Is Purina good for dogs

Is Purina Dog Food Safe for Dogs?

Explore the safety and nutritional quality of Purina Dog Food in our comprehensive article. We examine ingredient sourcing, manufacturing processes, and recall history, providing a balanced view of this well-known brand. Empower yourself with knowledge and make an informed choice for your furry friends diet.

Most of us go to the grocery store to purchase the food we eat. We can find food for our dogs there, too: Pedigree, Purina, Iams, and the like are found in nearly every store in the country. Its estimated that around 86 million US American families own dogs, so the market is strong for dog food, and foods like the brands listed above sell like hotcakes.

But are they healthy for our dogs? Weve established that foods like Pedigree generally are not. Filled with corn, meat by-product, and corn and wheat gluten, cheap dog food might do more harm than good. But is that always the case?

Theres a Purina factory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and Ive driven by it countless times on visits to my parents. I always plug my nose when I go by; when I was younger, I commented that the factory smelled like ground-up horses mixed with cereal. Its not far from the truth. In the past, some Purina foods were found to have horse meat in them usually under the category meat by-products. The foods were mainly those sold in Italy and Spain, where it might not be so unusual to eat horse.

Take this scenario for example: I was visiting a friend in Paris, France, and staying with her family, who live on the outskirts of the city. One day, she came upstairs and asked me if I would be eating the horse her mother was cooking for dinner, or if I wanted something else. I could barely keep my jaw off the floor. Horse! Suddenly the smell coming from downstairs made me feel nauseated. I tried not to show my disgust, but my dear friend picked up on it.

Its no big deal to eat horse in France, she said.

So it would follow that its no big deal for it to be in dog foods, either, but the problem was that it wasnt listed as such in the Purina food.

In fact, Purina, like Pedigree, uses blanket terms for many of its ingredients: meat by-products, for example, instead of the more specific (but still undesirable) chicken by-products.

Lets break down a few components of a label from a popular Purina dog food, the Purina ONE Chicken and Rice Smart Blend.

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A Purina food breakdown

Unlike Pedigrees comparable chicken and rice food, where actual chicken never once makes an appearance (a huge red flag!), the first ingredient of Purina ONE Chicken and Rice Smart Blend is chicken. This is a strong start! After chicken, theres rice flour a decent, but not excellent, source of energy. After that, theres corn gluten meal. Corn gluten meal isnt evil, per se, but it sure isnt helpful to your dog. Corn gluten is the very last protein thats left of corn once its processed, and the fact that its the third ingredient means that it makes up a lot of the protein in Purina dog food. (When really, a quality source of meat protein like chicken meal or broth would be more appropriate.)

After corn gluten meal, the fourth ingredient in the Purina ONE Chicken and Rice Smart Blend is whole grain corn, which again isnt terrible but isnt highly nutritious for your dog especially that high up in the ingredients list. But the real problem comes in ingredient number five: chicken by-product meal.

What, exactly, is chicken by-product meal? Its the parts of the chicken that the human food companies couldnt use, i.e. the chicken feet, necks, beaks, unhatched eggs, and organs, that are then rendered and ground into a dry meal that goes in your dogs food. Yes, this provides protein but not a quality protein! Good dog foods will stay away from chicken or other meat by-product meals.

The next two ingredients are whole grain wheat (which is better than not whole grain wheat but is another source of non-animal protein) and soybean meal. Some dogs can have allergies or intolerances to these ingredients, but their presence isnt whats bad; its that they are both so high on the ingredients list when, again, whole meats, vegetables, and fruits should be up there too.

And thats another red flag: they arent. The only two vegetables that appear on this ingredients list are carrots and peas. With such an animal protein-low, grain-high food, youd hope theyd at least add quality amounts of vegetables AND fruits. But no!

So, Purina isnt the healthiest dog food on the market. Its also not the unhealthiest.

Lets look at food safety recalls. Most pet foods encounter them at one point or another, so a recall alone isnt enough to raise alarm. But its worth paying attention to why a pet food was recalled and how the company responded to it.

Purina recalls

There have been about four recalls in the last ten years for Purina pet food, and the reasons have either been possible salmonella contamination or low mineral levels in their complete and balanced foods. Honestly, this isnt terrible. Its not like there was visible pig bristle in the kibble! (Im looking at you, Pedigree.) The company has been active in promoting the recall of affected foods and modifying the food to make it safe again, which is also a good thing. Again, Pedigree responded in a different (worse) way by announcing that pig bristle wasnt such a big deal because it was perfectly edible to dogs. Yuck!

