Purina One SmartBlend (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Purina One SmartBlend Dog Food gets the Advisor’s second-lowest tier rating of 2 stars.

The Purina One SmartBlend product line includes nine dry dog foods, two claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for growth, four for adult maintenance and three for all life stages.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • Purina One SmartBlend Large Breed Adult
  • Purina One SmartBlend Sensitive Systems
  • Purina One SmartBlend Large Breed Puppy
  • Purina One SmartBlend Healthy Puppy Formula
  • Purina One SmartBlend Lamb and Rice Formula
  • Purina One SmartBlend Healthy Weight Formula
  • Purina One SmartBlend Chicken and Rice Formula
  • Purina One SmartBlend Small Bites Beef and Rice Formula
  • Purina One SmartBlend Vibrant Maturity 7 Plus Senior Formula

Purina One SmartBlend Small Bites Beef and Rice Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Purina One SmartBlend Small Bites Beef and Rice

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 30% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 44%

Ingredients: Beef (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E), oatmeal, whole grain wheat, soy flakes, soybean meal, animal digest, glycerin, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, l-lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, sulfur, manganese sulfate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), sodium selenite

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis26%16%NA
Dry Matter Basis30%18%44%
Calorie Weighted Basis25%38%38%

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Although it’s a quality item, raw beef 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 account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient includes brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third 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 some of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

The fifth ingredient is poultry by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of slaughtered poultry after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, poultry by-products are those unsavory and inedible leftovers deemed “unfit for human consumption”.

In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).

We consider poultry by-products slightly lower in quality than a single-species ingredient (like chicken by-products).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry.

The sixth ingredient includes animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering, the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.

Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere: roadkill, spoiled supermarket meat, dead, diseased or dying cattle — even euthanized livestock.

For this reason, we do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.

The seventh ingredient is oatmeal, a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, dietary fiber and can be (depending upon its level of purity) gluten-free.

The eighth ingredient is wheat. Wheat is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as corn (previously discussed).

The ninth ingredient is soy flakes. Soy flakes are derived from whole soybeans and contain about 55% protein, a factor that must be considered when attempting to judge the actual meat content of a pet food recipe.

The next ingredient is soybean meal, a by-product of soybean oil production more commonly found in farm animal feeds.

Although soybean meal contains 48% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

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 six notable exceptions…

First, animal digest is a chemically hydrolyzed mixture of animal by-products that is usually sprayed onto the surface of a dry kibble to improve its taste.

Next, we’re always disappointed to find artificial coloring in any pet food. That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color his kibble is?

In addition, garlic oil may be a controversial item. We say “may be” here because we are not certain of the oil’s chemical relationship to raw garlic itself.

Although most experts favor the ingredient for its numerous health benefits, garlic (in rare cases) has been linked to Heinz body anemia in dogs.1

However, the limited professional literature we surveyed provided no definitive warnings regarding the use of garlic — especially when used in small amounts (as it likely is here).

Next, 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.

In addition, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, this dog food contains menadione, a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.

Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in either of its dog food nutrient profiles, we question the use of this substance in any canine formulation.

Purina One SmartBlend Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Purina One SmartBlend looks like a below-average dry product.

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 30%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 44%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.

Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

When you consider the protein-boosting effects of the corn gluten meal, soy flakes, soybean meal, and also soy and corn germ meals included in some recipes, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a below-average amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Purina One SmartBlend dry dog food is a plant-based kibble using a below-average amount of beef, lamb, poultry or salmon as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2 stars.

Not recommended.

Please note some products may have been given higher or lower ratings based upon our estimate of their total meat content.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

09/09/2011 Original review
03/17/2013 Review updated
03/17/2013 Last Update

  1. Yamato et al, Heinz Body hemolytic anemia with eccentrocytosis from ingestion of Chinese chive (Allium tuberosum) and garlic (Allium sativum) in a dog, Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 41:68-73 (2005) ↩
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  • Shawna

    No, like Patty said it is not normal for a dog to drink til the point of regurgitating if she is healthy and not being deprived of water.

    If the dog becomes too dehydrated it can actually damage her kidneys. And then she’ll REALLY need lots of water.

    I really don’t mean to be rude but all the regulars on here know that my favorite dogs are the bully breeds. It saddens me to know that this dog, in my opinion, is being abused… Pitties, any breed, deserve better.. I think some people were just not meant to be canine care givers.. If your local humane society is not a kill facility, I would turn the guy in.. That seems harsh maybe but it seems, by his actions, like the guy really doesn’t want the dog all that much. Just my opinion of course.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Lots of foods have rewards programs, NutriSource has a buy 12 get one free program and you can enter to win a free bag each week plus you’ll end up getting a coupon each time you enter. So tell him you said, “So, take that!”

  • Pattyvaughn

    If some one was rationing your water and you were always thirsty, wouldn’t you drink a whole large glass if some one finally let you have it? Dogs that have access to water do not normally drink too much unless they have something wrong with them or the food is really high in sodium or something that causes thirst.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    NutriSource is made by Tuffy’s.

  • Pam

    Is it normal for dogs to keep drinking as much water as being put in the bowl? He claims his dog throws up if he lets the dog drink too much. And he doesn’t want to keep on letting his dog outside from what he claims is “too much water”.

    I, personally, have never had the problem with my dog. I set her water down and refill it, if it gets low.

  • Pam

    I wish it were that easy.

    He buys 40lb Purina One from BJ’s. So the price is dirt cheap and then when you add mfr coupons and store coupons it’s really hard to find a food that would be comparable in price. It’s not only price but also convenience. I think the cheapest I can find is Blue Seal from CountryMax.

    Anything I say is discredited because I don’t have a medical degree and therefore am not credible for giving such advice. I wish he would realize that treating the symptoms is not the same as treating the problem.

    Oh well, at least my dog doesn’t eat that food.
    @Betsy Greer: Isn’t nutrisource made by Natura?

  • Cyndi

    I completely agree with Betsy & Shawna. Please convince your friend to stop feeding that Purina garbage immediately! I had 2 pets that died from eating Purina One.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    I agree with Betsy and Shawna – Purina One is an awful food. :(

    If your friend refuses to switch the dog to a better brand due to the vet’s recommendation at least suggest he checks out Purina One Beyond, while it’s not a great food – it’s much better than the regular Purina One.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    Wow, Pam. That’s sad. You’re a good friend to try to get him to switch foods. My guess is that he might be susceptible to yeast issues and that no doubt the food is exacerbating the problem.

    The most unfortunate part is this… your friend could probably feed this dog a much better food for less than what he’s paying for the Purina. Using prices from Petflow.com, both the large bags of Purina Smart Blend and NutriSource Adult Chicken & Rice cost $1.45 per pound. You said that he’s eating 4.5 to 5 cups per day of the Purina. Well, if he were eating the NutriSource, he’s recommended ration for his weight is 2.25 to 2.5 cups per day. Doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out which food actually costs less. That’s just one example though. There are other foods to choose from although I think highly of NutriSource.

    My guess is, your friend should switch foods for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that his dog is not tolerating what he’s currently eating.

  • Shawna

    No, I think you are right that it is the food..

    A “healthy” dog’s immune system can keep yeast in check. “Very healthy” dogs don’t get yeast infections. And diet is extremely important for a healthy immune system.. My fear is that if your friend continues on the food the poor dog’s symptoms will just get worse and will also change – now just ear issue but could become digestive issues or skin issues etc.

