Purina Pro Plan Focus (Dry)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★½☆☆

Purina Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-lowest tier rating of 2.5 stars.

The Purina Pro Plan Focus product line includes 14 dry dog foods, six claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages and eight for adult maintenance.

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

  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Toy Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Puppy Toy Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Giant Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Small Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Large Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Puppy Small Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Puppy Large Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Puppy Lamb and Rice
  • Pro Plan Focus Puppy Chicken and Rice
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult 6 Plus Large Breed
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Weight Management
  • Pro Plan Focus Small Bites Lamb and Rice
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult 7 Plus Chicken and Rice
  • Pro Plan Focus Adult Weight Management Large Breed

Pro Plan Focus Adult Large Breed formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Large Breed Formula

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 30% | Fat = 14% | Carbs = 49%

Ingredients: Chicken, brewers rice, whole grain wheat, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of vitamin E), barley, corn germ meal, fish meal (natural source of glucosamine), animal digest, fish oil, wheat bran, dried egg product, calcium phosphate, salt, potassium chloride, potassium citrate, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, l-lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), manganese sulfate, niacin, vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, calcium iodate, vitamin D3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.1%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis26%12%NA
Dry Matter Basis30%14%49%
Calorie Weighted Basis27%30%44%

The first ingredient in this dog food 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 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 wheat. Like corn, wheat is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

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

The fourth 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 fifth item is corn. Corn is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as wheat (previously discussed).

The sixth 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 seventh ingredient is 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 eighth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index, barley can help support more stable blood sugar levels.

The ninth ingredient is corn germ meal, a meal made from ground corn germ after much of the oil has been removed. Corn germ meal is a protein-rich by-product left over after milling corn meal, hominy grits and other corn products.

The tenth item is fish meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1

Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.

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, we would expect to find at least 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 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, dried egg product is 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.

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.2

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

Also, 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.

And lastly, this dog food also 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 Pro Plan Focus Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Purina Pro Plan Focus dry dog food 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 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 32% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 44% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 53%.

Above-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 and corn germ meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.

However, it’s unfortunate the company chose to include menadione in its recipes. Without this controversial supplement and fewer plant-based protein boosters, we would have been compelled to award this brand a higher rating.

Bottom line?

Purina Pro Plan Focus dry dog food is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 2.5 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.

Other spellings: Proplan

Notes and Updates

12/04/2009 Original review
07/15/2010 Review updated
01/25/2013 Review updated
01/25/2013 Last Update

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
  2. 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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  • Pattyvaughn

    Read my reply below.

  • Andrew C

    I was thinking the same thing. It contains a little bit of chicken and then is full of grains, corn, and non specific animal by products. This looks like a 1.5 star food, at best.

  • Scyllarus

    As it is, Saxton lives with my boyfriend, Tavish lives with me. If they were living in the same house, we’d likely be feeding them both the same food.

    I think for some reason I didn’t like Nature’s Domain? Looking at the two, I’m not sure why. I think I figured having ‘chicken meal’ as a second ingredient was preferable to sweet potato. But I’ll definitely try to convince boyfriend. It’s only a couple of dollars more, anyway.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Absolutely! I’m still interested in whatSean finds special in dog food, just to understand his POV. Does he think that as long as the dog doesn’t die immediately after feeding it must be a good food?

  • LabsRawesome BS Detector

    Wouldn’t it be easier and more cost effective to feed both dogs the same food? Have you tried Kirkland’s Nature’s Domain grain free? They have Salmon, Turkey, and Beef.

  • Lynn

    Real meat, no fillers, no gluten and no grain. That is what makes it special, and that is why it costs more. You pay for what you get when it comes to dog food.

  • Lynn

    If there is nothing special about Orijen, why does it keep winning award after award, year after year? You are just an antaganizer aren’t you?

  • Scyllarus

    Hello there! New owner here, with a bit of a story to share.

    So a few months ago my boyfriend went ‘I’d like a dog’ and since I help out with the local rescue I kept an eye out for an appropriate pup – medium sized, calm, short-haired – and a few weeks later he adopted what we think is a hound/cattledog mix (all we know is that he looks like a red heeler, if you wrapped it up in a basset’s skin). Since my rescue has a contract with Petsmart (to allow them to bring animals out there for adoption) we received a pretty neat coupon book, which included a coupon for a free bag of Purina Pro Plan.

    Not knowing better (keep in mind that we both had family dogs who were fed terrible things like Kibbles and Bits and Ol’ Roy), we bought a big 35 lb bag of the Pro Plan Savor for Saxton.

    He did fine on the food, with the usual doggy complaints – he shed quite a bit (to be fair, it’s spring and he was probably blowing his coat), he had doggy odor (I don’t know how all you oily-coated dog owners deal with this, I personally can’t stand it), and his breath wasn’t great.

    I then adopted my own dog, a pomeranian, and I think that’s what sparked a search on dog food. I realized the dogs didn’t have to have terrible breath and doggy odor and to shed everywhere (not that the pom does either of the latter two, given his breed). So now Saxton’s getting transitioned onto Kirkland (he eats a little too much for us to be spending $70 on premium TOTW or Wellness on him) and Tavish gets Wellness Core and Innova Grain-free. Both of them get supplements as well (notably raw meaty bones for their teeth – Tavish has the teeth of a year-old now) and Saxton’s stopped shedding and stinking so much. He’s even gained some muscle tone.

    I can’t exactly condemn the Purina coupons. At least it’s for Pro Plan and not their baseline dog chow. But it’s obviously a marketing strategy – get those new owners hooked on their food. It kills me because it’s cheaper to buy Kirkland – and you feed less of it. But I suppose it’s the exception to the rule – usually store brands are awful compared to name brands.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Dog show competitors, not the dog food company competition. This comment got seperated from a whole conversation.

