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Unrated
PRODUCT MAY HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED
UNABLE TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY
Precise Plus Dog Food receives the Advisor’s above-average rating of 4 stars.
The Precise Plus Dog Food product line includes 3 kibbles, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Precise Plus Adult
- Precise Plus Puppy (5 stars)
- Precise Plus Lamb Meal and Sweet Potato
Precise Plus Canine Adult Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Precise Plus Canine Adult Formula
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Chicken meal, ground brown rice, chicken, ground whole barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate), beet pulp, ground oats, flaxseed, dried egg product, fish meal, chicken cartilage (source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate), alfalfa, natural chicken flavor, dried carrots, lecithin, dried kelp, fish oil, Yucca schidigera extract, potassium chloride, salt, calcium ascorbate (source of vitamin C), dried cranberries, chamomile, dandelion, peppermint, rosemary, turmeric meal, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Streptococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, vitamin A suppliment, vitamin D3 supplement, iron amino acid chelate, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, cobalt amino acid chelate, riboflavin supplement, dl-methionine, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese amino acid chelate, choline chloride, folic acid, biotin, thiamine mononitrate (B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), selenium yeast, calcium iodate, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.5%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 26% | 16% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 29% | 18% | 45% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 25% | 37% | 39% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second item is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The third ingredient is chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% 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 fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index, barley can help support more stable blood sugar levels.
The fifth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat 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.
The next item mentions 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 seventh ingredient includes ground oats. Oats are naturally rich in dietary fiber, B-vitamins and low in gluten.
The eighth item lists 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.
The ninth 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 tenth ingredient is fish meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, fish meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the “clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings” of commercial fish operations.1
Unfortunately, this particular item is anonymous. Because various fish contain different types of fats, we would have preferred to have known the source species.
We are pleased to report that unlike many fish meals, this item appears2 to be ethoxyquin-free.
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 two notable exceptions…
First, the company appears to have applied friendly bacteria to the surface of the kibble after cooking. These special probiotics are used to enhance a dog’s digestive and immune functions.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals… minerals that have been chemically attached to amino acids. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are generally found in better dog foods.
Precise Plus Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Precise Plus appears to be an above-average dry dog food.
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 29%, a fat level of 18% and estimated carbohydrates of about 45%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 30% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 45% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Near-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a moderate amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Precise Plus is a plant-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken or lamb meal as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4 stars.
Highly recommended.
Those considering another kibble product from the same company may wish to visit our review of Precise dry dog food.
Notes and Updates
03/02/2010 Original review
05/29/2010 Review updated
04/23/2012 Review updated
10/30/2013 Product may have been discontinued
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