Purina Pro Plan Dog Food Review
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Purina Pro Plan is Purina’s premium line of dog foods. Pro Plan is available in dry kibble formulas, canned or wet recipes, and as treats and snacks.
Purina Pro Plan also makes a line of premium cat foods. Pro Plan has various formulas for active dogs, senior dogs, stay-at-home pets, and dogs with certain health and lifestyle needs.
Unlike some smaller pet food companies, Purina does have veterinary nutritionists on staff. If you are wondering if you should feed Purina Pro Plan to your dog, we can help with our unbiased review.
Purina Pro Plan Dog Food: Top 5 Recipes Reviewed
| Product Name | Food Type | Protein | kcal/Cup/Tray |
| Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food | Dry | 26% | 382 kcal/cup |
| Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food | Dry | 26% | 429 kcal/cup |
| Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food | Dry | 28% | 419 kcal/cup |
| Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind Adult 7+ Small Breed Formula Dry Dog Food | Dry | 29% | 487 kcal/cup |
| Purina Pro Plan Sport All Life Stages Performance 30/20 Formula Dry Dog Food | Dry | 30% | 475 kcal/cup |
Brand Score
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 Pro Plan 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 Pro Plan
Purina has been around since the late 19th century, though the name of the company didn’t come into use (Ralston Purina) until the early 20th century. The Purina Pro Plan line of dog foods was introduced in 1986. It was the first brand of kibble to include real meat as the first ingredient
Today, Nestle Purina PetCare is one of the largest pet food companies in the world. It’s an American subsidiary of Nestle and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Other popular dog food brands made by Purina include Purina ONE, Beneful, Purina Beyond, Purina Veterinary Diets, Chef Michael’s, Bella, Mighty Dog, and Purina Dog Chow.
Sourcing And Manufacturing
Nestle Purina PetCare has 21 manufacturing facilities in the U.S. You can see a map that indicates the locations of the company’s operations on this page.
According to Purina, the company sources most, but not all, of its ingredients in the U.S. Ingredients are sampled and inspected before they arrive at the facilities, and there are multiple checks during the manufacturing process.
New suppliers can be assessed for six to 12 months, or longer, before they are accepted.
Recall History
In March 2016, select lots of Purina Pro Plan wet dog food were recalled because it was thought they might not contain the recommended level of vitamins and minerals. Select lots of Beneful wet dog foods were recalled at the same time.
Purina discovered this possible mistake through its own testing and made the voluntary recall. This is the only recall we could find that involved a Purina Pro Plan product.
As a company, Purina has existed for more than 100 years, so it has had occasional recalls, though their overall record is very good. You can find more information about recalls of Purina’s other products over the years here
What Kinds of Dog Food Does Purina Pro Plan Offer?
Purina Pro Plan makes dry kibble, wet or canned food, and treats or biscuits. Their foods include products for puppies (including large breed puppies), adults, senior dogs, grain-free foods, and sensitive skin and stomach foods.
There are more than 80 Pro Plan formulas.
- Sport
- Bright Mind
- Focus
- Grain Free
- Savor
- Savory Meals
- Sensitive Skin and Stomach
Most of the kibble formulas also come in a wet or canned formula.
Purina Pro Plan Dog Food: Top Five Recipes Reviewed
We’re taking a look at five of the top-selling Purina Pro Plan dog foods as found on Chewy.com so you can get a good idea of what some of these different formulas are like.
Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 26% Min
- Fat: 16% Min
- Fiber: 3% Max
- Moisture: 12% Max
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Chicken, Rice Flour, Whole Grain Wheat, Poultry By-Product Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Soybean Meal, Beef Tallow Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Fish Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Natural Liver Flavor, Glycerin, Wheat Bran, Mono And Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, vitamins, minerals …
Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food is the top selling Pro Plan dog food on Chewy.com, which is why we are looking at it first. It may be the top selling food because it contains live probiotics which appeals to many dog lovers. This food also contains soft shreds which are good for some dogs that have trouble chewing very hard kibbles.
Some dogs may have problems with this food because of the whole grain wheat and wheat bran. These are not “bad” or harmful ingredients but there are dogs who might have allergies to wheat.
It also contains soybean meal and soybean oil. Some of the ingredients in this food which might be objectionable are necessary to make it a shredded/softer food.
We have highlighted the poultry by-product meal as an ingredient that may concern some people but poultry by-products and poultry by-product meal from good companies should be a good quality source of animal protein.
Beef tallow as a source of fat can make food more tasty to your dog but it is not as easy to digest as soybean oil.