All told, Purina dog food is safe enough. Its not the best dog food out there, but itll do if youre on a budget and if youre careful to read the labels to make sure you choose a Purina food that has higher quality ingredients.

The other day, I decided to check out some canned Purina dog food to give to Eira. After putting a couple choices back on the shelf the more expensive plastic tubs, strangely enough, had worse ingredients I settled on a can of Purina ONE Smart Blend True Instinct wet dog food.

Testing out Purina dog food.

The first six ingredients in this dog food are beef, beef broth, chicken, liver, pork lungs, and salmon. Thats a lot of protein, but its not necessarily a mix Id give Eira all the time. Also, theres nary a vegetable or fruit to be found in the entire can, which is a negative point. So I definitely got this food as a treat for Eira kind of like a candy bar would be for a human. Still, the fact that this can has salmon is impressive! Also, there are no meat by-products in it, which is another bonus.

Always read the ingredients list before you purchase Purina dog food or any dog food, for that matter!

Did Eira enjoy the food? She did. I was a little grossed out by the gelatinous glob of goo at the bottom of the can, which reminded me of that gelatin stuff in canned SPAM. Ew. But Eira loved it.

Eira chows down on her Purina dog food.

You cant see the gelatin stuff in this photo, but its there. After I got the food out, it was in a big clump at the bottom. But most wet dog food doesnt look that appealing anyway. And gelatin is found in many human foods, including popular marshmallow brands. So I really shouldnt be that grossed out I do love smores.

But its safe to say I wont be buying Eira Purina food often. Its not deadly or even harmful, but its far from the healthiest dog food on the market.

If you want to try the can Eira tried anyway, find it here.

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Laura Ojeda Melchor grew up with two beloved German shepherd dogsClancy and her daughter, Bella. From the time her family brought Clancy home, Laura took on the duty of pooper-scooper and potty trainer. As a teenager Laura helped her mother care for Clancy during her pregnancy. She still remembers fondly the exciting, frigid winter night when the seven special puppies were born. Laura kept the youngest puppyBellaand potty trained her, too. She taught Bella important commands, took her for long walks, and spent hours throwing tennis balls for her.

InNovember, Laura brought home a sweet new puppy, Eira Violet. Eira is halfAlaskan malamute and half German shepherd, and Laura loves her deeply. Shechose not touse a crate to potty train Eira and was pleasantly surprised atthe results. She now has a sweet, energetic dog who always uses the pottyoutside, plays well with Laurastoddler, and enjoys long family walks inbeautiful Alaska. If you were to meet Eira, shed bound up to you with awagging tail and get you running around the yard with herin no time.

Are Beggin Strips Good or Bad for Dogs? (Explained)

Just like any other animal, dogs also need food to survive. But not all foods are healthy for dogs. So choosing what to feed a dog is very important. Beggin strips is a dog food and today we are going to discuss if it is bad or good for the dogs.

Are beggin strips good or bad for the dogs?

Beggin strips are not good for dogs. Beggin strips cause severe health problems for them. They contain a lot of harmful ingredients that are dangerous for dogs in both the long term and the short term. Begging strips are not easily digestible and do not bring any health benefits for dogs.

As the vets doesnt consider beggin strips to be fed to your four-legged companion, lets dig deep to know the reasons behind them.

Purina Beggin Bacon Strips:

Purina Beggin bacon strips are bad for dogs. They possess harmful salt and bacon fat. They also contain BHA(butylated hydroxytoluene).

BHA is one of the major causes of cancer. So if you dont want your dog to catch cancer, then dont feed Purina beggin strips to it at any cost.

Purina beggin bacon strips contain a large amount of food color. Food colors are extremely harmful for a dogs health.

The main ingredient of Purina beggin bacon strips is bacon. Dogs digestive system is not built in the way to digest bacon easily. So this digestion problem is not good for your dogs body.

Bacon is also extremely bad for the pancreas of your dog. It can swell the pancreas of your dog. Eating bacon regularly can finally result in pancreatitis.

How bad are beggin strips for your dog?

Beggin strips are extremely bad for your dog. Beggin strips can result in a significant amount of weight gain for your dog. They can also temper the blood sugar level of your dog and make it diabetic.

One of the main ingredients of beggin strips is bacon. Bacon contains sodium nitrite that can cause cancer if it is consumed for a long time. Bacon is not an ingredient that can be digested easily by your dog.

5 reasons why beggin strips are bad for your dog:

There are many reasons why beggin strips are considered bad for your dog. Here are some given for you:

Can Cause Diarrhea:

One of the main ingredients of beggin strips is bacon. Bacon is a food item that is not easily digestible. It can cause your dogs stomach a great number of problems and ultimately cause diarrhea.

