Rating: 
Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction Formula Dog Food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.
Although the Premium Edge Dog Food product line currently lists eight kibbles, this review is designed to cover the Healthy Weight Reduction Formula only.
Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, peas, egg product, potato protein, potatoes, salmon, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), powdered cellulose, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor, ocean fish meal, choline chloride, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, kelp, carrots, apples, tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, rosemary extract, parsley flake, yucca schidigera extract, l-carnitine, chondroitin sulfate, dried fermentation products of Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.6%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.
After processing, this item would probably occupy a lower position on the list.
Which brings us to chicken meal… the second and (most likely) the dominant meat ingredient in this dog food.
Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. Plus (like all legumes) they’re rich in natural fiber.
The fourth item lists 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.
In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.
The fifth ingredient is potato protein… the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.
Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.
This less expensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The sixth item includes potato. Assuming they’re whole, potatoes are a good source of digestible carbohydrates and other healthy nutrients.
The seventh ingredient is fresh salmon. Raw salmon (like chicken) contains mostly water. So, the process of making kibble reduces the meat content to just a fraction of its pre-cooking weight.
For this reason (and after processing), this item would likely occupy a lower spot on the ingredients list.
The eighth item mentions 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 ninth item is powdered cellulose… a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from cotton or sawdust. Cellulose is sometimes added to dilute the number of calories per serving and to give the feeling of fullness when it is eaten.
Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.
The tenth ingredient is 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.
Following the natural chicken flavor, we find ocean fish meal… another protein-rich meat concentrate. Unfortunately, this item is anonymous. The phrase “ocean fish” does little to adequately describe this ingredient.
Due to the various oils contained in different fish, we would like to have known the actual species.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
In any case, we are pleased to note that, unlike many fish meals, this particular 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 protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction
The Bottom Line
Although it’s not the goal of the Advisor to rate each and every product, we do believe Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction is unique enough to merit its own special review.
So, judging by its ingredients alone, Premium Edge Healthy Weight Reduction 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 49%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 30%.
High protein. Low fat. And very low carbs… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Unlike most weight reduction dry dog foods (low on protein, high on carbs), this one is a game changer.
Even considering the protein boosting effect of the pea protein, this looks like the profile of a dry kibble containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Premium Edge Health Weight Reduction Formula is a grain-free dry dog food using a generous amount of chicken meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Those looking for a standard kibble from the same company may wish to visit our review of Premium Edge 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
03/07/2010 Original review
10/07/2010 Review updated
- Diamond Pet Customer Service via email, 7/7/2010 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.