Rating: 
Precise Plus Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest rating of four stars.
The Precise Plus product line includes four dry dog foods. Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy recommendations for these products on the Precise website, we’re unable to confirm specific life stage recommendations.
- Precise Plus Adult Formula
- Precise Plus Puppy Formula (5 stars)
- Precise Plus Large Breed Adult Formula
- Precise Plus Lamb Meal and Sweet Potato Formula
Precise Plus Adult Formula was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Precise Plus Canine Adult Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, ground brown rice, chicken, ground whole barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate), beet pulp, ground oats, flaxseed, dried egg product, fish meal, chicken cartilage (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), alfalfa, natural chicken flavor, dried carrots, lecithin, dried kelp, fish oil, Yucca schidigera extract, potassium chloride, salt, calcium ascorbate (source of vitamin C), dried cranberries, chamomile, dandelion, peppermint, rosemary, turmeric meal, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Streptococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, vitamin A suppliment, vitamin D3 supplement, iron amino acid chelate, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, cobalt amino acid chelate, riboflavin supplement, dl-methionine, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese amino acid chelate, choline chloride, folic acid, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), sodium selenite, calcium iodate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.9%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second item is brown rice. Brown rice is a quality ingredient… a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.
The third 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 impressed by chicken’s inclusion here. To reflect its significantly lighter weight, this item should more suitably occupy a much lower position on the list.
The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.
The fifth ingredient is 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.
The next item mentions 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 and blood sugar 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 entirely acceptable.
The seventh ingredient includes ground oats. Oats are naturally rich in fiber, B-vitamins and are (unlike many other cereal grains) mostly gluten-free.
The eighth item lists flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
We note the inclusion here of dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary greatly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
This product contains fish meal… another meat concentrate.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
We are pleased to report that unlike many fish meals, this item appears1 to be ethoxyquin-free.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, the manufacturer appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Precise Plus Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Precise Plus appears to be an above-average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 29%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Average fat. And average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Precise Plus is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand four stars.
Highly recommended.
Those considering another kibble product from the same company may wish to visit our review of Precise dry dog food.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
03/02/2010 Original review
05/29/2010 Review updated (now menadione-free)
- Precise Pet, 3/1/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.