Purina Dog Food Explained
Purina uses ingredients such as a chicken meal in their dog food, and not ‘real chicken’. Chicken meal is a very common ingredient found in most pet foods that are not harmful in any way to your dog.
Chicken meal is made from off-cuts of chicken that is not suitable for human consumption. In other words, it is made of the not so attractive bits that are left of the animal. It is important to mention that chicken meal is never made using animal by-products like beaks or feet.
The animal meat is cooked at high heat and then turned into a powder before being added to dry dog food. It is a brilliant source of protein; however, it is processed nonetheless.
Purina also uses rice, flour, corn, and soybean meal in their dog foods. These ingredients are often hard for your dog to digest and can cause serious issues such as bloody stools, sickness, and diarrhea in pets that have underlying sensitivity to these ingredients. Soybean meal is made in the same way as chicken meal. It is commonly found in dog foods with a low percentage of animal protein and is added to boost the protein levels of the food.
Despite all of the information stated above, Purina markets themselves as a healthy dog food option for all dog breeds, small and large. We are unsure if we agree with this information as the ingredients and customer reviews state otherwise.
Is Purina a Good Dog Food for Your Dog?
Yes, Purina Dog Food is good.
Purina Dog Food is known for pet nutrition derived by a staff of experts in pet nutrition. Purina has foods for every scenario and offers formulas for all life stages – from puppies to senior dogs. Purina also has e recipes for all dogs – from toy breed dogs with sensitive stomachs to giant breed dogs needing high-protein foods.
Purina is among the first pet food brands to acknowledge the importance of probiotics. The brand also recognizes that feeding dogs less may increase their lifespan by keeping them lean and active.
In short, Purina Pet Food has dedicated time and money to ensure its food helps dogs live longer and healthier lives.
How is Purina Dog Food Made?
Purina Dog Food is made in the USA with ingredients sourced in the USA.
Purina owns the factories in which its products are made, so they can better monitor the quality and safety of each ingredient that goes into its food from start to finish.
All Purina recipes are processed via cooking, drying, and grinding the ingredients into a paste or powder formed into kibble, treats, or wet dog food.
According to Purina, “Purina has been driven to use science to understand better how to improve the health and wellbeing of pets…Over the years, Purina scientists, nutritionists, and veterinarians have made groundbreaking discoveries to help dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.”
Is Purina Beneful harmful to your dog’s health?
While most owners don’t realize it, bad dry dog food can make dogs sick and unhealthy over time. Cheap ingredients are used to make dog food more affordable.
Some ingredients are used as filler to replace natural proteins. They add empty calories without much nutritional content.
One commonly used term in cheaper dry food labels is “meat byproducts.” This often refers to 4-D meats, which are ingredients that are deemed unfit for human consumption. They can come from a variety of different sources.
“4-D”stands for dead, dying, disabled, or diseased. While they’re unfit for human consumption, they technically fit the bill for canine consumption. As a result, many inferior manufacturers use 4-D meats as a protein source.
Corn is another commonly used ingredient to help keep costs down. Corn and other similar crops are very cheap to grow and harvest. They’re a filler substitute to natural meat protein.
Unfortunately, dogs aren’t made to consume corn on a regular basis. While it may seem fine at first, a lifetime of eating corn can be detrimental to a dog’s health.
Similar to corn, grains are often thrown into the mix to benefit production costs. Wheat, rice, and other grains can be difficult for dogs to digest. Dogs don’t have molars to grind up grains.
Furthermore, these grains are often treated with a number of chemicals prior to harvesting. These chemicals can transfer into the dog food formula and slowly cause issues as the years progress.