Purina – reviews of food for cats and dogs

Purina: food for cats and dogs

The cat Sima and the dog Boni have been living with us for more than ten years.
All family members love them very much and are sad when someone gets sick. A few months ago, I noticed that my cat food bowl was left untouched. We took Sima to the vet, and he discovered inflammation of the oral mucosa. Along with the treatment, the cat was prescribed a special diet, but it was not available in pet stores. Then I searched the Internet and found the product I needed in the assortment of Purina, a company that has been producing high-quality food and treats for cats and dogs for more than a century. I ordered Purina food on the company's official website. After all, I needed to eliminate the possibility of buying a fake. The parcel arrived quite quickly. By this time, the veterinarian had performed the necessary procedures, extinguished the inflammation and relieved the pain. Sima was apprehensive at first, but then began to eat the new food with pleasure. It contained substances that normalized the microflora of the oral cavity and prevented the appearance of plaque and tartar. When the cat recovered, I decided to continue placing orders on this site.

Reviews

Veterinarian review

Pro Plan is low in nutrition and contains many ballast allergenic substances - corn, wheat, soy. In addition, the manufacturer does not indicate the type and percentage of raw materials. It is impossible to determine what kind of meat was used in production: dried, frozen or fresh. It is also unknown which parts of the carcasses were put into pellets: fillets, offal or paws, heads, wings, etc.

I don’t even know what class to put Pro Plan into. On the one hand, this diet has a premium attitude, on the other hand, it contains chemical flavoring additives that are used in economy category drying.

In any case, I don't recommend Pro Plan. Even among the premium ones there are better and cheaper foods.

Customer Reviews

Maryana: “We tried different foods, but the dog was allergic to everything. Then the doctor recommended Pro Plan with salmon. It fit perfectly. We take 18 kg bags and burst them on both cheeks.”

Fatinia2015: “We started feeding the puppy Pro Plan on the advice of the breeder. This is our first dog, so we trusted him. However, in vain: the dog seemed to feel fine, but his eyes were leaking, his hair was coming out a little, and the piles were huge. Then they finished reading the ingredients and were horrified: there was almost no meat, just grain. My pet likes the crackers, but we think it’s because of the flavorings. And there is zero benefit. We will change the food."

What does Purina offer for cats?

I liked that Purina’s large assortment is divided into categories. So, it was easy for me to understand the purpose of the food and find the right product. I buy Purina One food for Sima.

Despite the fact that this dry food belongs to the budget class, I read that it contains all the substances that cats need to maintain health. This is also evidenced by numerous positive reviews from veterinarians.

“Purina One food contains healthy fats necessary to maintain healthy skin and coat, proteins, which are building materials for cells, and slow carbohydrates, the main suppliers of energy.
Purina Van nutrition is divided into categories that allow cat owners to choose food that is suitable for age, health status, and body characteristics." Semyon Valerievich, veterinarian, Yaroslavl

On the forum, many cat owners say that they switched to ProPlan nutrition. This series of premium food contains additional vitamins, minerals and trace elements. It takes into account all the body needs of kittens, elderly animals, cats with long hair that often clogs the gastrointestinal tract, overweight sloths, castrated and sterilized pets.

I know that if Sima gets sick, I can order a special medicinal food on the website that will help the animal overcome the disease faster, because I have already cured stomatitis in a cat in this way. In addition to this food, Purina offers special nutrition for the treatment of the following diseases:

urinary tract diseases;
obesity;
kidney pathologies;
joint diseases;
liver failure;
allergy;
digestive disorders.

This food was developed in collaboration with veterinarians and has passed all the necessary clinical studies.

When ordering goods, I cannot deny myself the pleasure of occasionally pampering Sima with delicious canned food or delicacies. She really loves the Cheese Mix granules, which come in Gouda, Edam and Cheddar flavors. I learned on the forum that these products are in great demand.

“After a hard day at work, it’s very pleasant for me to sit quietly in a chair with my beloved cat on my lap. She calms and comforts me with her purrs and “massages”, and I love to please her with a handful of Purina cheese or fish flavored treats.”

Thus, on the Purina website I can order any type of food for my cat Sima.

Advantages and disadvantages

Of course, Purina Van is not an elite dog food, but it has its advantages.

Purina Van is one of the inexpensive foods that allows dog breeders and owners, even in difficult financial situations, to maintain the dog’s health and activity at the proper level.

Usually dogs do not feel the difference when they are switched from elite expensive food.