    Make sure you friend has fresh, clean water down for the dog. Urine shouldn’t smell god awful.. :( He should also have a urinalysis to make sure there isn’t an infection causing the odor and increased accidents. Also, food allergies/intolerances can cause incontinence as well as the yeast infections.

    I hope your friend listens to you. His vet is likely going to make his dog very sick if he/she keeps giving him such horrible food advice, in my opinion.

  • Pam

    He eats 4.5-5c/day and he weighs about 55-60lbs.

  • Pam

    Oh oops. I didn’t post that he eats Purina One SmartBlend Chicken and Rice Formula.

  • Pam

    I realize that there are probably better foods out there. His owner won’t switch him because the vet said any old name brand food that moves food quickly off the shelf is good enough.
    Boxer/pit mix(not my dog) has been eating this for probably close to 1.5 years. He seems to shake his ears a lot. I know that he has to get his ears cleaned out regularly, otherwise they get red and smelly. He also seems like he’s been having quite a few accidents inside. And his pee smells god awful. Every time he’s been to the vet, the vet says he’s very healthy….aside from the intermitten yeast infections.

    I was just wondering if you guys thought. Is it more likely to do with his food or do you think he is just prone to yeast infections?

  • Cyndi

    So sorry for your loss! :( I had switched my Doberman and my cat to Purina One. My cat died within a few months, but I didn’t realize until recently that the food is what killed him because I’ve been doing alot of research. The vets had done all kinds of tests. My dog passed away about a year after I had switched him, after many health problems. The vet couldn’t figure out why his health rapidly declined. I know it was this food though. I won’t feed ANY Purina anything anymore. I feed my current dog a raw diet and she’s doing great!

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  • JellyCat

    Hi Roxy’s mom. It is no wonder that your dog does better on purina one then on prescription diets. Purina One is very similar to and even slightly better than prescription diets.
    However, it doesn’t make it good unfortunately. It is poor quality diet containing ingredients that can potentially do harm over time.

  • bullyownerk3

    After reading these reviews my prior dog had stomach problems hair loss and ear infections and not once did our vet suspect the food being the problem needless to say my 2500$ cane corso died after just a few months with this food. Iv come to the conclusion that this brand killed my dog I will be writing a letter to Purina leting them know their brand is not healthy and infact causes death if symptoms are not caught on time. This brand of food sucks and I wouldn’t recommend to any one also I hope this company rotts in hell for selling faulty food.

  • beaglemom

    I know how you feel, Lynn. We used to feed kibbles & bits for years before my vet “upgraded” us to Purina One. I have since learned so much from this site, etc. about dog food and now try to make much better choices for my dogs. It amazes me, too, that people still feed these foods… though I think some still don’t know any better, or simply don’t care what goes in their dog’s mouth (consider the post just below).

  • bullyownerk3

    So I just switched to Purina brand and after a few weeks of using it my dog started to get bold spots on hind legs and parts of her belly , this happen to my dog prior to this one but we never figured out it was the food now that we believe its the food I wonder if any one else has this problem.

  • Lynn

    All these years of owning dogs, and it has just been in the past year or so that i have been learning about species appropriate diets. It tears me up inside as well, that I should have been feeding my dogs better food. I guess you can never go back, or regret actions when you didn’t know any better. But today, with all the research and information available ( thank you blue buffalo commercials ) it baffles me how the big brands filled with corn and wheat and by products can still reap in the billions of dollars because people continue to feed their beloved pets their foods. It is beyond my comprehension. !!

  • Roxy’s mom

    I have fed my 70 lb dog all the expensive and prescription dog foods, because of her sensitive stomach. 5 years ago I started giving her Purina One Senior and she hasn’t had any issues since and she just turned 14 year old a couple months ago. She is still jogging around the yard. Say what you will, but it’s Purina One for her!

  • Joanl

    I bought this food for my yorkie and he got very sick , throwing up. This is BEFORE I had read about the ingredients. I should have read them before I bought but thought with the name Purina the content would be better than it is. Based on my Yorkies response to this food I am throwing out the entire bag it is Aug 2014 sell by date with # 3051079 17011 L10

  • Guest

    I saw your post on facebook and the response from Purina — notice it did not actually answer your question. Also consider that the company (who is trying to get your money) certainly isn’t going to put down their own product. You can get a better food for only a few dollars more — if you like Purina, for example, consider Purina One Beyond.

  • Dusty

    I put your review on Purina One’s FB page, I’m interested to see what their reply is. I pay $31.00 for 30 lbs of this.

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  • Pattyvaughn

    How long have you thought that Purina smelled like a bag of nauseating chemical?

  • 2furrbabies

    My chiweenie and jack tzu were eating Purina One Smart Blend chicken and for about a year. The chiweenie developed diarrhea and vomitting last week for three days. After withholding her food for 24 hours and feeding her greek yogurt and giving her pepcid, we re-introduced the dog food and within an hour she broke out in hives and vomitted. Vet thinks it was the food as no other variables. There have been 500+ similar incidents recently with this food and small breeds. Switching to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul. It actually smells appealing instead of a bag of nauseating chemicals.

  • JellyCat

    There are even cheaper foods of similar quality, especially if you don’t care about quality of food and health of your dogs. You could save 10$ or more on 33 pound bag. Why pay more?

  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    Do people buy their food from human doctors?

  • Hound Dog Mom

    The only blue formula rated 5 stars is the Wilderness line – the others all range from 3-4 stars.

  • Muffin Face

    Blue Buffalo is a 5 star dog food..

  • Muffin Face

    Of course, they just want to sell it, money $$$$$….

  • Muffin Face

    I’ve heard that before. Just because a vet sells it, doesnt mean its good. They give vaccines as well and flea/tick insecticides….which also make dogs sick. I no longer have my dogs receive booster shots, vaccines, anything. They always had a bad reaction afterwards. Heard alot of bad things about vaccines for dogs..

  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    “SEEM to have no problems”

    That statement doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence, and it shouldn’t anyone else.

  • beaglemom

    Yea I did that right after I wasted my time responding. It does explain everything, doesn’t it.

  • beaglemom

    Dogs… there’s more than one. I enjoyed the last part — dogs SEEM to have no problems. Good luck with that. I feel sorry for them.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Just click on his lack of avatar and check out his past activity. No other explanation needed.

  • Pattyvaughn

    My kids really enjoy candy bars, they enjoy them much more than vegetables and they haven’t died yet, so I think I’ll just buy them candy bars instead. That is what you’re doing to your dog.

  • beaglemom

    Excuse me??

  • david malone

    You must work for the competition…and probably voted for Romney….

  • david malone

    My dogs (white boxers) really like the smart blend chicken and rice… We tried so many different foods and they seem to enjoy this more than the others. It runs around $30 + tax for a 33 lb bag…There’s usually a $5 discount if you have a petco or petsmart card…Dogs seem to have no problems…I’m sticking with it…

  • JellyCat

    Joy, Nutro, Iams and Science Diet are not “higher end” foods. These are very comparable to Purina One. In fact, Purina One is better than some Science Diet products. Additionally, I personally don’t think that Diamond is the best kibble. Sure, it’s not as poisonous as this one since it doesn’t contain carcinogenic color, and does contain a lot more meat. However, I think that Diamond is only acceptable for people on a budget or as temporary food. Diamond may also be fine if topped up with good quality canned or raw.

    Purina One is really not that great and your dogs would demonstrate a difference if you try a better food.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Joy –

    Diamond, Nutro, Iams and SD are by no means “higher end” foods. Maybe you should try an actual quality food. I’m sure you’d see a difference.

  • Joy F.

