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Purina Pro Plan Puppy Small Breed Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 6-lb bag
Purina Pro Plan

Puppy Small Breed Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 6-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.33/lb

Purina Pro Plan Puppy Small Breed Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 6-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 60/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth.

ACF

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 38% ⓘ
Protein
33%
min (as fed)
Fat
20%
min (as fed)
Fiber
3%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

28 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  2. 2
    corn protein meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.

  3. 3
    poultry by-product meal

    Unnamed poultry. The mix can include any combination of chicken, turkey, or other birds, with no traceability. Named by-product meals are fine. This one isn't.

  4. 4
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  5. 5
    wheat

    Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.

  6. 6
    beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols

    Real animal fat from a named species, with natural vitamin E doing the preservation. The clean version.

  7. 7
    corn germ meal
  8. 8
    dried egg product

    Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  9. 9
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  10. 10
    fish meal

    Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.

  11. 11
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  12. 12
    mono and dicalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  14. 14
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  15. 15
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  16. 16
    soybean oil

    Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.

  17. 17
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  18. 18
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  19. 19
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  20. 20
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

  21. 21
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  22. 22
    calcium iodate

    Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.

  23. 23
    sodium selenite Flagged

    Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →

  24. 24
    magnesium sulfate

    Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  25. 25
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.