Puppy Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula with Probiotics Dry Dog Food, 34-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Purina Pro Plan Puppy Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula is a dry food for puppies, featuring chicken as its main protein source.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fat with marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The product has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth, which is a strong positive for a puppy food.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies of any size. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 64/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: fat quality (+12). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 11-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (17.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 2% for crude fiber in Purina Pro Plan's lineup (3.4% DMB)
- Top 10% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (20.5%)
- Bottom 3% for carb quality in Purina Pro Plan's lineup (9/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Adult 7+ Shredded Blend Beef & Rice High Protein Formula with Probiotics Dog Food, 34-lb bag
Scores 6 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Adult Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice High Protein Formula with Probiotics Dry Dog Food, 35-lb bag
$2.13/lb vs your seed's $2.21/lb (4% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3protein animalpoultry by-product meal
Unnamed poultry. The mix can include any combination of chicken, turkey, or other birds, with no traceability. Named by-product meals are fine. This one isn't.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4corn protein meal
Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols
Real animal fat from a named species, with natural vitamin E doing the preservation. The clean version.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
Position 6: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 7grainwheat
Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8grainwhole grain corn
Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9corn germ meal
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 13glycerin
Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.
- 14protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 15. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 16mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 17mono and dicalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 18soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
- 19mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 20mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 21mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 22mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 23mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 24mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 25mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 29. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.