We offer a detailed review of premium food category – Dog Chow food for dogs. Let's analyze the composition, reviews from veterinarians, the food line, the value of this product, its disadvantages and other important points.
The choice of diet for your four-legged friend must be approached thoroughly. The quality of food directly affects the health of an adult pet and its development at an early age. Manufacturers assure that their product meets all requirements and is a suitable option. But you can’t blindly trust bright advertising slogans.
Feed composition
In order to answer the question about the possibility of recommending the Dog Chow diet for the daily nutrition of dogs of various breeds, we will analyze its composition. Let's see what ingredients are included in the general composition of the food:
- A distinctive feature of Dog Chow food is that it contains cereals, which are sources of carbohydrates, in the first place. Usually the manufacturer does not specify which grains are used, but on the company’s official website the following are listed as such: brewer’s rice, corn, wheat and barley. We can say that only barley is a high-quality source of carbohydrates; brewer’s rice is worse than whole rice. But corn and wheat often provoke the development of allergies in dogs;
- in second place is protein. The source of protein in Dog Chow food is: meat and meat and bone meal, poultry by-product meal, fish by-products, corn gluten and soybean meal (allergens). Typically, the proportion of animal protein is less than the proportion of vegetable protein, which is absorbed much less well by the dog’s body. Most of the components that act as a source of protein are allergens or do not have sufficient nutritional value compared to meat;
- the source of fats and fatty acids is animal fat, which is inferior to chicken fat in terms of the content of beneficial acids;
- dry chicory root (1.1%) and sugar beet pulp act as a source of fiber;
- Dog Chow food contains a natural antioxidant – garlic, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and prevents the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases;
- mineral and vitamin supplements: biotin for skin and coat; calcium iodate for the thyroid gland; lysine for bones and calcium absorption; folic acid, copper; tocopherols to support immunity; vitamins of groups A, C, B;
- The food contains flavorings and flavoring additives: dry mixture from animal tissue, artificial flavoring and salt.
It should be noted that the manufacturer Dog Chow thought about the need to clean pets’ teeth and ensure proper jaw function. For this purpose, the food is made in the form of granules of different sizes.
Are there any advantages of this food over other brands?
One of the main advantages of Purina Dog Chow dog food compared to other brands is its structure. The kibble is designed in two sizes, which encourages your pet to chew its food thoroughly. Thanks to this, nutrients are better digested and absorbed. This design helps clean teeth and train the jaw muscles.
Unlike the manufacturers of the Natures Protection brand, Purina Van and ProPlan, the Dog Chow recipe includes B vitamins. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the central nervous system, metabolic processes and other important functions of the body.
Dog Chow feeds offer a selection of menus for different weight and age categories. The Purina Van brand, for example, specializes in nutrition for small breed pets.
Advantages and disadvantages
| pros | Minuses |
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Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
- the price is lower than that of other premium manufacturers;
- the product is freely available;
- a special form of kibble cleans the dog’s teeth well;
- the food is enriched with a vitamin complex and mineral supplements.
Flaws:
- contains only by-products and processed products;
- there is no information about the grains, fats and other ingredients used;
- the protein percentage is low;
- dogs are poorly nourished due to insufficient nutritional value of the food.
Why Dog Chow is better than other foods
As already noted, the granules of this dry diet have different sizes, which allows dog breeders to successfully prevent the development of tartar in pets. Most foods (Proplan, Pro balance, Acana, Calibra, Royal Canin) change the size of the granules depending on the size of the pets for whom the diet is intended, but do not use different-sized “crackers” in one package.
In addition, Dog Chow contains B vitamins, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the dog’s nervous system and the entire body as a whole. Purina Van and Natures Protection do not enrich their composition with so many vitamins from that group.
Conclusions about Dog Chow food
There are good, neutral, and bad reviews about Dow Chow dog food. The composition of the food really corresponds to the economy class and cannot be called complete. Therefore, the PetObzor website does not recommend using it as the main regular diet for your pets.
If you are looking for an inexpensive but more or less acceptable food, take a closer look at Brit Premium or Probalance.
- Purina
- Economy class food for dogs
Dog chow food line
For puppies
Diets for the smallest (up to a year) are labeled Puppy and have a specially developed composition: increased content of vitamins D, A and C. The line of puppy food includes diets for babies of all breeds, as well as for large and small ones.
Food Do Chow for babies of all breeds with lamb
The diet can be used to feed puppies of any breed up to one year old, pregnant and lactating bitches, and adult dogs of small breeds. Contains: vitamin E for immune protection, prebiotic for digestion (chicory), omega-3 fatty acid for brain and vision development.
Dry food for large breed puppies, with turkey
Intended for feeding large breed dog puppies up to 2 years of age. The product contains an increased percentage of protein (28%) and an increased amount of vitamins to achieve optimal physical fitness during the period of intensive growth.
Food for small breed puppies, with chicken
The food allows puppies, which quickly reach their adult size, to form a strong skeleton and correct eating behavior, ensure a sufficient level of calories and oral hygiene.
For adult and senior dogs
The line of products for adult animals is quite diverse and provides options for:
- representatives of all breeds;
- dogs of large and small breeds;
- elderly animals;
- pets leading an active lifestyle (for example, doing agility);
- having health problems.
