Authority Puppy Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Review Summary

Authority Puppy Food is manufactured by PetSmart. They first branched into making their own pet food in 1995 and since then have honed their recipes and expanded the range further to include puppies.

Using high-quality proteins and fats at an affordable price was the brand’s goal, and the all-natural, nourishing puppy food is popular for that exact reason. While PetSmart claims their food is made in the USA, there isn’t any concrete evidence to confirm this.

At a Glance: The Best Authority Puppy Food Recipes

Authority Puppy Food Reviewed

Who makes Authority Puppy Food and where is it produced?

The pet superstore PetSmart makes Authority puppy foods, and while PetSmart claims Authority puppy food is made in the USA, we couldn’t find any evidence that confirms this. The company headquarters is in Phoenix, Arizona.

Which type of puppy is Authority Puppy Food best suited for?

This puppy food is best suited to dogs under 1 year of age with a higher energy requirement. The puppy line is split into the small breed, large breed, all breed, and a formula for all life stages. The Large Breed formulation provides an excellent base diet for hungry puppies, whereas the Tender Blends formula is our top pick.

Which type of puppy might do better with a different brand?

There is a grain-free option for puppies available from Authority as their High-Performance all life stage food, however, the puppy-centered lines aren’t grain-free.

An alternative is the highly rated Taste Of The Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Deboned chicken and chicken meal are the first ingredients on the list for all the chicken and rice puppy formulas, which means they all have plenty of protein. 29% protein is listed in the Puppy Dry food formula, which is essential for a puppy’s growth.

Brown rice comes in next, which is an excellent source of calories and energy (needed for all that running around), as well as nutritious B vitamins. Brown rice is also an easily digestible carbohydrate.

The next ingredient listed is corn/ corn gluten meal can be challenging for puppies to digest. Chicken fat is the next ingredient, a great source of dietary fats and omega fatty acids, which are essential for joint protection, brain development, and skin and coat health. Dried beet pulp is also a notable ingredient since it is a rich source of fiber to aid digestion.

Authority Puppy Food Has Adequate Protein and Energy

While the protein and calorie amounts aren’t the best available on the market for puppies (29% protein and 369 kcals/cup of food), the amount is exemplary for the price. This food has enough of both for even the most active puppies in each yummy mouthful to keep them growing.

It Contains Added DHA and EPA

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) are two essential omega fatty-acids that are vital to brain development and are helpful in the formation and lubrication of joints, nervous system development, and function of the retina. EPA also has anti-inflammatory properties and benefits the skin and coat.

It Contains Cornmeal

Corn isn’t a natural part of a dog’s diet, and some pups find it hard to digest. Most cornmeal is also cheaply made from mass produced corn, which is nutritionally lacking. However, it is a rich source of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that contributes to healthy skin and coat, normal growth, and optimal immune function in pups.

A Quick Look at Authority Puppy Food

Recall History

The only recall for Authority food we could find was for their dog food line. This was during the mass recall of pet foods in 2007, which was due to suspected (later confirmed) contamination with melamine—a chemical often used in manufacturing. Many pets got very sick and even died. However, many well-known pet food brands also had recalls, and Authority has not had any recalls since.

Reviews of the 3 Best Authority Puppy Food Recipes

While the puppy meals from Authority are more limited than some other brands, we’ll take a closer look at three of their most popular recipes:

1. Authority Tender Blends Dry Dog Food

This formula not only has plenty of protein (thanks to chicken meal, a protein-dense meat meal) but also boasts good levels of fat and calories.

The Authority Tender Blends Dry Dog Food have a unique texture and taste, which helps to encourage your puppy to eat well, and the added fish oil is a big bonus since DHA and EHA are vital to the puppy’s brain, nerve, and eye development.

We’re not keen on some ingredients, including corn meal, dried egg, and vegetable oils. While it could be said that some of these have some benefits, the bottom line is that they offer empty calories as well as being potentially upsetting to sensitive stomachs.

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2. Authority Every Day Puppy Small Breed Dry Food

Authority Every Day Puppy Small Breed Dry Food  is very similar to their tender blends formula, but it contains more protein (29%) and more fat.

The kibble has the Ora-shield crunchy kibble shapes, which help to protect your puppies teeth and reduce dental plaque and tartar. The fish oils provide great sources of EPAs and DHPs for brain, nerve, and eye development.

This formula also contains corn meal, dried egg, and other fillers and that it could easily do without, but it is a good choice for those wanting to give their puppy a nutritious food at a good price.

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3. Authority Every Day Puppy Large Breed Dry Food

The Authority Every Day Puppy Large Breed Dry Food contains dried chicken cartilage (along with chicken and chicken meal) which is an excellent source of chondroitin and glucosamine (equating to 400mg/kg and 300mg/kg, respectively). The nutrients are essential for healthy bone and joint growth.

Large breed puppies often grow fast, and the added chondroitin and glucosamine help support their skeletal system during this growth period.

Every Day also contains grains and other potential allergens; however, if your puppy is content with the food and shows no signs of a problem, they should be fine to continue. Unfortunately, this formula also adds more salt, which can be harmful to a dog’s kidneys and general health over time.

What Other Users Are Saying

Conclusion

Authority puppy food has consistently good reviews, a significant amount of protein from quality sources, and other beneficial ingredients added to every formulation for your puppy’s health, growth, and cognitive development.

While there are some ingredients like corn and egg derivatives that we would rather not see, they won’t harm a healthy pup, and the price and quality of the food largely outweighs this. We would recommend Authority dry puppy food to any owner who wants to provide their pup with the essential building blocks of puppy growth, while ensuring a tasty and fulfilling meal.

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Featured Photo Credit: PetSmart