Beneful Dog Food (Summary)

by Mike Sagman
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The Beneful Dog Food brand includes two canine product lines:

A review for each product line can be accessed by clicking one of the above links.

Common misspellings: Beniful, Benaful

Notes and Updates

06/02/2010 Original review
04/03/2012 Last Update

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


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  • Lorri

    I have 3 dogs, 11yr old Border Collie, 7yr old Papillon, & a 6 month old Aussie. I switched all 3 from Beneful to Kirkland the Papillon & Aussie like it, the Border Collie wasn’t eating, so this weekend I gave him some of the Beneful and he’s eating again. I need a suggestion of something else I can give him that he might like, but also would be better for him. Also inexpensive would be nice since they’re all eating different stages of food (puppy, healthy weight, and senior) Thank you for any suggestions.

  • Cynthia

    I think if you know your dog that will help along with doing the research I didn’t do initially. I’ve tried to feed my Shepherd/Chow mix Alpo – he threw it up everytime, I fed him Beneful, where initially he liked it but after about a month he refused to eat anymore of it – I then tried Kibbles ‘n Bits, he refused to eat that. I heard a lot about Blue and tried that. He responded well to that but as he got older it became too expensive – he would have to eat 4 cans a day ($120.00/mo). So I switched over to Pedigree – thinking it was a quality brand – he would literally eat grass and dirt before he would eat the Pedigree. I would force him, but he wasn’t eating enough, he was losing weight, and his coat looked horrible. I tried Chef Micheals, he would eat it but it wasn’t doing much for his coat or his temperament. He seemed to become whiney. Speaking with the folks at PetSmart I decided to try BilJac…say what you want but he’s eating like he should, the grass/dirt eating has completely stopped, his coat is looking so much better and he’s more confident now. I feel bad for feeding him crap for so long, but the BilJac has made a huge difference in a short period of time.

  • http://Dogfoodadvisor.com Teri

    I forgot to mention that we feed them Eukanuba dry food, and bought Beneful dry food also. We were just mixing in a little of the Beneful but it doesn’t sound like a good idea. It must have something in it because it was like a drug to them. Thanks Sandy for the tips, I will check them out.

  • sandy

    Teri,

    There are so many better foods out there to list!! But I’ve personally used Merrick 5-star Entrees like Grammy’s Pot Pie, Wilderness Blend and Turducken and Merrick cans. I also use Nature’s Variety Prairie Chicken and Prairie Salmon, and Nature’s Variety Instinct Duck & Turkey. Check them out at http://www.merrickpetcare.com and http://www.naturesvariety.com. I’ve probably used about 10 different kinds of dog foods by now.

  • http://Dogfoodadvisor.com Teri

    Our 2 year old Akita’s have been fed Eukanuba dog food but have never liked it. I didn’t think to check reviews of Beneful but should have. The dogs loved it but luckily this is only day 3 so I will stop feeding it to them. Any suggestions for something tastier than the bland dogfoods. Our dogs are pretty picky and when we go away we want to make it easier for family to watch them and not have to “prepare” food for them. We had been adding cooked chicken to the other dog food just to get them to eat. I know it’s not the answer but didn’t know what to do?

  • Michelle

    Lisa, here are some good budget-friendly foods. Costco’s has Kirkland Signature $12.00 for a 20lb bag or $25.00 for a 40lb bag.Tractor Supply has 4health and Diamond Naturals.Petco has Whole Earth Farms. Each dog is an individual and has different caloric needs, but their is a “dog food calculator” on this site.

  • Bob K

    A few ideas: Diamond Natural (Menards often has it on sale), Kirkland (Costco exclusive), 4Health (TSC – Tractor Supply exclusive), Authority (Petsmart exclusive), Whole Earth Farms, Premium Edge, Eagle Pack, https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=0

  • Lisa

    I am looking for a good dog food but am newly married and do not have a lot of money to spend. I have a 3 year old Golden Retriever who seems to be very healthy. I also do not know how much to feed him. As of now I feed him 1 scoop twice a day. Which seems to fill him up but not overfeed him.

    What are some good foods for your dog but at a cheap price?

  • Jonathan

    That’s awesome, Mike P. I too have seen similar changes in dogs and cats when moved from crap like this to a better food. :-)

  • Mike P

    Jonathan , My sis in law travels alot and we sit her toy poodle . She went to florida for two months and left beneful with us . The poodle stayed in her crate and was very reclusive . After about two weeks of that , I switched her to Fromm grain free. Within a week she started playing with our boxer and completely changed . She finally feels healthy and is enjoying life, and my sis couldn’t be happier . Lots to be said about good food …

  • Jonathan

    “…I have considered switching her diet. But I can’t find a good reason to do that…”

    Really? because I can think of a lot of good reasons. 12 good reasons to be exact…

    Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, animal digest, added color, and menadione sodium bisulfite complex.