Dog Chow diet for adult dogs of all breeds, with lamb
The size of the granules allows the food to be used for dogs of almost all breeds, providing high-quality oral hygiene, and the content of B vitamins helps to obtain the energy of proteins and fats to maintain activity and health. The prebiotic relieves problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Dog Chow for adult dogs with sensitive digestion, with salmon
The product contains fish and its processed products as a source of protein, which supply the dog’s body with additional omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The amount of prebiotic (dry chicory root) has been increased to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
For active adult animals, with chicken
The diet is designed in such a way as to fully replenish the strength of the dog, which needs more nutritious and energy-intensive food. The protein component has been increased, a more diverse vitamin and mineral composition is provided to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent heart diseases.
Dog Chow food for dogs over 9 years old, with lamb
Senior dogs of all breeds need a nutritious diet that will keep them full and prevent obesity, support their skeleton and prevent heart disease - this is the special product of this brand.
All prices are current as of May 2022. The exact cost can be found at the links above.
Dog Chow dog food - reviews
Dog Chow dry dog food has been sold in Russia for many years, during which time there have been a lot of reviews about it on the Internet. Below we have collected some of the newest and most informative of these reviews.
Reviews from veterinarians
It was not possible to find direct reviews from veterinarians about Dog Chow food on veterinary forums. If there are any in the future, we will supplement this review with them.
Customer Reviews
Anastasia writes:
I recently switched my dog to dry food. There is no money for elite food, but I want the dog to like the food and be healthy. The pet store advised me to take Dog Chow from Purina.
The transition to this food took 3 days, there was no loose stool or constipation. Now more than a month has passed since the dog eats Dog Chow with chicken, I feed it twice a day in portions of 120 grams. I liked feeding dry food; there are no problems with preparing food.
The only thing I don’t really like is that there is not enough meat in the composition; more could be done. But apparently for this price category there are no more.
Anka writes:
I’ll say right away that when I first got a dog, I didn’t know much about food. I bought some, it turned out that it contained chicken and the dog was allergic to it (French bulldogs are problematic in this regard). I asked the store for food without chicken, there was only Dog Chow with lamb.
After the purchase, I started reading at home what kind of food it was, it turned out to be of mediocre quality. It contains only grains, and the dog needs meat first. Then I found out that there are different classes of food, I already chose a new one from the super premium class, but I had to order it on the Internet, in the store near us there is only economy food.
Tatyana writes:
I have been feeding my dog this brand of food all her life - almost 4 years. He eats very well, there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract, allergies, hair, etc. Two large bags of 14 kg (I take lamb and chicken) last for 9-10 months for my terrier weighing 7.5 kg. The food is very economical.
Daily feeding rate
On each package, the manufacturer indicated the recommended consumption rate of the product. It is a guide; each owner, through experience, comes to the “norm” necessary for the animal.
| Dog weight (kg) | Norm (in g) | |
| Normal activity | High | |
| 5-12 | 100-200 | 120-240 |
| 12-25 | 220-350 | 250-420 |
| 25-45 | 360-550 | 400-650 |
| 45-70 | 560-800 | 650-1000 |
Reviews from veterinarians
Ksenia K.
I do not recommend this brand of food for feeding patients. The composition is poor, the meat component is of unknown origin. True, many dogs really love Dog Chow kibble. This can most likely be explained by the presence of flavorings. Pellets can be used as a reward in the training process.
Alexander O.
In my practice, I am of the opinion that the dog chooses the food itself. If there is no allergy or other negative reaction of the body, the dog eats the granules with appetite - then this is his option. I recommend mixing the brand’s wet products with dry food for greater satiety. In addition, we select additional complexes of vitamins and minerals. Many owners choose food because of its affordable price, which is understandable.
Price of Dog Chow food, and where can you buy it?
The cost of the product may vary depending on the trade markups of individual stores. The price is also affected by the dollar exchange rate if the product is imported.
Estimated cost of Dog Chow food:
- for 800 g – 175 rubles;
- for 2.5 kg – 520 rubles;
- for 14 kg – 2200-2400 rub.
You can buy Dog Chow food in an ordinary supermarket, a specialized pet market, or order it through an online store.
Video: Dog Chow dog food review
Host reviews
Olga S.
Now we are looking for new food for St. Bernard. The dog is big and needs a lot of food. Before this we used Royal Canin. After two years of use, the eyes began to run, hair began to fall out, and scratching began to appear. We tried several other types, the dog himself settled on Dog Chow. Allergy symptoms disappeared. I am happy with the cost of the food, the composition is not surprising at this price. We chose an additional complex of vitamins.
Irina K.
Our pug has a very sensitive stomach. We ate Pedigri drying and have had constant diarrhea lately. I had to look for a better quality diet. We settled on Dog Chow because of the manufacturer - it inspires confidence. The dog liked it, now there are no problems. I heard the opinion that this food is economy class. But I’m happy with the price, it’s always in the store, and the dog is happy.
Manufacturer
The Dog Chow brand is owned by Nestle Purina Pet Care. It is a subsidiary of the world famous Swiss food manufacturer Nestle.
The original food is made in the USA and belongs to the premium class. But there are also production facilities in other countries. One of Purina's manufacturing subsidiaries is located in Russia to cater to the local market. This type of product is slightly inferior in quality, and can be classified more likely as economy class.