    So what do you consider special in a dog food?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sean-Taylor/100004491600543 Sean Taylor

    If they’re a competitor why would they take a sample bag of Prol Plan and use it.

    And there’s nothing special about Orijen.

  • Eldee

    Could you imagine how much better these dogs could compete if they ate a dog food that was species appropriate?? I wonder how many competitors take their free bags of food from Purina, thank them and while no one is looking toss them in the garbage and turn around and buy Orijen?

  • Pattyvaughn

    Seriously? Have you read any other labels on dog food? Three stars is average and unfortunately, this is average for dog food. I wouldn’t feed it either, but then I wouldn’t feed any of the other three star foods. I want more for my dogs. But this is still exactly what average dog food is like. I’m glad you want better for your dog too, but there are tons of people out there that think this is the good stuff. It’s average.

  • Susan

    I’m flabergasted.
    Considering the large amount of inferior quality grains in this food, as well as ANIMAL fat and ANIMAL DIGEST & POULTRY BY-PRODUCT meal, how can this possibly be rated 3 stars and a *recommended food*? Based on meat/protein content with little consideration of unhealthy ingredients? I often send clients to your website (I am a trainer/behavior consultant) to read reviews of the food they are feeding, especially if they are feeding an inferior food. I will be sure to read your review of a food prior to sending anyone to your website from now on…Pro Plan Focus contains ingredients that I would NEVER feed a dog. Disappointing.

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

    ” The dogs had significant weight loss, it took much more food to maintain the dogs weight, coats became brittle and the dog’s energy levels plummeted, real working dogs were lacking in endurance.”

    I call “bull****” on that. Now, if they were on a “crappy” corn-free food then I can believe it, but a “good” corn-free food would have more of what a dog “uses” better… animal-based protein. Not to mention better grains like oats and barley, which are more beneficial to a dog than corn.

    And since when is corn better for a dog’s coat? And “energy levels”? Corn is similar to sugar when it comes to energy, meaning the dog sees a spike in energy and then basically has a “sugar crash”.

    Lack of endurance? I’m sorry to be so frank, but GTFO.

    No actual studies were cited, meaning this “information” could have come from anywhere or nowhere. Not to mention that when I see that somebody makes a food, I tend not to believe what they have to say about food in general, because they clearly have some sort of agenda. Unlike Dr. Mike, who makes no money from any dog company for doing this site.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Here is the opening paragraph from the article you just cited

    .
    In an earlier post here I discussed the use of raw diets and grains I explained why we see that some dogs do exceeding well on whole organic grains as a small percentage of their total daily intake. The quality and type of grains is also very important. In our manufacturing process we use only certified organic grains. We do not use corn, wheat or soy and the grains that we use are rare and highly absorbable.
    .
    Do you see where it says “whole organic grains as a small percentage of their total daily intake” or how about where he says “we only use certified organic grains” then there is “We do not use corn, wheat, or soy”
    .
    Which of these is supposed to apply to ProPlan????

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

    A lot of times people are looking to justify what they are doing by coming to sites like this. It could be to justify a food they’re feeding to their pets, it could be to justify the cell phone they bought, it could be to justify a piece of sporting equipment they bought for themselves, etc.

    People will go out and make a purchase/decision BEFORE researching them. And the fact is few people are willing to admit when they are wrong.

  • Cassie Hale
  • Pattyvaughn

    If you come thinking you are already an expert, you won’t be looking for what you can learn.

  • beaglemom

    Exactly. I wish I could put a big “dogfoodadvisor.com” poster up in front of the dog food in every grocery store around me. What I just don’t understand, however, is how and why people come here and still refuse to learn anything.

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

    When lamb is cooked it loses the vast majority of it’s water, therefore the weight of it is reduced drastically.

    So the FACT of the matter is this food has more rice and poultry by-product, and possible more corn (adding together the corn gluten meal and whole grain corn), than deboned lamb.

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

    FACT: The vast majority of people do not know what is best for their dogs, nor do they know the difference between a dog “surviving” on a food and “thriving” on a food.

    By the way, I don’t have to use all caps to get that point across.

  • Shawna

    I’m glad it’s working for your dogs. What works for mine is a diet more similar to the wolf diet (NOT identical but very similar). My dogs (5 of them) all eat raw and 3 more get kibble with raw topper (foster dogs that will likely be with me forever).

    The one pictured in my avatar to the left was born with kidney disease. She was given two years to live. She will be 7 years old the end of June this year and is still in EXCELLENT health. She is never ill, never has to go to the vet, not on any medications (vitamins etc yes but no meds) etc.

    A raw diet based on the wolf diet is definitley what works best for my crew… All mine are toy breed dogs too, ranging in age from 7 years to 16.

    Dogs certainly don’t have to be fed like omnivores to be healthy. In fact, the training manuals like Waltham say that dogs don’t require any carbohydrates at all. Doesn’t mean they can’t utilize them. Does mean they don’t “need” them.

  • Pattyvaughn

    BEST would be a key word, not good enough, or the cheapest you can get by with, BEST.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    What works best for my domesticated/evolved/”omnivore” dogs is a diet consisting of primarily raw meat, bones and organs with small amounts of organic vegetables, organic eggs and dairy, sprouted nuts and seeds and whole food supplements.

  • beaglemom

    Please see HDM’s post above.

  • Cassie Hale

    Fact: Pro Plan Focus receives 3 stars here. Fact: it is listed here as “recommended”. Fact: many dogs do splendidly on this food. Fact: over 400,000 folks feed their dog Pro Plan (per number of fb likes) and are happy with it. USE WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOUR DOMESTICATED/EVOLVED/OMNIVORE DOG!

