PEDIGREE DOG FOOD
Pedigree brand dog food can trace its roots back to 1934, when Mars Confections purchased Chappel Brothers, a dog food company. Chappel specialized in canned meat called “Chappie”, which was unfit for human consumption (and so was sold for dog food). The company encountered difficulties during World War II, when metal for cans wasn’t readily available. Today, Pedigree is now a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. Pedigree produces four different pet food products: Pedigree, Whiskas, Kitekat and Pal. Pedigree’s current slogan is “We’re for dogs”.
PEDIGREE DOG FOOD REVIEW
Pedigree’s dog food formulas have been subject to a lot of criticism. The main reason for this is that the four main ingredients in their formulas include: ground whole wheat, ground whole corn, meat & bone meal and animal fat preserved with BHA. BHA is a preservative (Butylated hydroxyanisole) which may actually be a carcinogen. Other common ingredients include chicken by-product, rice, flavoring, salt, wheat mill run and artificial colors.
PEDIGREE DOG FOOD FORMULAS
- Pedigree Weight Maintenance is designed for dogs that require a formula that is lower in fat. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 25% protein and 7% fat.
- Pedigree Puppy Food is designed to be fed to puppies that are less than one year of age. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 27% protein and 11% fat.
- Pedigree Little Champions Puppy Complete is designed to be fed to puppies that are less than one year of age. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 9% protein and 4% fat.
- Pedigree with Lamb & Rice is suitable for all adult dogs. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 22% protein and 12% fat.
- Pedigree with Chicken, Rice, & Vegetables is suitable for all adult dogs. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 26% protein and 12% fat.
- Pedigree Small Breed Mini Crunchy Bites is designed as small kibble to be easier for small breeds to eat. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 21% protein and 9% fat.
- Pedigree Large Breed Nutrition is designed to be fed to large breed dogs. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 22% protein and 10% fat.
- Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition is suitable for all adult dogs. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 21% protein and 10% fat.
- Pedigree Senior Complete Nutrition is designed to be fed to senior dogs that are over seven years of age. The Guaranteed Analysis of this formula contains 24% protein and 8% fat.
PEDIGREE CONSUMER RATINGS
Customers tend to mostly give Pedigree’s dog food formulas a negative review. This is mostly due to inclusion of corn, wheat, artificial colors and chemical preservatives in the formulas. Many dog owners also reported that their dogs experienced health problems after being fed Pedigree dog food formulas. Some symptoms thought to be associated with Pedigree include: skin welts, lesions, itching, hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea and general digestive problems. Though a few dog owners report no problems, the general consensus seems to be that Pedigree is a low-quality dog food formula.
34 Responses to “PEDIGREE DOG FOOD”
Have been using Pedigree for my 5 yorkies for years. Have always had an itching problem… Bought a new bag in December and the day after Christmas one of my yorkies died. When I got home he was lifeless and there was bloody runny poop every where. I rushed him to my vet and she put him on IV meds and really tried to save hime…but he died. I asked her if it was contagious and she said no. Something irratated his digestive track and he was only 3.5#’s and he went down hill really fast. I kept feeding then this Pedigree and four out of 5 of my dogs have been rushed to the vet since I bought this dog food. My vet told me to throw this food away and start with a different kind, I wish I would have never bought this Pedigree dry dog food… I have always used Pedigree soft to mix with the dry..and I am re-think that also when I read all the scratching issues that my yorkies have too…and it’s not fleas!!
Sorry to hear about your loss. My post is the Dec.16th post above. My dog also died that day. I found him lifeless in the yard when I came home from work.
i just recently adopted a pekingnese and she’s two years old.. got her last tue, she was okay when i got her, but i fed her with Pedigree Tasty Bone Meat flavor, she has started to scratch herself until today.. will go to the vet today for bloodtest.
I should have checked the web on this sooner. I have a 40 pound bag of Pedigree adult complete nutrition dry food that I give my dog to make up the balance in food weight or quantity together with some cooked meats. Three weeks ago, my doberman became very sick and showed all the signs of a dying dog. He would get up with difficulty to drink water, but would not eat anything. After five days of this, I took him to the vet and they couldn’t find out what the problem was.The vet did manage to get my dog to eat something and gave him some rehydration shots. He started to eat the prescribed canned food given by the vet a little at a time. On the third week, he seemed to be OK and could walk around by himself and was as happy as before. Then last night,going into the fourth week, for the first time since he got better, I gave him a serving of the Pedigree dry food again and he became lethargic again. He is drooling through the mouth and refuses to eat anything again. I now strongly suspect that the Pedigree dog food is at fault.
