Ralston Purina began as an animal feed company in the 1890s. In 1898, Purina Chow became the first pet food produced on a commercial basis. In 50 years, the company entered the international market. The company opened manufacturing facilities in various countries.
Nestlé acquired Ralston Purina in 2001 for $10.3 billion. It became Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. This is one of the largest pet food manufacturers in the world. Nestlé is a multinational company that owns a wide range of brands. They range from pet food to cosmetics and health devices. Nestle has a well-known candy portfolio. It also owns Perrier, Carnation, Lean Cuisine, Haagen-Dazs, Alpo, Fancy Feast and Purina.
In its annual report, Nestle Purina Pet Care reported annual sales for 2022 as $19.385 billion USD.
For our Purina Pro Veterinary Diet dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS PURINA PRO PLAN VETERINARY DIET A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Purina’s Pro Plan Veterinary Diet has 6 lines of dog food. There are 3 lines of dry dog foods with 23 recipes, and 3 lines of canned dog foods with 9 recipes. Based on our criteria, all 3 lines of dry dog food are very high risk dog foods.
The FDA practices “enforcement discretion.” This means it hasn’t reviewed or verified health claims on veterinary diets. Non-prescription pet store dog food with health claims is subject to FDA regulations. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets claim completeness and balance. Not all veterinary brands meet AAFCO standards. There are exceptions allowed for diets sold through veterinarians. Concerns arise about long-term use. This is because these diets might lack adequate nutrition. This is despite their intention to manage disease.
This review focuses on ingredient quality and safety, not manufacturer claims. Over half of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet dry recipes score 0/10 for ingredient safety. Others score slightly better. This is unsettling as these diets target health issues in sick and older dogs.
The primary safety concerns of these foods are:
- Ultra processing.
- High pesticide/herbicide foods
- GMO crops
- Natural flavors
- Rice
- Synthetic preservatives
- High carbohydrates
Dry foods have high carbohydrate levels (34%-42%). These are from grains and starches, which can increase digestive issues. Most recipes feature cheaper grains and starches over proteins. They include rice, barley, peas, potato and oatmeal. GMO corn and soybeans are present. They are high pesticide/herbicide crops with gut health implications.
Based on our criteria, canned foods are high risk. Essential Care wet is a line considered moderate risk. But they still have excessive carbohydrate levels (23%-41%). Absent in all recipes are fruits and vegetables. They are rich in micronutrients and antioxidants beneficial for health and weight management.
Instead, both dry and canned recipes include synthetic vitamins and minerals. Whole foods are safer and more bioavailable. Excessive synthetic supplementation suggests poor nutritional value.
Plant proteins are predominant in dry recipes. Unnamed animal products, like meat by-products, are in both dry and canned recipes. These contribute to lower quality and elevated carbohydrate levels. Some dry recipes contain “animal digest” which is also an unnamed protein. Purina’s website and other manufacturers are in favor of animal digest. Purina describes it as “extremely palatable and […] an excellent source of high-quality protein.” This is contrary to consumer and animal advocate websites. They describe it as animal protein not fit for human consumption and of very low quality.
As already noted, the dry recipes have many safety concerns. They are ultra processed. Dry foods undergo several stages of heating that causes a loss of nutrients. Wet foods are less processed but still involve several stages of heating. Other safety concerns include GMO ingredients and those with high pesticide/herbicide residues. These are in the top 5 positions. Rice is common, and may contain arsenic contamination. Many recipes include menadione that’s linked to various health issues. TBHQ is also present. It’s a synthetic preservative deemed harmful by the Environmental Working Group.
Purina doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. While this is true of most companies, it’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Let’s take a brief look at each line.
