Purina is one of the most well-known brands in the industry, and Purina Pro Plan is its premium dog food line. But what makes Purina Pro Plan special? And is it the right Purina product for your dog? Why choose Pro Plan over Nestle Purina One? We’re going to take a closer look at the entire Purina Pro Plan product line to learn more about what this dog food has to offer.
Contents
About the Brand
Before we get to our Purina Pro Plan dog food review, let’s take a closer look at the brand itself.
The Purina brand traces back to 1894 to an animal feed company called the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company. In 1902, it changed its name to Ralston Purina.
Nestle acquired Ralton Purina in 2001 and merged it with its own pet food business, but Purina Pro Plan itself has been around since 1986. Purina was the first brand of dog food that used real meat as the number one ingredient, setting the standard for the dog foods of today.
Purina has some of the highest quality standards in the world, and with veterinarians and pet nutritionists on staff, you can trust that these recipes were crafted with your dog’s health and happiness in mind. This is true for all the best dog food, like Purina One and especially Pro Plan. Now, let’s get to the Purina Pro Plan dog food review.
Purina Pro Plan Wet and Dry Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan dog food has a wide range of products that cater to every type of dog. In this Purina Pro Plan review, we’re going to break them down by the various types of dogs the brand has specific recipes for, including both wet and dry dog foods.
Puppy Recipes
Purina Pro Plan knows that the first two years of a puppy’s life are important, and these recipes are made to nourish their minds and bodies. Each Purina Pro Plan puppy recipe has DHA for brain and eye development, live probiotics for GI health, and antioxidants for immune system health. There are a lot of options here, so you’re sure to find the right one for your pup.
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Puppy Chicken & Rice Formula
- Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula
- Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula
- Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oat Meal
- Puppy Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula
- Puppy Small Breed Chicken & Rice Formula
- Puppy Toy Breed Chicken & Rice Formula
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Grain Free Puppy Classic Turkey Entrée
- Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Grain Free Puppy Classic Chicken Entrée
- FOCUS Puppy Chicken & Rice Entrée
- FOCUS Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Entrée
Adult Recipes
Once your dog reaches maturity, high-quality adult dog food from Purina Pro Plan is necessary to keep them healthy. Purina Pro Plan dog food offers several adult recipes, each with real meat as the number one ingredient. These recipes are fortified with live probiotics and designed to support your dog’s all-around good health.
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Adult Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Salmon & Rice
- Adult Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Lamb & Rice
- Adult Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice
- Adult Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Beef & Rice
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- SAVOR Adult Beef & Rice Entrée
- SAVOR Adult Beef & Vegetables Entrée Slices In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Chicken & Vegetables Entrée Slices In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Chicken & Rice Entrée
- SAVOR Adult Shredded Beef & Lamb
- SAVOR Adult Beef & Rice
- SAVOR Adult Turkey & Vegetables
- SAVOR Adult Lamb & Vegetables Entrée Slices In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Seared Chicken, Julienne Carrots & Barley Entrée In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Seared Beef, Green Beans & Brown Rice Entrée In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Shredded Turkey, Peas & Brown Rice Entrée In Gravy
- SAVOR Adult Turkey & Vegetables Entrée Slices in Gravy
There are also many other wet dog food entrees available.
Senior Recipes
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Next in our reviews are senior recipes. Purina Pro Plan dog food’s senior recipes are special. They include the protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals older dogs need to thrive, but they also use the brand’s Bright Mind botanical oils. Research shows that they enhance brain function, helping older dogs think more like they did when they were young and spry.
