Alpo Dog Food Review 2023: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

The Alpo brand falls under the Purina-Nestle brand, though these days it’s one of his lowest-selling brands. The dog food brand has been around for a very long time and it’s one of the most synonymous names when it comes to pet food.

However, its name isn’t necessarily synonymous with high-quality dog food recipes. Their wet and dry food options are pretty limited these days so you could still find them available at stores including Walmart, Petco, The Dollar Tree, and other local retailers.

As more dog food brands have entered the market, the Alpo brand has really fallen off of the map. Today many pet owners look for quality meals at affordable prices, and unfortunately, Alpo dog food has excellent price points but has failed when it comes to providing high-quality ingredients without fillers and preservatives.

So, if you’re looking for a dog food brand that you can buy in a pinch if you’re on a budget, Alpo will fit the bill. However, if you’re looking for high-quality ingredients made from whole meats, veggies, and grains, you may want to pass on this brand.

Also, if your dog suffers from any health issues such as gastrointestinal problems, allergies, stomach sensitivities, or yeast infections, Alpo may not be the best food brand to support your dog’s health issues.

Click to skip ahead:

• Alpo Pet Food Reviewed
• At a Glance: The Best Alpo Pet Food Recipes
• Alpo Dog Food Primary Ingredients
• Recall History
• Reviews of the 3 Best Alpo Food Recipes
• What Other Users Are Saying

At a Glance: The Best Alpo Pet Food Recipes

Alpo Pet Food Reviewed

Alpo dog food hit the scene in 1936 and was founded by Robert F. Hunsicker. However, it was acquired by the Nestle Purina Petcare brand years ago. Considered a budget-friendly dog brand, it has a limited number of products available today, though it can be found in local pet stores across the world.

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the Alpo brand has been in the industry for close to 80 years and was one of the first dog food companies to really revolutionize marketing for pet food products. Their successful marketing campaigns were responsible for many of the sales that the company received during the first few decades of operation.

However, their dog food recipes are simple, made of inexpensive ingredients, and aren’t really known for being organic, holistic, or particularly nutritious. They provide both wet and dry meals as well as a small list of doggie treats. They don’t provide dog food specifically formulated for mature dogs or puppies, and they don’t have any recipes made for dogs with health issues or for specific breeds.

What Dogs Is Alpo Dog Food Good For?

Overall, you’ll find that this brand of dog food is suitable for any dog breed, as it has the basic minimum needed from a nutrient standpoint. The brand doesn’t have any specific age recommendations for their meals. However, as mentioned previously, you may want to think twice about providing this food for dogs that suffer from health issues.

Alpo Dog Food Pricing

The best thing about Alpo is the price. You can get a can of Alpo for about $1.69 or buy a 12-pack for about $13. Their dry food is also very inexpensive, and you can get a 14 lb. bag for about $20, which is about half of the price that you pay for high-quality brands such as Royal Canin or Hill’s.

Alpo Dog Food Primary Ingredients

Alpo dog foods are fortified with vitamins, fiber, and minerals including B vitamins in addition to vitamins A and D. But unfortunately, the main ingredients in many of the dog food products are meat by-products, animal fats, wheat, soy, and corn.

These ingredients aren’t uncommon in dog foods; however, many dog owners prefer to have dog recipes with whole foods listed as the main ingredients. Also, the brand has quite a number of different additives; it seemed to lack transparency, making its ingredient list even more questionable.

Many of the dry food options include corn (which is high in carbohydrates) as the main ingredient, which has been known to contribute to obesity issues in dogs.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the main ingredients in their foods.

Bone Meal

Bone meal is the crushed bones and hubs of different animals that have been slaughtered. It usually contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, as well as other minerals that dogs need for everyday health. However, the quality of the bone meal will vary by brand.

Soybean Meal

Soybean meal is another protein supplement that’s commonly added to dog food. However, soy has been known to cause allergy issues and both humans and dogs. Though soybean meal can help bulk up dog food and add a considerable amount of volume, it’s not necessarily the healthiest meal for your dog.

Yes, soybeans are packed with good amino acids, protein, and other minerals, but they pale in comparison to high-quality meats such as chicken, beef, liver, and turkey. Essentially, it’s considered an additive used by manufacturers to keep costs down–something that’s not favorable for pet owners looking for the “best of the best” in terms of dog food recipes.

Meat Meal

Meat meal is a dried end product made from various meat parts of different animals. Note that meat meal is not considered a whole meat option. In fact, in many cases, it actually contains a little real meat. However, meat meal recipes can be fortified with protein, though it doesn’t pack an impressive amount of protein on its own. Also, it can be very high in fat, additives, and carbohydrates.