    We’ve been feeding Purina Oe for almost 15 years,as well. We have 6 labs/lab mixes, and all do wonderfully on the food. When dog food reviews first came out we tried switching to some of the “better quality” foods, but our dogs’ coats became dry and bristly, they lost weight and they had stomach problems. I do animal rescue (labs), and our dog food is donated for the shelter dogs — usually Diamond Naturals, Nutro, Iams, Science Diet, all “higher end” food. I tried some of this with my personal pack, and had to go back to Purina One. JMHO.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Any 4 or 5 star foods would be a decent choice. Check out the 4 and 5 star foods on this site and find one that’s within your budget – or better yet pick 2 or 3 and rotate to give your dog some variety. Topping the kibble with a quality canned food or fresh food a great way to increase the quality as well.

  • ugamiz

    Thanks, is there any specific one you recommend for maintenance?

  • A Concerned Person

    When I went to buy a pack of this kibble, I went to the person I thought would be best to buy from – the vet. When I didn’t see it on his self I asked why. He said, “Because no-one [in the vetinary profession] recommends it.”

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Neither are very good foods.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=524238324 Ulises Gamiz

    I was told in the my local store Purina One was as good as Royal Canin, guess not

  • beaglemom

    Also wanted to share my experience with this product. I had been feeding Purina One at the recommendation of my vet and did so for 5 dreadful years before *finally* finding this amazing website. I like so many others never really thought to thoroughly research my dogs’ food and thought what was on the grocery store shelves was just fine. Huge mistake that still tears me up inside when I gaze into my dogs’ eyes. Beagles have a relatively long lifespan compared to other dogs, yet my mom’s youngest beagle succumbed to very aggressive cancer in approximately two weeks at the ripe old age of 10 after being fed this garbage her entire life (first Kibbles n Bits before being “upgraded” to this per my vet’s crumby recommendation). 10! She should’ve had at least 5 more years in her! After reading this website for the past few months and doing my own follow-up research when I needed second opinions, I am fully convinced that her diet was responsible. There is absolutely no excuse for the ingredients in MOST of the Purina products on the shelves… these products can hardly be called “food” in my opinion. My research has helped me gladly move far forward from Purina — I will never waste another penny on anything bearing that name.
    PS — thank you so much Mike Sagman for all that you do.

  • Micki280

    Yes, we also fed Purina for years and had no suspicion at all until my beautiful Golden came down with inoperable cancer. You can “stick with it” if you like but the ingredients are more important than you realize. 

  • JellyCat

     I’m just curious if you are aware that this food contains proven carcinogen that is listed in the ingredients?
    I would never pay for carcinogenic food.

  • Bob K

     Da7hen – Just sayin – you are paying a premium for a ok product.  For the same money you can be feeding a 3 or 4 star rated dog food.  Paying a Cadillac price for a Chevy. 

  • Da7hen

    We’ve been using the Purina One food now for at least 15 yrs. We’ve never had an allergy issue, weight issue, health issue.  We’ve had a few different vets over the years and they have all remarked how nice our dogs coats and skin are.  We’re also volunteers for a breed specific rescue and have fostered just shy of 60 dogs within this breed and have never had an issue. We’re sticking with it. Just saying

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Tyler –

    Have you tried Purina One Beyond? While still not an excellent food, it’s much better quality than the regular Purina One. It has a higher rating and doesn’t contain by-products, corn or wheat. If your dog has such strong reactions to switching foods maybe you should try switching in small steps. Slowly transition to the One Beyond and supplement with enzymes and probiotics (as Sandy suggested). If you can get her to tolerate the One Beyond then down the road try transitioning to a 4 star food and maybe, eventually, you could move to a 5 star or grain-free food. Here’s the review for One Beyond:  http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/purina-one-beyond/

  • InkedMarie

    If you want a better food, look for a food without these ingredients: chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, rice and flax. Those ingredients may or may not cause the ear issues. I have a dog that got many ear infections and he did best on fish or turkey foods. He can have flax but brewers yeast make them flare. Also, you need to be aware of everything that she eats.

  • sandy

    Give probiotics and digestive enzymes to help the GI tract and mix in new food slowly.  You can even use a mix of old and new for however long you need to.  I used to feed 25% old food and 75% new food for a few months for one of my dogs until he grew accustomed to the new food.  And I rotate foods also.  I tried a couple brands this way (having 2 different foods open and switching to another food when one bag would run out) and now my dogs can eat anything.  If your dog has only eaten one thing her whole life, her gut has not been exposed to any other kinds of ingredients.  My dogs are able to eat kibble, raw food, canned food, dehydrated food and freeze dried food.

  • http://www.facebook.com/txcincy Tyler Cincy Moore

    I’ve been feeding Purina One to my dog all her life. It’s sad to see such a low rating. Anytime I’ve ever attempted a different food, she has immediately gotten an ear infection (signifying an allergic reaction). So what would you suggest doing in attempting to change to a better food without taking her through several allergic reactions?

  • rottmama

    ok i normally dont comment on products.i was on here trying to research for an inexpensive quality dry dog food. i do not feed purina anymore but last spring i did.PURINA SMARTBLEND MADE MY DOG SICK!. he was on regular puppy chow but i wanted something a little better,tryed smartblend(had the little mushy yellow pieces in it).immediately,after each meal he threw up..thought it was a bad bag,returned it,got some more,same thing happened.turns out the little mushy things were swelling in his stomach so one & half cups turned into what looked like 4 or 5 cups. took him off and the vomiting stopped. i called purina, complained, rep apoligized and was sending coupons.never got them but wouldnt have used anyway! this is a horrible pet food and i am amazed how many others have had problems! i dont understand why it is still on the market!purina used to be a trustworthy feed company..now..not so much…..

  • amazonwarlord

    Hi, you realize that is because many of the ingredients after the first one are inferior ingredients in the purina product and are superior products in the Blue Buffalo food.  Yes, the first ingredients are identical, but keep reading, it gets worse in the purina … much worse.

  • Pattyvaughn

    The Blue Buffalo I looked at had the EXACT same wording, word for word, for the same ingredient.  That’s what Dr Mike always does, he uses the same wording in all reviews for the same ingredient. 

    However, don’t confuse chicken with chicken meal, they aren’t the same, so will be described differently.

    Describing chicken as 80% water is not a criticism, it is just a fact that consumers should be aware of when reading labels.

  • Pnxnotded

    Interesting that in the Purina one review, the first ingredient as chicken is criticised, yet as the first ingredient in Blue Buffalo, its applauded

  • Tfullertonsr

    Found foreign objects, insects and non digestible items in Purina Smartblend dog food.

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  • Bob K

     Swymma – At 11 years old with some health issues, feed your dog what they want.  How old is the kibble?  What does it smell like?  How long have you had it?   Is there a date on the bag?  Does your dog eat quickly?  If you decide to move to a better 4 or 5 star rated dog food, try to stick with a similar ingredient formula that agrees with your dog previously from a different mfg.  Remember to transition slowly to a new food.  If your dog ate chicken and rice successfully for years, they find a similar food with a higher rating.

  • Swymma

    I have a dalmatian/lab mix.  She is 11 years old.  I have been feeding her Purina One for probably a couple of years now.  She has always been fed Purina kibbles.

    A couple of weeks ago, she started vomiting immediately after every meal.  Initial I thought this may be due to other health issues – she has melanoma and had a cancerous tumor removed from her mouth just last week.  Sadly, I figured that her cancer had spread and the vomiting was probably a sign that things are very bad.

