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Pet Pride Dog Food Review 2024: Recalls, Pros & Cons

Kristin Hitchcock

By Kristin Hitchcock

Pet Pride Dog Food Review

Review Summary

Our Final Verdict

We give Pet Pride Dog Food a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Pet Pride is Kroger’s name-brand dog food. Therefore, as you’d expect, it is far cheaper than much of the competition. However, it is also made with lower-quality ingredients and doesn’t come in many options. They do not have a veterinary line, for instance.

However, their foods do have a great value for the price, considering that you aren’t paying for the brand name. Pet Pride dog food works well for dog owners on a budget.

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At a Glance: The Best Pet Pride Dog Food Recipes

Rating Image Product Details
Winner
Pet Pride Chunk Style Chicken Flavor Dog Food Pet Pride Chunk Style Chicken Flavor Dog Food
  • Inexpensive
  • For all life stages
  • Formulated to meet the AAFCO nutritional levels
  • Second place
    Pet Pride Chopped Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavor Pet Pride Chopped Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavor
  • Named meat as the first ingredient
  • Semi-moist kibble is more flavorful than other options
  • Great Meaty Taste
  • Third place
    Pet Pride Small Bites Chicken Flavor Pet Pride Small Bites Chicken Flavor
  • Inexpensive
  • Nutritionally complete
  • Formulated to meet the AAFCO nutritional levels
  • Pet Pride Crunchy Bites Steak & Vegetable Pet Pride Crunchy Bites Steak & Vegetable
  • For Adult Dogs
  • Nutritionally complete
  • Inexpensive
  • Pet Pride Puppy Chicken Flavor Pet Pride Puppy Chicken Flavor
  • Suitable for puppies
  • Inexpensive
  • Nutritionally complete
  • Pet Pride Dog Food Reviewed

    Who Makes Pet Pride Dog Food and Where is It Produced?

    According to the Kroger website, Pet Pride is made in the USA. However, this brand is likely outsourced to a different manufacturer, as Kroger and their partners don’t have experience making dog food. However, they do not specify which company owns the factories that make this food, nor where those factories are located.

    Therefore, for now, all we know is that these recipes are made in the USA. It is likely that some ingredients are sourced from elsewhere, though. Many companies source their vitamin and mineral supplements from China, for instance.

    Which Type of Dog is Pet Pride Best Suited For?

    These formulas are best suited for healthy dogs and without any health problems. They are budget options for owners struggling to find affordable food to feed their dogs. This brand does produce nutritionally complete formulas that follow AAFCO standards. However, they are much cheaper than much of the competition.

    With that said, they use some lower-quality ingredients, which is one reason they are cheaper. They may also contain more artificial flavors and ingredients than other formulas. This brand likely isn’t best for those with underlying health conditions.

    This brand doesn’t make formulas for health conditions or other special needs. If your dog falls into this category, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

    dog eating
    Image Credit: Pxhere

    Which Type of Dog Might Do Better with a Different Brand?

    Dogs with specific health problems would likely benefit from a different brand, as this brand does not have any veterinary formulas or formulas for specific health issues. Therefore, these dogs will need to look elsewhere for their food.

    Furthermore, dogs with a lot of sensitivities will likely be unable to find suitable food in this brand. They tend to use a lot of chicken and similar ingredients that often cause allergies.

    We also recommend that this brand not be fed to those with sensitive stomachs. There are a lot of artificial ingredients in these foods, which can cause stomach upset. While not all dogs are bothered by this, those that already have stomach problems may be more likely to get stomach upset from them.

    Discussion of Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

    Overall, this company utilizes very low-quality ingredients. On the one hand, this is how they keep their products so cheap. When you see food that is as cheap as this brand, you can’t expect them to be using extremely high-quality ingredients. However, the ingredients used in this food are considerably low-quality, which is something you’ll need to keep in mind.

    For instance, they tend to use a lot of corn and wheat. Therefore, your dog’s carbohydrate intake will be quite high. Some dogs may also not like the heavy grain content in these foods, as it tends to make them taste worse. However, this food does include artificial flavors, which are mostly added to offset the low amount of fat (and flavor).

    Whole meat is typically not included. Instead, this brand includes by-products and meat meals, which may come from any source. “Meat meal” is mystery meat since the source of the meat is not listed. If your dog has allergies, this isn’t a suitable food for them. You can’t avoid their allergens because this food could contain anything.

