Pedigree Dog Food Review

Is Pedigree a Good Dog Food?

The answer to this question is not immediately straightforward. As an everyday affordable dog food that conforms to the AAFCO’s guidelines on pet nutrition standards, and includes essential vitamins and minerals in its formulas, it can seem a good choice. And if you are on a budget, this could well be a dealbreaker. But the brand has repeatedly been put under the spotlight for its use of lower quality ingredients, a dependency on plant sources for its main ingredient, and the use of non-animal specific protein. 

So, before our review comes to its own conclusions, let’s look behind the brand to understand the ethos, product range, and approach of Pedigree Dog Food. 

The Short History of Pedigree Company

The Pedigree brand is a stalwart of the pet food industry and can trace its history back to 1932, and Manchester, England. Originally known as ‘Chappie’, the fledgling pet food manufacturer was named after the Chappell brothers, who created the brand’s very first dog food recipe, using lower quality meats for affordability. The range proved to be popular.

In 1934, Chappell Brothers were acquired by Mars Limited as its first pet food acquisition and by 1956, it had undergone a name change to Petfoods Ltd. The company’s name continued to evolve until settling on Pedigree Petfoods Ltd in 1972. By 1975, Pedigree Petfoods had become the animal food division of American confectionery giant, Mars, Ltd.

The name Pedigree was seen as a response to a changing market and an effort to repackage its processes pet food range. The name was intended to reflect that whether your pet was a pedigree or not, it was a cherished pet that deserved affordable nutrition. Today, Pedigree is considered one of the world’s leading pet food brands.

Where is Pedigree Dog Food Made?

On their own website, Pedigree state that all their products are only made at their own manufacturing facilities in the US and Canada, although it is not clear where these facilities are. They do also have facilities in the UK and their parent company, Mars’s pet food brand portfolio has 74 manufacturing plants around the world. However, Pedigree products that feature a blue ribbon logo indicate that they have been made in the US or Canada. 

Where Do They Source Their Ingredients From?

The exact sources of Pedigree’s ingredients are a little trickier to pin down. Many of their US dog food products feature ingredients sourced in the USA – although it’s not always clear where – and their website states that all the ingredients they use conform to US and EU regulations. They also adhere to the principles of their parent company, Mars, which ‘has strict ingredient specifications as well as quality and vendor assurance programs designed to ensure the quality and composition of our products.’

Product Lines – Differences and Which One You Should Choose

Affordable and accessible, while the Pedigree dog food collection is not the most extensive, it does cover all the main bases when it comes to your dog’s dietary needs. To help you narrow it down to your own dog’s food bowl, here’s the lowdown on the main ranges:

• Adult Complete Nutrition: Designed to support your dog’s energy as well as nutritional requirements, Pedigree’s Adult formula is a good go-to for healthy adult dogs. It is nutritionally balanced to support your dog’s digestion, immune system, oral health, and overall condition, and meets the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for general health maintenance. Also available in formulas for small and large dog breeds.
• High Protein: Available in both wet and dry formulas, this range has 25% more protein than the Adult Complete Nutrition, making it an option for active or high-energy adult dogs. 
• Puppy: specifically formulated to support the all-important healthy growth stage of puppies, the Pedigree Puppy food range is also fortified with DHA for brain development as well as calcium and phosphorus for healthy teeth and bones. 
• Healthy Weight: Less active or weight prone dogs need a carefully managed diet to maintain a healthy weight, which is where this Pedigree dog food range can come in. Low fat but with sufficient protein and antioxidants for good health, the Healthy Weight range also includes a fiber blend to help keep your pooch feeling fuller for longer.  
• Chopped Ground Dinner: A pate-like wet version of food formula, this Pedigree range aims to give a softer eating experience for your dog while maintaining the nutritional profile of its Adult Complete range. Moisture and energy-rich, this canned food can also be served as a topper to dry dog food.
• Choice Cuts: With a rich, meaty gravy, Choice Cuts is a highly digestible wet dog food with real meat that is easier to eat, so a good choice for senior or smaller adult dogs. 

Let’s Take a Closer Look at Ingredients

Now we know the history of Pedigree Dog Food and its main product ranges, let’s look at how their dog food ingredients stack up.