    I paid for a special blood test and a chest xray to rule out the spread of cancer. Both test came back clear so I proceeded with her operation to remove the tumor.

    Due to her surgery, I have been feeding her soft, canned food only.  She has been enjoying it and has not once vomited after her meals.  Yesterday I began mixing her dry Purina One into some wet canned food to get her back on her normal kibble diet.  Today the vomiting started again.  She immediately threw up her entire meal.  A couple of hours later, I fed her again – ONLY wet, canned food, NO Purina One Lamb and Rice.  She kept this down – NO vomiting.

    This incident is what brought me on the Internet to research issues with Purina One.  Here I am and it seems that my dog, Katie, is not alone.  Something is definitely wrong with this dog food!!!

  • Melissaandcrew

     ACK!! That is totally disgusting and would sour me on a food for a long time, if not for good.

  • Susan Bohl

    This morning i also found worms in my plastic container of Purina One Chicken and Rice.  I have been using this food alternating with the Lamb and Rice and never had a problem until now.  It is very gross and I will be finding another food after reading all the Purina complaints!

  • Michelle-senior

    Hi Jackie
    When I went to feed my dog today. I also found small white worms in his food. I threw away a 1/2 bag of 40 lbs of dog food. I also saw a flying bug coming from the closet we have the food in. Our dog food is in a  plastic container with a lid on it. I am going to call Purina tomorrow and see what they are going to do. 

  • Jackie

    We have been feeding our dogs Purina One Smart Blend Chicken and Rice for a few months now.  We keep their food in dog food containers.  Twice in the past few months when we went to feed them, there were tiny worms crawling around the food in the container.  Anyone else have this issue?

  • Mjcardillo

    It made my dog very sick. I was trying to make it to the end of the month by buying a more inexpensive dog food. This has way to much grain. Anyway, be careful folks.

  • melissa

    -

    I did not know that about Wysong! Thanks for the heads up : )

  • Hound Dog Mom

    True, I didn’t think of that. In that case Wysong has some foods with freeze-dried raw chunks as well.

  • melissa

     HDM-

    Actually, Nature’s Variety Instinct has the new raw boost kibble out-though its so new, its a touch hard to find. Looking to try it when I find it though. Its dehydrated raw bites mixed in with kibble. Guessing if shannonmom were to mix a bit of water let it sit, they would get “chewy”..

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Shannonmmm,

    Sorry but you aren’t going to find and sort of “meaty bits” in high quality foods. Things like that are found in low quality foods only. I would suggest picking a 4 or 5 star foods and mixing in a 4 or 5 star canned food or you can add fresh meat.

  • Shannonmmm

    Thank you for the wonderful info. I have three chihuahuas that look forward to eating Purina One Smartblend everyday. They love the meaty pieces and will eat those first. Throughout the day they will eat on the dry hard pieces of dog food that is left.
    I absolutely want to change them to a healthier dog food after reading this. They are my babies and I want the best for them. The eldest of the three developed a skin infection recently and all three have allergies.
    Here is my question. Do you know of a healthier food that has meaty pieces mixed in like the Smartblend, but is healthier for them?

  • Quacks05

    noticred glycerin is in this food, but not in red. is it bad for dogs?

  • Roland

    Advice is correct but only to thinking human beings. Anyone who all of a sudden outta the blue completely switches their dogs diet right away is clearly not a level headed clear thinking man or woman and is asking for trouble. Usually it’s just Diarrhea in this case it’s worse. Guessing Dog ate basically same thing for awhile day after day then all of a sudden something new. It’s not the food itself.

  • Pattyvaughn

    I bet if you read the bag it would have told you to gradually switch foods, so even though I don’t like this food, I can’t blame it for your dogs bloody diarrhea. If you picked only one kind of food and you ate it to the exclusion of everything else for months and then you all of a sudden decided you were never going to eat that again and you changed to something completely different, you would have explosive bloody diarrhea, too. The only difference is, you would go to the hospital over it. Your dog just can’t handle the new food because his body isn’t used to it. Go back to his old food for a couple weeks, and then SLOWLY start adding the new food over a couple of weeks to give his body time to adjust.

  • Luvmydogs

    Today is July 6th, 2012. I bought a bag of Purina Smartblend chicken and rice formula, brought it home last night, free fed it to my dogs and today when I came home, bloody diarrhea all over my house. NEVER have I had this problem EVER. This is the 1st time and I have no other rational explanation than it has to be the dog food? I pulled it up immediately and called Walmart, they are offering to exchange it for whatever type of dog food I want so I am going to buy something different. Very scary stuff. 

  • LabsRawesome
  • Tom

    We recently found some sort of bugs in our dogfood. Very disurbing. We keep the food bag in the house so it was not an issue of something crawling into the bag from the garage per say. The bugs were burrowed into the food with a white webbish thing covering it. When the web was pushed aside there were live bugs inside. They looked like small beetles.

  • Ruinedmascra1985

    Bob k. Vet recommend that I change food because both were having skin problems and ear infections contastly from another purina brand called beneful.. So switched to the chicken and rice smartblend… That is when the stomach problems started… Both at the same time… They would turn away from the food. I have found several other complaints and even pet smart where I shop said they have had numerous complaints and have tried to contact purina directly as I did too with no response. My dogs are up to date on all there medical stuff seeing as how I have been to the vet with numerous skin problems… That developed from using purina. Actually just made another trip yesterday because both of my dogs are now urinating blood. Which was another complaint several other people had made.. So yes I am sure. Now that they have been of the food for a little over a week and I have been cooking for them… Skin problems have cleared… No ear infections….no explosive diarehha… And no vomiting. Now I am just dealing with the toll the food did on there body. Still getting it out of their system . It has been a nightmare… I just wanna make sure people research and know what they are feedin there dogs…

  • SH_86

    I am absolutely shocked after reading the comments below. My dog recently stopped eating her Purina One food. She had eaten the Lamb and Rice formula with no problem, but we switched to the Beef and Rice and she would not touch the stuff… We started “masking” it by adding a few of her favorite things to it, thinking she was just getting picky. She started vomiting after almost every meal and became lethargic. We have switched to Blue Buffalo and have had no problems since.

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Bob K…

    I like your post. very complete and to the point.
    I agree with what you said. I would not feed purina
    but that is a different story. what you posted is on the money.

  • Bob K

     Ruinedmascra1985 – Several questions  1.) What were you feeding your dogs before?   2.) Why the change in dog foods?  3.) Did you transition slowly to a new food?  4.) If you are so concerned about your dogs health, how did you pick this food?  5.) What else is your dog eating and drinking?  Are you sure?   6.)What proof do you have that it was bad food?  7.)When was the last time your dogs had a complete fecal test including Giardia, Crypto and coccidia?   8.) Any herbicides or pesticides being used in your neighborhood?  Are you sure?  How would you know?  Are your dogs eating any lake or river water?  How about grass ,sticks, or dirt?  They sell tons of this stuff a week.  Seldom do dogs get sick on dog kibble as you describe when it is transitioned properly. 

