# Purina Pro Plan Opinion



## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I feed my breeding girls Purina Pro Plan Performance (30/20) and have been very pleased with it. Coats are great, energy levels are good and no hot spots or dirty ears. I do not feed them the food with the soy bits in it.

That said, my dogs tend to do well on a number of foods-Diamond Naturals, Canidae, NutriSource, Fromm, etc.

A lot of show and performance people feed Purina Pro Plan.

It all depends on whether or not your dog does well on it. Not every dog does well on every food.


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## Pdljmpr (Apr 4, 2015)

Addy is eating Pro Plan Puppy and is doing very well on it.


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## BuddyinFrance (May 20, 2015)

Purina Pro Plan is one of the top two foods recommended by vets and breeders here in Europe. Personally my dog did not do too well on it. Stools were very loose often. I may be wrong but I think it has a relatively high grain/cereal content. I hope other members will correct me here if I am wrong......


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

My Tiny lived to almost 17 eating Pro Plan, my Toby to 14. 'nuff said.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

ellsworthv said:


> After going to the vet and them asking us which food he was on, the vet informed us about Blue Buffalo. He said it is not necessarily bad but they have good advertisement.


The food isn't "bad" like your vet said. But those BB commercials make me vomit. Most people complain about it after trying it.

Don't listen to commercials. You could feed Old Roy for instance and your dog could thrive into their late teens. The dog food stuff is too hot a topic for me to answer. 

Your dog will live to old age or die young regardless of what type of food you feed them IMO. Up to you to figure out what your dog tells you they thrive on.

Excuse me while I smoke another cigar and have a drink while waving my graphite fishing pole at the sky during a lightning storm. Powers that be refuse to kill me or my dogs at a young age yet.

Things happen. A vegetarian marathon runner that dies at 25 or a 90 years old man the climbs mountains that ate bacon his whole life end the same way.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Pro Plan feeder here. A lot of dogs get tummy issues from Blue Buffalo. 
When I walked in with Ben for the first time, the vet said to me: Don't feed Blue Buffalo. We have a lot of dogs come in with diarrhea on that stuff. It is not a bad food but dogs just don't seem to do good on it. 

Anyway, Pro Plan has so many different formulas with different proteins, with grains, without grains. If you switch you should find something that suits your dog.


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## Bwilson (Mar 25, 2014)

I feed my Rottweiler and golden pro plan sensitive skin and stomach both are doing great on it.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I see pro plan makes a grain free lamb. That is another one we can try for Chloe. I am glad I seen this thread. The ingredients are good.


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## penparson (Sep 19, 2010)

Wake has been fed Pro Plan his entire life - works for us.


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## MaureenM (Sep 20, 2011)

Both our dogs eat Purina Pro Plan. Both their breeders recommended it, so we stuck with it. So far, so good.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Noah is on Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and is doing great on it!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Mine are on Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach. It only took about 2 months for them to look better on the PPSSS than they were looking on what was supposed to be a higher end food.


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## lloyddobler (Nov 30, 2014)

My 9 month d has been on pro plan focus large breed puppy his whole life at the recommendation of the breeder and vet. I'm thinking I'll keep him on pro plan when he needs to transition to adult food since he's done so well on it.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

There are quite a few members here on the Forum that feed Purina Pro Plan formulas. 

My two are eating the Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach, they've been on it for over four years and doing very well on it. 

The Vets at my Clinic feed their dogs Pro Plan also.

Dog Food is not a one size fits all, some dogs will do great on a particular brand while other dogs will not. 
Find the one that works for your dog and stick with it.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

I have always used Pro Plan Large Breed. Never had a problem....


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## Tennyson (Mar 26, 2011)

My boy came home from the breeder on Pro Plan SS&S. He had no skin or stomach problems. Breeder just really liked the ingredients. She feeds all 5 of her dogs PPSS&S.
Deaglan has a beautiful coat and ears are never dirty. No hot spots or flaky skin. Plus he really loves it. Purina has one of their plants in the next town so it's always fresh.


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## ellsworthv (May 15, 2014)

Wow, Thank you for all the input! Good to hear that everyone seems to enjoy it. I'm ordering a bag for him to try out as we speak. Is there an actual difference between sport, focus etc or are they all pretty similar?


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

It depends what you want to feed. Here is the link to the Pro Plan dog food website and you can compare all the different formulas:

http://www.proplan.com/dogs/


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## Pirate Molly (Mar 20, 2015)

My last GR was on pro plan for 14 years. My current pup is on Large Breed puppy and doing great. Both breeders recommended it. I agree on the BB everyone that I know says their dog or pup had stomach or diarrhea issues even with the treats. Side note, my vet says avoid Beneful still and all jerky treats as their are still concerns with them with Chinese ingredients.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Casper is on Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. My husband would like to move him to a new food, because he says Casper's breath smells like a fish. I have no sense of smell.  But, every time we try a new food, he gets mushy poops. After a few tries of that, I'm keeping him on the Pro Plan.


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## Jamm (Mar 28, 2010)

Joey has been on Pro plan sensitive skin and stomach for 4 years. We like it.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Shala eats Pro Plan Sport Performance 30/20 and does great on it. A couple of times, I've had to buy the Adult Chicken and Rice formula (when I've needed a small bag for travel), and she does equally well on that (similar ingredients, just less protein and fat). 

When Shala went for her last annual and my vet asked what she was eating, she was pleasantly surprised when I said Pro Plan. Most people around me in this neighbourhood feed super expensive, organic, grain-free, sparkly, special food from cute little pet boutiques - and she said she sees lots of tummy issues. She said Pro Plan is one of the best foods on the market. Has been used and tested for decades. I became a convert back to Purina after Shala was put on a Purina vet diet (EN Gastroenteric) for several months and it finally calmed down her intestinal inflammation.

I also love that when I go to hunt tests, most of the other people I meet feed pro Plan to their dogs, too. Also, see Hotel4Dogs' post above about Tiny and Toby


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

I know I'm in the minority here but my guy got terrible itchies on Pro Plan SS&S. It was so bad the vet tried tranquilizers (which only knocked him out). After a couple of tries of other foods, we traced it to the salmon. He's been on Blue Buffalo for several years and doing great. 

Each dog is unique and there is no one perfect food.


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## SunnynSey (Jan 17, 2015)

I feed Proplan and can't complain, a lot of top handlers and breeders feed it as well. Funny enough my experience with the vets I worked with is similar to others on here. Most absolutely hated Blue Buffalo because of all the gastro-intestinal issues we would see associated with it, but Proplan always came highly recommendation, they would feed it to their own dogs.


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## Leslie B (Mar 17, 2011)

Willow52 said:


> I know I'm in the minority here but my guy got terrible itchies on Pro Plan SS&S. It was so bad the vet tried tranquilizers (which only knocked him out). After a couple of tries of other foods, we traced it to the salmon. He's been on Blue Buffalo for several years and doing great.
> 
> Each dog is unique and there is no one perfect food.


 
It is OK to be in the minority!!!

There is a reason why there are so many foods out there and not every one is going to work for every dog.

We currently feed Pro Plan 30/20 and I like it for all but one of our dogs - she has sofer poo that I would like. With 13 dogs on site, getting 12 to do great on one food is a minor miracle. At one point we were up to 4 different kinds of food and that was when we switched to PP.


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## Nairb (Feb 25, 2012)

I switched Bella from the PPP Performance 30/20 to the SSS formula at about 1.5, and the constant scratching stopped not long after. Thinking it might have been a coincidence, I decided to try the 30/20 again about 6 months ago (WHY??). The itching returned. Back on the SSS, and all is well. Find something that works and don't mess with it.


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## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

Another minority here but I had my Abby on ProPlan from puppyhood through about 3 years when she developed struvite crystals in her urine. The vet said it was due to the food and purina not being consistent with their ingredients. I trusted my vet and put her on a Rx diet for several years and she did much better after that. I never put her back on ProPlan or any other Purina products. As a side-note, I worked as an office manager for Purina ProPlan division for a couple of years but never got into what was in their foods back then. I wish I had paid more attention now. 

I'm currently trying to decide what to start my new puppy on.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Purina*

We feed Tucker and Tonka Purino Pro Plan Savor Weight management. We also fed Smooch and Snobear Purina Pro Plan.


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## T&T (Feb 28, 2008)

JonandPhyllis said:


> Another minority here but I had my Abby on ProPlan from puppyhood through about 3 years when she developed struvite crystals in her urine. The vet said it was due to the food and purina not being consistent with their ingredients. I trusted my vet and put her on a Rx diet for several years and she did much better after that. I never put her back on ProPlan or any other Purina products. As a side-note, I worked as an office manager for Purina ProPlan division for a couple of years but never got into what was in their foods back then. I wish I had paid more attention now.
> 
> I'm currently trying to decide what to start my new puppy on.


