Proplan

So how bad is Proplan select chicken and brown rice? Yes I have a new Golden puppy I got him last week he is 12 weeks old. I was lost without Gunner and needed another boy. I will post pics soon. The breeder has him on this proplan but I don't want to switch him unless it is really bad. What should I switch to? I'm thinking Fromm but just not sure.

Here's a review I found on Proplan that you asked about:

http://petfoodtalk.com/dogfoodreviews/pro-plan/

2 Stars
Purina Pro Plan dog food gets a low review for dubious quality and a number of harmful ingredients that canines cannot digest.
The first ingredient listed is fresh chicken, but because it loses eighty percent of its weight during cooking, it should be positioned lower on the list. The more probable dominant ingredient on the list is brewer’s rice, or fragmented rice leftovers from processing, which is a cheap by-product that does not have real nutritional value. The food also contains poultry by-products, which are not fit for consumption and can include anything from defective eggs to talons and beaks that contain no nutritional value and can cause digestive upset.
Additionally, Pro Plan formulas make heavy use of corn gluten meal, which has been stripped of all beneficial carbohydrates and lacks essential amino acids.
Overall, Purina Pro Plan is a dog food that contains many cheap ingredients and has very little actual nutritional value in comparison with many dog foods touted as premium, and is not recommended for most dogs.

Why don't you want to switch him?

Proplan's hardly great though dogs seem to do fine on it. Fromm is a far superior food IMO however. I'm just confused as to why you don't want to switch him unless Proplan is "really bad"? Does he have stomach issues or something?

IMO, although the ingredients aren't "the best"...I have yet to see a dog do poorly on Pro Plan and I wouldn't criticize someone if they fed it.

That being sad, there are quite a few better foods for a much cheaper price. For the price of a bag of Pro Plan, there are many other better alternatives.

I feed Fromm's Grain Free formulas; typically we stick to the Game Bird formula, although I do really like their Surf and Turf as well.

Proplan is a pretty far cry from Fromm's regarding quality. I've also had really good luck switching dogs from lesser foods to Fromm's with almost no stomach issues. Fromm's is super easy to digest and usually it's all those nasty fillers that dogs have trouble adjusting to.

I would personally switch him to what your other dogs are eating. Makes things easier.

I believe Payton's breeder was feeding him ProPlan. I switched him cold turkey to TOTW when he came to live with me. I didn't want to go buy any ProPlan to transition him so I just did it cold turkey, and he was fine.

I don't know if I would call it "really bad" - I guess everybody's idea of really bad will vary - but I wouldn't say it's anything special either. I agree with just putting him on what your other dogs are eating.

My dog did very poorly on ProPlan, she chewed the fur off her tail, thighs, down her one side, and her ears were almost bald, the vet was convinced she had mites...nope the corn heavy ProPlan.

I would switch him to your current food.

Everywhere else I'm getting bashed for wanting to switch him and I'm being told it is a food show dogs use. My gut says it's bad but people can't understand why I want to switch him if he is doing good and his stool is good.

Would the Orijen be too much for him? I just hear that the grain free foods will make him grow too fast. With the Fromm what would be better Fromm Gold Puppy or Fromm chicken a la veg? My mom fed Chicken a la veg to her dogs when they were puppies. I just hear so many conflicting things about feeding Orijen to a puppy. Price does not matter I just want what would be best for a 12 week old Golden Retriever. Thanks for all of the help!

http://petfoodtalk.com/dogfoodreviews/authority/


I know you are local and suggest Authority from Petsmart. they have a chicken formula although we use lamb. I would switch him cold turkey and the hell with what the "breeders" do. You will get bashed by someone no matter what food you choose. the 18 lb bag of food is 18.00. not to bad and Sheen loves it.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3792726


good luck and I cant wait for pics!!!!!

Grain free foods do not make a dog grow too fast. You have to watch calcium phosphorus ratios in any food sure but grain free in and of itself does not make them grow too fast (and this is coming from someone who would raise danes on it). There is the old protein myth where people used to thing that high protein causes growth issues but that has been disproven.

Personally, I would not feed proplan. Its not absolutely horrible no, but its not something I personally would feel comfortable feeding.

It's your dog. Feed him what you like and feel comfortable with. Just my 2 cents.

Yeah that.

Pro Plan is far from the worst food you could be feeding. If it was Ol Roy or something, I'd say absolutely get him off. But many dogs do very well on pro plan.

Do you all agree that the calcium/phosphorus ratio in Go, Acana, and Orijen would be ok for a growing Golden? I don't know what the proper levels should be. These are the 3 foods that I alternate but also sometimes Annamaet salcha.

Quinn was on pro plan when he came to me. Breeder gave me a bag. I switched him over slowly to what we were feeding (infinia and totw) then to raw. I know a lot of ppl that feed pro plan but personally its not for me, I prefer corn free diets.

As a show person I do not feed pro plan. My close friends who show/breed some of the top dogs here don't feed it. A few people I dont lik feed it but I don't consider them good breeders. A few show dogs have done ads for it, it doesnt mean its what all the show dogs eat, far from it.

I would switch, there are lots of other foods out there he can do just as well on and personaly I dont feed more than one type of food, unless there are allergies. To much of a pain

Yep. Zen gets a scoop of ProPlan (performance, not select) in his food. I started doing this a couple years ago when I couldn't get his stools to firm up on anything else.

Check out the ProPlan performance if you'd like to stick with the brand, It's rated slightly higher than the select varieties.

ProPlan is really bad...

Hello Goldiefur,
All Purina products are horrible and Proplan Select Chicken and Brown Rice is certainly no different.
It contains only one meat ingredient, chicken (which is 75% water) and is a huge 41% carbohydrates... dogs have a ZERO need for carbs and good kibble will be under 30% carbs... kibble must have starches (carbs) to act as a binder.

All these ingredients in Proplan Select Chicken and Brown Rice are horrible and must be avoided: brewers rice, whole grain wheat, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole grain corn, animal fat, corn bran, animal digest, dried egg product, salt and menadione sodium bisulfite complex. .

Grain-free Fromm is OK, EVO (but they’ve had a voluntary recall after being bought by P&G), Orijen, Wellness Core... grain-free wet is better than kibble. Roger Biduk

I've fed proplan To my dogs without issue for a couple of years now. They do well on it and its affordable.

I agree with laurelin, though...