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    Sorry to hear about your dogs.  You can put in a complaint here: 

    http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints 

  • Ruinedmascra1985

    Well I have been feeding my dogs..one a small Boston terrier and one American bulldog purina one smartblend chicken and rice. Horrible decision …both of my dogs have been terribly sick going on 4 days now… Vomitting and diarehha.. Uncontrolable diarehha …where it is pretty much running out of them. Green and yellow mucus …also from straining they have also had blood come out. I am beyond mad and disgusted with this company….and the lacking of care and importance they have for animals…I have lost sleep …lost money …and most importantly I have had to watch my animals suffer from the poison this company considers dog food. My animals are like my children and I feel horrible for feeding them this food even after they would walk away from there bowls… I just thought the we’re adjusting to the change of diet. They knew something wasn’t right. I have been researching this food the past few days …one site alone had 421 complaints just from this month with exact same reactions ..some older pets had died..and other pulled through but my point is NO ONE seems to be held accountable for this…I returned the food..and warned the grocery store where I purchased it…I have tried. Along the number on the bag only to get the run around or put on hold. Please take this very serious. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone…

  • LabsRawesome

     Hi Hbears, sounds like your little guy is falling apart, at the young age of nine. Could be part genetic, but Purina’s foods sure didn’t do him any good either. Glad you didn’t put him on the Vet foods, ingredients are horrid. Good luck finding him a new food. Quality canned is a much better option than dry.  :)

  • Hbears2002

    I’ve had my dachshund on Purina his whole life (he’s 9 now). He’s Allergic to Grass, so I dress him, has Chronic ear infections, his toenails grow too fast, has a heart murmur, and now has chronic uti. I’ve been told by the vet to put him on Hills veterinary diet, which I had in the past, but it takes a week to get him to eat it.  when he’s finally eating it, then the vet told me that he can’t stay on it because he’s not getting nutrition.  I thought, then why put him thru that of switching him to it to begin with?! so back to Purina One he went.  He loves it!  but, back to the urinary tract infection again, and all his other health issues.  Thanks to your guides, I’m now trying better dog foods with him.  the only thing he likes is wet dog food that looks like meat.  Real chicken pieces, not mush.  so far, its Natural Choice Food trays.  I contacted Nutro and yelled at them about the Vitamin K, and now I don’t see it listed in the dry dog food ingredients.  I appreciate review articles, it really helps me decide on what to try with my very very finicky dog.  The interesting part to me is I bought Beef & Rice dog food, but there is no beef in it.  its all chicken.  Purina lied

  • ACrowley

    I have two Chihuahua mixed breeds.  We were feeding them Purina One, then switched to the SmartBlend.  Here we were thinking that we were giving them a great food.  Yeah, they stopped eating it 1.5 wks ago. I thought they were just being picky, since I recently changed my family over to organic, naturally grown food. My dogs were always very hungry when they were called to eat, so their behavior of looking at their bowls then walking away was foreign.  Figuring that I can wait as long as they can, there their food sat until the hunger game won and they finally ate it. They were intermitently throwing up here and there, but I considered that normal. They are Chihuahuas.   I truly had no idea what was going on with them.  So, after finally realizing that their hold out wasn’t merely an attitude issue, I looked into it.  Turns out that they did want a higher quality of food, they wanted REAL food and were actually telling me that the “food” that I was giving them would actually harm them, so they weren’t going to eat it.  I changed their food to Blue Buffalo Holistic and I haven’t had any problems. Never underestimate the intellegence of your animals, people. They are happy and their bellies are full.

  • Nick

    Amy,

    I had a very similar issue with my 12 year old Collie.  I was feeding him Purina Smart Blend Lamb and Rice and he suddenly started puking and not wanting to eat. This began in early January of 2012 and on February 18th, 2012 I had to put him to sleep because he could barely walk anymore.  In just a month he became skin and bones, drooling, puking up clear fluid and unable to bark. It was horrible and I see all these similar conditions with other owners of dogs who at Purina and it makes me sick and very angry! I filed a complaint with the Consumer Affairs website which is where I first learned of this issue.  

    Hopefully justice will be served for all the pets that have died because of Purina.

  • Getrude Hungunt

    I have been feeding my large breed dog Purina One large breed formula for two years without issue.  When they changed the formula to smart blend he got very sick.  vomiting, diarrhea, etc.  I thought it might have been a bad batch, so when they ran out of the old formula, I tried smart blend again.  Nope.  The smart blend makes him VERY sick. I want to let Purina know, but they have no ratings and reviews on their site.  I’m going to have to switch to another brand.  It’s too bad, I’ve had dogs on purina one for years and it’s been a great food.

  • David

     I have had almost the exact same problems with my dog. She’s a 13-year-old black lab/German Shepard mix and last week had diarrhea, loss of appetite and occasional vomiting. After switching her diet for a week at the recommendation of the vet she got all better. I stupidly didn’t realize it was her food that was making her sick and put her right back on the same diet. Two days later she is getting back to the same condition… I’m taking her off this immediately and buying something else. Definitely not worth saving the money on the brand at your dogs expense!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Laura-Hugi/1538263198 Laura Hugi

    I beg you to research this food. Granted Ol’ Roy is worse. Purina is not good for animals.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Laura-Hugi/1538263198 Laura Hugi

    Today I changed my dogs food forever. We have been purchasing Purina One Smart Blends for years, and Purina One before that. We have 3 German Shepard Dogs. Our mixed breed old lady died last summer at 16. We have been having intermittent issues with our white GSD suffering colitis (straining, not eating, bloody diarrhea) on and off since Sept 2011. She has lost weight, usually refuses her food and is just not “right”. Our 110lb boy GSD goes through vomiting in cycles. Always a green/yellow foam. The other GSD female has issues with vomiting, diarrhea on and off. Our vet warned us last year about this food being the cause of all this. The Taste of the Wild sold at my vet is expensive (30lb for $52) and the Purina is 35lb for $30. I started reading about Purina today, I am horrified by the number of pet deaths in just the month of Feb 2012 due to Purina dog/cat food. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/ralston The cost of the medicines we are giving the dogs to combat the diarrhea and vomiting is far beyond the cost of just feeding them the good food.
    Purina is denying there is a problem with their food. I opened a new bag on Thursday. By Friday evening we had 3 GSDs with vomiting and diarrhea, shaking, fever, lethargy. We didn’t put it together until today. I called the vet and went to buy food. I will NEVER purchase from this company again.

  • sandy

    The ingredients are just about the same except for it being lamb so – it’s not any better.

    Lamb, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, whole grain corn, oat meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy flakes, soybean meal, glycerin, animal digest, calcium phosphate, fish oil (source of DHA), calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, Vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, sulfur, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite

    Protein 28%, fat 16%

  • Lynda Burgiss

    Do you have a review for Purina One Smartblend Puppy food(a)? Thanks!

  • Lori S

    Amy, you are describing exactly what happened to my 14 yr old Pit Bull after I fed her food from a newly opened bag of Purina One Smartblend Chicken and Rice. I thought I was going to lose her but she pulled through. Did you report your case to Purina? I did and they offered me a coupon for a replacement bag. Uh, thanks but no thanks. I returned the bag to the store for a refund.

  • Robby

    I should say my Dog only gets dry food occasionally. He eats canned the majority of the time. He does love this food however & I’m not taking it away from him.
    I’ve gone through too many Dry foods he wouldn’t eat & I ended up throwing them away or giving them away.
    I also wanted to say how much I appreciate the information this site provides to Dog Lovers. Thx.

  • Robby

    It’s not trash. Ol’ Roy is trash. This…well this is not.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Robby, in the high school cafeteria, I remember plenty of my friends who ate nothing but chocolate chip cookies and pizza. Every day. While they certainly appeared healthy, we all know good and well that eating cookies and pizza every single day is not healthful, and given a long enough time-line and average genetics, such a diet would ruin their bodies.

    This food is the dog equivalent of cookies and pizza. If not worse. Again, I must beseech you to look at the listed ingredients and their subsequent definitions. Sometimes it’s not just about “this is what I feed him and he does fine”. How can you look at these ingredients and not just be upset that this is what you’ve been paying 20 or 30 bucks a bag for? It’s trash.