Recall History

As mentioned previously, Alpo has been around for over 80 years. And over the years it has definitely had a number of different recalls for its wet and dry products. However, most of the recalls have been for canned dog food products for reasons ranging from melamine contamination to bad expiration dates. One of the more recent recalls happened in 2020 with various canned food products.

Reviews of the 3 Best Alpo Food Recipes

Here are some of the best recipes that the Alpo brand has to offer. Note that they’re aren’t any Alpo dog food products available on Amazon or Chewy as of the moment. However, you can definitely find this dog food brand at local pet food stores and at Walmart.

1. Alpo Prime Cuts Dry Dog Food

Alpo Prime Cuts Dry Dog Food consists of prime beef. It includes vegetables and has 23 vitamins and minerals to give your dog a daily supply of nutrition. The meal is made to support strong muscles and both active and reserved dog brands.

It does contain meat by-products, gluten, soy, and modified starch. So if your dog has health issues or stomach sensitivities, this may not be the best pick. That being stated, this meal is also fortified with vitamin A, B, D3, and folic acid. So ideally, it’s not the healthiest dog food brand available, but it can be a suitable meal for your dog if you’re running low on funds and looking for a budget-friendly option.

---

2. Alpo Chop House Canned Dog Food

Here is another meal that you can stock up on if you need a wet food option for your dog. Alpo Chop House Canned Dog Food actually contains steak-flavored meat products and has a tender texture. This soft food is suitable for dogs who may have vital issues such as young puppies that are still growing.

It also has 23 essential vitamins and minerals for everyday health and contains about 10% more protein than other canned meals by the brand. These classic meals are satiating enough for small and large dogs and can be supplemented as a daily food option.

---

3. Alpo Come & Get It! Adult Dry Dog Food

Alpo Come & Get It! Adult Dry Dog Food is balanced and able to provide a dog with the basic essentials that it needs for everyday health. It is suitable for all dog breeds and dogs of various ages it includes calcium, 23 essential vitamins and minerals, and lying and linoleic acid to help support healthy skin and coat.

And most importantly, it’s one of the most inexpensive dry dog food options you can purchase. A 16 lb bag of this dry food goes for about $11 at Walmart, which is only a portion of the price of many other dog food brands. So if you are looking for the basic essentials for your dog and a price point that is on the lower side is a dry meal to consider.

What Other Users Are Saying

The reviews amongst Alpo customers seem to be pretty mixed–many are good and many are not so good. Overall, it seems that most buyers are aware that the brand may not be the best quality, but they are more than happy to buy the product at the current price to save money.

Many users also mentioned that they supplement the brand during times of budget constraint or use the products to mix with other more expensive brands. And there were also negative reviews of owners stating that their dogs became gassy, suffered from diarrhea, and in some cases, appeared to have stomach nausea after consuming the Alpo product. So, if you’re introducing this brand of dog food to your pup for the first time, you may want to start slowly, just to ensure that it doesn’t cause any digestive irritation.

“Our dog wasn’t crazy about it. I tried this for our Great Pyrenees that is not at all picky. He wasn’t crazy about it. He normally tries anything, even new dog foods with no problem, but this he wasn’t very interested in. I didn’t notice any issues with him after eating it.”

“My dogs only eat this dry dog food twice a day. My dogs love both the Alpo dry and wet foods. They eat both twice a day. I love the price.”

“Good food. Fed it to a stray dog we were taking care of. She was eating puppy chow before this because that’s what her puppies were eating. She liked it ok but preferred the puppy chow. After she got used to it, she liked it.”

Conclusion

Dogs don’t know if their dog food is healthy or bad for them, which is why it’s important for dog owners to be discerning. So, if you are looking for the healthiest wet or dry food option for your dog, Alpo definitely isn’t it. However, it is fortified with certain vitamins and minerals for daily nutrition and can be used as a substitute if you’re in a pinch or on a budget.

However, you may want to introduce the brand to your dog in a phased approach to see how well it takes to it, just like with any other new food. Also, if your dog has any history of digestive problems, yeast infections, or other issues, you may not want to use this brand, as it is high in carbohydrates and additives that may exacerbate these issues.

All things being stated, the Alpo brand has carved out a small and still relevant niche in the dog food world. It’s known as a cheap and readily available food brand that you can get at almost any store, and it seems to contain the basics that your dog needs for nutrition.

• See Also: Gravy Train Dog Food Review

---

Featured Image Credit: Chewy