Puppy chow is a popular food choice among pet owners. It is convenient, affordable, and often, it is made with ingredients that are good for puppies. But is it really good for your puppy? This is an important question to ask when it comes to your pup’s health and wellbeing. In this blog post, we will explore the pros and cons of feeding puppy chow to your pup, and help you make an informed decision about what is best for your pet. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of puppy chow and if it’s a good choice for your pup.
Which Purina Puppy Chow Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?
The Advisor gives Purina Puppy Chow a 2 rating, which is the second-lowest tier. 5 stars.
The three dry dog foods listed below are part of the Puppy Chow product line.
When available, the AAFCO nutrient profile of each recipe is included. These profiles include Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental, or Unspecified.
| Product | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Purina Puppy Chow Complete | 2.5 | A |
| Purina Puppy Chow Large Breed | 2.5 | A |
| Purina Puppy Chow Tender and Crunchy | 2 | A |
For a thorough recipe and nutrient analysis, Purina Puppy Chow Complete was chosen to represent the other products in the line.
Using a dry matter basis, the label and nutrient data below were calculated.
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient ContentProtein =
Chicken, poultry, and pork digest, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, beef fat preserved with mixed tocopherols, soybean meal, barley, egg and chicken flavor, ground rice, mono and dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, fish oil, salt, potassium chloride, soybean oil, choline chloride, minerals [zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate], sodium
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.7%
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 28% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 31% | 14% | 47% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 28% | 30% | 42% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. Additionally, this grain has only modest nutritional value for a dog, aside from its energy content.
Chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered by-product of slaughterhouse waste, is the second component. It’s made from the chicken carcass after all the desirable cuts have been removed.
Fortunately, by-product meals are meat concentrates and have almost three times as much protein as fresh chicken.
Depending on the standard of the raw materials the manufacturer uses, this ingredient’s quality may vary.
The third ingredient item is corn gluten meal. When most of the starchy carbohydrates in corn have been washed out, gluten is what’s left behind.
Despite having 60% protein, corn gluten meal is anticipated to have a lower biological value than meat.
Additionally, less expensive plant-based products like this one can significantly increase the total protein stated on the label, which is a factor to take into account when determining the actual meat content of this dog food.
The fourth ingredient in this recipe is beef fat. Rendering, a process akin to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid, is most likely how beef fat (or tallow) is obtained.
Despite not sounding particularly enticing, beef fat is a high-quality ingredient.
The next ingredient is soybean meal, which is typically found in farm animal feeds as a byproduct of the production of soybean oil.
Even though soybean meal has 48% protein, it would be expected that it would have a lower biological value than meat. Because of this, it is important to take this into account when determining how much meat is actually present in this dog food.
The sixth ingredient is barley. The starchy carbohydrate barley contains fiber and other beneficial nutrients. However, this cereal grain is only modestly nutritious to a dog, aside from its energy content.
We find ground rice, which is another name for rice flour, following the flavors of egg and chicken. White or brown rice is used to make ground rice, which is thought to be a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.
The ninth ingredient is chicken. Despite being a high-quality product, raw chicken can contain up to 73% water. Most of that moisture is lost during cooking, leaving the meat with only a small portion of its original weight.
After processing, this component would likely make up a smaller portion of the finished product’s overall content.
The recipe then includes a number of additional ingredients after this.
But realistically, ingredients this far down the list (aside from nutritional supplements) are unlikely to have an impact on how this Purina product is rated as a whole.
With 7 notable exceptions…
First, we find fish oil. The highly prized EPA and DHA class of omega-3 fatty acids are naturally abundant in fish oil. The highest bioavailability to dogs and humans is provided by these two premium fats.
Depending on its level of purity and freshness, fish oil should be regarded as a positive addition.
Next, soybean oil is a concern because of its purported (though unlikely) connection to canine food allergies.
However, soybean oil is regarded as less nutritious than flaxseed oil or a specific animal fat because it is high in omega-6 fatty acids and lacks omega-3 fatty acids.
The minerals listed here also don’t seem to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.
We also point out the use of garlic oil, which can be a contentious ingredient. Garlic has been connected to Heinz body anemia in dogs, despite the fact that many people prefer the ingredient due to its alleged health benefits.
Therefore, one must balance the potential advantages of feeding garlic with its known propensity to harm an animal’s red blood cells subclinically.
Additionally, whenever artificial coloring is present in any pet food, we are always disappointed. Because of this, coloring is used to enhance the product’s appeal to humans rather than your dog. Do you really believe that your dog is bothered by the color of his food?
Additionally, this food contains sodium selenite, a contentious selenium mineral form. In terms of nutrition, selenium yeast appears to be a more natural source of selenium than sodium selenite.
Last but not least, this food contains menadione, a contentious vitamin K form associated with allergies, liver toxicity, and the abnormal breakdown of red blood cells.
We question the inclusion of vitamin K in any canine formulation because AAFCO doesn’t specify that it be included in either of its dog food nutrient profiles.
Purina Puppy Chow appears to be a below-average dry kibble based solely on its ingredients.
The dashboard shows a reading of 31% for dry matter protein, 14% for fat, and an estimated 47% for carbohydrates.
The brand’s average protein content is 32%, and its average fat content is 13%. Together, these data point to a 48% carbohydrate content for the entire product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 41%.
Which means this product line contains…
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. Additionally, when compared to other dry dog foods, it has nearly average carbs.
This profile appears to be that of a kibble with only a moderate amount of meat when you take into account the effects of the corn gluten and soybean meals on protein levels.
At a Glance: The Best Purina Puppy Chow Dog Food Recipes:
Wet food is part of the Purina Puppy Chow line, but neither online nor in stores you can easily find these products. As a result, we’ll concentrate on the company’s best dry food formulas in this review:
| Rating | Product | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
Our Favorite  |
Purina Puppy Chow Natural Plus Vitamins & Minerals |
|
Check Price |
| Purina Puppy Chow Tender & Crunchy |
|
Check Price | |
| Purina Puppy Chow Complete |
|
Check Price |
Corn gluten meal
A concentrated by-product of corn made up of plant proteins, corn gluten meal is the second component of Purina Puppy Chow dry food. Contrary to what the ingredient’s name suggests, it doesn’t actually contain any gluten.
The main issue with corn gluten meal is not so much the ingredient itself as it is what it is replacing. When corn gluten meal is one of a dog food’s main ingredients, it indicates that the recipe contains more plant protein than animal protein. While most plant proteins won’t harm your dog, many experts concur that meat is a higher-quality protein source.
FAQ
Is Puppy Chow a good brand for puppies?
Our Evaluation of Purina Puppy Chow Dog Food Purina Puppy Chow is a grain-free dry dog food that relies primarily on named by-product meals, earning the company a score of two. 5 stars. Not recommended.
How long should puppies eat puppy chow?
While larger breeds may not transition to adult food until they are between 12 and 14 months old, small breed puppies may be ready to do so at seven to nine months of age. In general, it’s preferable to switch slightly later than earlier.
How much puppy chow should my puppy eat a day?
Breed Size/Weight at Maturity: 13–20 lbs; 1-1/2–3–months: 1/2–1 cup; 4–5–months: 1–1-1/4 cup; 9–11–months: 1–1-1/4 cup; 1–2–years: 1–1–1/2 cup; After 2 Years: Switch to the Purina Dog Chow Formula that’s right for your dog