  • Bo

    I have to admit I didn’t know much about dog food nutrition (or nutrition in general) when I started rescuing dogs off the streets of Los Angeles 18 years ago, though after years of feeding my basset hound Science Diet I stopped, because someone told me there was rubber(!) as one of the ingredients. I didn’t do much research (we didn’t have the internet then), and honestly cannot remember why I started feeding her Beneful. She died shortly after from stomach cancer, and I always blamed myself for having fed her Science Diet, knowing she hadn’t been on the Beneful long enough to create a slow growing cancer. I continued to use the Beneful for all of my rescues, including the one I still have, a 17 year old Akita/Chow mix that I picked up over 15 years ago. At some point I switched her to the Healthy Weight formula, and to date she is in perfect health except for a little arthritis. She gets blood work every six months and her labs are perfect, including her liver and kidneys, both of which have also been ultrasounded (is that a word?) just to be sure. Over the years, as I have become more informed, I have considered switching her diet. But I can’t find a good reason to do that when my is healthy, happy, alert, and will still break into a run (albeit a short one) to chase the neighborhood cats!

  • Mike P

    Lenny I feel so bad for you ,that you got dooped by the fancy packaging . You spend money on a food you think is good because it cost more than the other junk . I fell into that trap and now am glad you found this site. Spend some time here and read the great post from the informed pet owners . Dr mike has so many great reviews on food that can be found anywhere . I’m sure you will find a great food for the same money you spend now . Good luck Lenny

  • melissa

    We need a darn Costco in my part of Ny, lol

  • Bob K

    Jonathan & Lenny – Don’t forget Menards for Diamond Natural, Farm and Fleet and Tractor Supply Company (TSC) for some decent dog foods. Menards just had 20lb bags of Diamond Natural on sale for 16.99. My usual price of Diamond Natural 40lbs. is about $28.00 at Menards.

  • Jonathan

    could have been an allergic reaction to the wheat gluten (3rd ingredient). Or just a bad reaction to what amounts to a pile of industrial waste! If you have a pet store you can shop at, by all means, check out some better (and not even more expensive, sometimes, cheaper!) brands. Pro Pac, Nutro, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Authority, AvoDerm, Diamond Naturals. If you do not have a pet store, try an upscale grocery store. I know the Harris Teeter in my town has Evolve, Iams Premium Protection, One Beyond, Lassies, Harmony Farms, and Newman’s Own. And if you are near a Coscos, SCORE! They have Kirkland’s with is WAY cheaper than Beneful, and about as good as Blue Buffalo.

  • Bob K

    Lenny – Have you read the reviews of the dog food you mention? Its crap !! For what you pay for Beneful you can get a much better food if you care about yout pets. Better food and save money. Sounds like a no brainer

  • Lenny

    I have 1 pug which eats the ol roy soft pouches, a 1.5 y/o dob that eats Beneful complete dry, and a new Dob pup that eats Benful for pups. I never had a problem until recently. We got a coupon to get 2 free benefule radu meals wit hthe the pup food. So we bought them. I mixed a little with each dogs food to give them a treat. Big mistake. All three have been throwing up and have diarea and the large dob has a swollen mouth. Kaopectate and Benedril did the trick but OMG, what the hell is in those ready meals?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Scott… You’ve highlighted a very important differentiating feature of dog food. A product’s intrinsic value. The number of calories per cup can vary dramatically for each recipe (even within the same brand’s product line). So, from a cost standpoint, the value of a food is not always easily compared.

  • Scott

    Unfortunately in this economy many people do have to “think with their pocketbook.” However, there are two comments I will make about affording good food for your pets.

    First, before you adopt a pet, it is your responsibility to determine if you can properly care for the pet. Which includes time, shelter and money to list a few. Time spent with the pet for playing, bonding, exercise etc. Proper shelter whether inside or outside dog. And most important money for routine care such as vet bills, toys and of course proper nutrition. I am not a rich man by any defintion of the word, but all of my dogs are taken care of completely in every category. Even if it means I do not buy that new car, TV etc. because it is my responsibility.

    Second, I have not seen mentioned on this website yet (although I have only came across it a few days ago) is comparing the amount of food you have to feed your dog between a 4 or 5 star food VS a 1 or 2 star food. Although some higher rated dog foods are more expensive, since it is more nutrional you actually feed your dog less then a lower rated dog food. If I was to feed one of my Rotts a lower rated food, I would have to feed almost 8 cups of day. However, on a good dog food I only have to feed 4 cups a day. So eventhough the intitial cost is more, the food last longer which makes the difference in price negligible.