Can Cause Cancer:

Beggin strips contain a large amount of cancer-causing ingredients and elements.

For example, it contains BHA(butylated hydroxytoluene) which is one of the major causes of cancer around the world. The main ingredient of beggin strips is Bacon. And bacon has a lot of sodium nitrite that is another agent of cancer.

Can Cause Obesity:

Consuming beggin strips can make your dog obese. With weight gain comes health concerns and complications. So you need to be careful about how many beggin strips you are feeding your dog.

Can Cause Diabetes:

One of the ingredients of beggin strips is Corn. Corn possesses a high level of sugar and it is a bad addition to your dogs chart. It can cause your dogs blood sugar level to deter and can cause diabetes.

Can Cause Erratic Behaviour:

As beggin strips contains a lot of harmful ingredients, it can cause your dog to behave erratically. It can break the behaviour pattern of your dog in a very bad way. Your calm and discipline dog can suddenly start behaving out of character.

How many Beggin Strips can a dog eat?

The dog food manufacturing company would suggest you feed your dog at least one and at most five Beggin Strips per day. But in reality, beggin strips are extremely harmful to your dog.

So try to avoid feeding it to your dog as much as you can. Because consuming too many beggin strips can become a habit all of a sudden. And it will be a very bad habit for your dogs health.

What are the healthiest dog treats?

Not all foods and snacks are healthy for dogs. Here are some of the healthiest dog treats:

Egg:

Egg is an extremely healthy treat for dogs. It can quicken the growth of your dog in a healthy way. Egg will increase protein in your dogs body. But be careful about the number of eggs your dog consumes.

Banana:

Banana is another source of a healthy treats for your dog. It possesses K(Potassium), vitamin B6 and C. Feed your dog bananas in a controlled portion.

Potato:

You can feed your dog potato as a healthy treat. It contains Fe(Iron), Mg(Magnesium), vitamins B6 and C. But do not add any extra ingredients to the potato.

Strawberry:

Strawberry can be fed to dogs as a healthy treat. They contain a large amount of fibre and vitamin C. It is extremely good for your dogs dental care as well.

Watermelon:

Watermelon is a healthy treat for dogs. It can help the hydration process of your dog. It is full of K(Potassium), Mg(Magnesium), vitamins A, B1, B5, B6, and C.

Carrot:

You can feed carrot as healthy treat to dogs. It contains Ca(Calcium), Fe(Iron), K(Potassium), fibre, vitamins A and K. Carrot is extremely good for dogs eyes.

Apple:

Apple is a great treat for dogs. It contains K(Potassium), antioxidants, fiber, vitamins A and C. Feeding your dogs apple can be beneficial for their digestion. It can also help your dog to maintain its weight.

Blueberry:

Blueberry is one of the healthiest treats for dogs. It is full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins C and K. It can make your dogs immunity better than before.

Ice Cream:

Ice cream can be a healthy treat for dogs in summer. It help your dog to come down in the heat of the summer and keep it in a cheerful mood.

Yogurt:

Yogurt is another healthy treat for dogs. It is full of protein and Ca(Calcium). So it is extremely beneficial for the bones of a dogs body.

Peanut Butter:

Peanut Butter is another healthy treat for dogs. It is full of protein, fiber and vitamin B. It is extremely beneficial for the natural growth of your dog.

Do beggin strips cause diarrhea in dogs?

Yes. Beggin strips cause diarrhea in dogs. Consuming too many beggin strips can result in diarrhea for dogs. Beggin strips have bacon as one of the key ingredients.

Bacon is an item that is not easily digested by dogs stomachs. So, naturally, this causes diarrhea. Be careful and keep an eye on your dogs diet to avoid this kind of circumstances.

How to break the diarrhea cycle in dogs?

Dogs can easily suffer from diarrhea because of excessive food consumption or because of eating the wrong foods.

If your dog suffers from diarrhea, you need to immediately cut off its food supply. You have to give your dog a famotidine tablet to stabilize its condition.

Then you have to start feeding it low ingredients food. After maintaining this for one or two days, you should start feeding your dog its usual foods like before. These steps are effective for breaking the diarrhea cycle in dogs.

Final Thoughts

Beggin strips are bad for dogs, and one should refrain from feeding them to dogs at all cost. Beggin strips can cause cancer, diabetes, obesity, diarrhea, and erratic behavior. Instead of beggin strips, dogs should be fed healthy treats that are good for their health.