Purina Pro Plan VD Essentialcare Dry
Score: 1.5/10
Ingredient List For Senior Dry Recipe: Turkey, rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, whole grain corn, corn germ meal, whole grain wheat, vegetable oil (source of medium-chain triglycerides), dried egg product, oatmeal, natural flavour, glycerin, pea fibre, chicory root inulin, calcium carbonate, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, salt, fish oil, mono and dicalcium phosphate, caramel colour, potassium chloride, soybean oil, choline chloride, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), folic acid (vitamin B-9), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7)], minerals (zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, sulfur, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (vitamin C), garlic oil.
Purina Pro Plan VD Essentialcare Dry is a very high risk dog food based on the criteria of dogfoodreviews.com. There are 5 recipes that average 28% protein and 34% carbohydrate as calculated. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality. They have high carbohydrates. They also have excessive added vitamins and minerals, and added amino acids. The recipes also include inflammatory seed oil, unnamed animal protein and plant proteins. On the ingredient safety side, these foods are ultra-processed. They use high heat that destroys nutrients. They have high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in their top 5 ingredients. They also include natural flavor. They use added color, and rice that can contain arsenic. There is menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Essentialcare Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
Essentialcare Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Ingredient splitting
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan VD Naturals Dry
Score: 1.8/10
Ingredient List For En Gastroenteric Naturals Recipe: Brewers rice, chicken meal, natural flavor, cassava root flour, potato protein, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, pea protein, coconut oil, mono, and dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, soybean oil, fish oil, dried pumpkin, calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, vitamin E supplement, dried colostrum, choline chloride, taurine, DL-Methionine, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (vitamin C), manganese proteinate, ferrous sulfate, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin A supplement, copper proteinate, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), folic acid (vitamin B-9), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), calcium iodate, vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7), sodium selenite.
Purina Pro Plan VD Naturals Dry is a very high risk dog food according to our criteria. There are 2 recipes that average 24% protein and 41% carbohydrate as calculated. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality due to the high carbohydrates. There is excessive added vitamins and minerals, and added amino acids. The recipes also include inflammatory seed oil, unnamed animal protein and plant proteins. On the ingredient safety side, these recipes are ultra-processed. They use high heat that destroys nutrients. They have high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in their top 5 ingredients. They also include natural flavor. They use added color, and rice that can contain arsenic. There is menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Naturals Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
Naturals Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Ingredient splitting
- Coconut oil
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan VD Therapeutics Dry
Score: 1.8/10
Ingredient List For Kidney Function Dry Recipe: Whole grain corn, brewers rice, dried egg product, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, sugar, dried whey, sodium caseinate, animal liver flavor, calcium carbonate, vegetable oil, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, fish oil, salt, potassium citrate, mono and dicalcium phosphate, vitamin E supplement, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin (vitamin B-3), manganese sulfate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), garlic oil, folic acid (vitamin B-9), menadione sodium bisulfite complex (vitamin K), vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, sodium selenite.
Purina Pro Plan VD Therapeutics Dry is a very high risk dog food based on our criteria. There are 16 recipes that average 23% protein and 42% carbohydrate as calculated. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality due to the high carbohydrates. There is excessive added vitamins and minerals, and added amino acids. The recipes also include inflammatory seed oil and unnamed animal protein. They have plant proteins, cellulose and sugar. On the ingredient safety side, these recipes are ultra-processed. They use high heat that destroys nutrients. They have high pesticide foods and GMO crops listed in their top 5 ingredients. They also include natural flavor. They use added color, and rice that can contain arsenic. There is menadione, which can lead to liver toxicity and allergic reactions. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Therapeutics Dry Benefits
- Made in-house
Therapeutics Dry Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Cellulose
- Sugar
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Menadione
- Synthetic preservatives
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Ingredient splitting
- Contains coconut oil
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan VD Essentialcare Canned
Score: 5/10
Ingredient List For Puppy Canned Recipe: Chicken, liver, meat by-products, water, salmon, brown rice, guar gum, minerals [potassium chloride, zinc sulphate, ferrous sulphate, copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite], salt, carrageenan, choline chloride, vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin (vitamin B-3), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), vitamin A supplement, folic acid (vitamin B-9), vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7)].