  • Robby

    Bob K. I see no reason to switch really. My dog has no issues w/this food. He loves eating it & it doesn’t upset his stomach.
    His skin allergies are environmental. Has nothing to do w/this food.
    Which isn’t nearly as bad as this “Dog Food Ninja” makes it out to be. Not sure what his diatribe was about.
    Hope he felt better about himself afterwards anyway.

  • Bob K

    Candy – This is a 2 star food and you can do much better. What did you feed your Sr. dogs previously? Why the change? Remember to transition your dog to a new food. Sr. dogs are special to me and I tend to give them what they want and like. However its not all that hard to get a dog to eat. A few ideas:
    1.) Add a tablespoon of water and microwave for 20 seconds and mix it around to bring out the smells and flavors.
    2.) Top it with some moist dog food and mush it together
    3.) Grate some cheese on the top and mix it in
    4.) Drizzle a little gravy on the top
    5.) Mush in a little hot sticky peanutbutter onto the food.
    6.) Mush in some cheap smelly liversausage

  • Candy

    We have 2 senior dogs (12 yrs old), one a black lab/Australian shepard mix (male), the other a Golden Retriever mix (female). The male has become a very picky eater–we tried several 4 star brands listed on your website that he tried at first, then refused completely. He seems to really like the Purina One Smart Blend Vibant Maturity Senior food alot. Are we hurting him at his age? Our Golden will eat anything, then attempt to move on to his bowl…

  • Bob K

    Robby – For less money you can be feeding your dog a three or 4 star food. Check out Menards for bargains on Diamond Natural which is 4 stars or Nutro Max at Menards which is 3 stars. Costco has Kirklands which is 4 stars. All these foods provide your pet better nutrition for less money which is a win for both you and your dog.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Is that so? It is. But it’s not any better…

    Lamb (natural source of glucosamine), brewers rice, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), oat meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy flakes, soybean meal, glycerin, animal digest, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, Vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, ferrous sulfate, sulfur, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

    So, 10 red-flag items instead of 11. Yup, still a bag “o” crap. :-)

    Plus, it’s not so much “lamb and rice” as it is “poultry by-products and corn (with lamb flavoring)”.

  • Robby

    The Lamb & Rice Purina One doesn’t have Wheat in it like the Beef & Chicken varieties.

  • Gordon

    Amy – So sad for your 4 legged losses. I know I’d be devastated, so I feel for you.

    Mike brings up a good point re environmental poisons. I’ve heard of your case before, and it was found that snail bait killed the dog’s that died in similar circumstances. Snail bait will kill dogs almost more than snail themselves. A major problem if used and dogs are present! I highly doubt it was the food, even though it was Purina (A poisonous long term substance itself, in my honest opinion). That bag number you provided is only something Purina (Nestle) themselves can help you with tracing.

  • Shawna

    Amy,

    Foods can be tested.. Do you still have the food? That would probably be the only way you would know for sure..

    I’m so so very sorry for your losses!!!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Amy… I’m so sorry for your losses. This is the very worst part of living with these angelic creatures. All of us dog lovers know how it feels to be “devastated”. Unfortunately, I have no idea what caused your two dogs to die so closely to each other. Be sure there’s no insect poisons, lawn chemicals or rat poisons anywhere your dogs can get to them. They are designed to kill. In any case, I truly wish I could be more help.

  • Amy

    PS. The bag # is 17800-12932.

  • Amy

    I just lost two dogs in a months span. My dog, Rhei, died less than a month ago. My parent’s dog, Lady, died Friday nite. Both were healthy up until two weeks from their death. Rhei was just turning 10 and Lady had just turned 12. Rhei (weimereiner) died first. Then, we had Lady (Viszla) stay w/ us to help “heal” my family. We fed her Rhei’s chows, Purina One SmartBlend. They both stopped eating–dog food AND people food. I would try to get Rhei to eat (give her her favorite people food) but she wouldn’t. After that, Rhei started puking here and there (Lady began puking shortly after being w/ us). She’d puke up bile since she wasn’t eating (same w/ Lady). Then, they started losing muscle mass in the hind legs. Got wobbly. Couldn’t go up/down stairs. Wanted to sleep all the time. Whimpered in sleep. Peed on bed or right near bed. Really thirsty. Lady’s blood was tested. All came out fine. Xray done. Nothing detected. We treated Rhei initially for a urinary infection (we wondered if it was that initially) but stopped further treatment since she spiraled downward so fast. I was laying awake last nite and wondered if there was a connection with the dog food. We fed Lady Rhei’s dog food…made me wonder if it was poisoned w/ something??? Thoughts????

    Thanks.
    Helpless, Curious, and Devastated.

  • Albert

    I bought this food for my schnauzer about 3 months ago before even reading this review and he got the worst case of skin allergies ever! I did’t know what was wrong with him he kept scratching and biting himself, he was going crazy. After trying a bunch of stuff I figured, maybe it’s the food. Man was I right. We all can sleep again. Advice, don’t give this to your dog. He’s now eating Blue Buffalo now which I foumd through this site and he loves it! Thank you!

  • Gordon

    Dave M – “Acidulated”, broken down just means “acid” and make something acidic…….so to make water a little acidic, you acidulate by adding what Shawna wrote. Google it and you’ll find a number of sites suggesting almost identical methods to make it.

    For example, I use apple cider vinegar (ACV) and add 22.5ml (1.5 table spoons) to 1 litre (4 cups) of purified water in a spare empty bottle and use 55ml of this to add to 55 grams of the Vets All Natural premix product (Not available in the US).

    Cooking oats etc won’t release more nutrients and neutralise the phytates and enzyme inhibitors, as far as I’m aware, and that is what you’re better off doing. So you could for example, buy a bag of rolled oats from your local supermarket and add some acidulated water as explained above for, at the very least, 24 hours (No less) before adding the soaked up rolled oats to your dog’s meal, or however you prepare same.

  • Shawna

    I was able to copy from this one — finally :) This shows temperatures as low as 100 degrees starts the “onset” of AIAs.

    “Effects of the Temperature and Cooking Time
    The reactions leading to the formation of AIAs follow the classic laws of chemistry; that is, the formation of the mutagenic agents increases with the temperature and cooking time (31,32,113,114). Tempera-ture is the most important of the two factors involved in formation of mutagenic agents. Most of the mutagenic activity measured by Ames test, can be accounted for by the known HCAs present in fried beef meat (43).

    The onset of mutagenicity in meat and meat extracts was found at temperature of 100°C (41,91). The authors did not identify the mutagenic compounds. The mutagenic compounds began to form in meats and model systems at temperatures of 150°C or higher (20,70,72,115) and the concentrations of the AIAs increased with processing temperature (20,43,72,113).

    At all processing temperatures, there was a time lag before AIAs could be detected (31,72,116). This lag could be related to the time required for the mixture or meat surface to reach 100°-150°C.

    Mutagenic activity or AIA formation in muscle products or in model systems increased with processing time at 150°-175°C. However, at higher temperature (190°-250°C), the concentrations of HCAs increased during an initial time of processing and then decreased or plateaued (7,20,43,53).” http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/realfiles/members/1996/104-3/robbana.html

    Oops 100 degree C not F…. So 212 degrees F starts the process which means that Brother’s is under the temperature threshhold. If time is completely dependant on that temp as well then Brother’s is good to go!!!

  • Shawna

    Oops this ” I would be less apt to judge each kibble on the possibility of HAA’s…” should say “more apt to judge each kibble” independantly.

