Review of Pedigree Healthy Starts Chicken Flavor for Puppies

It is my goal to educate pet owners so they can make a well informed decision when it comes to what food to feed their dogs. For information on my general stance on commercial pet food, click here.

This review is on: Pedigree Healthy Start Chicken Flavor for Puppies

Ingredients (from petsmart.com):

chicken by-product meal, rice, wheat, ground yellow corn, meat and bone meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat (preserved with BHA/BHT), beet pulp powder, natural poultry flavor, wheat flour, vegetable oil (source of linoleic acid), fish oil (natural source of DHA), salt, potassium chloride, vitamins (dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin e), choline chloride, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin c*), vitamin a supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), d-calcium pantothenate, biotin supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin b2), vitamin d3 supplement, vitamin b12 supplement, taurine*, dicalcium phosphate, trace minerals (zinc sulphate, copper sulphate, potassium iodide, marigold meal.

Pros:

It can be easily softened with warm water for puppies, but wait, you can do that with any kibble.

Cons:

The first ten ingredients are either terrible or not necessary. It starts out with chicken by-product meal. By-product means it is material left over after the actual meat is used, it contains no meat. Rice is the next ingredient which is not going to add any nutrient value. This is followed by wheat and corn, both of which are major allergens in dogs. Meat and bone meal follows, this is the first good ingredient, but it is unfortunately unknown what meats these are. A meat meal means all the water has been removed so this is its proper place on the ingredient list; it would be much better if it was specified what animal the meat and bone meal came from.

The animal fat is preserved with BHA/BHT which has been proven to cause a variety of problems, there are many betters preservatives that most other companies use. It is strange that Pedigree would continue to use it, especially in puppy food.

Overall Opinion:

Puppies need nutrients to grow into strong and healthy dogs and this food does not offer that. I would not let my dogs touch this. For information on what I feed my dogs click here.

Necessary Disclaimer:

I am not a veterinarian, just a concerned pet owner. It is important to consult with your vet when changing diets, but do not assume every veterinarian knows everything about your pet's nutrition. Get a second opinion if you do not feel comfortable with what your vet is telling you.

I am not affiliated with any pet food companies; I simply was misled by commercial dog food companies in the past and feel that you, as a consumer, have every right to know what you are feeding your dog, as well as what you could be feeding your dog. Click here to read about how commercial pet food companies deceive buyers.

As with anything, you might have a different opinion than I do, that is what makes this world great. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what experience you have had with this food.