Rating: 
Iams ProActive Health Weight Control Dog Food gets the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
Currently, the Iams ProActive Health Weight Control product line includes just two kibbles… both designed for overweight dogs.
- Iams ProActive Health Weight Control
- Iams ProActive Health Weight Control Large Breed
Iams ProActive Health Weight Control Large Breed was selected to represent both products in the line for this review.
Iams ProActive Health Weight Control Large Breed
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Corn meal, chicken by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), ground whole grain sorghum, chicken, ground whole grain barley, dried beet pulp, chicken flavor, dried egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, salt, dicalcium phosphate, caramel, flax meal, dl-methionine, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide, cobalt carbonate), dried chicken cartilage (natural source of glucosamine), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), inositol, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), l-lysine monohydrochloride, l-tryptophan, l-carnitine, citric acid, rosemary extract.
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is corn meal. Corn meal is a ground flour made from dried corn. Although there’s no way to know for sure, it’s reasonable to assume the corn used here is similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
Feed corn is frequently contaminated with insects, mites and molds.
Many blame corn for chronic canine allergies. But those allergies are probably more a result of what’s in the corn… than the corn itself.
The next item lists chicken by-product meal… a dry “rendered” product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In a nutshell… chicken by-products are the unsavory and inedible leftovers deemed “unfit for human consumption”.
This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it. This is certainly not a quality ingredient.
The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.
Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered a decent non-meat ingredient.
The fourth ingredient is chicken. Raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just 20% of its original weight.
That’s what makes uncooked meat a much smaller contributor to the overall protein content of a dry dog food… than its equivalent and comparable meat meal.
So, don’t be influenced by chicken’s inclusion here. To reflect its significantly lighter weight, this item should more fittingly occupy a much lower position on the list.
The fifth item is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. This is considered a quality grain ingredient.
The sixth ingredient lists beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is completely acceptable.
After the added chicken flavor (whatever that is), we find dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
The quality of this item all depends on the caliber of the ingredient purchased by Iams (you get what you pay for).
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The next ingredient includes chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is a quality ingredient.
Also, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
By the way, the caramel item listed here is (hopefully) just some form of food coloring… and not the familiar human “confection”.
The Bottom Line
Like so many weight management dog foods, Iams ProActive Health Weight Control appears to lower its caloric content by reducing its animal-based ingredients… and raising the fiber.
This fact should become more obvious as we now take a look at the product’s nutrient profile.
The dashboard reports a dry matter protein reading of 22%, a fat level of 10% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 60%.
The nutrient gauges confirm our suspicions…
Compared to Iams ProActive Health Adult Dog Food, our selected weight control product is 21% lower in protein, 38% lower in fat and 22% higher in carbohydrates.
Unfortunately, the lost protein and fat are now replaced with extra carbohydrates… more corn meal, sorghum, barley and beet pulp.
And (of course) less meat is almost always associated with a lower quality dog food.
Here’s a suggestion…
Instead of lowering calories by decreasing meat content, why not consider a higher quality (higher protein) dog food… and simply feed less of it?
Surely, a reasonable suggestion to run by your favorite vet… don’t you think?
Bottom line?
Iams ProActive Health Weight Control is a corn-based dog food that uses a cheap by-product meal as its main meat ingredient… thus earning the brand a disappointing two-stars.
Not recommended.
Some Final Thoughts
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult your veterinarian for help.
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