Purina is another household name with many products and facilities to their name. Despite this, only six recalls were recorded by the company in the past ten years, with two accounting for dog food and only one of those attributed to the ONE dog food line. This is a great testament to their dedication to producing quality food with our pup’s best interests at heart, especially under the ONE brand name.
These have no place in a doggy diet as they irritate doggy digestive systems. But, they do use unnecessary additional ingredients such as caramel pedigree adult dog food color. Not only can it irritate a dog’s system, but it is only there to please your eye – Fido really couldn’t care less what color his grub is.
Each option uses different meats, and there is one grain-free option available too. There are also three dietary-specific options, including digestive health, joint health, and sensitive systems. Large breed puppies also tend to be unstable as they grow, which is why it is so important to support their growing joints. Thankfully, this formula is loaded with natural sources of glucosamine, so your puppy’s developing joints will get what they need. The ingredients are all easy to digest, which is important for the delicate stomachs of puppies.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Purina product. Although soybean meal contains 48% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat. The seventh ingredient lists soybean meal, a by-product of soybean oil production more commonly found in farm animal feeds. On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken. The next ingredient is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste.
However, considering the lower price point compared to other brands, this is unsurprising. And many dogs do well on these recipes, so the lower quality ingredients aren’t an issue for many canines. Other important ingredients, such as soybean and soybean meal, are all good sources of protein but not as nutritionally valuable as real meat products. But since it’s a cheaper alternative, it certainly makes the whole package more affordable. This dry food consists of real chicken, poultry by-product meal, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, soy flakes, whole grain corn, oatmeal, soybean meal, etc.
The meat, grains and produce ingredients alone should be enough for our pups, and most higher quality brands do not use these fillers. Iams also use meat by-products, which is a controversial ingredient. Many say it is a lower-quality meat ingredient because it is the rest of the non-meat animal carcass. But the quality all depends on what goes into this ingredient.
One option is for small and toy pups, and another is for large and giant breeds. The final option is the original puppy recipe that caters to a general population of dogs, regardless of size. All of their recipes list added vitamin and mineral supplements that help support your pup’s immunity, which means the power to fight illness and disease. This is a sign of a quality product because many cheaper alternatives do not include these micro-ingredients.
However, upon closer inspection, it’s clear that Purina Pro Plan is the better choice. Its recipes are made with superior ingredients that provide more significant nutritional benefits for your pet. For example, puppies require more calories and protein pedigree adult dog food than older dogs to give them the energy and nutrition to grow and develop properly. Additionally, consuming foods with too much calorie or fat content can cause weight gain, interfering with their ability to run, jump, and play for extended periods.