Not Recommended
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Our Verdict
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner canned product range is made up of 11 recipes with ratings varying from 1 to 2 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 1 stars.
An affordable canned range, however it is unfortunate that the company chooses to include unspecified meat products, and although the flavours sound appealing, some recipes contain very little of the ingredients you would expect for those flavours. For example, in the Lamb and Rice Puppy recipe, water is the first ingredient and lamb is the sixth ingredient.
Pros
- Affordable
- Made in the USA
- Supports hydration
Cons
- Added color in some recipes
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
| Product line | Rating | AAFCO |
|---|---|---|
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Chicken and Rice | 2 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Beef | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Beef, Bacon and Cheese Flavor | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Combo with Chicken, Beef and Liver | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Chicken and Beef Puppy | 1 | G |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Filet Mignon Flavor | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Turkey and Bacon Flavor | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner T-Bone Steak Flavor | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Lamb and Rice Puppy | 1 | G |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Weight Management Chicken and Rice Flavor | 1 | M |
| Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Filet Mignon and Bacon Flavor | 1 | M |
Recipe and Label Analysis
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Chicken and Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Chicken and Rice
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken, sufficient water for processing, meat by-products, chicken by-products, brewers rice, carob bean gum, minerals (potassium chloride, magnesium proteinate, zinc sulfate, selenium, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide), carrageenan, sodium tripolyphosphate, guar gum, dried yam, vitamins (choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, riboflavin supplement, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement), natural flavor
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 9% | 6% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 39% | 27% | 26% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 30% | 51% | 20% |
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”.1
Chicken is naturally rich in the 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.
The third ingredient includes meat by-products, an item made from slaughterhouse waste. This is what’s left of slaughtered animals after all the prime striated muscle cuts have been removed.
With the exception of hair, horns, teeth and hooves, this item can include almost any other part of the animal.2
What’s worse, this particular item is anonymous. So, the meat itself can come from any combination of cattle, pigs, sheep or goats — which can make identifying specific food allergies impossible.
Although most meat by-products can be nutritious, we do not consider such vaguely described (generic) ingredients to be as high in quality as those derived from a named animal source.
The fourth ingredient is chicken by-products, what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the choice cuts have been removed.
In addition to organs, this item can also include feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs and almost anything other than prime skeletal muscle.
The quality of this ingredient can vary, depending on the caliber of the raw materials obtained by the manufacturer.
The fifth ingredient is 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 sixth ingredient is locust bean gum, a gelling or thickening agent found in some wet pet foods. Extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, locust bean gum can add a notable amount of dietary fiber to a do 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 Pedigree product.
With one notable exception…
This food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Chicken and Rice looks like a below-average canned dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 38.5%, a fat level of 26.9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 25%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 38% and a mean fat level of 26.9%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 24.4% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 71%.
Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical wet dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing a moderate amount of meat.
Pedigree Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Pedigree through December 2025.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Canned Dog Food
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner is a grain-inclusive canned dog food that uses a moderate amount of both named and unnamed meats and by-products as its primary source of animal protein. Some recipes also contain added colour, thus earning the brand 1 star.
About
Pedigree is owned by Mars, the same parent company behind M&Ms, Twix, and various pet food brands such as Royal Canin and Whiskas.
In 2008, Pedigree established its non-profit organisation, The Pedigree Foundation, which supports shelters across the US. By 2024, the foundation will have donated over 12 million pounds to shelters, helping to house and rehome 800,000 homeless dogs.
Compare Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner Dog Food
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A Final Word
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