According to the dry matter basis (DMB), this food has 29.54 percent protein, 18.18 percent fat, and 3.4 percent fiber. This formula has 40.9 percent carbohydrates. It has 382 kcal/cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 26.0% Min
- Fat: 16.0% Min
- Fiber: 4.0% Max
- Moisture: 12.0% Max
- Caloric Content: 3,725 kcal/kg, 429 kcal/cup
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Salmon, Barley, Ground Rice, Canola Meal, Oat Meal, Fish Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salmon Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Natural Flavor, Sunflower Oil, Chicory Root Inulin, Salt, Fish Oil, vitamins, minerals …
Note that this dog food is essentially a one meat protein food – fish. It relies on salmon, fish meal, and salmon meal for animal protein.
The grains used are not the most common grains and they should be easy to digest for many dogs who have sensitive skin and stomachs. This food has no corn, wheat, or soy. It has no added artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Canola meal comes from the canola oil industry so it is a plant source of protein, though it does have some of the same benefits as canola oil.
This formula does use animal fat instead of a named source of fat. It also has “natural flavor” which could contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).
For dogs with sensitive skin, the presence of sunflower oil is beneficial since it provides omega 6. Omega 6 fatty acid helps the skin and coat.
This food has 29.54 percent protein and 18.18 percent fat, according to the dry matter basis (DMB). It has 4.54 percent fiber. Our estimate of the carbohydrates in the food came out to 39.1 percent, DMB. It contains 429 kcal per cup.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Purina Pro Plan Focus Puppy Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 28% Min
- Fat: 13% Min
- Fiber: 4.75% Max
- Moisture: 12% Max
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
New: Chicken, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Whole Grain Wheat, Beef Fat Preserved With Mixed-tocopherols, Pea Fiber, Dried Egg Product, Fish Meal (Source Of Glucosamine), Natural Flavor, Fish Oil, Soybean Oil, vitamins, minerals …
We’ve already mentioned some of the ingredients of concern highlighted in this food. This food also contains pea fiber which could be a special concern for any large breed puppy.
Some large breed dogs already have a genetic predisposition to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) so owners need to take extra care that they don’t feed foods that could cause problems. Since pea fiber is the eighth ingredient here and it appears to be the only ingredient present that was mentioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this is probably not a problem.
According to Purina Pro Plan, the calcium to phosphorus ratio for this food (so important for large/giant breed puppies) is 1.1 percent (min) to 0.9 percent (min). This is a good percentage for large breed puppies.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 31.8 percent protein, 13.8 percent fat, 5.4 percent fiber, 40.1 percent carbohydrates, and 419 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind Adult 7+
Product Info
- Protein: 29% Min
- Fat: 16% Min
- Fiber: 3% Max
- Moisture: 12% Max
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Chicken, Brewers Rice, Poultry By-Product Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Medium-Chain Triglyceride Vegetable Oil, Barley, Dried Egg Product, Fish Meal (Source of Glucosamine), Natural Flavor, Animal Fat Preserved With Mixed-Tocopherols, Fish Oil, vitamins, minerals …
We’ve already mentioned some of the other ingredients in this food which some people might find objectionable. However, we think that the benefits of the Bright Mind formulas far outweigh any drawbacks in the ingredients.
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 33 percent protein, 18.18 percent fat, 3.4 percent fiber, 37.5 percent carbohydrates, and 487 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Purina Pro Plan Sport All Life Stages Performance 30/20 Formula Dry Dog Food
Product Info
- Protein: 30% Min
- Fat: 20% Min
- Fiber: 3% Max
- Moisture: 12% Max
For dogs that don’t need quite as much protein or fat, Pro Plan Sport has some formulas with slightly less protein and fat. They also have non-chicken formulas.
Here are the ingredients in this formula:
Chicken, Corn Gluten Meal, Brewer’s Rice, Animal Fat Preserved with Mixed-Tocopherols (Form of Vitamin E), Poultry By-Product Meal (Natural Source of Glucosamine), Whole Grain Corn, Corn Germ Meal, Fish Meal (Natural Source of Glucosamine), Animal Digest, Fish Oil, Dried Egg Product, vitamins, minerals …
According to the dry matter analysis for this food, it has 34.1 percent protein, 22.7 percent fat, 3.4 percent fiber, 32.2 percent carbohydrates, and 475 kcal per cup.
Our rating for this food is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
How Much Does Purina Pro Plan Dog Food Cost?
Purina Pro Plan foods are very affordable, especially compared to many other premium dog foods.
What Do Customers Think of Purina Pro Plan Dog Food?
Purina Pro Plan dog foods are very popular with people who keep multiple dogs, such as professional dog handlers, show dog breeders, and people with performance dogs (dog agility, dock diving, flyball, etc.).
Many new customers have started buying Pro Plan in the last couple of years due to concerns about grain-free dog foods.
Purina Pro Plan is one of the brands often recommended by veterinary nutritionists and veterinary cardiologists.
Overall, Is Purina Pro Plan Dog Food A Good Choice?
We think that Purina Pro Plan dog foods are very good, with a few exceptions. Pro Plan places an emphasis on the nutrition in the food instead of ingredients that sound good enough to eat.