  • Cassie Hale

    Please ask the company.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Cassie –

    The formula with lamb as the first ingredient is the lamb and rice formula. The formula also contains “poultry by-product meal” and “animal digest” – these are not “same as human grade.” When was the last time you walked into a grocery store and saw “poultry by-products” and “animal digest” for sale at the butcher’s counter?

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Cassie –

    I read that article back when the research first came out. It doesn’t answer the question I asked. I asked, not “Can dogs digest carbohydrates?” – but “What benefits do corn and grains provide that cannot be provided by more species-appropriate ingredients?” If you’re going to make a statement like that please back it up.

  • Shawna

    That’s interesting!! I grew up on a farm 14 miles outside of Wray, Colorado — surrounded by corn fields. Our dogs never ate corn. They got a lot of table scraps and they hunted so that may be why?

  • beaglemom

    Nutrish and Purina definitely do not use human grade ingredients.

  • Cassie Hale

    Who said I was choosing corn over meat? Please get your facts straight. Lamb is listed first on the ingredients list. My dog food uses grades 1 and 2, same as human grade. I asked. Quit picking on those of us who disagree with you. IMF you want your dogs to truly live natural lives, quit domesticating them. I wasn’t even going to comment further, but since you spoke an outright untruth by stating I was choosing corn over meat, I wanted to clarify.

  • JellyCat

    The fact that thus food doesn’t make your pups poop liquid, doesn’t meant it’s a good food.
    While dogs are not wolfs and even if you want to feed your dog corn, you can be sure that this food does not contain good quality corn. In fact, this food is made of poor quality ingredients.
    I don’t understand why anyone would choose corn over meat for their dog. Corn is a lot less nutritious than meat. This has nothing to do with misinformation on the Internet. It’s simple nutritional information.

  • Cassie Hale

    Feel free to read the article I linked to. I was posting my opinion and have no desire to argue with everyone who poses my view point. Those arguments fill up this site. Bowing out now.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Cassie Hale –

    You stated: “Grains and corn can be beneficial.” Could you explain what “benefits” corn and grains provide dogs that are unable to be provided by more species-appropriate ingredients.

  • Cassie Hale

    I have read it all and stand by my decision. Thank you.

  • beaglemom

    Cassie — glad you’ve found what works for your dog as trial and error can be quite a frustrating process; however, dogs will eat practically anything given the chance and corn is not really nutritious for us OR them, period. Nor are newspaper articles reputable sources of scientific research. Perhaps you should review this: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/dog-food-corn/

  • Cassie Hale

    Oh, and when I was in college and we had a couple dogs when my kiddos were small, we only used Science Diet. Not one health problem, and that was back when corn was the first ingredient.

  • Cassie Hale

    I would like to share our Vizsla’s story in hopes that someone out there looking for help will feel encouraged. When we brought home our boy at 12 weeks, he was the runt. We had no idea what the lady had fed him since we couldn’t get in touch with her. So, because back in the day Iams was a decent food, we chose it. He had really bad gas and diarrhea nearly every bm. He was on it for a month because we wanted to make sure he wasn’t just experiencing transition or worms. Once everything came back normal, a very good friend who has had several dogs recommended Pro Plan since her vet and trainers recommended it. We noticed a difference immediately! Within 12 hours, our boy was down to only 2 bm’s a day, and they were nice and solid. He didnt stand out there just straining and straining out diarrhea as he had before. The gas completely disappeared as well, and he started acting normal. Then we took him to doggy daycare. He came home all scratched up, acting really strange and aggressive. He ended up getting really sick within 48 hours. He had a fever, major congestion, super runny stools, etc. we took him immediately to the vet, and they took care of him. However, the diarrhea stools persisted. We were told it was his food, or inflammation, or worms, or a genetic disorder. That’s when we got caught up in this food craze! One vet suggested no grains, one suggested no corn, one suggested no changes. Well, after a lot of research, many more vet trips with a very sick dog who had tried veeeery gradually Blue Buffalo, Innova, Halo, and Simply Nourish, we put our boy back on Pro Plan Lamb and Rice puppy. He was never completely off it because some of those foods actually made him vomit even when only adding an eighth to his food. I am so tired of the misinformation on the web! What I know, is that my puppy picked up something at that daycare. He is now growing like a weed, super obedient, poops twice a day–nice and firm, and his issues have disappeared! Pro Plan just seems to agree with him, and I will not get back on this emotional dog food roller coaster again. Dogs are NOT wolves. Grains and corn can be beneficial, and you have to use what works best for your dog. Isn’t that what being a loving pet owner is all about?? Making changes to our own preconceived ideals for the well being of our pets? Interestingly enough, my friend that uses Pro Plan exclusively has never had a pet pass away under 14. Not only that, but she has only had to take one to the vet in that time for health issues because he was born with a heart defect. When I jumped on this ride, I believed everything I read and truly wanted only to use the best for my pet, which I thought was the naturals line. Well, it did not work for us. Pro Plan, alternated with Just 6 Lamb and Rice by Nutrish, is all this boy gets. I know I am just rambling on, but I just don’t want someone else to go through the mental turmoil I have. Also, here are many recalls for these natural lines as well, and as they grow in popularity and start manufacturing more product, they will be more vulnerable. Love your dog and just use what works for him!! Don’t get caught up in a lot of the food bashing on the market. My dog loves Pro Plan (and Nutrish). He is healthy, obedient, and looks beautiful! He is nearing 8 months now, and i am glad to be off this roller coaster. By the way, I love telling the story about my childhood living right next to a cornfield. I had never heard that corn was bad for dogs until we started researching for our dog. I thought it was funny when I read some people say that dogs never choose to eat any grains in the wild. Guess what were always out in the cornfield behind our house eating corn?? Yep. Dogs! They would even eat the dry stalks! In fact, one of them became our furry friend when I was 11. Want he latest scientific research?? Check this out. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/23/science/la-sci-how-dogs-evolved-20130124