The package of Pedigree adult complete nutrition has the following information: UPC 2311 31478
Proof of purchase 10084136
lot# 121C2CAT02 17:54
Exp date 5 23 2012
Purchased from Walmart
Just barried my blue heler dog today he was only 2 1/2 years old.took him to the vet 3 months ago to get his shots he was perfectly healthy and happy.my husband bought some alpo dog food this would have been his first time to have alpo. we used a diffrent brand but though we would change it up a little for him .. about 4 or 5 days after him eating this food on a daily basis he became sick scratching pulling out his hair and his coat just looked dull and eyes a little red and he seemed a little weeker we though maybe allergies were treating him for allergies..a little more time went by and he had finised off the whole bag of alpo by this time and we noticed he was getting weaker and a little lethargic like and he was not keeping any of his food down it was all coming back up.. and he was loosing weight like crazy.. but he was drinking a ton of water like he could not get enough of it…when he became worse as time went on there was no dought it was the alpo food .. it was the only thing he was eating at the time. and he had never had it before .and he was a good healthy young dog.and i am missing him so much i feel so bad that i was feeding my dog this posion….and he was always so loyal to us he protected us and loved us so much .he will be missed greatly.I hate that the companies are aloud to get away with things like this ..I emailed the company with no reply back of course.be aware of what you give your dogs do your research I wish i had before giving my beloved dog this posion…….
i’ve been feeding my dogs pedigree complete dry food. last nite shopping i ran into a man shopping for dog food as well. this man told me his dog had been itching badly and he thought it was his dog’s food that was causing that itching. i asked him what brand was it was and he pointed to the bag of pedigree i had in my basket! i was shocked, never would have thought that the food i was feeding my dogs everyday for the last 6 months was the reason my two dogs were itching so badly. i figured they had fleas, and took them to the groomers and had them shampooed and dipped and they were still suffering so bad. they have scratched them selves so badly they have welts and scabs all over them selves. i switched the food to beneful. they are doing 100% better. i was lucky to bump into this man, cause my next step was the doctors and that would have cost me money i didnt have, but would have spent. i love my dogs and will in the future be more selective about what they eat.
Pedigree must have changed lately. My shitzu all of a sudden has dark stains around his mouth and eyes. Everyone has told me to change food. I’m going to try something else.
I switched my Poodles to raw food and the staining stopped within 2 days.
I recently took in a friends 5 year old golden retriever. She told me she has been feeding her golden retriever Pedigree since she adopted Bella from a rescue. She said even the rescue had been feeding Bella Pedigree dog food.
I have noticed comparably to other golden retriever in my area that her coat, health, and activity are so much different than other golden retrievers. She has zero to no activity, her coat is so dull and harsh instead of being soft. Her tail is supposed to be feathery, its so coarse.
Shes also extremely over weight for a golden retriever! Shes a tall golden retriever but she should not weigh 105lbs. My friend tells me Bella has already lost 15lbs. I could not imagine another 15lbs on this poor dog.
ASAP Shes going on a new diet in my home. I know shes going to have some drastic changes to her body and how she feels. I’ve already noticed her level of activity has changed. Shes probably lost 4lbs and already has increased movement.
The main thing i have to say is that just because you feed your pet doesn’t mean your taking care of it. I don’t reccomend this dog food to anyone who CARES what exactly is going inside there dog.
Would you eat the same bland cereal for every meal every day?
Then why would you let your dog?
These reviews are scaring me! I recently switched my shih tzu to Pedigree for small dogs formula about 3 months ago after he didnt seem to like the beneful or royal canin brands. he seemed to enjoy the pedigree and eat it without hesitation at first but the last month and a half or so i’ve been noticing that he scratches a lot (no tics, i checked) and he’s been having upset stomach issues, vomiting and pooping like crazy, very loose. he doesnt seem to have much appetite lately either. i’m glad i looked into the pedigree reviews because i’m pretty sure now that’s whats wrong with him. I know shih tzu’s like many smaller breeds are sensitive to fillers and many processed dog foods but i thought pedigree was safe and he seemed to like it. he’s been sick since yesterday so i’m going to make him chicken with white rice and see if that helps. throwing the pedigree in the garbage!
