its own, keeping its management, teams and manufacturing sites. Pet Age

DEC 18, 2024
NEWS Pet Food Experts Welcomes FirstMate to All-Star Brand Portfolio

US distributor Pet Food Experts announced it would start distributing FirstMate pet foods across its seven US regions beginning in December 2024. Pet Food Experts

All FirstMate news →

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