  • Zeppelin

    When I first got my new pup at 7 weeks (half standard poodle half golden retriever) he had been on pro plan savior and had been doing fine on it. I wanted to switch him bc i had heard so many bad things about Purina. First I tired Orijen large breed puppy food and that was terrible!!!! I know its supposed to be good food but it gave my pup very loose stools with a little blood in it at times :( I tried staying on it for a month with no better results. I then did a slow switch to Blue Buffalo. Stools improved little but were still too loose but at least there was no more blood. I decided to give pro plan another shot since he had been doing fine on it originally. On this site the savior dry food had 2.5 stars and the focus has 3 so i decided to try the focus. Within 2 weeks my pup is back to normal and loves the food!!! Its the pro plan focus large breed puppy food. He has plenty of energy and a great coat, stools back to being firm. Maybe once he is older and an adult ill try switching again but for now it seems like this is great food. My vet said the pro plan focus is actually great food (he feeds his dogs the same thing). Hope this helps anyone.

  • JellyCat

    Don’t be so naive to let Purina fool you. It is extremely cheap for Nestle to make this LOW QUALITY food and so donating the food is really not very expansive way of advertising. It is a lot cheaper to donate the food than pay cash for TV adds.
    Also, many adoptive parents will continue feeding Purina as their pets seemed to “do well” on it. They lead people to believe that they care about animal welfare and therefore their food must be great.It is extremely smart marketing campaign.

  • Courtney

    I posted this somewhere else on this website too that was also full of comments basically saying Purina should be shut down and this is what I have to say about it:
    While I can agree that Purina is not a dog food that I would ever feed to MY dog… Purina has done a lot for rescues, and they donate probably hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of ProPlan dog food to rescues in need every year. Rescues will take whatever they can get and, being a rescue volunteer, I will tell you that I would take Purina ProPlan for my foster dog over Pedigree any day. I’m sure the better dog food companies like Blue Buffalo and Merrick would help out rescues if they had the means to do so, but they don’t. Companies like Purina keep rescues going. Without that year supply of food donations from companies like Purina and Pedigree a lot of shelters and rescues would have to close down. If for any other reason, respect Purina for that.

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

    Dr. Sagman’s ratings take more into account than controversial ingredients. Protein content is taken heavily into account when rating a food here, and this Pro Plan formula has 30% protein to Iam’s Proactive’s 25%.

  • Mappin5

    Why does this have a higher rating than the iams proactive when this has more things highlighted in red?

  • melissaandcrew

     LOL.. great description!

  • Pattyvaughn

    They were a different company around the same time.  I bought a pack of the Special Cuts to use as training treats and didn’t even use 1/2 of one baggy before my dog let me know that it was a very bad idea.  Gaines Burger and Dinner Rounds were essentially the same thing packaged differently.  I think both of those brands don’t exist anymore, but other companies have kept the bad idea alive.

  • Doggonefedup.

    Sounds like to are talking about Ken-L Ration Special Cuts or Dinner Rounds……..Do they even still make that stuff? I remember seeing Special Cuts in the grocery store And thought it looked like a wax version of raw beef chunks……..

  • Pattyvaughn

    Gaines Burger was probably 8 or 10 acquisitions ago, late 70s, early 80s, but the same thing.  They’ve done other textures with semi-moist, slightly better ingredients, or maybe I should say they but smaller amounts of the truly vile stuff in them.  I’m not sure what all they’ve done to change them, because I haven’t purposely fed anything semi-moist since the late 70s, and I was a stupid kid then.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Yeah I’ve never seen a gaines burger. I’m thinking moist and meaty – we mix it with canned for the really little puppies at the shelter that can’t eat the kibbles yet. Nasty stuff – kind of looks like red play-doh put through a meat grinder.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Thatis how they used to make semi-moist, ala Gaines Burger.  It’s changed texture over the years.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hmm…I guess when I think “semi-moist” I think of that imitation hamburger stuff in the pouches – I didn’t think the shreds seemed that texture, they looked kind of dry and puffy to me. But who knows, it was at the shelter so it could’ve been old and expired lol

  • melissaandcrew

     Chewy and rubbery is how I would describe the “shreds” as well. Nothing like dehydrated or freeze dried unless they have changed it.

  • Pattyvaughn

    The pieces in Purina One which look the same, but I don’t know if they are the same, are chewy rubbery, also light and dry.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    I don’t think they’re semi-moist. We had some at the shelter I work at and it was the texture of freeze-dried – very light and it was dry.

  • Pattyvaughn

    My understanding is that the shreds are semi-moist, which means they have the nasty stuff that they use to make semi-moist in addition to the regular nasty stuff.

  • Bob K

    Shredded Blend, Shreds, bits of flavor – All Marketing fluff, its nothing more than clever manufacturing, packaging and promotion of a 2.5 star rated kibble.  Pro Plan has been on the market for quite a while and self proclaimed as one of the premium kibble brands, the shredded blend let Purina remarket itself and the ProPlan brand name as a leader of innovative new premium products for your 4 legged loved one.  The naive consumer thinks they are getting pieces of real meat in the package which we all know is not true.    Look Mom – Its new, looks like real meat, it has to be even better than before since they charge a little extra for this new formula.  Purina was smart – they remade an old propular brand and charge a premium for it. 

    It all comes down to the ingredients.  You can form kibble meal into just about any form, then cake it,  Change the coloring, and form of the meal in a variety of ways and it might even look like real meat.  Don’t be fooled, Consumers pay a premium for this 2.5 star product.  You can get 3 star rated dog foods at Walmart (Pure Balance) or  Nutro Max which is rated 3.5 stars at Walmart for less cost.