The company has outstanding quality control. As one of the biggest pet food companies in the world, they have had remarkably few recalls or problems in their history.
They also invest in pet food research to make their foods better. We recommend Purina Pro Plan foods.
Where Is Purina Pro Plan Dog Food Sold?
You can buy Purina Pro Plan dog foods from Chewy.com and other online retailers, as well as many pet stores.
Matt
Your ratings leave out one important factor - do dogs like the taste? For some dogs, it doesn't matter, but my two labradors have discerning palates. I've purchased many different premium brands and they don't want to eat eat it. So I have to drop a couple dog treats in to get them started. Not so with with Purina Pro plan. I put the kibble in and they devour it. So, something tastes better to them and I save on dog treats.
Carlotta Cooper
Thank you for your comment. You're absolutely right. People often buy very expensive dog foods only to discover that their dogs won't eat them. But some companies do feed testing for AAFCO approval instead of just submitting nutritional profiles for approval. The dog food can be nutritious in both cases but if it's been approved via feed trials, you know that dogs have actually eaten the food. Feed trials for all life stage foods include palatability tests so the food has been tested for how much it appeals to the dogs in terms of taste. Feed trials are more expensive to conduct than putting together nutritional profiles so it's usually the bigger companies that use them for their foods. Really great point you bring up.
Lyn Medo
I have a 7 month old Doodle. She is a very picky eater to the point where she stopped eating. I bought bag after bag of good quality puppy food to no avail. I took her to the vet over my concern that she is not getting the nutrition she needs as a growing pup. She recommended Purina Pro Plan. I was shocked. I said you mean the dog food company that his been around forever?? She said yep....they make a good quality dog food and make sure it has grains. I bought my puppy a bag of kibble and topped it with just enough wet canned food to coat the kibble. She devoured it. My only concern is the GMO factor. Especially the corn and if any of the ingredients come from China. Hi Lyn, thanks for your comment. Yes, Purina and some of the other more traditional dog food companies have been in demand since some grain free and exotic dog foods were associated with a dietary form of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs in 2018. Purina says that it's likely their foods do contain GMO grains. They don't make an effort to keep GMO grains out of their foods and GMO grains are mixed into the general supply of grains. This is their statement: "It is likely that our pet food contains GMO grains because genetically modified grain and grain products constitute a significant portion of the supply of grain available throughout the U.S. for both human and pet foods. U.S. grain handling and distribution practices result in a co-mingling of supply, which results in a loss of identity preservation. "The FDA recognizes the safety and equivalence of products derived from U.S.-approved varieties of genetically modified grain, so there is no reason to exclude it from the general supply. In addition, the FDA does not require products containing GMO grains to bear additional labeling." So, GMO grains are simply mixed into the general supply of grains used in many products, including dog foods. As for China, 99 percent of Purina's dog foods are made in the United States. They have 21 dog food plants in the U.S. Most of their ingredients are sourced in the U.S. but not all of them. I haven't been able to find exactly which ones come from out of the U.S. but it could be some minerals which are not available in the U.S. With treats made by Purina, some of them are made in China but Purina now controls the factories and manufacturing. That wasn't true a few years ago when there were some problems with their treats. These might not be the answers you were hoping for but I hope it helps. Hugs to you and your dog. Carlotta
Dale Wells
I have a 20 month old F1B mini Golden Doodle,he had been eating Iam's dry since he was a puppy but he got bored and flat refused to eat.I mixed several wet with his dry and he wouldn't eat muck of it.I ran across the Pro Plan wet and mixed it with the dry and he wolfs it down.I feed him the beef and rice because he seems to have an allergy to chicken.Thank you for making a dog food for a picky eater i had gotten to the point of trying to hand feed this dog but he loves your food.
Carlotta Cooper
Thanks for your comment, Dale. We don't actually make the dog foods here at PupJunkies. We just offer our reviews. But I'm so glad that you have found something that your pup likes eating! I know what it's like when a dog seems to get bored with a food. :) Carlotta
Ella S Bissett
My 15 pound Shih Tzu is on the Pro Plan EN. Be eats every bite. The only problem I have is that it makes his bowels loose. Any suggestions to eliminate this problem?
Dina Reavis
My dogs have been eating Nutro Ultra for years and they love it but they have horrible gas issues. I decided to try Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach and Skin. Not only do they love the taste but the gas issues have gone away. My 16 year old dachshund loves the taste and she is extremely picky.
Paul
I have 2 GSD, One 9 years with Joint problems and I have a 10 Mnt old. I feeding My 9 year old your Dry Joint Food along with your wet Senior Food. Now My ten month old is bigger than my 9 year old and we been feeding him large dog Puppy food. He decided that he like the taste of the Dry Joint food. I was wondering if I could swich him over to the Joint instead of the Large puppy dry
Katie at Meadowia
I've been feeding my dog Purina Pro Plan for years and it's honestly the best dog food out there!