Purina Van is considered the most worthy economy class food.

You don’t have to worry about your pet’s health; if he likes the food, feel free to switch to it.

An excellent choice for dogs with an excellent appetite.

There is no point in looking for something more expensive, Purina Van contains all the vital ingredients, provides an accelerated metabolism, and is suitable for all types of small breeds of dogs.

The disadvantages include:

artificial flavor additives and taste enhancers in the composition that are addictive;
small ratio of meat to vegetables;
Instead of meat, the food contains by-products.

Important! Make sure your dog always has access to water to drink. Ready-made food requires a lot of liquid to be fully digested.

Pets love to ask for food from your table, even when they are not hungry.

What does Purina offer for dogs?

Unlike the outbred (but at the same time beloved) cat Sima, Boni has a veterinary passport, which states that her breed is Yorkshire terrier. For such dogs, special food has been developed that meets all the needs of a small body. Here's what veterinarians say about the nutritional habits of miniature pets

“Small breed dogs are often very curious and active. The length of their limbs forces them to make many movements to overcome even small distances. This feature was taken into account when developing Purina ProPlan food “For adult dogs of small and toy breeds.” By purchasing it, you can be sure that your pet will receive nutrients to replenish the energy spent on a walk." Nikolai Petrovich, veterinarian, Nizhny Novgorod

On the back of the pack I saw a detailed description of the composition of the food. It shows the percentage of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as all the components of the granules or soft mixture. I liked that in addition to meat and grains, they contain pieces of dried vegetables and roots, fish oil, yeast, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.

I buy Purina One series food for Bonnie. I love that I can alternate meals and be sure that my pet is getting all the nutrients she needs. What types of dry granules does Purina One Mini offer?

“Fidget” (chicken, rice);
“Already grown up” (beef rice);
“Sensitive” (salmon, rice);
“Healthy Dog” (turkey, rice);
“Active” (chicken, rice);
“Eater” (turkey, rice).

I went to the medicinal or dietary food section and saw that Purina had developed food for the recovery of dogs from illnesses of various systems.

The range includes dry granules and soft mixtures for healing the kidneys, liver, joints, and urinary tract. There is a separate type of food for dogs with obesity, frequent eating disorders, and allergies.

I order treats not only for the cat Sima, but also for the dog Boni. Moreover, the Purina company makes them in the form of rather hard sticks, by gnawing which animals clean plaque from their teeth and massage their gums. At the same time, their body receives a large amount of minerals, as well as vitamins and nutrients. These treats have a fairly long shelf life after opening the package, so they can be given to your pet gradually, one or two times a day.

Differences in the composition of medicinal (veterinary) dog food from regular food

Familiarization with the recipe makes it clear that not all manufacturers introduce at least some therapeutic nutrients into the feed.

As an analysis of medicinal feeds shows, they are usually rich in:

vitamin complexes;
microelements;
amino acids.

Regular dog food, if it contains vitamins, is in much lower concentrations. Among microelements, the manufacturer mainly indicates calcium and phosphorus.

The differences in the composition of medicinal (veterinary) dog food from conventional food with regard to active ingredients are not great. With rare exceptions, when, for example, plantain, calendula or marigold extract are introduced into the feed.

The concentrations of drugs (extracts and extracts) are so negligible that it is impossible to talk about a therapeutic effect.

Purina Van food line

In general, the line of food is distinguished by a sufficient variety of items. We have food for puppies and adult dogs of different sizes, taking into account the activity of the animal. Looking ahead, it cannot be said that different foods have any significant differences. The protein source in the vast majority of cases is poultry. Beef or fish indicated on the packaging are present in the food in small quantities.

Before choosing any dog food, we strongly recommend that you first read the ingredients.

For puppies

The selection of food for puppies must be taken extremely seriously. A puppy is like a small child: its development and growth depend on its nutrition.

There are 2 types of food for puppies: for large (medium) and small breeds. "Purina Van for small breed puppies with a high content of chicken and rice" and for medium breed puppies with the same name. The composition of both feeds is +/- similar to the diet discussed above. The same high content of harmful carbohydrates. One of the advantages is the absence of propylene glycol and glycerin.

For adults and seniors

Note that Purina Van specializes more in food for small dogs. The MINI line consists of 4 types of food (not including puppy food) + a fairly extensive range of wet food. Purina Van offers the following options: for active, sensitive dogs, healthy weight and standard diet. Since there is no Purina Van food for older dogs yet, we assume that regular food is quite suitable for pets 8+.