  • Doggonefedup.

    okay so it looks a lot like a dried version of the “froth” that forms on the surface of the rendering vat…..you know all the “good stuff” like the solids found in bodily fluids from blood greases chemicals whatever…..the mmmm  mmmmm good flavors!

  • Hound Dog Mom

    It’s dry dog food kibbles with “shreds” mixed in – the best way I can describe the shreds is they look like freeze-dried pieces of meat (we’re talking about Purina here though – so obviously they’re not freeze-dried meat…just mystery meat flavored bits lol).

  • Doggonefedup.

    Okay Dumb question time!
    If this is a dry dog food what exactly does the term “Shredded Blend” mean? They make it sound like a pile of crumbs rather than being a kibble or even a pelletized food.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    I checked the website and the “Sensitive Skin and Stomach” doesn’t appear to have changed – it’s one of the original formulas just in new packaging.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi HDM,

    Our comments must have “crossed in the mail” as they were posted at almost the exact same moment.

    I’m not sure if this is one of the newer Purina Pro Plan recipes – or not. I’ll be checking this out soon.

    Thanks for answering L321.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi L321,

    Thanks to messages like yours, we’ve become aware of Purina Pro Plan’s updated product line. Sandy and I are currently in the process of gathering the necessary information and updating our spreadsheets.

    So, you should see the newer reports posted here sometime over the next few days.

    Thanks for the tip.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    L321 –

    I know I’m not Dr. Mike, but a quick glance at the ingredients list of the Sensitive Skin and Stomach and I don’t think it deserves a higher rating than the other formulas. First off, no it doesn’t contain corn but the corn is just replaced with canola meal (not any better). Canola is genetically modified and, despite genetic engineering, is one of the heavily pesticide-treated crops. Second, the food contains generic “animal fat” – this is a pet food ingredient that, with random testing of several popular commercial foods, the FDA has found to be contaminated with pentobarbital (the drug used to euthanize animals) and Purina was one of the brands that that tested postive for pento. Third, you say the food contains no -by-products – if you look down the ingredients list the food contains “animal digest”. Animal digest is essentially a by-product. It is is a rendered mixture of unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The animals used in “animal digest” can be obtained from any source so there is no control of quality or contamination – it can be from 4D meat (dead, dying diseased, downed), restaurant waste, euthanized dogs and cats, road kill, dead zoo animals, etc. There’s definitely some nasty stuff in this food.

  • L321

    Please take a closer look at the Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula.  Is it really as bad as the rest?  First ingredient is salmon, it has no by-products, no corn product, and no wheat (that I can recognize).  And every one of my 9 dogs love it – even the picky ones.  I will check back in a month or two to see if its rating has changed.  Looking forward to your re-evaluation.

  • Bob K

     Rei – Chicken By Product meal used in pet food is very different than chicken feet, Cow Tongue, gizzards and hearts, pigs feet, etc…. that you may purchase in a food store.   It is often slaughterhouse waste  – in other words garbage left over after everything else has been used. 

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi Rei –

    I agree that by-products – per se – aren’t bad for dogs and can in fact be very healthy additions to their diet. My dogs eat a homemade raw diet and get “by-products” on a daily basis – chicken feet, beef trachea, beef gullet, organs and glands, etc. However, all my “by-products” are purchased fresh and are from reputable sources – they all come from animals that were slaughtered for human consumption. The problem with by-products in dog food – such as this food – is that you don’t know the quality. Trust me on this one – the by-products in most dry dog foods are not chicken feet from human-grade chicken. In fact, by-products are often from 4D meats (dead, downed, dying or diseased) and there is a lot of speculation and strong evidence supporting the idea that unnamed animal ingredients (generic “animal by-products”, “animal fat” and “animal digest”) may in some cases contain euthanized dogs and cats, zoo animals and road kill. A while back the FDA tested generic animal fat, by-products and digests in several grocery-store brands of pet food and found that several contained pentobarbital – pentobarbital is what is used to euthanize animals (and FYI – Purina was one of the brands that tested positive for pentobarbital). If you think by-products and generic animal fats and digests are healthful and safe I STRONGLY urge you to pick up a copy of “Food Pets Die For” by Ann N. Martin. Martin has done EXTENSIVE investigations into the pet food industry and revealed some very scary things. This book will make you re-think feeding a food like Purina. So before you question the credibility of Dr. Mike’s reviews, do a little research.

  • Rei

    So, I have to comment on your bias on animal by-products.  Coming from an Asian country with no stigmas attached to various parts of animals, I can tell you that things like “chicken feet” which you randomly condemn, are rich in collagen and vitamins that are great for hair, nails and skin (in humans, so no doubt it would be great for our fellow mammalian familiars).  In fact, chicken feet is one of my favorite all time Chinese dim sum snacks. I agree with this article that the addition of soy proteins in this dog food is unnecessary and even detrimental to the dogs diet… however knowing that you disqualified some ingredients based on cultural taboo and not on scientific facts, makes me wonder about the credibility of other portions of your nutritional analysis. 

    Stick to the facts, please.

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  • Cbhale4

    We started our puppy on Iams. He had nonstop diarrhea, bad gas, and bald patches. After very slow transitions over a period of many months, we tried Blue Buffalo and Innova. Horrible gas/diarrhea on both. We tried Pro Plan, and he has been a healthy pup since! No diarrhea, no gas, the bald patches are gone, and he is playing again! Sure, I would have loved to use holistic, but it did not work for our puppy. He is gaining weight now and looks fabulous. He also gobbles up every bite–something he did not do with the other brands. The regular Pro Plan Natural Lamb and Rice puppy ingredients are different than the shredded. We do not use shredded.