Purina Pro Plan VD Essentialcare Canned is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. There are 2 recipes that average 43% protein and 23% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality for high carbohydrates. They have excessive added vitamins and minerals, and unnamed animal protein. On the ingredient safety side, this line is highly processed. Several stages of heating destroys nutrients. Foods also include ingredients known to have high pesticide residues and GMOs. They include natural flavor, carrageenan, food coloring and rice that can contain arsenic. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Essentialcare Canned Benefits
- Made in-house
- High Protein
Essentialcare Canned Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Unnamed protein
- Highly processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods
- GMOs
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Carrageenan
- Food coloring
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan VD Naturals Canned
Score: 3/10
Ingredient List For Gastroenteric Canned Recipe: Chicken, water sufficient for processing, liver, barley, rice, sweet potatoes, potato protein, coconut oil, oat meal, glycerin, guar gum, tricalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, salt, natural smoke flavor, fish oil, Vitamin E supplement, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), ferrous sulfate, niacin (vitamin B-3), copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), vitamin A supplement, potassium iodide, folic acid (vitamin B-9), vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7), sodium selenite.
Purina Pro Plan VD Naturals Canned is a moderate risk dog food by our criteria. There is 1 recipe that averages 31% protein and 41% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality for high carbohydrates. They have excessive added vitamins and minerals. They also have plant protein, sugar and unnamed animal protein. On the ingredient safety side, this line is highly processed. Several stages of heating destroys nutrients. Foods also include ingredients known to have high pesticide residues and GMOs. They include natural flavor and rice that can contain arsenic. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Naturals Canned Benefits
- Made in-house
Naturals Canned Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Sugar
- Highly processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Coconut oil
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
Purina Pro Plan VD Therapeutics Canned
Score: 3/10
Ingredient List For Kidney Function Canned Recipe: Water sufficient for processing, meat by-products, rice, corn grits, beef, liver, chicken by-products, animal fat (preserved with TBHQ and citric acid), calcium sulfate, guar gum, fish oil, potassium citrate, locust bean gum, carrageenan, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate, choline chloride, natural smoke flavor, vitamin E supplement, DL-Methionine, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, niacin (vitamin B-3), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B-1), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B-5), copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B-6), manganese sulfate, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement (vitamin B-2), vitamin A supplement, folic acid (vitamin B-9), vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin (vitamin B-7), potassium iodide, sodium selenite.
Purina Pro Plan VD Therapeutics Canned is a high risk dog food according to our criteria. There are 6 recipes that averages 32% protein and 36% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality for high carbohydrates. They have excessive added vitamins and minerals, and amino acids. They have plant protein, inflammatory seed oils, cellulose, sugar and unnamed animal protein. On the ingredient safety side, this line is highly processed. Several stages of heating destroys nutrients. Foods also include ingredients known to have high pesticide residues and GMOs. They include natural flavor, carrageenan, food coloring and rice that can contain arsenic. They also use synthetic preservatives. Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. This is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.
Therapeutics Canned Benefits
- Made in-house
Therapeutics Canned Concerns
- High in carbohydrates
- Excessive added vitamins & minerals
- Added amino acids
- Seed oil
- Plant protein
- Unnamed protein
- Cellulose
- Sugar
- Highly processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- GMOs in top 5 ingredients
- Rice
- Natural flavor
- Carrageenan
- Food coloring
- Synthetic preservatives
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Doesn’t specify farmed or wild-caught fish
- Coconut oil
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
PURINA DOG FOOD RECALLS
Purina has had several recalls.
02/2023: Recall of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL for potentially elevated Vitamin D.
12/2022: Recall of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets for mislabelling.
03/2016: Voluntary recall of Pro Plan Savory Meals and Beneful for inadequate vitamins and minerals.
08/2013: Recall of Purina ONE Beyond for possible salmonella risk.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