    Great website! I look forward to more hours of informative reading as a I continue to explore this site.

  • Melissa

    Sue-

    In this economy many people have to “think with their pocketbook” and make decisions based on cost. I would just suggest that if in this situation, the person make a list of the “better rated” foods and go out comparision shopping. They may be surprised that many of the foods are very affordable, or at least not as expensive as they thought they would be.In my part of NY, foods such as Eukanuba, Purina proplan, science diet and Nutro(all foods I do not wish to feed, but have in the past) are MORE expensive than some of the 4 star rated foods and a few of the 5 star.

    As for the rest of your comment, I have not had the opportunity to read the study where it states that those symptoms you list will suddenly develop at the age 0f 7 yrs forward-could you please provide the link that states this? I am of course most interested. Thanks!

    Melissa

  • sue

    kathy don’t read the reviews read the ingreds in bag then decided and ask yourself this good for my dog. NO!!!!! it is pure garbage. I use to rep for blue buffallo and i had a lady looking for different food because she bought a bag of beneful and her dog almost died and it cost her quite a bit of money on the vet bill. my sister use to feed beneful and her dogs teeth were red and swollen and boy did they stink and there fur was so ugly and finally after my nagging , there dogs were fed a great dog food and the transformation was awesome . stop deciding what to feed your animal with your pockets book your dog is your responbilities to feed a food that will built strong muscle and immune strong. not some not healthy dog food. I’m not saying to go out by the best of the best i am saying buy something your dog with be strong and healthy. most damage to your dog will start showing around 7 on. greasey fur, smell, hot spots, ear infections, sores and then you will go to the vet and for this and be put on steroids. Go check out dinovite website they a product that works wonders. I now feed before grain in the long run it save me money from all the vet bills

  • Mara

    I have 2 beautiful dogs…a Yorkie/poo and a Chihuahua/Terrier….I’ve been feeding them with Beneful thinking it was good…and they seemed to like it…BUT..my chihuahua/terrier been having seizures…which not only scared me to death!! But made me start looking for answers..and txs to this website,and some other information, I realized that the food its slowly killing my “baby”..

  • Jonathan

    Kathy, just click on the 3, 4, and 5 star categories and limit your search to the food there… then you can’t go wrong! :-)

  • Kathy

    Thanks, Lynne girl or whatever:
    and Bob:

    I thought I saw Science Diet as one of the better ones – guess I’ll read ALL the reviews first, then decide on the best. thanks.

  • Lynne

    Kathy-Girl, don’t give your little Pom Pom Science Diet! Look at one on the 5 star foods, like Wellness Core! Science Diet is just as bad as the 1 and 2 star beneful!

  • Bob K

    Kathy – Why Science Diet – It is a 2 Star food? You can find better dog foods cheaper.

  • Kathy

    Thanks so much for the info – Beneful did seem like a good product, also very expensive, and my dog likes it. But I will now switch to Science dog food. Only want the best for my Pom, Kirby!!! Kathy

  • Jonathan

    Giavonni, when your dog is only 10 years old and is covered with cysts and is dying early from cancer and/or diabetes, come back and post about how great this ridiculous food is.

    Better yet, if you think it is so great, you eat it. Eat it for one month then report back on how well you are feeling.

    I hope for your dog’s sake that your above post was a joke.

  • Giavonni Feuerstorme

    I give my dog beneful and she can fly now! I wouldn’t give her anything else. I give this website one star…in the face!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Martha… Finding the right food for your dog depends more on its life age. Puppy or adult? Choose any 3, 4 or 5-star food that you think your dog would like, decide if you want a dry or canned product. And that’s all there is to it.

    Oh, one more thing. You don’t want to offer your Chihuahua a large size kibble that he can just barely fit into his mouth. It would be too difficult to chew. So, when you shop, just try to feel the size of the kibble by pinching the outside of the bag.

  • Jonathan

    There isn’t necessarily a “good food for Chihuahuas” Martha. Every food is different, and every dog is different. Just look through Mike’s lists of 3, 4 and 5 star foods and when you go to the store, try to pick one with smaller kibbles. “breed specific” food hoovers on the gimmicky side of things. Royal Canin does make a Chihuahua food if you really want something “for Chihuahuas”.

  • martha

    some one can tell me which food is good for chihuauas
    i recently chance the food to beneful bat the star geting weith i dont no what to do.

  • http://www.grantmeahigherlove.com Cindi Sansone-Braff

    Oh my God, Eileen, thank you for confirming what I have been going through. Beneful is made by Purina and our Beagle was acting lethargic, weak, and bit me as well, after feeding him Mighty Dog and Beneful. He could barely stand and now that we have stopped feeding him this stuff, he is better. Spread the word!

