Beneful dog food
September 23, 2008
Filed under Beneful, Dog Food Reviews
Beneful dog food review
Beneful dog food formulas are manufactured and marketed by Nestle Purina Petcare Company. Currently, there are two Beneful product lines for dogs—dry dog food and one canned formula.
Beneful dog food has often been criticized as a low-grade product because of the low-quality ingredients which are incorporated in their dog food formulas. It is primarily grain-based and uses chicken by-product meal as the major source of animal-based protein. We do not recommend Beneful dog food brand to your dogs.
Currently, there are seven Beneful dry dog food variants formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages. However, these dry dog formulas contain controversial ingredients that compromise the nutritional value of the dog food.
Beneful’s first five major ingredients are made up of ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, and animal fat.
Ground yellow corn as the first major ingredient already tells a lot about the nutritional value of the dog food. Although corn is a good source of carbohydrates, there is no way of knowing if the corn grains that have been used are of the first class grade and not one which has been designated as livestock feed grade. Corn has been also pinpointed as one of the important food allergens in dog food.
The same way can be said with wheat flour which has been linked to food allergies in dogs.
Another corn-based ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is also a by-product after starch has been extracted from corn. It is an inexpensive but inferior source of essential amino acids which can add to the total protein content of the dog food formula.
Chicken by-product meal is made from chicken parts which have been considered unfit for human consumption. The meal is made by rendering chicken slaughterhouse waste including chicken beaks, feet, entrails, even undeveloped eggs. As you can see, most of these by-products are inedible.
Although chicken by-product meal comes from such savory ingredients, it is still a good source of protein compared to fresh chicken.
The use of animal fat is controversial, in that the source/s has not been identified. Fat which has been used can come from any source including slaughterhouse waste, diseased livestock, and even restaurant grease.
Beneful dry dog food contains propylene glycol, a food moisturizer which has been banned by the FDA for use in pet food.
Controversial ingredients incorporated in Beneful dog food formulas include garlic oil, menadione, and non-chelated minerals.
Garlic oil, extracted from raw garlic, has been associated with the occurrence of Heinz body anemia in dogs.
Menadione is a controversial form of vitamin K which has been linked to several serious conditions including allergies, liver toxicity, and abnormal break-down of red blood cells in the body.
A run-through of the ingredients will reveal more than 50% carbohydrate content while protein dry matter is only a measly 29%. Fat content is insufficient to satisfy the nutritional requirements of all ages of dogs.
Customer Reviews
A significant number of dog allergies have been reported which have been linked to Beneful dog food products. Many dog owners are dismayed to be fooled into buying a dog food because of its rampant marketing strategies and excellent packaging without considering the poor quality ingredients of the dog food inside. Dog owners also report of digestive problems including diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting. Overall, we do not recommend Beneful dog food and would suggest Kirkland dog food as a higher-quality value alternative.
Please visit the links listed below for Beneful dog food reviews by formula.
Have a comment or question about our Beneful dog food review? Want to share your experiences with others? We welcome your comments!
Beneful dog food reviews
Beneful Dog Food Formulas:
- Beneful Original dog food
- Beneful Healthy Weight dog food
- Beneful Playful Life dog food
- Beneful Healthy Radiance dog food
- Beneful Healthy Harvest dog food
- Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies dog food
Beneful Dog Food Consumer Rating
Not sure what all the negativity is about on the Beneful. We adopted a Blackmouth Cur from the shelter just a couple of weeks ago. While i am not a dog person my wife has had several dogs in the past that she adopted from shelters. She has always fed her dogs the Beneful formulas with no troubles at all. And we feed our Zoey the dry puppy formula as well as the moist meaty blends. She just LOVES these foods especially when we mix the moist with the dry. She is very active, athletic, energetic and always eager for her daily walk. Her coat is healthy and soft.Her stools are also very healthy. And when we told our vet what we were feeding her even he said, “I don’t know what they put in that Beneful but whatever it is dogs just love it.” So other than the ingredients that I don’t really know whether or not are questionable, because once again I am not an expert on canines, I just don’t know what all the negativity is all about on the Beneful line of food. If it is really that bad, then why is it sold at all ? But then of course, I’d never feed my Zoey any Ol’ Roy either…
I don’t understand all the negativity either. I use to give my Coon Hound/Lab mix kibbles and bits cause it was her favorite but she was shedding hair, not very energetic, and had bad dandruff issues. I spoke to our family vet and she suggested Beneful and WOW what a difference! She now acts like a puppy and wants to play and run constantly, her coat is gorgeous, we always get comments about how clean her teeth are, and most importantly NO dandruff or excessive shedding problems. It’s amazing how much she has changed just from switching her diet and our vet states its because she was not getting the necessary ingredients needed for a healthy life. Beneful has changed my attitude when it comes to the best food for dogs!