Puppy Chow is Purina's puppy kibble line. In all three recipes whole grain corn is the first ingredient, with poultry or chicken by-product meal and corn protein near the top of the list. Every recipe shows 27.5% protein as fed, so the recipes differ mainly in fat, estimated starch and calories.
Fat runs from 10% to 12%, estimated starch from 36.5% to 39.5%, and calories from 387 to 414 kcal per cup. Two recipes use chicken, and Tender & Crunchy uses beef. All three contain grain, and none contain peas, lentils or potato. All three are kibble.
Against the 1834 kibbles in our catalog, the line sits close to average: 27.5% protein versus 26.9%, an average of 37.8% starch versus 37.4%, and an average of 403 kcal per cup versus 395. The trade-off is limited choice: three recipes, the same protein in each, and corn at the top of every ingredient list. Owners looking for a grain free food or a named whole meat as the first ingredient will not find one in this line.
| Recipe | Protein | Fat | Starch | Kcal / cup | First ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tender & Crunchy | 27.5% | 12% | 36.5% | 387 | Whole grain corn, corn protein meal, poultry by-product meal |
| Large Breed | 27.5% | 10% | 39.5% | 408 | Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Complete | 27.5% | 12% | 37.5% | 414 | Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal |
| Line average | 27.5% | 11.3% | 37.8% | 403 |
All figures as fed, from the guaranteed analysis on each label. Starch is our estimate, since no bag prints it. Highest in the line is marked in bold, lowest in italics.
27.5% protein · 12% fat · 36.5% starch · 387 kcal/cup · Puppy
Tender & Crunchy is the only recipe in the line with beef, and it lists poultry by-product meal and whole grain wheat among its first ingredients. It has the least estimated starch at 36.5% and the fewest calories per cup at 387, suiting owners who want a beef option.
Full review of Tender & Crunchy27.5% protein · 10% fat · 39.5% starch · 408 kcal/cup · Puppy
Large Breed is sold for large breed puppies and has the least fat in the line at 10% and the most estimated starch at 39.5%. Ground rice joins chicken by-product meal among its first ingredients, suiting owners who want a chicken recipe aimed at bigger puppies.
Full review of Large Breed27.5% protein · 12% fat · 37.5% starch · 414 kcal/cup · Puppy
Complete has the most calories in the line at 414 kcal per cup, with 12% fat and beef fat listed among its first ingredients alongside chicken by-product meal. It suits owners of puppies of any breed size who want a chicken recipe with more calories per cup than its line mates.
Full review of CompleteNo. All three recipes, Tender & Crunchy, Large Breed and Complete, contain grain, and whole grain corn is the first ingredient in each. None of them contain peas, lentils or potato.
All three recipes show the same protein, 27.5% as fed. They differ in fat, estimated starch and calories instead, and Complete has the most calories at 414 kcal per cup.
Yes. Puppy Chow Large Breed is sold for large breed puppies. It has 27.5% protein, 10% fat and 39.5% estimated starch, which makes it the lowest in fat and highest in starch of the three recipes.
Protein is close to the average kibble we review (31.5% on a dry matter basis).
0% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).
0% of recipes are grain-free.
this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review
Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out
Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.
These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.
EL Elemental dry dog food, two additional lots (expansion)
EL Elemental prescription dry dog food (8 lb, 20 lb)
PPVD EN Gastroenteric Low Fat wet dog food 13.4 oz cans (contained Purina ONE True Instinct Turkey & Venison)
Beneful Prepared Meals, Beneful Chopped Blends and Pro Plan Savory Meals 10 oz wet dog food tubs, Best Before Jun-Aug 2017
Purina ONE beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe Adult dry dog food, limited bags
All Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch dog treats (chicken jerky) sold in US (market withdrawal)
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