  • Shawna

    Hi Richard,

    We’ve had this discussion before and I linked an article from a cancer website that stated temperature AND/OR time was involved in the formation of HAAs. However, I will certainly admit that lumping all kibbles together is possibly not fair — I honestly don’t know but remain caustious towards all. For dogs with a genetic predisposition to cancer I would certainly advise to avoid all kibbles if the dog parent is able…

    I did find this interesting, imo, research paper on (again can’t copy/paste – don’t know whats going on?) AIAs (a type of HAA’s) which are also carcinogenic. Although temperature, again, was more causitive in the formation of AIAs the paper states that meats “cooked at normal household cooking temperatures” also formed AIAs. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf00054a049

    For those that chose to feed kibble, you know that I feel Brother’s Complete is a great option. However, like you, I would never recommend kibble over raw. If HAA’s was the only factor in kibble as compared to raw I would be less apt to judge each kibble on the possibility of HAA’s… But, since HAA’s is just one of the many reasons to consider raw I will probably continue to include all kibbles as a possible contaminant for HAAs or now AIAs — as does Dr. Dressler.

  • http://brotherscomplete.com Richard Darlington

    Shawna

    In talking about heating food at high temperatures it should be noted that this also applies to cooking human food as is in the excerpt from the article you quoted:

    “First, in preparing commercial food, it is heated at high temperatures. The same can be said about cooking food in the kitchen at high temperatures. This process produces potent carcinogens called acrylamide and heterocyclic amines, known carcinogens.”

    Also the temperatures required to produce these carcinogens are fairly high are they not? Most estimates are that these temperatures must be over 250 to 300 degrees F for an extended time. It’s just that you make it sound like all kibbles are cooked at these super high temperatures when in fact they are not. Our Brothers kibbles are Steam heated at 180 degrees which is below boiling and well below the temperatures required to produce the carcinogens you are referring to.

    Also there are opinions that they are produced by certain kinds of cooking and not steaming as we use in extruding. I quote from the FDA.Gov site (not that I trust the FDA mind you)

    “What kinds of cooking lead to acrylamide formation? In what foods?

    “High temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, or baking, is most likely to cause acrylamide formation. Boiling and steaming do not typically form acrylamide. Acrylamide is found mainly in foods made from plants, such as potato products, grain products, or coffee.”

    From Wikipedia:
    “Acrylamide also occurs in many cooked starchy foods and is of concern as a possible carcinogen.[2] Acrylamide was accidentally discovered in foods in April 2002 by scientists in Sweden when they found the chemical in starchy foods, such as potato chips, French fries, and bread that had been heated (production of acrylamide in the heating process was shown to be temperature-dependent).[2] It was not found in food that had been boiled[2][3] or in foods that were not heated.[2]‘”

    I will always advocate raw over kibble but I don’t think it is productive on a site that is trying to differentiate the quality between different dog foods to lump all kibbles into the category of burning the food at temperatures large enough to create these carcinogens. I have read articles that say chargrilling your steak will produce these acrylamides but I honestly don’t think that steam heating to under 200 degrees will produce ANY acrylamides given what we know at this point – do you?

  • Shawna

    Dave M,

    You wrote “I believe 100% human grade ingredients produced in a human production facility will cost the same as human food – and would be comparable to raw.”

    I’m reading these posts out of context (working backwards instead of forwards) so forgive me if I’m misunderstanding your comment. What I believe you to be saying is that human grade kibbles are comparable to raw. I have to disagree with this for several reasons.

    1. All kibbled foods that I am aware of (except Nature’s Logic) have synthetic nutrients added back in to them. Raw is the way nature intended. Two examples — a. vitamin 3 — in kibble they use either dl-alpha tocopherol (synthetic e), d-alpha tocopherol (natural e) or mixed tocopherols. In nature there are 8 forms of vitamin e (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherol and alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocotrienols). Tocotrienols are not added back in to kibbled or canned foods and I have no idea which tocopherols are in the “mixed” (all or just two?). b. ascorbic acid — in nature vitamin c is never an isolated vitamin (it is also found with vitamin f plus).

    2. The cooking of the proteins in kibbled foods creates carcinogens called HAA’s. All kibbled food that is heated at higher temperatures or for long periods of time is therefore a contributing factor to cancer. Obviously doesn’t mean all dogs eating kibble will develop cancer but does mean the risk increases. Dr. Demian Dressler DVM runs the dog cancer blog website. He talks about kibble and cancer here http://www.dogcancerblog.com/latest-on-dog-food-and-cancer/

    3. Kibbled diets are lacking in enzymes. Some feel this lack of enzymes in the cooked diet is detrimental to the animal eating said food.

    4. Kibbled foods will always be higher in carbohydrates then what is species appropriate (or what is believed by many pet nutritionists and vets as species appropriate). Many of those same vets and nutritionists feel that this unnatural amount of carbohydrates contributes to certain common pet diseases.

    Human grade kibbles are certainly better then non-human grade but I don’t think they are even on the same playing field as raw diets. Just my opinion though :)

  • Shawna

    Dog Food Ninja wrote ” For a very deep look into the history and use of corn, give Micheal Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” a read.”

    The Omnivore’s Dilemma was an EXCELLENT read. Very eye opening. Another great book on problems with corn (gmo corn that is) is “Seeds of Deception” by Jeffrey Smith.

  • Shawna

    Oops, didn’t read Gordon’s post before I posted. Duplicate information…

  • Shawna

    Dave M,

    You asked “What is acidulated water soaking?”

    Grains, nuts, seeds and legumes have antinutrients like phytates that can bind with certain minerals preventing their absorption. This can lead to a mineral deficiency (zinc, calcium etc) if these foods are fed/eaten often. Soaking these foods for certain periods of time in “acidulated water” will neutralize the antinutrients / enzyme inhibators. You can make acidulated water by adding a digestible acid (like lemon juice, lime juice or apple cider vinegar) to the water.

  • sandy

    Canidae has a formula called Single Grain Protein Plus. It only uses rice as the grain but still high in protein.

  • Dave M

    What is acidulated water soaking? Generally I make oat bran (cook it) or oatmeal for the fiber. I would love to do raw but one of my dogs will not eat raw (he won’t go near the bowl)- so to keep it easy I use Carna4 kibble (seems like an outstanding food) with ziwipeak canned, Wellness 95% or BG 95% canned.

  • Gordon

    I think grains like raw cracked barley, flax seeds, rolled oats, and whole cracked oats are the better quality grains, especially when preparing them by acidulated water soaking, which I do when mixing Vets All Natural premix to raw meats and offal that my dogs will get when I rotate.

    The acidulated water soaking releases more nutrients, and neutralises the anti-nutrients, phytates, and enzyme inhibitors of these grains, making these grains in the Vets All Natural product I sometimes use in my rotations, that also include kelp, parsley, carrots, probiotics, vitamin C. etc, much better, healthier, and digestible for dogs, than same are when formulated and extruded in kibbles.

    The acidulated water soaking of such grains (Not whole grain corn and what this Purina formula contains), is the only way I would and do feed such to my dogs. Definitely for me, my dogs will not be getting any grains prepared in kibble as mostly fillers and cheap carbs, that pretty much over work the dog’s digestive tract and only sees the amylase enzyme when reaching the colon.

    But I agree, Dave M, that oats are a better quality grain. I’m not sure how much your dogs would get out of them, nutritionally, from kibble and the fact that they’re not fermented or at least soaked before being extruded into kibble. And even if they were, the kibble extrusion would ruin any benefits of fermentation or soaking.