Hello to all, I feed my dog Blue and he loves it. He is a 1 year old shih tzu his coat is shiny and he doesn’t scratch at all. His breath smells wonderful, it is a high quality food brand name and can get expensive.
my dog has been eating pedigree since the last one year and refuses to eat anything else in fact we have to feed her like a baby she is fascinated when somebody eats something but doesnt eat even chicken for that matter. earlier it used to eat chicken and vegetables. now sshe doesnt even sniff them eats only pedigree. she vomits ocassionally and is 3 years old what should i do
I have been feeding my dog Iams dry dogfood and alternating once a day with pedigree wet food (the small 58 cents packs). But recently with my hours cut back at work I started buying the large cans and dividing it up over two days. That is until my dog started squirting four times a day. I am very concerned about her and even more now that I have read these comments. Is there anything I can give her for an upset stomach?
I have two dogs who have always been fed Hills Science Diet food… We recently swtiched them to pedigree (due to a commerical my husband saw on tv..) within a week my cattle dog developed a hot spot on his hind leg and my 13 year old yorkie scratched her eyes and mouth raw. She is now on medication and forced to wear a cone to prevent scratching. The vet said it was due to changing from a high quality organic food to a low quaility corn based food. Be aware of pedigree. Watch out for any forms of itching and scratching… I am very upset and worried about dogs.
Science Diet is neither organic or high quality. Science Diet is not that much better than Pedigree.
We have been feeding our dogs Pedigree for a while now and it seemed to be ok. However over the last few months our older dog has been throwing up sometimes 2 to 4 times a day. We thought that it might be related to his age. But our little poodle mix started doing some really odd things lately including throwing up (she’s been eating pedigree for a little over a year). She started having these shaking episode that for the last 3 months we seemed to be able to link to something else (she was abused before we got her so she scares easily). But just this past weekend we saw something very scary. She was vioently shaking and walking backwards in a crouched position with her backside in the air, she was panting heavily and drooling before she vomitted. This went on for a good minute or so and then her front paw curled up and her head pulled to the side. We thought it was a seizure but she didn’t make any nosie and did seem somewhat aware of what was going on as she kept trying to jump up on my lap and kept looking at me as she was sitting there. As we began to put pieces together we noticed there was a pattern between the other dog throwing up and what was happening now. We are thinking that it might be the food. I am hoping that someone out there may have heard about something similar to this when it comes to this doog food. At this point my husband and I are not contacting pedigree becuse we don’t think that they would respond or do anything. But any information at this point would be helpful, we have also switched the type of dog food we use.
I have just opened two tins of pedigree puppy food, only to fin a length of wire in one and a 1 inch hard substance in the other. I have sent an email to Pedigree but do not hold out much hope of a reply. I am only glad that I notice the alien items before I fed to my puppy. Who knows what would have happened if I had not spotted them. I will not buy another pedigree product and would advise anyone against using them. If this is what is supposed to be a high quality food I will go without thank you.
My Black Mouth Cur a wonderful, loving protective big ol’ hound dog died, alone and in sickness while I and my Wife had to be at work. I buried him on our land so that he’ll always be with us especially in our hearts. Mars Corporation is directly responsible!
Their love of MONEY is causing my family many hours of heart ache. Our home is so empty without our Rocky.
They’ve obviously have “bought off” the FDA, the FDA says they don’t have any “supporting evidence” that Pedigree dog and cat food[s] cause illness and death to animals we here on this website KNOW BETTER!
Rocky suffered from terrible muscle spasms we not knowing better [thinking it was his maybe eating lizards or frogs in our back yard when he went potty] kept feeding our poor boy this chemical laden food[s] to where when he finally got so sick we took him to the vet [expensive proposition for us] we were told that he was dieing from heart, lung and nerve damage probably caused by ingestion of chemicals over a long period of time, we fed him and our other dogs Pedigree almost exclusively. Rocky had a bad hip so I bought the “Joint and Hip” Pedigree and that’s when Rocky REALLY showed sickness.
The ONLY chemicals our poor boy ate were from the damnable PEDIGREE food[s]. No other “chemicals” are available in our home, he lived inside the house all the time only went out to go potty or with me when working in the back yard.
Rocky suffered terribly in his last week if I could put my hands on the persons that KNOWINGLY allow their animal foods to contain KILLER chemicals, well lets just say they would wish thye had never met me!!!!!
My Vet refused to state outright that Pedigree by MARS [yeap candy bar makers too, wonder what they’re feeding us?] because he pointedly said he would not be involved in a legal case. Can’t say I blame him if MARS can buy off the FDA certainly they can bury us in legal fees and destroy his practice!
We as an entire family and friends and anyone willing to listen and do; are boycotting ANYTHING made by MARS Corp.
We tell everyone willing to listen what Pedigree has done to our beloved Rocky and the misery it has caused.
If you are reading this then you really need to be concerned as to what you are giving your pet[s] cat food included and that means their canned and treat foods as well.
You are poisoning your beloved Pets without knowing it STOP using Pedigree or any of their other “pet” foods now or you’ll live through what we as a family have. It is terrible and the hear ache never goes away!!!!!!!
I’ve been active in dog care all my life, raising and training retrievers for field trials in past years and currently retired with a Jack Russel & a Pekingese. I do not and would not feed Pedigree, but I can spot a dog of any type fed who is on it a glance: They tend to be “soft” and fleshy to the hand & carry too much condition/weight. Coats are adequate, but activity level is often decreased, and most telling are the large bulky soft, sometimes loose yellow stools. Although Pedigree is inexpensive and widely marketed, I believe my dogs deserve better.
Kind of off of the subject but I just love the claim that you can look at any breed of dog and tell if they have been eating Pedigree. (sorry just glance at them) I find that a pretty bold claim and kind of funny actually.
Boy am I confused. I have fed Pedigree to my rescue Greyhounds for years now. All my greyts have done well, great coats, active, etc. Just adopted a foster dog that has been with us for over a year and doing well, also on Pedigree. Been told to change their food to a better quality of food that Pedigree is nothing but filler. I am a believer that if it “ain”t broke don’t change it”. I have been reading labels, checking web sites of more expensive dog food and really don’t know what to do. I feel quilty now feeding Pedigree, just don’t know what to do. What to do???
Just as humans, dogs are also unique. No one brand is going to be “the best” or give the same results for EVERY animal. I recently had my 15 year old dalmatian put to rest- she ate pedigree dog food till the end and was in excellent health until her back end could no longer support her. I have two goldens with beautiful shiny coats, and a pekingese with the flufffiest fur – they eat pedigree as well. Changing an animals diet does need to be a slow process, just as it is for a human. Digestive systems are sensitive to all changes. Higher priced foods are not necessarily the best. Do some research to find out what your particular breed needs as far as protein, fat,etc, and then start reading labels.
I hope everything works out okay with your puppy. I have always had labs. I even had them bred many years ago. I have always used pedigree can & dry dogfood and have had nothing but good luck with they’re products. My labs , mother and daughter both lived to be 18-19 years old. As for all the pups, they lived very happy fulfilled lives as well.
I think that just like “people”, dogs experience allergies just as easy on certain foods. My lab was allergic to grass of all things and had to be given bendryl every year when spring arrived, nothing to do with dog food.Ihave been using Pedigree small crucnchy bites for the last 26years and just switched over to Purina because the recipe got changed and it just sat in my dogs bowl. Now I don’t have labs, I have recues , 4 of them.You would think they would eat anything, but they are spoiled. I have only had good luck with Pedigree products until now. I wish they would have left the recipe alone, now on Purina One with antioxidants, glucosamine and omega 3′s, they like it but are having gastronical issues because of the change. Beneful okay but dried out they’re coats too bad. I am at a cross road with dogfoods at the moment and will gladly take any good advice.
Grain free is best – try Taste of the Wild, it’s one of the most affordable and an excellent food
i foster and rescue dogs, i have gotten them in near starved conditions and put them directly on pedigree. they all do wonderfully. i have seen them gain 23lbs in 3 weeks on it. i have used almost all brands of food and pedigree has been the most successful, to the point that i refuse any other brand, even my tiny chi gets pedigree canned. before i got into rescue i fed it to my own dogs for years and all lived long healthy lives with never any health problems caused by food. all of my current dogs have firm stools, shiny coats, no gas (major gas on beneful) and are active healthy animals. i will always recommend pedigree to adopters.