  • Melissaandcrew

    Thanks HDM-

    Just checked it out. Seems like those are the two “new varieties ‘-the others seem to be the same old just renamed and repackaged. Interesting that while they did give up the “corn” in a few, they loaded up on canola meal : )

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Just was on Pro Plan’s website and noticed they’re now making grain-free formulas, “natural” formulas without corn and have a new novel protein formula with duck. A bit of a surprise seeing as Purina always seemed to be so pro grain.

  • debbie

     I wish me n audrey did that much mike, she gets walked about 1 hr per day, half hr in the am and a half hr before bed.. and her nails same seldom need clipping:)she loves to walk, we both need it:), they say dogs need min of 1 hr per day..

  • RMartin

    I have tried 4 & 5 star food… just to many problems; went back to the Prop Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach and everyone is once again happy.

  • Melissaandcrew

     Maryablack-

    I am confused-you say that he refused to eat the PMI for three days(often a first symptom of something starting) then developed severe vomiting and diarrhea on another food(unnamed), then problems on a second (unnamed) and then proplan. Sounds to me as if the problem was ongoing before you got to the Proplan or the vet. The reason he is getting better would seem to be because he went to the vet and got on the metronidazole and fortiflora

  • Mike P

    We walk an average of 3 miles a day. I end our walk with 3 laps around a park lake(cement walk way) which is 1.08 miles which I call our nail maintenance laps.Never need her nails clipped just a little file now a then.

  • Maryablack

    I switched to this food due to my dog having gas from previous food after one month he was near death chronic diarrhea vomiting skin became dry. Found out just realized there is wheat soyflakes soy fillers. My old food didn’t have that in it. One thing different. Back in july the dog food recall diamond plant chicken soup for soul and other brands recalled my PMI exclussive chicken n rice adult food burgundy bag. Was processed in that plant but not recalled well after 8.5 years on it my 2 dogs refusing their food for 3 days. May not of been recalled but I believe I had a bad bag of dog food. I think he picked up something from the food. He started to have gas diarrhea vomiting. So I switched to another he still had problems. He did get some what better but now just gas. I was referred to proplan shredded chicken after one month it cost me vets office 258 & 297 to see that he has a bacterial infection no good bacteria in his gut now. On meds now getting better now that proplan was flushed out of him after a week of no food water rice n hamburger meal boiled chicken. Etc. Flagyal. Forti flora pepto bis multh. 7 days meds finally he is free of wheat soy fillers no Proplan is poison….poor dog he would not even eat Hills Purina EN can food vets prescribed only dry burnt toat rye. And white rice chicken boiled. Took a week to get out of his 20 pound body. Id like to Sue proplan for damage to his body my health as well worried sick. He was going to die. Dehydration. Now on natural balance limited sweet potato n chicken one day on this food his diarrhea went to sooo much firmer and all vomiting stopped. God bless higher quality food. Do not feed proplan.

  • aimee

     I’d definitely be looking towards option two: find someone who can fix it!  LOL 

  • Melissaandcrew

    Loved Best in Show! To fix a hole depends on the size you have created, lol.. Trim a little more and blend it in if not too big, quickly find someone with a skill set much better than your own is another good option : )

  • Pattyvaughn

    I use sanding drums on mine, they work quick.  I don’t trim first, but I do change nails often, if I let them get long.  I have the dog lie down beside me, all my dogs do push over or roll to get them lying on their side.  At first I just touch dremel to feet off.  Then I start touching to their feet on until they are used to the vibration. Then I do a nail for a split second a few times, and then it’s off we go.  Lots of treats throughout.

  • aimee

     Betsy,

    I used a regular trimmer if there was much to take off then smoothed the edges with the dremel.

     I used a cylindrical stone grinding head. Never cut through a nail just ground. The nails heat so you have to switch toes often.

    Go slow when teaching nail trimming. This site has some good videos. 

    http://www.lincolnlandac.com/site/view/190693_TrainingEverydayBehaviors.pml

    I always use when food when trimming. I trim all dogs by myself.. no restraint.

    Spray cheese in can is what I used when teaching  for quick delivery of small amounts of food.

    Good Luck

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

    Ah ha, Aimee. You use a Dremel on nails? I bought one a few months ago thinking that I’d use it on my Golden pup. Then, I decided I’d probably just use it to “polish” rough nails after trimming. I use a plier style clipper. Sam is so “playful” and strong that it’s very difficult to trim his nails at all without more than just my daughter’s help. I’ve been trying to get him used to it, but it’s been a challenge. My Dremel is only 4.8 volts so I wondered if it would quickly and easily cut through Sam’s thick nails… I haven’t tried it yet.

    So, I’m wondering, do you use a cut-off band for cutting the nail and / or sanding bands for polishing off the rough edges after a regular clipper?

  • aimee

     I couldn’t imagine the skill it takes to groom a poodle for show.  Yikes how do you “fix ” a “hole”

    All I needed to do was trim the whiskers, touch up the nails with the dremel and I was good to go!

    Did you ever watch the movie “Best in Show”?  I got so many laughs out of that one.

  • aimee

     Yup I  think we are saying the same thing just different words. When I think of  the term “glossy” the feeling of a smooth coat comes to mind,  like a Flat Coat which is I used sheen instead.

    I think “hard” is a good word to describe the coat texture and I love  the word “prismatic” to describe the colors reflected back.

    Brooke has never felt oily to me and has no smell, but boy oh boy it is hard to get water to penetrate the topcoat when bathing her.   

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Betsy,

    Thank you for the complement, I would love to see a picture of Hannah. I really love Black Labs. If I ever get my pictures of Dugan (my flat coat) into my pc I’ll post them. Some are really cool. I used to take him to the same beach as Christo. Dugan loved it there, just as much as Christo. I’m waiting for “them” to reopen the beach, it is still closed due to Sandy. This is the longest Christo and I have been away. We both really miss it. 