  • Kevin

    I had prided myself in that I had been eating much healthier the past couple years, but had only recently really started to question what I was feeding my pets. I thought (like many) that I was buying a quality product. I’d read several ads about dog food ingredients and about avoiding the top 3 overused ingredients in many dogs foods – corn, chicken by-products, and soybean. I began reading labels and asking questions and did recently switch both my dog & cat to 4Health. It would have been much easier if I’d found this web site sooner. It has been an eye-opening experience reading your website. While I was embarrassed to learn that I had been feeding my pets such crap, I am much more confident now in my choice. I do plan to share this website with friends & family. Great job & thank you!

    By the way, both my dog & cat are much more enthused about their mealtimes.

  • Jonathan

    Evelyn, why on earth would your dogs need weight control dog food in the first place? what were they eating before? Weight control dog foods are complete gimmicks. And Beneful being amoung the worst. To make the food “lite” they reduce the meat and fat content (both good for dogs) and replace it with extra carbs (which do a doggy no good and turn into blood sugar, than stored fat). Most People I meet with an overweight dog feed it a “weight control” formula. And guess what? Their dogs always seem to remai over weight.
    I’m sorry for your dogs that you think Beneful is a good thing to be putting into their bodies. As you live each day, your body is constantly replacing cells. And where does the material to do so come from? Well, food. So if you are feeding your dog Beneful, then their cells are being replaced each day, in the millions, by potential cancer causing material, dead pets and road kill, resturant grease, and horribly low quality grains. Just saying.

  • Dave

    Evelyn, it’s all about the ingredients. And the ingredients are terrible. Corn, wheat, soy, by-products, food coloring, sugar, preservatives.

    Think of wild animals. Better yet, think of wolves. Now try to imagine them out in a field grazing on corn or wheat. It doesn’t happen. Same thing with soy, food coloring, sugar, and artificial preservatives.

    Their meals are always protein. Yes, good dog foods include some grains, but they will be high quality barley and brown rice. Never in a flour form.

    I wish you and your dogs the best. I mean it. :)

  • EVELYN

    Sorry to hear all the negative reports on Beneful, but it’s not going to sway me. I have 2 dachshunds and feed them the weight control mix, with excellent results, as dachshunds are prone to back problems. I also like the new zipper pack, because living in the deep south, it keeps the moisture out and the food nice and fresh. I think each of the negatives is outweighed by ten-fold positives.

  • Ginger Wong

    I am not a dog lover whatsoever BUT my 18 year old daughter changed her dog to Beneful. A week later we were driving in from another state and my daughter called in a panic. Her dog “Simon” had chewed up a plastic kennel, now he wasn’t even inside of it, and when she entered the room he attacked her. She kicked him back and drug him outside. He was foaming at the mouth and growling at her. This is the sweetest dog on earth, my daughter even was attacked by two dogs and he hid behind her for protection. She called our old vet, he was on call, and they said they would probably have to put him down. When we got home 3 hours later, my husband went over to tend to them and Simon was calmed down but exhausted looking (confused too). The next day we took him to our new vet, she did tests and recommended a behavior school. Right before we began to leave, she said “I should have asked this but what food is in on?” We told her Beneful, she laughed and said I know what is wrong with him. It was the food. She said she has had more dogs come in with abrupt behavior changes due to some dog foods and Beneful was #1. We quickly threw that crap out and went and bought the Costco brand, which has no wheat or corn. He is back to normal and a happy dog. The vet said it was like he was a child and we were giving him a bag of hersheys every day, it is pure junk food. What a rip! My daughter could have been seriously injured due to this crap and a good companion put to sleep! I do have some coworkers that feed their dogs Beneful and have no problems but beware of sudden behavioral problems if you switch your dog to Beneful, please.

  • Rene

    Wow.

    When we were new pet pawrent back in 1998, we started feeding this to our dog Jerry. Knowing zero about canine nutrition, I was taken in by the ads and seemingly healthful appearance.

    When he started having seizures I did some reading, and learned about the connection between low quality food and seizures. So I stopped feeding it to him. And guess what? The seizures stopped! Hmmm…. That’s when I got serious about canine nutrition and vowed never to give another animal this kind of garbage ever again.

    Years later when Jerry was diagnosed with cancer, I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps this horrible, low quality food had something to do with it. I felt awful for a long time wondering how much the food I gave him contributed to his illness.

    Thank you for your wonderful reviews and unbiased honesty. I hope that others who don’t know anything about nutrition are spared the kind of guilt and blame I felt over my dog’s cancer.

    You are pawesome!

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