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Bright Mind Chicken & Rice Formula
- Bright Mind Small Breed Chicken
- Bright Mind Large Breed Chicken & Rice
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
Small and Toy Breeds
Toy and small breeds have unique needs. They’re highly energetic with fast metabolisms that need a lot of calories to keep them going. These Purina Pro Plan recipes feature high protein, small kibble size, and minerals like phosphorus to maintain strong teeth and bones. Each uses real protein as the first ingredient and probiotics for digestive and immune health. Recipes include:
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Bright Mind Small Breed Chicken & Rice
- Sensitive Skin & Stomach Small Breed Salmon & Rice Formula
- Small Breed Shredded Blend Chicken Rice Formula
- Small Breed Shredded Blend Lamb & Rice
- Adult Small Breed Chicken and Rice
- Adult Toy Breed Chicken Rice Formula
- Puppy Small Breed Chicken Rice Formula
- Puppy Toy Breed Chicken Rice Formula
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- FOCUS Adult Small Breed Turkey Entrée
- FOCUS Adult Small Breed Chicken Entrée
- FOCUS Adult Small Breed Beef Entrée
Large Breeds
Next up in our dog food review, large breed dog food. These large and giant breed Purina Pro Plan dog food formulas support the nutritional needs of these special dogs at every life stage. With glucosamine for joint health, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids from fish oil and other animal protein sources for skin and coat health from natural sources like beef fat, and 26 percent protein and 12 percent fat to support ideal body weight and conditioning. These recipes are also fortified with live probiotics and have a taste that your large breed dog (and puppy large breed) will love. Plus, these Purina dog foods are available in large pound bag sizes so you can buy in bulk.
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Bright Mind Large Breed Chicken & Rice
- Giant Breed Chicken & Rice
- Large Breed Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice
- Large Breed Shredded Blend Chicken and Rice
- Large Breed Chicken & Rice
- Weight Management Large Breed Chicken & Rice
- Puppy Large Breed Chicken and Rice
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- FOCUS Adult Large Breed Chicken & Rice Entrée Chunks In Gravy
- FOCUS Adult Large Breed Beef & Rice Entrée Chunks In Gravy
Sport and Performance
Purina Pro Plan Sport dog food formulas are formulated for athletic dogs at every stage of life. There are two options under this line, Performance and Active formulas. The Sport Performance formulas are made for an athletic dog and made to optimize endurance and strength. The Sport Active formulas maintain lean muscle mass and fuel metabolism.
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Each of these Purina Pro Plan recipes includes a meal source of glucosamine natural flavor and omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil to support mobility and joint health. Real meat is the number one ingredient, and each formula is formulated with live probiotics, omega 6 fatty acids from animal fat, and vitamin A.
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Chicken & Rice
- All Ages Sport Active 27/17 Turkey & Barley
- All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Beef & Rice
- All Ages Sport Active 27/16 Chicken & Rice
- All Ages Sport Performance 30/20 Salmon & Rice
- Small Bites Sport 27/27 Lamb & Rice
- All Ages Sport Active 26/16 Formula Dry Dog Food
Sensitive Skin and Stomach
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach formulas use specialized nutrition that promotes healthy skin, a shiny coat, and easy to digest food that dog owners love. Because Pro Plan knows that every dog is unique, it offers a wide range of recipes, each using various product meal source so dog owners can choose the best dog food. These recipes include:
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oat Meal Formula
- Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- Adult Large Breed Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
- Adult Small Breed Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- FOCUS Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Turkey, Duck & Quail Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Turkey & Chicken Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Chicken & Duck Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Turkey & Sweet Potato Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Chicken & Lamb Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Chicken & Carrots Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Beef & Venison Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Beef & Peas Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Beef & Chicken Entrée
- SAVOR Grain Free Adult Classic Beef & Salmon Entrée
Weight Management
These Purina Pro Plan dog food recipes are optimized for overweight dogs. They feature less fat than comparable recipes and have the nutrition needed to support your dog’s muscle mass throughout their weight loss. Real chicken is the first ingredient in all of these recipes, and each is fortified with guaranteed live probiotics to support immune and digestive health. Plus, your dog will love the taste. Recipes include:
Dry Dog Food Recipes:
- Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice
- Large Breed Chicken & Rice
- Chicken & Rice
- Shredded Blend Small Breed Chicken & Rice
Wet Dod Food Recipes:
What Dogs Should Eat Purina Pro Plan?
