The Good: Our dog likes them, Nutritious, Decent for dog's oral hygiene.
The Bad: Pricier than a lot of dog food.
The Basics: A great basic food for senior dogs, the Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Shredded Blend can be a great way to say "I love you" to your dog!
As our geriatric cocker spaniel, Mitzie, reaches into the twilight of her life, I find I have nothing but love and compassion for the old girl. She is getting old, her hips pop sometimes and she is much slower these days, especially in the summer. But she still trundles along and she is a generally happy old gal. But lately, my wife and I spice up her diet by changing the foods she eats. One of the ones she truly seems to love is the Purina Pro Pet Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice formula.
The Purina Pro Pet Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice food is a pretty basic dog food, save that the six pound bag is about as expensive as the fifteen pound bag of the food Mitzie regularly eats. The Adult Shredded Blend is designed to be easy for older dogs to eat and it lives up to that. Mitzie seems to consume this dog food with a fervor and an easy ability that makes it appear to live up to its name. Her teeth, which are still exceptional for a seventeen year-old dog's, have no trouble breaking up this food.
The Chicken & Rice Shredded Blend surprised me because the bits of it look like pretty much any other dog kibble. The pieces are a mix of 3/4" long pie-shaped wedges, star shapes and things that look pretty much like chicken legs. The pieces are all a light brown color with a mealy texture. Despite being called "shredded blend," the food pieces are fairly hard. I presume the chicken in the formula is shredded.
Mitzie has actually run for her bowl since we started feeding - and later supplementing - her regular dog food with the Purina Pro Plan Shredded Blend. This is a pretty good indication that it tastes good to dogs. Mitzie's breath smells no different since beginning to eat this food. The Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula itself smells like chicken broth, so there is no denying there is real chicken in the ingredients!
Pro Plan's agenda seems clear. They want to make a dog food which caters to older dogs and is easy to eat. Judging from the fact that Mitzie's stool has been in no way different since starting this food, it seems to work. Mitzie likes it, it is good for her and it comes out no differently than other dog foods! The primary ingredients in this dog food are chicken, brewers rice, and whole grain wheat, so dogs with wheat allergies need to avoid using this.
This food is excellent for dogs and the package recommends that dog owners have clean drinking water available to their dog when they feed them the Pro Plan. A serving of the Chicken & Rice flavor has at least 26% crude protein and 16% crude fat and no more than 3% crude fiber and 12% moisture. The food it loaded with other decent vitamins and minerals needed for dog's nutrition, like phosphorus, calcium and vitamin A, so this is a great health product for aging dogs!
Ultimately, though, the six pound bag is a bit pricier than I would like to spend on a dog food, even though I love Mitzie. That robs this food of a perfect status and to make mine last longer, I've started just cutting Mitzie's regular food with this. But, I know it is the Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice food that makes her still run for her dish!
For other dog foods or treats, please check out my review of Senior Greenies.
8/10
For other reviews of pet products, please check out my index page!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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