Purina Bella Dog Food Review

Dog Food Nutrition March 6, 2024

Purina Bella Dog Food Review

This page contains affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post through our independently chosen links, which earn us a commission. Learn More

bella

Sadly, Purina has decided to stop offering Bella Dog Food.

You can be sure that Purina will continue to offer your tiny dog a tasty, specially-formulated dog food product. Enjoying little dogs and their owners continues to be Purina’s top goal so they have introduced Beneful IncrediBites to your small dog for this reason!

You can check out our review of Beneful which includes Beneful IncrediBites, Here!

Purina Bella Dog Food – Top 5 Recipes Reviewed

Brand Score

Purina Bella Dog Food
Brand
Overall Score
Pros
  • Purina Bella foods are made especially for the nutritional needs of small and Toy dogs
  • Bella is made with real chicken, beef, and other meats; and they contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  • Purina invests in canine nutritional research which improves their foods
Cons
  • Dry Bella formulas include soybean products in the ingredients
  • Wet formulas include carrageenan
  • Wet foods list unnamed meat by-products as the first ingredient
Pros
  • Purina Bella foods are made especially for the nutritional needs of small and Toy dogs
  • Bella is made with real chicken, beef, and other meats; and they contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  • Purina invests in canine nutritional research which improves their foods
Cons
  • Dry Bella formulas include soybean products in the ingredients
  • Wet formulas include carrageenan
  • Wet foods list unnamed meat by-products as the first ingredient
Ingredients
Overall Quality
Customer Experience
Recall History
Formulation
Nutritional Standards
Research
Price

Our reviews are based on extensive research and years of professional knowledge of dog food brands. In order to remain objective, we do not accept gifts of free products or write sponsored posts on this site.

We’ve examined Purina Bella dog foods closely and graded the brand according to the PupJunkies.com standard. Our criteria include ingredients, quality, customer experience, recall history, working with veterinary nutritionists to formulate the food, nutritional standards, research, and price.

About Purina Bella

Made in the United States, Purina Bella dog food is especially formulated for small and toy-sized dogs. Small dogs have special nutritional needs. They have a faster metabolism than bigger dogs and burn more calories, even when they are at rest.

Bella comes with recipes for adult dogs. Formulas include multiple wet recipes and several dry kibbles. Bella offers grain free and natural, grain-inclusive recipes. Their recipes do not contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Recipes feature real chicken, beef, turkey, and other meat proteins.

You can see a complete list of Purina Bella dog foods on this page.

Sourcing And Manufacturing

Purina Bella is manufactured by Nestle Purina at its own facilities. Purina has at least 21 manufacturing plants in the United States. Bella is sold worldwide.

Purina doesn’t provide much information about where ingredients are sourced. You can see some information about their ingredients here.

You can request coupons for Purina Bella here.

Nestle Purina PetCare, part of Nestle S.A. in Switzerland, has headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.

Recall History

We didn’t find any recalls affecting Purina Bella.

Purina has had occasional recalls for some of its dog foods but considering the amount of dog food made and sold by the company (it is the largest pet food company in the U.S. and the second largest in the world), it has had very few problems over the years. Purina has a good safety record and runs countless quality control checks and tests on the pet food they produce before it is shipped out.

What Kinds Of Dog Food Does Purina Bella Offer?

Purina Bella is made specifically for adult small/Toy dogs. Foods are basically divided into wet and dry recipes. You can select foods that are corn-free, grain-free, with limited ingredients, natural (with grains), paté, free of peas and lentils, potato-free, with real meat as the first ingredient, with real meat and fish, soy-free, and wheat-free.

Purina Bella: Top Five Recipes Reviewed

We’re taking a look at five of the top-selling Purina Bella dog foods as found on Chewy.com so you can get an idea of what some of their different recipes are like.

1.

PURINA BELLA WITH BEEF & SMOKED BACON IN SAVORY JUICES SMALL BREED WET DOG FOOD TRAYS

Product Info

  • Protein: 7.5% Min
  • Fat: 3.5% Min
  • Fiber: 1.0% Max
  • Moisture: 82% Max

Ingredients:

Purina Bella with Beef & Smoked Bacon in Savory Juices Small Breed Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 12 is the bestselling Purina Bella dog food on Chewy.com.

Here’s a look at the main ingredients in this food:

Meat By-products, Water, Chicken, Liver, Beef, Carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum, Minerals [Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite], Calcium Sulfate, Natural Smoked Bacon Flavor, Choline Chloride, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)].

Purina Bella uses unnamed “meat by-products” as the first ingredient in their wet foods. The problem with this ingredient is that it’s vague. You don’t know what kind of meat it is or what kind of animal it comes from. It might be a good source of protein or it might not. It could even vary from one production run of the product to another.

The food also uses carrageenan. Carrageenan is a common ingredient found in many wet/canned dog foods (and many human foods). It comes from sea weed or kelp and has been used for hundreds of years. It’s approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. However, some critics suggest that it causes stomach distress, though that hasn’t been completely proven. It can be difficult to find dog foods that don’t use carrageenan but we point it out here.

According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 41.7 percent protein, 19.4 percent fat, and 5.6 percent fiber. This formula has an estimated 16.7 percent carbohydrates. It has 101 kcal per 3.5 ounce tray.

Our rating for this food is 3 out of 5 stars.
2.

PURINA BELLA NATURAL BITES WITH REAL CHICKEN & BEEF & ACCENTS OF SWEET POTATOES & SPINACH SMALL BREED DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 26% Min
  • Fat: 15.5% Min
  • Fiber: 4% Max
  • Moisture: 12% Max

Ingredients:

Purina Bella Natural Bites with Real Chicken & Beef & Accents of Sweet Potatoes & Spinach Small Breed Dry Dog Food is one of Bella’s kibble formulas. It contains chicken by-product meal (real chicken) as the first ingredient.

