Rating: 
Pro-Pet Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.
The Pro-Pet Dog Food product line includes four kibbles. Although some formulations appear to be designed for a specific life stage, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Pro-Pet website.
- Pro-Pet Adult Formula
- Pro-Pet Puppy Formula
- Pro-Pet Performance Formula
- Pro-Pet Lamb Meal and Rice Formula
Pro-Pet Adult Formula dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Pro-Pet Adult Formula
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, brewers rice, chicken, ground wheat, ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols (source of vitamin E) and citric acid), dried beet pulp, dried egg product, natural flavors, dicalcium phosphate, canola oil, fish meal, brewers dried yeast, salt, Yucca schidigera, vitamins (vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12supplement), minerals (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate monohydrate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite), potassium chloride, dl-methionine, l-lysine, ascorbic acid
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 18% | 45% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 37% | 39% |
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 brewers rice. Brewers rice represents the small grain fragments left over after milling whole rice.
This is an inexpensive cereal grain by-product and not considered a quality ingredient.
The third ingredient is 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.
The fourth ingredient lists wheat. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, wheat isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know from the list entry itself, the wheat 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, wheat is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider wheat a preferred component in any dog food.
The fifth ingredient is corn. Corn is another problematic grain and subject to the same issues as wheat (previously discussed).
The sixth ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The seventh 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 eighth ingredient is 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 ninth ingredient is 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.
Canola oil can be a controversial ingredient. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.2
Fish meal is considered another protein-rich meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.
But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.
We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.
Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find only a trace of ethoxyquin in this product.
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 four notable exceptions…
First, brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.
Next, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Thirdly, 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.
And lastly, this Pro-Pet Dog Food product contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Pro-Pet Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Pro-Pet Dog Food looks to be an 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 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 31% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 43% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Even when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing at least a moderate amount of meat.
However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include menadione in its recipes. Due to the presence of this controversial supplement as well as the inclusion of corn gluten and brewers rice, we were almost compelled to award this brand our next lower rating.
Bottom line?
Pro-Pet Dog Food is a grain-based dry kibble using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand 3 stars.
Recommended.
Menadione phobics should ignore our rating and look elsewhere for another product.
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.
Notes and Updates
02/17/2011 Original review
02/17/2011 Last Update
- White, S., “Update on food allergy in the dog and cat”, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.