Highly Recommended
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Our Verdict
Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free product range is made up of 12 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4.5 stars.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Large Breed Adult | 4.5 | M |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Ocean Recipe | 4.5 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Foothills Recipe | 4.5 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Foothills Recipe Small Bite | 4.5 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Senior Recipe Small Bite | 4 | M |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Puppy | 5 | G |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Senior Recipe | 4 | M |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Small Bite | 4 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe | 5 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Prairie Recipe | 4.5 | A |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Large Breed Puppy | 4.5 | G |
| Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Hillside Recipe | 5 | A |
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.
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Original Recipe
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Turkey, turkey meal, peas, salmon meal, duck meal, sweet potato, spray dried egg product, potato, potato protein, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), lentils, natural flavour, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), dried tomato pomace, pea fibre, salt, pumpkin, cranberries, blueberries, choline chloride, chicory root extract, dried kelp, dehydrated alfalfa meal, dl-methionine, dried yeast, taurine, spinach, blackberries, ginger, oregano, yucca schidigera extract, dandelion, chamomile, parsley, marigold extract (tagetes erecta l.), green tea extract, rosemary extract, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, vitamins (vitamin E supplement, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate [source of vitamin C], niacin supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, beta carotene, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, selenium yeast, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate)
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 37% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 41% | 18% | 33% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 35% | 37% | 28% |
Ingredients 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.1
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 seven 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 35% and a mean fat level of 16%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 41% 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.
Performatrin Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Performatrin through July 2024.
No recalls noted.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Performatrin 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 4.5 stars.
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