As you can see from our Purina Pro Plan reviews, the truth is that there is a Purina Pro Plan recipe for just about any dog, and we were very impressed not only with how extensive its product line is but also with how it is tailored to so many different types of dogs. Let’s take a closer look:
Life Stages
There are Purina Pro Plan dog food recipes for every life stage, from puppy to senior, and we covered them all in our dog food reviews. While most dog food brands offer a handful of recipes for puppies and seniors, the offerings from Purina Pro plan are petty extensive. There are eight dry foods just for puppies, including sensitive formulas and recipes specific for large, small, and toy breed puppies.
As for seniors, there are three dry foods and three wet options to choose from. Wet foods for seniors are especially useful. Sometimes, older dogs lose their appetite or sense of smell, and wet food has a strong aroma and often tastes better, which means it can sometimes entice older dogs to eat even when they have lost a bit of their appetite. These recipes feature a meal source of glucosamine, too.
Allergies and Sensitivities
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Purina Pro Plan dog food has six sensitive skin and stomach recipes, one for puppies and five for adult dogs. All of these recipes use either lamb or salmon product fish meal source as the protein and avoid common allergens like whole grain wheat or soybean oil. Omega 6 and 3 work to protect skin and coat health, something that’s important for dogs with sensitivities. There is also a nice variety of fourteen wet dog foods, all of which are grain-free. That said, some of the wet foods use common proteins like chicken, so you should avoid them if your pet is sensitive or allergic to chicken.
Picky Eaters
Purina Pro Plan is a good brand for picky eaters. There are so many options to choose from, including many classic wet dog food recipes that work well as toppers when trying to entice your picky dog to eat.
Small Breeds
Purina Pro Plan has an impressive array of recipes for small breeds, including puppy food for small and toy breeds, four regular recipes, a senior recipe, and a sensitive recipe. And that’s just the dry food. It’s not unusual for a brand to have puppy and adult recipes for small breeds, but the senior small breed recipe and the fact that there’s a specific sensitive formula for small breeds really impressed us. Plus, we love that they come in the appropriate number of pound bag sizes.
Large Breeds
Again, Purina Pro Plan really pulls through. There are multiple dry recipes for large breeds, including a large breed puppy recipe, senior recipe, and weight management recipe. There’s also one option that’s formulated specifically for giant breeds, with joint health support from source of glucosamine natural like beef fat. Plus, you can get large pound bag sizes to suit your big dog’s big appetite.
Overweight Dogs
Purina Pro Plan has four dry dog food recipes for overweight dogs, including one just for large breeds. Again, most popular brands of dog food have at least one weight management recipe, but we were impressed to see that Purina Pro Plan has four.
Athletic Dogs
Purina Pro Plan’s sport and performance recipes are ideal for athletic dogs, whether they need nutritious support for endurance, strength, metabolism, and maintaining muscle mass. Not every brand has recipes like this, and if your dog is an athlete, you’ll appreciate these high-quality recipes from such a well-known brand.
What Dogs Should Not Eat Purina Pro Plan?
Purina Pro Plan has a recipe for almost every dog, no matter their size or age, as you can see from our dog food reviews. The product line is comprehensive, so you should be able to find a recipe that suits your pet.
We should note that it’s important to read the labels before choosing a food for your dog, even if you choose Purina Pro Plan. The ingredients of each of these foods are easily available, and you should know what you’re getting before you buy it. While Purina Pro Plan is a great brand of dog food, some things might make some pet owners shy away. For one, they don’t claim to use all-natural ingredients. Many of their recipes also use corn gluten meal whole, gluten meal whole grain, dried egg product fish, mono and dicalcium phosphate, meal whole grain corn, or food preserved with mixed tocopherols, which a lot of pet parents try to avoid in pet food.