My dog had puppies on 12/12/2010. When they started to eat, I started them on Pedigree canned puppy food. After my initial purchase I bought a 2nd batch of 10 cans. When I opened the first one it smelled much like sewage, needless to say, I threw it away. I opened a 2nd can and it smelled the same. The bottom of the can says best if used by 9/11/2012. So, it’s not past its shelf life. I have sent 2 messages to Pedigree to see if they have an answer to the smell, I have yet to receive a message back from them. My guess is they just don’t care. I have sent them the production numbers on the bottom of the can and you would think that they would be on it in a flash. It’s been 4 days now and nothing. I will never use their products again. 10 cans in the Trash! I don’t know what is causing the foul odor in their puppy food but I definitely would never feed it to an animal I love again!
has anybody seen their dog being hyper after eating Pedigree treats?
I feed my English Mastiff Pedigree Large Breed dry dog food and he is doing just fine. The vet only told me to use a large breed dog food because the giant breeds have specific nutritional needs due to rapid joint and bone growth. I also alternate with Pedigree Healthy joints food.
After trying many different brands of dog food, including Beneful, Iams, and Pro Plan as well as a few high end brands that have all natural ingresdients, my Mastiff does best on the Pedigree. On these other brands we had problems with diarhea, skin ailments, gas, vomiting and hyperactivity. I fed him each of these foods for a month or longer and ended up going to Pedigree because it is the only one I found that agrees with my dogs digestion.
My dog is doing great on the Pedigree diet.
I must agree, with you. I have fed Pedigree small breed and puppy pedigree, for years. My Chihuahua is 10 + years, and my other Chihuahua lived to 9 yrs., and my Blue heeler, was 10 when he passed too. I have not had any symptoms except itching.Vet agrees itch is allergy to any flea bite. Here in the South, we do have flea outbreaks and can’t help that and my dogs and I like it.LAC, Bushnell, Fl.
I rescued 2 adult Boxers from shelters who had some weak looking coats and were pretty scrawny.
Not knowing much about dog nutrition and Boxers, I purchased Pedigree dry/canned dog food because of the price and commercial claims.
Boy, where THEY wrong. from the start, my dogs had diarrhea,and would vomit at least twice a week. They were also weak, and would poop 5 to 7 times a day, and had “eye gunk” for days!
My Vet told me these are food allergies caused by low quality ingredients, and grains, which ARE NOT part of a carnivore diet.He definitely warned me to stay away from “supermarket brands” like Alpo, Purina,Skipy, and Pedigree duw to their high use of cheap fillers like corn, wheat, soy,pork leftovers, and floor sweepings known as “meat by-products”.
I would NOT recommend Pedigree to anyone who loves their dog and wants it to live a long healthy life!
Sorry…just speaking from personal experience!
Frankie Firme
Sylmar, CA , USA
I changed over to a more natural, better quality ingredient,grain free kibble dog food, and only 3 months later, my dogs look “brand new” again!
Hi Sheila I hope your dog is okay. I have been having a terriable time with puppy food latley. I first bought purina puppy chow and noticed my puppy very itchy. I took her to the vet, we could not find any fleas. At the same time beneful puppy food came on sale and i thought i would treat our puppy. She got so sick vomiting and diarrhea. I took it off her and back to the vet. The vet said i had changed her food to fast. So i went back to the purina puppy chow and she is back scratching like crazy. I can only think that with so many other people having the same problem i would think it has something to do with the corn they are putting in the dog food. I have had dogs in the past and they all lived to 19- 21 years old. I have never had a problem like this before. My sister told me to buy pedigree puppy food that she finds it really good. I just started her on it hopefully it works.
Jen
Pedigree canned dog food nearly killed my dog in May 2010. Mars claims there is no known problem. A friend’s dog died this week, same symptoms, same dog food. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite. If you see this, QUIT FEEDING THEM PEDIGREE IMMEDIATELY and take your pet to a vet.
I nearly lost my 6 1/2 year old bulldog to Pedigree’s new formaula dry food. Same symptomes you mentioned above. Thakfully I got her to the vet in time and she pulled through.
We have two dogs, Cavalier Spaniel and Lasaapsa cross. Both dogs have justed started voimiting everytime we feed them a mix of Pedigree Chopped Chicken and Iams mini chunks and Beneful, healthy radiance. We have been alternating chopped chicken in the mornings and beef, bacon, cheese and country stew in the evenings. Our female just had to have a stone the size of an egg removed from her urethera tract. Vet not sure what has caused it. We also have rabbits and just recently the dogs have started eating rabbit droppings. So, with all these variables, not sure what is causing their symptoms.