Here are the ingredients:

Chicken By-Product Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Beef Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Canola Meal, Barley, Chicken, Beef, Oat Meal, Brewers Rice, Natural Flavor, Glycerin, Calcium Carbonate, Mono and Dicalcium Phosphate, Malted Barley Flour, Salt, Dried Sweet Potatoes, Dried Spinach, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)], Potassium Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Choline Chloride, Sulfur.

Soy products can be a problem for some dogs. It is an allergen in some cases and there is some belief that it can interfere with the dog’s endocrine system.

Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K) is a synthetic form of Vitamin K which is somewhat controversial. It's unlikely to ever be harmful to a dog in the tiny amounts used in a dog food. A dog would have to consume enormous amounts to be harmful. We point it out here but we don't consider it to be a problem.

This food has 29.5 percent protein and 17.6 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 4.5 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 40.3 percent, DMB. It contains 358 kcal per cup.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
3.

PURINA BELLA GRILLED CHICKEN FLAVOR IN SAVORY JUICES SMALL BREED WET DOG FOOD TRAYS

Product Info

  • Protein: 8% Min
  • Fat: 3.5% Min
  • Fiber: 1% Max
  • Moisture: 82% Max

Ingredients:

Purina Bella Grilled Chicken Flavor in Savory Juices Small Breed Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 12 is another nutrient-dense wet Bella formula. The tender textures make them easy for small dogs to chew.

You can take a look at the ingredients:

Meat By-products, Chicken, Water, Liver, Carrageenan, Minerals [Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite], Locust Bean Gum, Calcium Sulfate, Natural Grilled Chicken Flavor, Choline Chloride, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)].

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 44.4 percent protein, 19.4 percent fat, 5.6 percent fiber, 13.9 percent carbohydrates, and 100 kcal per 3.5 ounce tray.

Our rating for this food is 3 out of 5 stars.
4.

PURINA BELLA NATURAL BITES WITH REAL CHICKEN & TURKEY & ACCENTS OF CARROTS & GREEN BEANS SMALL BREED DRY DOG FOOD

Product Info

  • Protein: 26% Min
  • Fat: 15.5% Min
  • Fiber: 4% Max
  • Moisture: 12% Max

Ingredients:

Purina Bella Natural Bites with Real Chicken & Turkey & Accents of Carrots & Green Beans Small Breed Dry Dog Food offers a mix of dry kibble and meaty shreds.

You can take a look at the ingredients:

Chicken By-Product Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Beef Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Canola Meal, Barley, Chicken, Turkey, Oat Meal, Brewers Rice, Natural Flavor, Glycerin, Calcium Carbonate, Mono and Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Malted Barley Flour, Dried Carrots, Dried Green Beans, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)], Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Choline Chloride, Sulfur.

The softer bites in the food are made using glycerin which makes them chewy. Glycerin is used in some dog foods and often used in dog treats. It doesn’t really have any nutritional benefit but it’s useful for texture and sometimes as a sweetener.

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 29.5 percent protein, 17.6 percent fat, 4.5 percent fiber, 40.3 percent carbohydrates, and 348 kcal/cup. Our rating for this food is 4 out of 5 stars.
5.

PURINA BELLA CHICKEN & SMOKED BACON FLAVORS SMALL BREED WET DOG FOOD TRAYS

Product Info

  • Protein: 7.5% Min
  • Fat: 3.5% Min
  • Fiber: 1% Max
  • Moisture: 82% Max

Ingredients:

Purina Bella Chicken & Smoked Bacon Flavors Small Breed Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 12 is another favorite with small dog owners. You can serve these meals in their trays.

Here are the ingredients:

Meat By-products, Chicken, Water, Liver, Carrageenan, Locust Bean Gum, Minerals [Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenite], Calcium Sulfate, Natural Smoked Bacon Flavor, Choline Chloride, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B-3), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B-5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9), Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Biotin (Vitamin B-7)].

According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 41.7 percent protein, 19.4 percent fat, 5.6 percent fiber, 16.7 percent carbohydrates, and 97 kcal per 3.5 ounce tray.

Our rating for this food is 3 out of 5 stars.

How Much Does Purina Bella Dog Food Cost?

Purina Bella’s wet foods and kibbles are both very modestly priced.

What Do Customers Think Of Purina Bella Dog Food?

Customers give Purina Bella high marks and most people would recommend the food to others, according to reviews on Chewy.com.

Overall, Is Purina Bella Dog Food A Good Choice?

Like other Purina foods, Bella is backed by good nutritional research from the company. Wet foods have unnamed meat by-products as a first ingredient, which is a negative.

Dry foods contain soy products, which is also a drawback. We do like the fact that the foods don’t contain artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Overall, we think these are good to average foods for small or toy dogs, especially for the price. Based on the ingredients, we think the Bella kibbles are probably slightly better than the wet foods.

Where Is Purina Bella Dog Food Sold?

You can buy Purina Bella dog food from Chewy.com and other online retailers. Purina Bella dog food is also sold in grocery stores.

Best Dog Foods For Shedding

Carlotta Cooper is a long-time contributing editor for the weekly dog show magazine DN Dog News. She's the author of The Dog Adoption Bible, a Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) award winner. In addition, she is an American Kennel Club Gazette breed columnist and the author of several books about dogs. She has been reviewing pet foods and writing about dog food for more than 10 years.
2 Comments
  1. Julia

    I appreciate your research and information on Bella dog food. My main concern was where it was made. You answered this question and more. Thank you.

  2. Best Dog Foods For Shedding

    Carlotta Cooper

    Hi Julia, thanks for your comment. I hope your dog is doing well on Bella dog food. Let us know how things are going. Carlotta

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *