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Ingredient file // Legume

Pinto Beans

Useful starch and protein, with a heart caveat

Pinto beans are dried common bean seeds, a pulse that supplies starch, plant protein and fiber. They are useful in a recipe, but their place on an ingredient list cannot tell you whether the complete food meets your dog's needs.

Role in the food Supporting nutrient
What it is
Dried pinto bean seeds, used whole or ground to supply starch, plant protein and fiber.
Made from
Mature, dried pinto bean seeds
Main job
Starch and plant protein
Typical amount
A dog trial fed 5 to 15% pinto flour
Watch for
Several pulses high on the ingredient list
Not the same as
Pinto bean protein concentrate

Straight answer

Is Pinto Beans safe for dogs?

Read the whole pulse mix, then the food

A pinto bean line signals useful starch and plant protein. Look around it: several beans, peas or lentils high on the list mean pulses make up more of the recipe. The list cannot reveal their exact amounts. Check the nutritional adequacy statement for your dog's life stage, especially if heart disease is a concern.

Why it is in the food
Starch and plant protein

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 123 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

<1%

26 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 5 brands. 23 dry dog food, 1 freeze-dried dog food, 1 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 12. In the top five of 7 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $4.32
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 23 priced foods, 33% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

42%

of the foods that list it are from Orijen. 5 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Pinto beans come from the dry bean crop grown for food. Harvested seeds are cleaned and graded for moisture and broken seeds; in the tested dog diets, they were milled into whole flour before extrusion.1,4,9

  1. 01 // Source Dry bean crop Pinto beans are a class of dry edible bean, grown for the mature seeds inside their pods.
  2. 02 // Process Harvested and sorted Combines collect the dry crop; sellers check beans for moisture, broken seeds and foreign material.
  3. 03 // Process Milled for mixing The dried seeds are ground into whole pinto bean flour, the form tested in extruded dog diets.
  4. 04 // Output Pinto bean flour Dry flour is ready to mix into a kibble recipe before the extruder cooks the food.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

43

% starch

The average for common bean seeds. Pinto beans bring substantial starch to kibble along with their plant protein.

Starch 38.5-46.9%5
Crude protein 22.2-27.4%5
Neutral detergent fiber 16.1-25.8%5
Crude fiber 4.3-7.9%5
Ash 4-6.5%5
Crude fat 1.1-2.4%5

These ranges describe common beans as a group, not pinto beans alone. A separately tested pinto flour contained 22.99% crude protein and 4.77% ash. Variety and processing affect the finished ingredient.4,5

Why it is in the bag

Real starch and protein, in amounts set by position

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Lists run by weight, so how much pinto beans add depends on where they sit. Low on a list, they likely add a modest share of starch and plant protein rather than carry the food. They are not empty bulk: common bean seeds average about 43% starch and 25% protein on a dry matter basis. In one dog trial, whole pinto flour was one of three pulse flours at 15% each, beside 25% chicken meal.4,5,8

  1. 01

    Supplies starch for kibble

    Bean starch cooks during extrusion and contributes to kibble structure. It gives a grain-free recipe a carbohydrate source in place of corn or rice.1,5

  2. 02

    Contributes plant protein

    Pinto flour supplies protein that counts in the finished food's crude protein analysis. Its effect on the percentage depends on which ingredients it replaces.4,8

  3. 03

    Offers a lower-cost option

    Dry beans are a traded food crop. Pulse protein can reduce a recipe's need for animal protein and its ingredient cost, though the complete diet still needs adequate amino acids.3,9

  4. 04

    Adds some fiber

    Whole bean flour carries fiber with its starch and protein. The fiber level of the complete food matters more than a bean's presence on the label.5

How much One controlled dog trial fed 5, 10 or 15% pinto flour alongside peas, chickpeas and lentils.1

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Critics say

    Pinto beans supply protein without meat

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A tested pinto flour contained 22.99% crude protein on a dry matter basis. It supplies bean protein, but whether it raises a food's protein percentage depends on what it replaces. That percentage does not measure usable amino acids.4,8

  2. Brands say

    Pinto beans keep a dog's blood sugar steady

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    An 8-dog crossover study found a lower glucose peak after a lentil diet than after a rice diet. It did not test pinto beans or show that a lower peak improves a healthy dog's health.3

  3. Owners say

    Pinto beans cause heart disease in dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    FDA has not identified the cause of reported diet-associated DCM. In a 28-dog trial, balanced diets containing pinto beans within a pulse mix produced no measured heart changes after 20 weeks. That trial cannot isolate pinto beans or settle long-term risk.1,7

  4. Critics say

    Pinto beans are just filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Common bean seeds average about 43% starch and 25% protein on a dry matter basis, so they contribute more than bulk. Judge the complete food's nutritional adequacy and usable amino acids, not the bean line alone.4,5,8

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Pinto beans supply starch, protein and fiber. Their presence does not prove the recipe is balanced. Check the nutritional adequacy statement for your dog's life stage and read the surrounding ingredients.4,5,8

  2. Q02

    Will pinto beans cause gas?

    Not necessarily

    Beans contain carbohydrates that gut bacteria ferment. In a controlled trial, cooked navy bean powder at 25% of the diet did not increase flatulence. That result does not guarantee the same response to pinto beans.2,6

  3. Q03

    Should I avoid them because of DCM?

    Read the recipe

    FDA has not shown that pinto beans cause DCM. Pay closer attention when several non-soy pulses sit high on the list. If your dog has DCM, review the full diet with its cardiologist.1,7,8

  4. Q04

    Are they the same as navy beans?

    No

    Pinto and navy beans are different classes of common bean. A navy bean feeding trial offers evidence about cooked beans in dog food, but it did not measure pinto beans.2,9

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Orijen 11 / 25
  2. Acana 8 / 23
  3. Fromm 3 / 67
  4. K9 Natural 2 / 8
  5. Grandma Lucy's 2 / 24

Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #53 Orijen Original Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Chicken 46%
  2. Turkey 46%
  3. Red Lentils 35%
  4. Whole Herring 31%
  5. Chicken Liver 27%
  6. Dehydrated Chicken 27%
  7. Salmon 27%
  8. Beef 23%
  9. Chicken Fat 23%
  10. Dehydrated Eggs 23%
  11. Mixed Tocopherols 19%
  12. Pork 19%

On the shelf

Foods that list Pinto Beans

26 foods in our catalog list it, highest on the label first.

Grandma Lucy’s Macanna Pre-Mix Grain-Free Dog Food TopperGrandma Lucy'sGrandma Lucy’s Macanna Pre-Mix Grain-Free Dog Food TopperTopper // No. 1 on the labelGrandma Lucy’s - Macanna Beef Freeze-Dried Dog FoodGrandma Lucy'sGrandma Lucy’s - Macanna Beef Freeze-Dried Dog FoodFreeze-Dried // No. 2 on the labelFromm Four-Star Rancherosa® Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Rancherosa® Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 4 on the labelFromm Four-Star Salmon Tunalini® Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Salmon Tunalini® Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelAcana Red Meat Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Red Meat Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelAcana Freshwater Fish Blend Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Freshwater Fish Blend Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelOrijen Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Senior Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 11 on the labelOrijen Original Small Breed Puppy With WholePrey Nutrition Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Small Breed Puppy With WholePrey Nutrition Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelK9 Natural Baked & Coated Cage-Free Poultry Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodK9 NaturalK9 Natural Baked & Coated Cage-Free Poultry Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the labelK9 Natural Baked & Coated Grass-Fed Red Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodK9 NaturalK9 Natural Baked & Coated Grass-Fed Red Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 14 on the label
Show 16 more
Acana Free-Run Poultry Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Free-Run Poultry Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 5 on the labelFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog FoodFrommFromm Four-Star Shredded Pork in Gravy Entrée Wet Dog FoodWet // No. 7 on the labelAcana Highest Protein Appalachian Ranch Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Highest Protein Appalachian Ranch Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 8 on the labelAcana Highest Protein Meadowland Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Highest Protein Meadowland Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 8 on the labelOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Tundra Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelAcana Highest Protein Wild Atlantic Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Highest Protein Wild Atlantic Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 12 on the labelOrijen Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelAcana Light & Fit Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Light & Fit Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 13 on the labelOrijen Fit & Trim Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Fit & Trim Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 15 on the labelAcana Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodAcanaAcana Puppy Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 16 on the labelOrijen Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Original Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the labelOrijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodOrijenOrijen Six Fish Grain-Free Dry Dog FoodDry // No. 18 on the label

On labels as

Whole pinto beans: what changes

One page covers every name. Here is what each label word adds, and whether it changes anything for your dog.

Whole pinto beans

Matters for your dog A little

Whole Pinto Beans

What it means We found no regulatory definition of "whole" for beans. On a bean ingredient it signals the entire dried seed, seed coat included, rather than a dehulled or fractionated product. It says nothing about bean grade, origin or how the crop was grown.

For your dog The seed coat stays in, and legume hulls are mostly fiber: 800 to 950 g per kg in one analysis of other legumes, not pinto beans. Whole beans therefore carry more fiber than a dehulled fraction. Plain "pinto beans" on a label is likely the whole seed too, so the word adds little.4,10

  1. Strong
  2. Some
  3. Thin
  4. None

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 The Pulse of It: Dietary Inclusion of Up to 45% Whole Pulse Ingredients with Chicken Meal and Pea Starch in a Complete and Balanced Diet Does Not Affect Cardiac Function, Fasted Sulfur Amino Acid Status, or Other Gross Measures of Health in Adult Dogs The Journal of Nutrition, 2023 // Journal
  2. 2 Effects of cooked navy bean powder on apparent total tract nutrient digestibility and safety in healthy adult dogs Journal of Animal Science, 2012 // Journal
  3. 3 The Effects of 7 Days of Feeding Pulse-Based Diets on Digestibility, Glycemic Response and Taurine Levels in Domestic Dogs Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021 // Journal
  4. 4 Standardized ileal amino acid digestibility estimates are not additive in extruded canine diets with an increasing inclusion of whole pulse flour ingredients Journal of Animal Science, 2025 // Journal
  5. 5 Common bean seeds Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), n.d. // Database
  6. 6 Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), n.d. // Database
  7. 7 Questions & Answers: FDA’s Work on Potential Causes of Non-Hereditary DCM in Dogs U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025 // Government
  8. 8 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  9. 9 Dry Edible Bean Profile Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, 2025 // University
  10. 10 Chemical composition of certain dehulled legume seeds and their hulls with special reference to carbohydrates Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research (AGRIS record, FAO), 1993 // Journal
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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