If you feed your dog Purina Pro Plan, you need to know this:

Earlier this year, a Facebook group called, Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time, had been buzzing with claims that Purina Pro Plan (and other brands) had caused hundreds of pets to get ill, and sadly, some have even died.

Purina, however, still denies these allegations, calling them mere “rumors” and assuring that their products are safe.

You can read my updated Medium Story here.

Now, I don’t want you to panic, but I also don’t want you to ignore this. Your dog’s health is incredibly important, and I’m here to help you navigate this.

If Purina Pro Plan is what you’re currently feeding your dog, it might be time to consider a safer alternative that won’t break the bank.

Finding the right dog food can be a bit of a challenge. That’s why I put together this post to compare Purina Pro Plan with three other brands that are not only affordable but also safer and healthier.

Plus, I’ll share some of my list of favorite brands that, while a bit pricier, offer better ingredients and are overall healthier for your canine companion.

 

3 Safer Alternatives to Purina Pro Plan

In order Based on cost:

Comparison based on dogfoodadvisor.com reviews and compiled with the help of Bing CoPilot.

Purina Pro Plan costs ($1.96-$3.32 per lb)

  • Solid Gold ($2.75 – $3.35 per lb)

    • Solid Gold and Purina Pro Plan are two popular dog food brands that offer various formulas and flavors for different life stages and dietary needs. However, Solid Gold seems to have higher quality ingredients, more natural sources of probiotics and prebiotics, and more flavor options than Purina Pro Plan.
    • Similarities:
      • Chicken as the first ingredient
      • Grains, probiotics, vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids
      • Products for different life stages, breed sizes, and dietary preferences
    • Differences:
      • Solid Gold uses more natural and premium ingredients, such as cheese, flaxseed, yeast, chicory root extract, and chelated minerals, which can enhance the nutritional value and digestibility of the food.
      • Purina Pro Plan uses some lower-quality and controversial ingredients, such as poultry by-product meal, corn, wheat, and menadione, which can be less nutritious and potentially harmful for some dogs.
      • Solid Gold has more flavor options, such as duck, lamb, and salmon, which can appeal to dogs with different palates.
      • Purina Pro Plan has more products for different activity levels and weight management goals, such as sport and bright mind, which can meet the specific needs of active and aging dogs.
    • Here’s link to Solid Gold store on Amazon. It’s also available on Chewy’s.

Here are some of the main differences between the 3 alternatives:

(according to Bing CoPilot and dogfoodadvisor.com)

  • Ingredients: All three brands use chicken as the first ingredient in most of their products, which is a high-quality source of protein. However, Fromm and Solid Gold also use cheese, flaxseed, yeast, chicory root extract, and chelated minerals, which are natural sources of probiotics, prebiotics, and minerals that can enhance the nutritional value and digestibility of the food. Nulo does not use these ingredients, but it does use lentils, which are a high-fiber and low-glycemic carbohydrate source. Purina Pro Plan uses some lower-quality and controversial ingredients, such as poultry by-product meal, corn, wheat, and menadione, which can be less nutritious and potentially harmful for some dogs.
  • Flavor options: All three brands have products for different dietary preferences, such as grain-free, limited-ingredient, and wet food. However, Fromm and Solid Gold have more flavor options, such as duck, lamb, and salmon, which can appeal to dogs with different palates. Nulo has fewer flavor options, mostly based on chicken, turkey, and salmon.
  • Ratings: All three brands have high ratings on dogfoodadvisor.com, ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars. However, Solid Gold has the highest average rating of 4.8 stars, followed by Nulo with 4.7 stars, and Fromm with 4.6 stars. Purina Pro Plan has an average rating of 3.2 stars. These ratings are based on the analysis of the ingredients, guaranteed analysis, and estimated nutrient content of each product.
Overall, Nulo, Fromm and Solid Gold are all reputable dog food brands that offer a variety of products for different dogs.

However, they have some differences in their ingredients, flavor options, and ratings that may affect your choice.

You may want to compare the specific products that suit your dog’s needs and preferences.

Here are my top 6 Dog Food Brands:

#1 Open Farm (dry and freeze-dried raw, air-dried, fresh frozen cooked)
#2 Carna4 (dry/baked)
#3 Dr Marty’s (freeze-dried)
#4 OC Raw (frozen raw)
#5 Green JuJu (freeze-dried, frozen raw)
#6 A Pup Above (fresh frozen cooked)
Contact me if you’d like a specific recommendation for your dog.
Cyndi Smasal, CPDT-KA

Cyndi Smasal, CPDT-KA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer / Integrative Pet Specialist

Author, Pet Nutrition Specialist and Pet Care/Health Coach

Why I’m a “Dog Food Geek”

Twenty years ago my first dog, Norman, was diagnosed with liver disease and given a month to live. I wasn’t ready to give up on him so I did a lot of research (not on Google as it wasn’t what it is today back in 2002). The full story is in my book “Hope for Healing Liver Disease in Your Dog”. What I learned in my research was just how bad the commercial dog food was that I had fed him his whole life. I learned that his commercial food likely contributed to his bad health (at 10 years old). Or if it didn’t cause his poor health, it definitely didn’t help. I can’t tell you how awful the guilt is of realizing that what you’ve been feeding your dog their whole life has led to their current state of bad health. I have spent the last 20 years learning about canine nutrition so that I would never feel that way again.

The good news is that I saved Norman’s life and he went on to live for 2 more years. And the point of this story is that his diet was the major contributing factor in his recovery from cirrhosis. I fed him a fresh home-cooked diet for 2 years. It saved his life and made me a believer in “fresher is better”.