But it’s important to do your research when it comes to Purina dog food. For example, fat preserved with mixed tocopherols isn’t bad. Tocopherols may sound scary, but they’re just a form of vitamin E. People often avoid dried egg product, whole grain wheat, whole grain corn, rice corn gluten meal, egg product fish meal, or soybean oil, when these things aren’t necessarily bad. Look at the ingredient analysis, but make sure to understand what it means. Purina may use some plant based ingredients, but they do not have a plant based recipe. Each contains the necessary animal fat and meat dogs need to thrive.
How Does Purina Pro Plan Measure Up?
It’s easy to see from our dog food review why Purina Pro Plan is one of the most popular dog foods on the market. As you can see from our reviews, its product line is extensive and targeted to just about every type of dog there is. We really love that there are so many options for puppies and seniors, and the variety they offer in small and large breeds is impressive.
And here’s the best part. While it may be a little more expensive than your average dog food, the price isn’t unreasonable. Purina Pro Plan is not one of the least expensive dog foods out there, but it’s far cheaper than some of the options available from other high-end and boutique brands. Plus, you can be assured that you’re feeding your dog food that’s made using high manufacturing standards by a brand like Purina that’s been around so long, they are the standards for what we consider good dog food. When it comes to dog food, Purina Pro Plan is a great choice.
Source of Featured Image: canva.com
I grew up in a household that was filled with animals. I believe that my fate as a dog-loving person was sealed in early childhood since my parents owned several dogs of varying sizes and breeds. There was no choice but to take care of and learn about dog habits and the best animal care practices — otherwise, I’d be clueless about how to go about the creatures I was surrounded by day and night.
As a life-long puppy lover, I know a thing or two about dogs and how to go about caring for them in the best way possible. Although I’m not a professionally trained dog behaviorist, trainer, or veterinarian, all of my knowledge and experience with canines comes from a place of love and a deep-rooted passion for dogs and animals in general.
Seeing as dogs kept me company throughout every stage of my life, I decided to follow a different path in my academic life and obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marketing Management and Digital Advertising, which ultimately allowed me to combine my professional training and personal experience by creating the ultimate dog lover’s resource website! Along with my husband, Dave, I run MySweetPuppy for like-minded dog lovers who want to have a single, clear, and reliable information source about anything and everything related to dogs and their well-being.
Thanks for connecting to Mysweetpuppy.net. Please keep in mind that I, Claudia Bensimoun, do not write any of the blogs or reviews on this website, nor have I in the past. I only answer the comments section.
AAFCO model regulations and the federal feed laws stipulate that all pet food labels need to list all the ingredients in their pet food. This is done in descending order according to the weight of each ingredient listed. With that said, it’s easy to see where the most important sources of calories and proteins are coming from-the first five ingredients listed. The first ingredient is the one ingredient that is present in the highest amount. With Purina Pro Plan, dogs are getting real meat as the #1 ingredient.A well-balanced dog food should use real meat as its first ingredient. It should also not use harmful preservatives, flavors or artificial colors.Always ask yourself these questions: Is my dog suffering from any health problems? What life stage is he or she at? Veterinarians recommend that dog owners have a better understanding of their dog’s health issues and life stage before choosing a dog food. That said, always consult with your veterinarian before changing dog food formulas, if your dog has a health problem.
Thanks for connecting to Mysweetpuppy.net. Please keep in mind that I, Claudia Bensimoun, do not write any of the blogs or reviews on this website, nor have I in the past. I only answer the comments section.
At mysweetpuppy.net we strive to give our readers the best dog blogs, as well as awesome pet product reviews.
Most of us understand the importance of eating healthily, but many don’t fully understand that this applies to our furry friends, too. Vitamins and amino acids should not be synthetic, and organic should mean that all of the ingredients are organic, including vitamins and minerals, and not just a few. A well-balanced dog food should use real meat as its first ingredient. It should also not use harmful preservatives, flavors or artificial colors. Purina Pro-Plan has fantastic reviews! Thanks for visiting!