  • Dave M

    I focus on healthy grains like oats – bran or meal. I have tried every grain free (quality ones) food on the market and my dogs just don’t do as well without a small amount of oats. They tend to inhale their food so they now have special bowls used to slow eating down and with the addition of a small amount of oats their stools are much better.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    Melissa, I know they will eat grains, such as corn, right off the stock. But here’s the thing… we made up corn. It’s not a natural crop. The closest grass it seems to have evolved from is all but inedible with a tiny seed cluster. All domesticated grains are an unnatural foodstuff and no animal, historically speaking, ever ate them… because they didn’t exist! I will always contend that we and our dogs have not had enough time to evolve the necessary changes to process man-made concocted foods. For a very deep look into the history and use of corn, give Micheal Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” a read.

  • melissa

    Dave M-

    As every one here knows, I have the same thought as you-I have no problem with grains in foods, in small amounts (typically) as long as the protein is first in quality and quantity. My dobes did very poorly on grain free when I first tried it, but did go to Acana GF since others have issues with grains and its easier to feed one or two foods versus numerous ones. I don’t even have a problem with some corn-

    Each owner needs to decide what works for their dogs and in what proportion.

    Jonathan-Not sure about cows as I do not own any, but horses and goats will by pass leafy greens for grain any minute of any day . If they can get into a corn field, its buffet time, lol.

  • Dave M

    Bob K

    I did not suggest cost was the only factor- the ingredients (Human Grade), production facility, and the company itself are all factors. I believe 100% human grade ingredients produced in a human production facility will cost the same as human food – and would be comparable to raw. There are some excellent dog foods in the 5 star list. I use to use Orijen (and think it is an outstanding food) with ziwipeak canned. Now I prefer Carna4 with ziwipeak and other canned as a mix. I also add other things like anchovies weekly etc.

  • Dave M

    I am well aware of what healthy grains are vs gluten. My dogs were on Orijen for several years and it just wasn’t the right food for them, I worked with a nutritionist to find an entirely human grade kibble made – I also use ziwipeak canned as a topper. I have no issue with those that choose grain free – as I use to subscribe to that line of thought. The dogs in the wild case sounds good but they have been domesticated over thousands of years. Humans use to eat bark – not anymore. My dogs do better with a small amount of healthy grains and a canned dry mix. These opinions are just that and only apply to my dogs.

  • sandy

    David M,

    Grains (glutens) being sticky starches can cause problems in the intestinal tract. Here’s an article. http://dogtorj.com/what-is-food-intolerance/gluten-intolerance/

    Gluten (from grains), soy, and corn and casein are the worst offenders, known as the “Big 4″.

  • Michelle

    Dog Food Ninja, HI- YA! Karate chop those grains right out of Dave hands. lol

  • Robby

    Thanks for the info. Ninja.
    The dry food I feed my Dog has what I assume to be a fair ammount of Rice in it but my Dog eats it no problems at all. I assume there’s no reason to change it even though Rice is a grain.
    Anyone have a different take on that? Thank you.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja Dog Food Ninja

    David M, I would like to dispute the statement…

    “I do think that healthy grains are a good addition as long as they are just a small part of the total content.”

    No animal in the wild eats a substantial amount of grass seeds (grains), not even the herbivores that our current food system treats like trash-compactors for corn and such. In the wild, cows, pigs, horses, etc, would eat mostly green leafy plants like grass, wild lettuce, etc.

    In the wild, grains are all but unusable to most animals. They are toxic before being cooked, have a skewed omega-3 to -6 profile, and the starchy part is usually hidden under indigestible material that must be stripped away through some sort of processing. And even then, they are full of anti-nutrients.

    Plus, grass seeds are rare in nature anyways. First of all, they sprout up and fall pretty quickly to create more grass. you have to force enough grass seeds (like corn or wheat) to grow all in one area to then be collected by man or machine. This is called a monoculture.

    Notice something? Notice how far from nature we have to venture just to collect grains? Not to mention the processing that must be done to finally make them edible. And, too, keep in mind that so far I’ve only covered why grains are unnatural fro herbivores and humans (true omnivores)… so dogs are even further from the spectrum of animals that can “sort of” use concocted grass seed based foods.

    Dogs need meat. That’s it. Not corn, not wheat, not white potato or tapioca or peas. They only require meat to survive. Granted, some of the above ingredients are better than others when having to use a carbohydrate to make a dog food pellet. I’ll take white potato over any grain, and I’ll take sweet potato over white potato, etc. But the main point is, grains are the furthest from a natural foodstuff as a concocted food can get.

    Anyways, just my .02 cents. Have a nice day! :-)

  • Bob K

    Dave M – Just because s dog food is expensive does not mean it provides superior nutrition compared to a food that might be half its price. There are many 1, 2 and 3 star dog foods that are produced by some large companies who charge much more than the food is worth. There are dozens of 4 and 5 star dog foods that are under $2.00/lb. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AmNw5KB82-n_dGtyOEpVVXhPQ2tfeU1FUGdEdjVnTkE&hl=en#gid=2

  • Dave M

    I always worry about the quality of a food if the cost is less than $3 per lb just based on basic food costs. Orijen is over $4 per lb and the ingredients are excellent. I do think that healthy grains are a good addition as long as they are just a small part of the total content (not the grain free motto of Orijen). Carna4 is above $7 per lb and has high quality ingredients. Cost is an important factor when comparing foods as long as you understand the quality of the ingredients as not all high cost foods are comprised of high quality products. However we know you cannot buy high quality ingredients for less than $1 per lb.

  • Dana

    oh, and Jan, you will be glad to know that I have already spread the word to all of my dog parents about this wonderful site!

  • Dana

    Thank You Jan and Karen for your lovely comments! I just stopped by our local feed and grain store and purchased a 40lb bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb and rice…Going to start the weaning process tonight off of the other stuff. The 40lb bag i purchased was $33 with tax and found out that they always carry it…Wow! Can you believe that this stuff is around the same price as the low quality food I was feeding them?!! Will leave comments/review of the new kibble after they have been on it. Have a nice day everyone!

  • Jan (Mom to Cavs)

    Hahaha….meant to say “knowledge”!

  • Jan (Mom to Cavs)

    @Dana….I’m so glad you discovered this website, too! And I’m glad you are improving your dogs’ food. So many people are unaware and do not read labels on dog/cat food or even their own food for that matter. Kudos to you! Armed with your newfound knowledg you can now educate others. :)

  • Karen

    Dana, if your dogs liked the beef and rice formula and did well on it then ask your grocery store manager to order more of it at a time, if they know they have customers looking for it they should be happy to do it for you to keep your business, if not then look for a new store to shop with if there is one in your area (we only have one close by).

  • Dana

    I purchased the smartblend small bites beef and rice formula a few weeks ago, all 3 of my dogs liked it. It must be very popular because it’s hardly ever in stock. I figured I would then switch them to the chicken and rice formula as I notice it’s always in stock. After reading that this food only got 2 stars I was shocked…It’s priced the same as a few of the 4 star rated dog foods! I will be switching my sweet children to a better quality food as one of them (black lab mix) has skin issues, I’m so glad to find this website with all this wonderful information as well as the actual reviews that everyone shares from experience. Going to try out Chicken Soup brand (good price for good ingredients during these tough times) to see if any changes in skin conditions, will post my review for it after I have weaned them off of the “junk” I’ve been feeding them. Shame on Purina for charging so much for a dog food that has terrible ingredients!