Many did not know the fact Purina is a part of Nestle Company. The Purina Pro Plan is a dog food lineup manufactured by Nestlé Purina Petcare. In this Purina pro plan all life stages review, we’ll be breaking the food down into ingredients, and we’ll be telling you which elements are good and which are not so good for your dog.
Before that, Purina claims that this Purina Pro Plan recipe provides balanced & complete nutrition for all life stages, and that claim is right, as approved by AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials).
Usually, dog foods get approved by AAFCO after laboratory testing to substantiate nutritional adequacy. But this food was tested in another process – feeding trial, which we consider to be the superior testing method in the industry of pet food.
The feeding trial, done using the AAFCO procedures, has brought the fact in light that the Purina Pro Plan For All Life Stages does provide balanced and complete nutrition for all life stages.
Ingredient Review of Purina Pro Plan For All Life Stages
Dog food is all about the right set of ingredients for your dog. In this Purina pro plan all life stages review, we’re going to look at the ingredients of this food in detail and judge whether it’s a good addition or not.
The first five ingredients are crucial when you’re judging a dog food since they make up most of the food.
The ideal scenario is having quality protein sources in the food with a minimum possible fillers or by-products and cheap starches.
As you go on with the ingredient list, you need to look for such ingredients that resemble real food and the least possible number of chemicals that are unpronounceable.
The First Five Ingredients
Chicken
Chicken is the first ingredient of the Purina Pro Plan sports performance 30/20 formula. We consider chicken to be an excellent source of protein and fat, and this is a desirable ingredient in dog food.
Corn Gluten Meal
Corn Gluten Meal is the second ingredient of the list. When we produce a variety of corn products like corn starch, corn syrup, etc., we get a corn-gluten meal as the by-product.
Now, since it’s a by-product of corn-based products, it’s enriched in plant-based proteins (nearly 60% protein), and it can work as a significant add-on for protein contents of the food.
However, they can not be the replacement of main meat-based protein because plant-based protein lacks many amino acids than meat-based proteins. So it’s not the ideal substitute.
Animal fat
The next ingredient in our list is animal fat, which is a by-product as well. Now in this food, the source animal of this fat was not specified, which is not a great practice. Without proper information, we can not be sure about the quality of this ingredient.
Brewers rice
Coming up next, we have brewers rice. We usually separate the larger kernels of milled rice, which leaves small fragments of rice kernels, and that is known as brewers rice. Now, brewer rice does not carry the same nutrition profile as the whole kernel.
That’s why we regard it as a lower quality grain. Brewers rice is an inexpensive way of adding fillers to dog food.
Poultry by-product meal
The last one in the list of most important five ingredients is poultry by-product meal. Now, this ingredient also becomes controversial since the specific source is not specified.
The ideal practice is to mention the name of the specific protein source where the by-product is coming from. (e.g. turkey by-product meal, chicken by-product meal)
However, this doesn’t mean that poultry by-product meal is a harmful ingredient. It’d be just better if the specific source were mentioned.
The Other Ingredients
The first five ingredients seem to be the most important, but there’s no scope to avoid the other ingredients. Combined, they can impact the quality of the food. Let us take a look at the other ingredients in brief –
Whole grain Corn
By whole grain corn, we mean the entire corn kernel that includes the bran, germ, and the endosperm. Corn is basically a cereal grain that contains vitamins, plant-based protein, and minerals. Corn is a desirable ingredient in dog food but, at the same time, a little controversial also due to the different opinions over the digestibility of it.
Proponents say that cord is highly digestible, where opponents don’t seem to agree with the ‘highly’ terminology. However, you also need to keep in mind that protein from corn is a plant-based protein, so it’s still not a suitable substitute for meat.
Dried Egg Product
Then we have dried egg products which consist of eggs, but shell-free. Egg is a highly digestible ingredient for dogs, and it is a source of high-quality protein. Egg protein gets the highest BV (biological value); thus, it is quite a desirable ingredient for dog food.
Corn Germ Meal
When the oil is extracted from corn (maize), we get a high-protein by-product, and that very product is corn germ meal.
Corn germ meal is an excellent source of protein. It is a plant-based protein, so it itself might not be enough to fulfill the protein requirement, but it adds an excellent profile to the overall protein quality of the dog food.
Salt
Just the way we like salt as a test enhancer in our food, dogs do the same. Not only does it enhance the test, but it’s an essential source of the mineral. However, the manufacturers need to put the salt in the right quantity.
Fish Meal
The next ingredient in our list is fish meal. AAFCO defines fish meal as dried, clean tissue of fish or fish cutting. Fish meals coming from a recognized source like the salmon meal, tuna meal, etc. are a desirable ingredient in dog food as they’re high in protein.
However, the specific source of fish meal is not stated here, so the quality can’t be determined yet.
Fish Oil
Coming up next, we have fish oil. AAFCO defines fish oil as the oil coming from rendering fish or cannery waste. Fish oil contains the right amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, and it is a good source of fat.
Animal Digest
We have animal digest coming up on the list. It is undecomposed animal tissue after a chemical reaction – hydrolysis. This ingredient is used as a flavoring material to improve the test of the food.
Summing Up the Purina Pro plan all life stages Review
So, after going through this Purina pro plan all life stages review, I hope you’ve got a good idea of the ingredients, this food is made off. This dog food contains various sources of meat and fish ingredients, which is good, but it’d be even better if the source were mentioned.
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re harmful ingredients. Since this food has many sources of meat, fish, and corn, it’s quite enriched in protein, both animal and plant-based. Ingredients like fish oil ensure that there’s a good source of fat as well.
Overall, the Purina pro plan all life stages could be an excellent choice for the growth and healthy life of your lovely dog.