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Iams Proactive Health Dog Food Review (Dry)

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Iams Proactive Health Dog Food receives the Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4 stars.

The Iams Proactive Health product line includes the 15 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its related AAFCO nutrient profile when available on the product’s official webpage: Growth, Maintenance, All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Iams Proactive Healthy Aging Chicken and Whole Grains 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Minichunks Chicken and Whole Grain 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Healthy Aging Large Breed 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Puppy Large Breed 4.5 U
Iams Proactive Health Adult Large Breed Chicken and Whole Grain 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Minichunks Lamb and Rice 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Puppy Chicken & Whole Grain 4.5 U
Iams Proactive Health Healthy Weight 3 M
Iams Proactive Health Small Breed 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Healthy Weight Large Breed 3.5 M
Iams Proactive Health Puppy Small Breed 4 U
Iams Proactive Health Active Chicken and Turkey 4.5 U
Iams Proactive Health Large Breed Lamb and Rice 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Lamb and Rice Minichunks 4 M
Iams Proactive Health Advanced Health Healthy Digestion 4 U

Recipe and Label Analysis

Iams Proactive Health Minichunks Chicken and Whole Grain was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Iams ProActive Health Minichunks Chicken and Whole Grain

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 28% | Fat = 16% | Carbs = 49%

Ingredients: Chicken, ground whole grain corn, ground whole grain sorghum, chicken by-product meal, dried plain beet pulp, natural flavor, flaxseed, dried egg product, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), caramel color, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin, riboflavin supplement (source of vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, sodium selenite, manganese sulfate, manganous oxide, potassium iodide), potassium chloride, carrot, choline chloride, fructooligosaccharides, calcium carbonate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.4%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis25%14%NA
Dry Matter Basis28%16%49%
Calorie Weighted Basis24%33%43%
Protein = 24% | Fat = 33% | Carbs = 43%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains up to 73% 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 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.

The third ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.

Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.

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

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

The quality of this ingredient can vary, depending on the caliber of the raw materials obtained by the manufacturer.

The fifth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

After the natural flavor, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The next ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The ninth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

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 Iams product.

With 4 notable exceptions

First, caramel is a natural coloring agent made by caramelizing carbohydrates. It’s used by pet food manufacturers to impart a golden brown tint to the finished product.

However, the concentrated version of this ingredient commonly known as caramel coloring has been more recently considered controversial and found to cause cancer in laboratory animals.1

In any case, even though caramel is considered safe by the FDA, we’re always disappointed to find any added coloring in a 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 food is?

Next, this recipe contains fructooligosaccharide, an alternative sweetener2 probably used here as a prebiotic. Prebiotics function to support the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

In addition, this recipe contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Iams Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 28%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 49%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 49% for the overall product line.

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

Which means this Iams product line contains…

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

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

Our Rating of Iams Dry Dog Food

Iams is a grain-inclusive dry dog food that uses a notable amount of named by-product meal as its dominant source of animal protein, thus receiving 4 stars.

Highly recommended.



Iams Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Iams through March 2024.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Iams Reviews

The following Iams dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

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