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Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Dog Food Review (Dry)

Performatrin Ultra Dog Food

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Review of Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Dry Dog Food

Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Dog Food receives the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.

The Performatrin Ultra Grain Free product line includes the 11 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Recipe 5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Puppy 5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior 4 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Foothills Small Bite 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Puppy Large Breed 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Ocean 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Prairie 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Adult Large Breed 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Foothills 4.5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Small Bite 5 U
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Senior Small Bite 4 U

Recipe and Label Analysis

Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Recipe 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.


Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Recipe

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 41% | Fat = 18% | Carbs = 33%

Ingredients: Turkey, turkey meal (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), peas, salmon meal, duck meal, potato, dried egg product, sweet potato, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), potato protein, natural flavor, tomato pomace, yeast culture, pumpkin, cranberries, blueberries, lecithin, salt, chicory root extract, dried kelp, choline chloride, potassium chloride, dried yeast, spinach, blackberries, taurine, rosemary extract, marigold extract, Yucca schidigera extract, green tea extract, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, carotene, inositol, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), minerals (zinc proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, iron proteinate, selenium yeast, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate)

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis37%16%NA
Dry Matter Basis41%18%33%
Calorie Weighted Basis35%37%28%
Protein = 35% | Fat = 37% | Carbs = 28%

Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is turkey. Although it is a quality item, raw turkey 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 turkey meal. Turkey meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh turkey.

The third ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The fourth ingredient is salmon 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.2

The fifth item is duck meal, yet another high protein meat concentrate.

The next ingredient is potato. Potatoes can be considered a gluten-free source of digestible carbohydrates. Yet with the exception of perhaps their caloric content, potatoes are of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The seventh 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 failed to hatch.

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

The eighth ingredient is sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a gluten-free source of complex carbohydrates in dog food. They are naturally rich in dietary fiber and beta carotene.

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 Performatrin product.

With 7 notable exceptions

First, we find potato protein, the dry residue remaining after removing the starchy part of a potato.

Even though it contains over 80% 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.

Next, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, there’s probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

In addition, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

Next, we note the use of dried yeast, which 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, we feel yeast should be considered a nutritious addition.

We also find taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

This food also 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.

And lastly, this product includes selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Performatrin Ultra Grain Free looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 41%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 33%.

As a group, the product line features an average protein content of 34% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 46%.

Which means this Performatrin product line contains…

Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry product.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the peas, potato protein and dried yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a significant amount of meat.

Our Rating of Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Dog Food

Performatrin Ultra Grain Free is a dry dog food using a significant amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the product line 5 stars.

Enthusiastically recommended.

Has Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Dog Food Been Recalled?

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls since 2009 related to Performatrin.

No recalls noted.

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

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More Performatrin Brand Reviews

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

A Final Word

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References

  1. “Last Update” field at the end of this review reflects the last time we attempted to visit this product’s website. The current review itself was last updated 06/09/2021
  2. Association of American Feed Control Officials
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