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

    I once had a Black Lab. Hannah was so beautiful. She was prismatic, you could see every color of the rainbow in her coat when she was outside in the sun.

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

    Of my gosh John. He is gorgeous!

  • Johnandchristo

    This is Dugan, way to big to show about 100#s in this pic.
    Dugan could eat any dog food. He mostly ate Fosters and smith but we fed him dog chow his last year. He also got lots of meat mixed in his kibble. Just so any one reading this post does not get the wrong idea, Flat coats have high cancer rates, in no way am I saying his food was the reason he  got sick. He was a great dog very gentle, also a great swimmer.

  • Johnandchristo

    Hi Aimee

    I have seen the breed standard before. I have a dozen or so books just on Labs. I was saying that their coats should be glossy. If they are dull its a sign of something missing from their diet. Not really much more to add to that statement. I think most dog foods have all the bases covered. I have two sisters one was a  Flat-coat breeder. She shows her dogs (I think 7 of them)and they do very well. My other sister is a home maker, she had a GSD named Misty for 15 years. I thought Misty always looked good and seemed healthy. Misty only ate Purina Dog Chow( With table scraps). My sister swore by it. Now my other sister thinks dog chow is terrible. I don’t care to debate which brand of dog food is the best. I like Brothers(more importantly Christo loves Brothers). I am only saying the coat of a dog can be a good indication of a dogs health. In labs since they are water dogs its common or natural for them to have oily coats and even smell a little (which pet owners don’t like ) (But hunters do)  because oil repels water. Which is why they should have a shiny coat. (one reason) I think labs need a slightly different omega 6/3 ratio than most dogs but I cant remember where I have that info if I find it I will post it. My dog likes fish, I feed him fish kibble and fresh  fish, so did the flat coat Dugan. I think they are related breeds (with the newfoundland) and most likly did eat a lot a of fish . What ever they are fed they should have beautiful glossy coats especially the Black ones. If you have a black one with a dull a coat something is wrong . I wrote “funny and erroneous” because I thought you most likely made a typo when you said they should not have a glossy coat. They do have a different feel to their coats for sure. Dugan was soft as could be Christo has a denser feel or maybe harder would be better to describe it? 

  • aimee

     Hi John,

    This is the official breed standard.

    The coat is a distinctive feature of the Labrador Retriever. It should
    be short, straight, and very dense, giving a fairly hard feeling to the
    hand. The Labrador should have a soft, weather-resistant undercoat that
    provides protection from water, cold and all types of ground cover. A
    slight wave down the back is permissible. Woolly coats, soft silky coats,
    and sparse slick coats are not typical of the breed, and should be severely
    penalized.
    WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
    A short hard, coarse textured outer coat; undercoat of shorter, softer
    hair. A correct coat will exhibit little “feathering” on the tail or body.
    WHY—A correct coat forms a tight fitting “jacket” over an insulating
    undercoat maximizing the use of calories. The “jacket” also protects the
    body in heavy cover.
    What To Avoid:
    Coats with excessive wave or curls. Silky, glossy coats; coats lacking undercoat;
    or long open coats that stand away from the body; heavy, woolly-textured
    coats.

    Note that the standard states  ” soft silky coats should be severely penalized  and to avoid “silky, glossy coats”

    So while I didn’t use the exact words as the standard as I was trying to convey the same. Only the undercoat should be soft. When you pet Brooke the hair is coarse as it should be. I was just trying to say that if not familiar with the breed you could mistake that as a poor coat because her coat isn’t “soft”

    Also I’m not saying to coat shouldn’t have some “sheen” Brooke has plenty of sheen but the coat should be thick and deep with undercoat and a harsh overcoat.

    Correct coat is what makes the distinctive feature of the breed, a thick rounded tail. Brooke’s tail is very thick and squishy due to all the undercoat. A hard thin sparse “whip” tail is incorrect.

    Oh.. by the way the esteemed Dr. Ziesow who wrote the overview to the standard “Origin and Purpose of the Breed” for the official breed standard gave the points to my Pro Plan fed dog when I
    had the honor of showing under him.

    The diet may not work for all dogs but it does work very well.

  • Johnandchristo

    I read a bunch of posts down, this funny and erroneous statement:

    It was about the coat of a Labrador Retriever.

    ” It shouldn’t be soft and glossy”

    That’s very wrong. Not only is that condition a deviation from the breed standard, it is an indication of a sub-par diet. 

    One quote from a kennel club publication,

    If the coat is not shiny or does not have an oily, water repellent outer coat and a soft, downy inner coat it is a strong deviation from breed standards.

    Also, to aid in the assistance of swimming they have an interwoven coat, the harder dense outer coat repels the water, the soft downy coat helps to keep in heat.

    If your lab does not have a glossy coat the dog is not eating a proper diet. All recommendations I’ve seen call for a diet high in meat protein. 

    Only lab pups should have a dull coat. They have baby fur at this time, as the grow and mature it should (if fed right ) become glossy and beautiful.

  • doggonefedup

    My Mother used to raise Mini Poodles. She spent most of her free time grooming them. I can’t tell you how aggravated she used to get when they played with my Shepherds. They would come back in the house all muddy and covered with German Shepherd slobber, weeds tangled in their fur, and just as happy as can be! She wasn’t very happy with them the time they dug up all the tulips she had just planted the day before either……

  • Melissaandcrew

     Lol. The grooming is a killer. Don’t bother scissoring when your eyes or hands are tired or you quickly end up with a “hole” in the coat(been there, done that more than once!) The coat is also very impractical for life on a farm, lol

  • aimee

     Standard Poodles YIKES that is a lot of grooming!!

    Labs usually showed early…… no real grooming involved.