• Below-average proteins

Based on our list of the brand’s bestsellers, the average Pedigree dog food for adults contains about 21% of crude proteins. When the dry matter basis is computed, this roughly translates to 23.8% which is still several percentage points below what many experts consider the ideal protein composition of a dog’s diet. The protein content of Pedigree puppy food is slightly higher at 27% or about 30.6% based on a dry matter basis. While AAFCO standards put both ratings well within the acceptable minimum requirements of adult dogs and puppies at 18% and 22%, respectively, other pet food manufacturers strive to provide their formulations with substantially more proteins.

Actually, the main issue that most Pedigree dog food reviews cite is the non-usage of high-quality, named animal proteins as the product’s first ingredient. In our list of Pedigree dog foods, there was not a single product where the very first ingredient is an animal protein. For Pedigree dry dog food products, it was always ground whole grain corn while Pedigree canned dog food came with water as the first ingredient. This largely contradicts what we have been espousing throughout our series on canine nutrition: the first ingredient should always be an animal protein unless there is a very specific dietary need.

• Moderate to above-average calories

Pedigree adult dog food products typically come with about 330 calories per cup while Pedigree puppy food formulations generally have lower calories. Pedigree canned dog food formulations have lower calorie content than Pedigree wet dog food. Both are still calorie-rich compared to dry formulations.

• Average to above-average fats

Pedigree dry dog food formulations come with about 11% crude fat translating to about 12.5% in dry matter. Wet and canned food formulations have an average of about 4.5% fats, although this actually computes to 25% on a dry matter basis which is quite high.

Our concern, as we pointed above, is the use of the term ‘animal fat’ instead of specifying what animal the fat came from. Also, we noticed that only a few products actually have fish oil which is a natural source of DHA and EPA. Many of the formulations boost omega-6 fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. Sadly, the issue is that if there are way more omega-6 fatty acids than there are omega-3s, then problems such as inflammation can arise.

• Corn, wheat, and soy

Many of the Pedigree products come with ground whole grain corn as their primary ingredient. While the preparation may be in the form of whole grains, a lot of pet parents are still wary about its inclusion in dog food.

• Micronutrients

Vitamins and minerals are often supplemented in the formulations of Pedigree. Whereas other pet food manufacturers already include probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, and joint-friendly nutraceuticals in their formulation, Pedigree somehow chooses to put these ingredients only in select variants.

Pedigree puts more emphasis on including plant-based proteins in its formulation than high-quality animal proteins. The below-average levels of proteins also point to the fact that Pedigree’s list of ingredients is more plant-based. While dogs may be omnivores, their diets should still comprise mostly of animal ingredients. But, if you’re on a tight budget and you don’t mind giving your pet some of the ingredients we’ve been telling pet parents not to give to their dogs, then Pedigree is a choice.

Pedigree Dog Food Recall History

We can report that Pedigree dog food has a history of recalls, which is not too surprising considering that the brand has been in operation since the 1970s. Our records show that there have been three recalls since 2009. The most notable include a voluntary recall in 2012 of a small number of its Weight Management canned range due to potential choking risk. The most recent voluntary recall was in 2014, which saw 22 bags of its Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food withdrawn due to a possible foreign object that may have entered the production process.

Price 

Pedigree dog food is positioned as affordable, everyday dog food and is popular thanks to its price. A typical 17-pound bag of Pedigree Adult Complete will set you back around $13, compared to $35 plus for more premium brands such as Eukanuba. 

Where Can I Buy Pedigree Food? 

As well as buying directly from pedigree.com, the Pedigree Dog Food range is widely available across the US, both in physical stores, independent pet food retailers, and online. The more prominent retailers include Chewy, Amazon, Walmart, and PetSmart. 

In a Nutshell, Is Pedigree a Good Choice?

There’s no denying that Pedigree Dog Food is popular, and that’s in no small part due to its lower price point and global reputation and marketing reach. And if you are on a budget, then the range can be a good way to ensure your pooch has an essential level of balanced nutrition. But drill down into the quality of its dog food, and the Pedigree formula can be found wanting. And there are better quality dog food brands out there if you are willing to pay extra.  

Pedigree’s use of ingredients such as corn, soybean, and wheat could also be a red flag to many pet owners, especially if their dogs have known allergies or sensitivities. And the use of lower quality, and in many cases, unidentified meat protein as a secondary ingredient to ground corn should be a cause for some concern.

But the brand does meet the minimum nutritional standards expected for dog food and has a core range of products that include the key vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids needed for general good health.