If you’ve been looking for quality dog food, you have probably heard of Purina One. Their product line consists of 12 different dog foods for different life stages and health needs. For instance, they have dog food completely dedicated to healthy joints. So, is Purina One a good dog food?
To help you make a choice, here is a detailed review of all their products. We have studied two of their most popular products and analyzed the ingredients in great detail to show you what exactly they bring to the table.
About Purina One
Established in 1986 as Ralston-Purina’s first premium pet food, Purina One has come a long way and is now one of the most recognized dog food brands. In the later years, they sold their animal feed division, Purina Mills, to Land O’ Lakes and merged with Nestle to focus solely on pet food.
The brand provides several formulas and recipes for both adult dogs and puppies. What makes it so popular among dog owners is that it’s one of the first dog food lines to provide a wide range of natural foods through retail, grocery stores, and pet stores.
With high-quality ingredients, delicious flavors, and multiple options to pick from, Purina One is a popular choice among dog owners and breeders. Currently, it is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the world.
What Does Purina One Put in Their Dog Food?
The first thing you need to check to pick the right dog food is the ingredient label. So here is a detailed analysis of the nutrition content and ingredients of some of their selected products:
Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Large Breed Adult Formula
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. You’ll find the entire breakdown of the ingredients right on the package.
Ingredient Breakdown
One of the best things about this Purina One Dog food is that chicken is one of its primary ingredients. Both adult dogs and puppies require adequate protein in their diet every day to maintain their muscle and bone development.
For additional protein, they use poultry by-product meal which is also a natural source of glucosamine. Made from grinding clean meaty morsels from poultry carcasses, it contains bones, undeveloped eggs, and offals which makes it highly rich in protein.
While they do not mention what kind of poultry is used in this process, it’s at least better than a general by-product meal. Also, since it’s animal protein, it’ll be much easier for your dog to digest compared to processed plant protein.
Next, we have brewers rice, whole grain wheat, and corn gluten meal. Although not every dog is allergic to grains, in our opinion, dogs should not consume a high-carbohydrate diet. It’s hard for most dogs to digest so many carbohydrates in one meal, especially for the ones with weak digestive systems.
Other ingredients that make it a quality pick for your dog are animal fat and animal digestion. Animal fat is an essential component of every dog meal. It helps in boosting the energy levels of your dog.
On the other hand, animal digest is basically animal protein that has been digested with the help of enzymes. A lot of dog food manufacturers add animal digest in small amounts to make the dry foods tastier. Not to mention, it’s also a great source of protein.
Our only concern is that Purina One doesn’t mention which animal the fat and digest are extracted from. Considering the reputation and expertise, it’s surely not a matter of concern but as the owner, you might expect more transparency.
But overall, it’s a great dry food for your dog.
Purina One Chicken & Rice
This food consists of chicken, rice flour, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, whole grain wheat, soybean meal, beef fat, dried peas, and more.
Ingredient Breakdown
The best thing about Purina One Chicken & Rice is that its ingredient list is far more transparent than Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Large Breed Adult Formula.
Instead of just saying it has animal fat, the label mentions that it’s particularly beef fat. Similarly, instead of just saying poultry by-product meal, they actually mention that it’s from chicken. This way, if your dog is allergic to a particular source of animal protein, you’ll be easily able to avoid it.
Speaking of protein, chicken again is one of the primary ingredients here. Along with the by-product meal and beef fat, this meal is packed with adequate protein for your dog— a must-have for every quality dog food. To further boost the protein content, they have also added corn gluten meal to the recipe.
Speaking of their carbohydrate content, Purina One has always been a firm believer in carbohydrate-rich meals for canines. So even in this recipe, they have added wheat, corn gluten meal, rice flour, and corn. Rice flour is an excellent gluten-free alternative to wheat flour and just like corn, is a great source of energy.
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.
The only thing that we did not like about the Purina One Chicken & Rice is added coloring (Caramel color). Although almost every dog food manufacturer uses artificial colors to make the meal look more appealing, it doesn’t bring along any nutritional value, which makes it quite pointless.
Purina One Reputation & Quality Control
If our detailed review above is putting you in a bit of a dilemma, let’s tell you that no dog food is perfect, and there’s always a different perspective on every ingredient.
For instance, while our experts find carbohydrates not-so-good for dogs, Purina One actually does an excellent job of explaining their reason for adding so many grains to all their dog foods. And to be fair, much of what they say is factually correct.
The best thing about Purina One is they not only focus on the ingredients but also care about the nutrition it provides your dog.
Speaking of food quality, Purina One’s product performs exceptionally well and is hardly ever recalled. Considering the massive volume of food they generate each year, no recall is an achievement in itself.
In addition to that, Purina One manufactures products for every budget, and some of them are really affordable. They understand the investment that goes into raising a dog and do their best to help you out with their pocket-friendly dog foods.
Bottom Line
Is Purina One a good dog food? Now you know when it comes to picking the right food for your dog, there is no room for compromise. And since most of us are not experts in terms of dog nutrition, it’s always best to stick to reputed brands such as Purina One.
During our evaluation, we found most of Purina One’s products to be of high quality and safe for your dog’s consumption. If you still have doubts and want the best for your dog, it’s always a good idea to talk to a trusted vet.