 

Just came across this today, refers to cats but a MUST READ

*From the American Journal of Veterinary Research, February 2004*:

“Evaluation of effects of dietary carbohydrate on formation of struvite crystals in urine and macromineral balance in clinically normal cats. . . .  Conclusions and clinical relevance: Starch and fiber in diets potentially stimulate formation of struvite crystals [which can cause urinary system problems]. Hence, reducing dietary carbohydrate is desirable to prevent struvite urolith formation. In addition, a net loss of body calcium, phosphorus and magnesium during feeding of the fiber diet suggests that dietary inclusion of insoluble fiber could increase macromineral requirements of cats.”

QUOTED FROM
Pet food industry, veterinary medicine have done little about poor nutrition in cat meals - The Washington Post


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## JonandPhyllis (Jun 10, 2015)

T&T said:


> Just came across this today, refers to cats but a MUST READ
> 
> *From the American Journal of Veterinary Research, February 2004*:
> 
> ...


Very interesting. I'm sure there's not a lot of difference between dogs and cats as far as nutrition and physiological response to food ingredients.  This is a good read...I hope everyone reads and just has the information stored...my dog that had the struvite crystals was tinkling like a male dog...she'd squat multiple times in one outing and ask to go out right after we came back inside. Finally, a trip to the Vet found the problem.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

JonandPhyllis said:


> Very interesting. I'm sure there's not a lot of difference between dogs and cats as far as nutrition and physiological response to food ingredients. This is a good read...I hope everyone reads and just has the information stored...my dog that had the struvite crystals was tinkling like a male dog...she'd squat multiple times in one outing and ask to go out right after we came back inside. Finally, a trip to the Vet found the problem.


Uhm no! There is a tremendous difference in the dietary needs between dogs and cats. They are not even remotely similar.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

We just started the purina pro plan grain free lamb and egg yesterday. Chloe has a smelly stool and wants to eat it so we thought it was time to try something different and see if it helps. We will see if it helps.

Because this is a adult food and has a hundred calories more per cup then her nutro do we feed her the same amount. The bag calls for 2.5 cups a day. But because she is six months and still a puppy would she get more then an adult would.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Cpc1972 said:


> We just started the purina pro plan grain free lamb and egg yesterday. Chloe has a smelly stool and wants to eat it so we thought it was time to try something different and see if it helps. We will see if it helps.
> 
> 
> 
> Because this is a adult food and has a hundred calories more per cup then her nutro do we feed her the same amount. The bag calls for 2.5 cups a day. But because she is six months and still a puppy would she get more then an adult would.



I use math to figure out how many cups of the new food = calories of the old food. For example if the old food was 100 cals per cup and she was eating two cups per meal = 200 cals per meal. If the new food is 200 cals per cup, she would only get 1 cup because that is the 200 cals. 

Keep it like that and then we go off the body condition chart to scale up or down based on how their body looks and feels.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Brave said:


> I use math to figure out how many cups of the new food = calories of the old food. For example if the old food was 100 cals per cup and she was eating two cups per meal = 200 cals per meal. If the new food is 200 cals per cup, she would only get 1 cup because that is the 200 cals.
> 
> Keep it like that and then we go off the body condition chart to scale up or down based on how their body looks and feels.


Thanks. We gave her 1.5 cups for breakfast and will probably do the same at dinner and see how it goes. The last few weeks we have cut out the afternoon meal because she stopped asking for it. She is nice and lean and would like to keep it that way.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I've tried a few of the Pro Plan formulas, and wasn't happy with results for my dogs. But there are plenty of people out there who love it, so it just depends.

For an affordable food, I've been happy with Earthborn. If I could afford to feed any kibble, it would be Acana or Orijen


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Each dog is an individual, what one will thrive on - another will not tolerate at all. 
It is just a matter of finding a food that works for that particular dog. 

I tried Earthborn for both my dogs, different formulas, they did horrible on it with soft stools, vomiting, itchy red ears and anal gland problems. And yes, it is a holistic food and it is a good food and not too expensive. So, you never know. Trial and Error.
My dachshund does the best on Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream - my golden does not tolerate it at all. My golden is now on Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach, seems like he has a sensitivity to fowl.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

You must do what's right for your dog. People are surprised when told Murphy or the other puppies I had were on ProPlan since apart from looking healthy, they've had great coats. We're unique that the gas & stools from SSS were horrible so switched back to lamb/rice and then the grain free. 

Although now we do Proplan in morning and real food at night and will likely do all real food once I get my life organized. Nothing against Proplan, just reading lots about cancers et al and since I don't eat prepared foods figured the concept of real food made sense for dogs too. Dr. Khalsa's Natural Dog has been my most recent read and talks a lot about lowering protein as higher proteins seem to allow cancer to thrive.


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