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    A Quick Look at Pet Pride Dog Food

    Pros
    • Inexpensive
    • Several flavors available
    Cons
    • No diets for health problems
    • Very low-quality ingredients
    • High in grains and carbohydrates
    • Little protein

    Recall History

    Pet Pride has been recalled a few different times. For instance, it was recalled in 2010 for toxic mold contamination1. This was mostly cat food, though some dog food recipes were affected. This recall was extremely large, affecting most of the brand’s formulas. Basically, all the food made within a certain time period had to be recalled.

    Luckily, there were no reports of dogs actually getting sick from this food. Therefore, it appears that this brand caught the problem very quickly.

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    Reviews of the 3 Best Pet Pride Dog Food Recipes

    Let’s take a quick look at three of this brand’s top-selling recipes.

    1. Pet Pride Chunk Style Chicken Flavor Dog Food

    Pet Pride Chunk Style Chicken Flavor Dog Food

    Pet Pride Chunk Style Chicken Flavor Dog Food is described as the company’s “typical” food. It includes chicken flavoring, though the amount of actual chicken is extremely low. Therefore, it is proper to say that this food is only chicken-flavored, not that it actually includes much chicken.

    Instead, the primary source of meat is bone and meat meal. Basically, this is a range of meat products that have been ground and dehydrated. So, while this ingredient is very concentrated, we simply have no idea what it is. For dogs with allergies, this can be a serious problem.

    Luckily, this formula is extremely inexpensive, like others in this brand and it may work well for those on a very strict budget. However, the value is quite low, and you are getting what you pay for.

    Pros
    • Inexpensive
    Cons
    • Unnamed meat products
    • Very low in chicken (and other whole meats)
    • High in grains

    2. Pet Pride Chopped Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavor

    Pet Pride Chopped Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavor

    Overall, this formula is extremely similar to the previous one we reviewed. While the flavorings in Pet Pride Chopped Burger with Cheddar Cheese Flavor are slightly different, the underlying ingredients are extremely similar. Therefore, these formulas are the same thing. It is mostly a matter of which one your dog likes more.

    This formula does include beef by-products as the first ingredient. Therefore, we do know where the majority of the protein comes from. This makes it slightly better than the previous recipe. With that said, there are other low-quality ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup and soy flour.

    This formula does come in a semi-moist kibble that many dogs like. There are several pouches inside each box to help the food stay fresh.

    Pros
    • Named meat as the first ingredient
    • Semi-moist kibble is more flavorful than other options
    Cons
    • Low-quality ingredients included
    • More expensive than other foods by this brand

    3. Pet Pride Small Bites Chicken Flavor

    Pet Pride Small Bites Chicken Flavor

    For smaller dogs, you may want to look at Pet Pride Small Bites Chicken Flavor. This formula is specifically designed for smaller dogs, as the kibble size is much smaller than other options. However, the ingredients are very similar to the first formula we reviewed.

    In other words, this formula is mostly grains with very few meat sources. The meat that is included isn’t named, which means that it could practically be anything, so this formula isn’t suitable for dogs with allergies.

    It is extremely inexpensive, though, which makes it a good option for dog owners on a strict budget. It is a great option for those that are struggling to feed their canine, as it is nutritionally complete. The ingredients are simply less-than-stellar.

    Pros
    • Nutritionally complete
    • Inexpensive
    Cons
    • Made with mostly grains
    • Unnamed meat sources

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    What Other Users Are Saying

    Generally, pet parents do not like the ingredient lists on these dog foods. Some did say that their dogs got upset stomachs or similar problems after eating them, likely because of the artificial flavors. However, because this food is artificially flavored, many dogs did like to eat it.

    Still, you should be aware that dogs who begin eating artificially flavored foods typically don’t like eating more natural foods later. Therefore, these dogs will usually choose to eat artificial foods for the rest of their lives and turn their noses up to other types of food.

    Of course, it is very hard to ignore how inexpensive these foods are. If you are on a budget, this food may be a good option.

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    Conclusion

    Pet Pride is similar to what most people expect from store-brand dog food. The price is very low. However, you’re getting lower-quality ingredients—you’re getting what you pay for, even though this is a nutritionally complete food.

    Ultimately, this food is made for those on a strict budget—either permanently or due to unforeseen circumstances. We recommend this for those who need to feed their dog something nutritionally complete but are having a hard time making ends meet.

    See Also: Black Gold Explorer Dog Food Review


    Featured Image Credit: Kroger

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