Rating: 
Pro Pac Dog Food gets the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.
The Pro Pac Dog Food product line lists fourteen kibbles… seven designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages, four for growth and three for adult maintenance.
- Pro Pac Adult Chunk
- Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk
- Pro Pac Small Breed Adult
- Pro Pac Small Breed Puppy
- Pro Pac Large Breed Adult
- Pro Pac Large Breed Puppy
- Pro Pac Large Breed Senior
- Pro Pac Performance Puppy
- Pro Pac Adult Lamb Meal and Rice
- Pro Pac Puppy Lamb Meal and Rice
- Pro Pac High Performance Dog Food
- Pro Pac Adult Chicken Meal and Rice
- Pro Pac Senior Chicken Meal and Rice
- Pro Pac Low Fat Rice and Chicken Meal (1 star)
Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk Dog Food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, ground yellow corn, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), rice flour, dried beet pulp, natural flavoring, flaxseed, yeast culture, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, dl-methionine hydroxy analogue, l-lysine, vitamin E supplement, d-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), vitamin A acetate, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, manganous oxide, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, calcium iodate, zinc proteinate, manganese proteinate, iron proteinate, magnesium proteinate, copper proteinate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 15% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 17% | 46% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 35% | 40% |
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 ingredient is corn. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know from the list entry itself, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The third 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. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The fourth item is rice flour. Rice flour is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a good gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The fifth ingredient is dried 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.
After the natural flavor, we find 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.
The eighth ingredient is yeast culture . Although yeast culture is high in B-vitamins and protein, it may also be used as a probiotic to aid in digestion.
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, other than yeast culture, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, this food does contain 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.
Pro Pac Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Pro Pac Dog Food appears to be an above-average kibble.
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 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 46%.
Due to its unusually low 16% protein and 6% fat content (is this a misprint?), the Low Fat formula’s apparently limited meat content compels us to downgrade the product’s rating to our lowest category.
Excluding the Low Fat recipe, the brand features an average protein content of 29% and a mean fat level of 17%.
Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
All in all, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.
We really like Pro Pac. Frankly, we’re surprised to see this brand so harshly judged by other reviewers.
However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include rice gluten meal in three of its recipes. For without this plant-based protein booster (and adding probiotics), we’d have been compelled to overlook the corn and award this product a higher rating.
Bottom line?
Pro Pac Dog Food is a grain-based kibble using a notable amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.
Recommended.
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 specific health benefits 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.
Other spellings: Propac
Notes and Updates
05/16/2010 Original review
11/07/2010 Review updated
04/06/2011 Upgraded from 3 to 3.5 stars (availability of half stars)
04/06/2011 Last Update
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.