Consider dry food for dogs of large and medium breeds. “Beef” is in 1st place. It would seem that everything is wonderful.

Only a small star on top of the ingredient and an illegible font on the bottom of the package will not let you deceive: instead of meat - beef offal.

Cheap marketing ploy. The contents of the granules also include wheat flour and wheat, corn, and dried poultry protein of domestic origin. The source of fats is animal and fish oil. Plus, there are chemical additives (propylene glycol and monosodium glutamate).

Know that the by-products in cheap dog food are not your typical hearts or livers. If there were really organs there (lungs, stomachs, hearts), the manufacturer would hardly be able to hide it. Under the vague concepts are hidden horns, bones, hooves, blood, perhaps even the organs of sick animals. In the case of fishmeal, these are heads, ridges with the remains of meat.

The food “Purina Van Mini, sensitive with salmon and rice” has an interesting combination of ingredients.

There would be no questions if the food contained fish or meat separately. The composition states the presence of “poultry protein powder” and salmon.

Wet

Wet food is much better than dry food. Both in content and in consumer reviews.

Regarding the composition, the main difference from dry food is the presence of a certain amount of vegetables (potatoes, peas (including dry ones)). The composition also remains vague. For example, instead of pure meat we see “meat and processed products”, “processed vegetable products”. Dyes are present in small quantities.

Pros:

very cheap (about 35 rubles per 100 grams);
sold in the nearest supermarket.

Minuses:

blurred composition;
low amount of protein (11.6%);
lots of gravy;
presence of dyes.

About the manufacturer

The first mention of Purina dates back to 1902.
Since 1922, industrial production of pet food began. Since 1985, Purina has been under the leadership of Nestlé. The dry food factory itself is based in Italy. Interesting fact: despite the fact that the company has been distributing products in Russia since 2014, Purina’s sales volume accounts for 18% of the national feed market.

Today the brand produces food for dogs and cats of varying quality. These include: Purina ProPlan, Dog Chow, Purina One. In the article we will look at the latest line of diets.

Price and where to buy

This food can be purchased in many online stores, for example:

"Old Farm" (link):
Dry food “Pro Plan” 3 kg - from 1028 rubles;
Dry food Pro Plan 14 kg - from RUB 3,879.
"Le'Murr" (link):
Packaging 1.5 kg - from 715 rubles;
Packaging 7 kg - from 2535 rubles;
"ZooPassage" (link).

Prices shown are current as of early February 2022 and may change over time. For the exact cost, see the pet store websites using the links above.

Briefly about the main thing

To sum it up, Purina One falls short of being premium. It's not about the price, but about the cheapness of the composition.
The basis of the diet is carbohydrates and low-quality proteins.
For puppies, the composition is far from complete.
Presence of common allergens and unwanted additives.

Choose Purina Van at your discretion. Perhaps this food is really good in its price category: this is confirmed by customer reviews. If possible, take a better analogue.

For restricted feeding

Purina Van produces food for animals with restrictions. For example, for sterilized people with sensitive digestion.

Food for sterilized cats - able to maintain normal weight and activity. After sterilization, the hormonal balance in cats and kittens is disrupted, as a result of which the animals begin to eat a lot and gain weight.

For sterilized

The food also helps maintain a healthy urinary system. Prevention of kidney diseases and urolithiasis occurs.

Contains beef and wheat. Therefore, the food is lower in calories, which is important for maintaining normal weight. At the same time, it fully saturates.

Food for cats with sensitive digestion - according to manufacturers, the functioning of the digestive tract can be improved after just 2 weeks of feeding. If a reaction occurs to regular food in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, or lack of appetite, special nutrition is needed. In a cat that regularly receives this food, the microflora in the intestines is normalized.

Purina Van for sensitive digestion contains:

yeast;
fish fat;
beet pulp;
high quality proteins;
no allergens.

The food is able to form stool and reduce odor.

Why is this food better than others?

For maximum objectivity, let’s compare another diet from the same manufacturer and economy class food from a completely different company.

Dog Chow from Purina (economy class). In the Purina Van diet, meat comes first, followed by grains. With Dog Chow the situation is the opposite. In general, the composition is clearer, and the quality is also slightly better.

Chappi from Mars Corporation (economy class). The Purina Van diet contains noticeably more protein and a much larger amount of vitamins.

It is worth noting that the dry food in the package is presented in both granules and soft pieces (which harden over time). Such an interesting feature is rare.