Pro Plan

Pro Plan Large Athletic Puppy Dry review

Name: Pro Plan Large Athletic Puppy Dry
Brand: Pro Plan

48.4/100Average

DryPuppy

Aimed at the big pup with an engine, at 401 kcal per 100g, and it lands in our Average band. Much of the declared protein arrives from plant entries, and the animal fats and digest stay unnamed. The added vitamin and trace mineral panel is dosed in print, but calcium, the figure a large breed growth food is judged on, is missing.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Large breed pups with a genuinely busy day
Owners who like the micronutrients spelled out, from vitamin A at 27000 IU/kg to zinc at 110 mg/kg
A lighter starch load: an estimated 35.2% of dry matter against 39.0% for a typical puppy dry food
A bag that is easy to restock throughout a pup's growth

Worth watching

No calcium figure on a large breed growth food
Wheat comes second, ahead of the dried poultry protein
Unnamed animal fats and digest put an exclusion diet out of reach

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

48.4/100Average

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceExcellent

TransparencyAverage

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large breed puppies. Ask Purina for the calcium figure before planning a big pup's rearing, and re-measure portions as the pup grows.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Large

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Pro Plan Large Athletic Puppy Dry 48.4

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

The energy and micronutrients are real; the reading falls on how much of the protein comes from wheat, soya and corn.

What's in it

High quality chicken (back and chest)19%The parts are named, which few labels do. Fresh, so much of it is water that cooks off.
WheatShapes the recipe more than any other entry; the cereal most often behind a grain sensitivity.
Dried poultry proteinDoes more durable protein work than the chicken, under a name that covers any farmed bird.
Rice9%
Soya mealPlant protein, which a dog draws less from than meat protein.
Animal fats, digestNeither names a species. Digest is the palatability coating.
Corn protein meal, wheat gluten, cornMore plant protein lifting the protein line.
Dried beet pulp, minerals
Dried egg, fish oilBoth worthwhile inclusions.
Dried colostrum0.1%The maker's early immune idea.

Fully dosed: vitamins A, D3, E and C, with iron, iodine, copper, manganese, zinc and selenium as sulphates and selenite.

No calcium figure on the label, the one number a large breed growth food is usually judged on.

Named ingredients

High quality chicken (including back and chest) (19%), Wheat, Dried poultry protein, Rice (9%), Soya meal, Animal fats, Digest, Corn protein meal, Wheat gluten, Corn, Dried beet pulp, Minerals, Dried egg, Fish oil, Dried colostrum (0.1%)

Against the range

One growth kibble for large breed puppies. Chicken at 19% leads, then wheat, dried poultry protein and rice at 9%, and soya meal, corn protein meal and wheat gluten supply a substantial slice of the declared protein. Moisture is not declared, so the dry matter figures assume 8%.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

401 kcal/100g

Protein

32%

Fat

18%

Fibre

Ash

7.5%

Dry weight

Protein

34.8%

Fat

19.6%

Fibre

2.2%

Ash

8.2%

Carbs

35.2%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Meat

43.4%

Carbs

45.9%

Oils

4.1%

Other

6.5%

Pricing & size