  • aimee

     For myself, ingredients are the last thing I look at when I decide if I will feed a particular food to my dog.

    I also have  come to very different conclusions about ingredient pros and cons than others.

    For example I recognize that plant protein from a single plant may be incomplete but when combined with protein sources with complementary AA profiles the AA are very usable.  For myself, it is a moot point.

    Soy protein quality is very high based on the current measures of protein quality.  FAO/WHO state the preferred method of judging protein quality is the PDCAAS. This takes in account digestibility and AA profile. The highest score is 1. Soy protein score is 1 so I find it incorrect to say that soy protein has a “very low bioavailability”

    Brewer’s rice as stated in this article has nothing to do with the brewing industry. They are simply broken rice grains.

    Lectins: Most I’ve found are almost completely destroyed during extrusion and their role in disease is yet undefined. It is an interesting area for research but we can’t avoid them.

    Villous atrophy: As a result of an immune based adverse food reaction sure… but widespread for every person/dog/ whatever that contacts the ingredient, not so much.

    I’m content with Purina’s response to my inquires regarding ingredient quality.  All products sourced from integrated USDA plants ( no 4D) others are not.

    My dogs have done well on Purina other peoples dogs may not. One food will not meet every dogs need.

  • doggonefedup

    Melissaandcrew,
    agreed. Rice is the one thing I really don’t like. I’m not a big fan of Oats, Barley, and Flaxseed either. But, when you think about it, the small amounts of arsenic that may be left in the rice after processing is a natural heartworm preventative. Not saying its good or bad just adding a different perspective.  Actually I’m glad that you pointed out my mistake about AKC setting the standard. Many people don’t realize AKC doesn’t set the standard they only post what the individual breed organizations dictate. It’s that overangulation that almost turned me away from the breed completely many years ago. It was as if dysplasia was going to become part of the standard. After the American bloodlines started promoting that type of confirmation the German bloodlines took a turn in the same direction. They were smart enough to see the harm it was causing to the breed and have been working to reverse that trend and returned to the “working dog” standard by requiring Schutzhund type agility for a dog to compete in the breed ring.
     

  • Shawna

    You might want to look at the posts on GSDs that Alexandra and Doggone left.  THAT is what I’m talking about.  You morphed this into something else.

  • Shawna

    But if you look back to the original comment from Willard that started this particular debate — we were talking about Puppy Chow.

  • Melissaandcrew

     Just disgusting in my book. If I found a dog that looked like that, I would be in a panic at the ortho specialist demanding full x rays and wanting to know what the surgical options were, wanting to fix the poor thing!

  • Melissaandcrew

     Sorry, should have written more on that comment : ) I was pointing that out not to correct you, but to point out that its the breed clubs responsible for the accepted manipulation of the structure. I just can not fathom how “fanciers” of a breed could pass or create such standards to the detriment of the breed.

  • Melissaandcrew

     doggone-

    Puns are funny : ) By the same token, we  could sit and argue that Abady has ingredients as well that many would not like. For me, proof is in the “lack of pudding” ; ) Maya is doing really well on the Abady so far, and I am putting in a large order for the first of the month. I am not a huge fan of the rice in the dry, but I may throw a few bags in for the rest of the crew just to add something different to the mix so to speak-The fat levels will work for them.

  • doggonefedup

    Melissaandcrew,
    I agree! The beauty queens couldn’t do anything more than trot down hill. Maybe they can crawl across a battle field better???
     

  • doggonefedup

    yes the old format is back! Mike changed his preferences back to disqus classic. I think itsa much better format.

  • Melissaandcrew

     That, to me, is truly disgusting. I can not imagine how that dog can function as a dog, let alone in the job  it was meant to do. Hey, is anyone else on the old format again?

  • doggonefedup

    Melissaandcrew,
     I stand corrected. I should have said the AKC has “updated” their written description of the GSD several times over the past 50 yrs.
     

  • Melissaandcrew

     Akc does not write the standards for the individual breeds-the parent clubs do at the National level.

  • doggonefedup

    Melissaandcrew,
    I had a butcher friend that raised German Shepherd Dogs. Some Red & Black and some all Black. He swore by Purina Pro. He also supplemented with fresh meat “trimmings”.  Not even one of them ever looked as good or lived as long as The German Shepherd Dogs I raised exclusively on Abady’s dog foods. They were all champion bloodlines and some were even related. And as you very well know those two foods couldn’t be more different. No pun intended but that is “food for thought”!
     

  • Melissaandcrew

    LMao-

    Nice try to attempt to twist what I am saying Shawna, but I did get a giggle, truly!

    What I am saying is that the poor conditions tend to be all the conditions working against the animal, not just one thing. And for the record, I have never fed Dog Chow or Puppy chow, nor would I as a matter of course. Since we are on the Pro Plan thread, I take Purina to equate to the Pro Plan-which I have fed-and had great luck with in the past.

    I would never equate what someone feeds solely to neglect. If I did that, I would have to question how you can be so pasionate about not feeding Purina, and yet you affliated with a rescue that not only feeds it, but accepts it for free : ) Surely if your rescue dogs were suffering from ill effects, you would step up and intitute a change, or leave the group. Therefore, I have to assume that the dogs eating it are doing better than they were when taken it.

  • Melissaandcrew

     LOL-

    Any breeder can produce a dog with a medical issue Shawna. Breeders are breeders, they are not gods and they do the best that they can. If you are referring to my girl that recently died, then NO, she was not healthy-but she also had lupus and cancer, so something was seriously wrong from the word go. With that said, she also did not come from a reputable breeder-none of my rescue schnauzers did. If she had, I would not be going back to that breeder even if she won Westminster : ). I guess I could say she lived 13 year thanks to the Proplan and Purina one, because it was only after switching to grain free that she died. : )

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