Rating: 
Sonny’s Pride Dog Food receives the Advisor’s bottom tier rating of 1.5 stars.
The Sonny’s Pride Dog Food product line includes two kibbles.
Since we could not locate AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these products on the Sonny’s Pride website, we’re unable to report life stage recommendations.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Sonny’s Pride 26/18 Endurance Formula Dog Food
- Sonny’s Pride 24/20 High Energy Formula Dog Food
Sonny’s Pride 24/20 High Energy Formula Dog Food was selected to represent both recipes in the line for this review.
Sonny's Pride 24/20
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Poultry & porcine meal, wheat flour, poultry fat (preserved with BHA), whole ground corn, corn gluten meal, wheat middlings, brewers dried yeast, dried beet pulp, poultry digest, ground flaxseed, fish meal, potassium chloride, salt, dicalcium phosphate, artificial garlic flavoring, calcium propionate, choline chloride, l-lysine hydrochloride, iron sulfate, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, manganese proteinate, zinc sulfate, zinc oxide, copper proteinate, riboflavin supplement, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, niacin supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, cobalt carbonate, folic acid, and mineral oil
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.4%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 24% | 20% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 27% | 23% | 42% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 22% | 44% | 34% |
The first ingredient in this dog food includes a mixture of poultry and porcine meals. Together, these two items are considered meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh poultry or pork.
The second ingredient is wheat flour… a highly-refined product of wheat milling containing more than 80% carbohydrates.
Now, contrary to what you may have heard, wheat isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, wheat can be somewhat problematic.
What’s more, wheat is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider wheat flour a preferred component in any dog food.
The third ingredient lists poultry fat. Poultry fat is obtained from rendering… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Poultry fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. However, we would have preferred a single-species item (like chicken fat).
What’s worse, this fat is preserved with BHA… a suspected cancer-causing agent.
The fourth ingredient includes corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only minimal nutritional value to a dog.
In its refined state, corn can contribute unfavorably to maintaining a healthy blood sugar level.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies2.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The fifth item is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The sixth ingredient includes wheat middlings… commonly known as “wheat mill run”. Though it may sound wholesome, wheat mill run is actually an inexpensive by-product of cereal grain processing.
In reality, middlings are nothing more than milling dust and floor sweepings.
The seventh ingredient is brewers dried yeast. Brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although it’s a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient contains about 45% protein… and is rich in other healthy nutrients.
Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.
Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.
What’s more, a vocal minority insist yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is something we’ve not been able to scientifically verify.
In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can be considered a nutritious additive.
The eighth ingredient lists beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The ninth ingredient lists poultry digest. A digest is a chemically hydrolyzed brew of slaughterhouse waste. Animal digests are usually sprayed onto the surface of a dry dog food to improve its taste.
The tenth item lists flaxseed meal… one of the best plant-based sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax meal is particularly rich in soluble fiber.
However, plant-based oils (like flax) are less biologically available to a dog than fish oil as a source of quality omega-3 fats.
Fish meal is another high protein meat concentrate.
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.
Fish meal is commonly made from the by-products of commercial fish operations.
What’s more, the controversial chemical ethoxyquin is frequently used as a preservative in fish meals.
But because it’s usually added to the raw fish before processing, the chemical does not have to be reported to consumers.
We find no public assurances from the company this product is ethoxyquin-free.
Without knowing more, and based upon this fish meal’s location on the list of ingredients, we would expect to find 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 three notable exceptions…
First, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Next, this food does contain chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
And lastly, this Sonny’s Pride product also contains menadione… a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells.
Sonny’s Pride Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Sonny’s Pride Dog Food looks to be a below-average kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 27%, a fat level of 23% and estimated carbohydrates of about 42%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 22%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.
Average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Sonny’s Pride Dog Food is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of poultry and pork meal as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 1.5 stars.
Not recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
03/24/2011 Original review
03/24/2011 Last Update
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
- White, S., “Update on food allergy in the dog and cat”, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.