PURINA ALPO WET DOG FOOD REVIEW

With a score of 4.8/10, Purina Alpo wet is considered a high risk dog food based on our criteria. There are 8 recipes that average 46% protein and 24% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis.  

These recipes have a decent amount of protein, which is to be expected in a wet dog food. However, many of the animal proteins are from unnamed animals (listed as poultry or meat/meat byproducts) which calls into question the type, quality and source of the protein. This is a sign of low quality and can be made from any type or combination of animals. Unnamed animal ingredients are often a less expensive, low quality ingredient that can be made from rendered waste of many proteins. 

These recipes have higher carbohydrates than expected for a wet food, and include grains and starches like wheat, soy, corn starch, rice, potatoes and peas. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates but starch is required for extrusion in dry foods. Excessive carbohydrates are an indicator of lower food quality as they can be used to reduce manufacturing cost. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can increase insulin levels, increase the risk of obesity and cause unwanted changes to the gut microbiome. 

An excessive amount of vitamins and minerals have been added to meet nutrient requirements in these recipes. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients and a lack of whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Vitamin and mineral excesses, especially vitamin D and copper, can also result from added vitamin premixes, so it’s preferable that most or all vitamins and minerals come from real foods. 

It’s also worth noting that the line contains sodium selenite as a source of selenium. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. However some research suggests that sodium selenite may be associated with potential toxicity, so selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral. 

On the ingredient safety side, these recipes fare a bit better than Alpo dry. The concerns begin with the high processing using heat that destroys nutrients. Canned foods are heated before and during canning, which will cause significant losses in some active enzymes, vitamins, amino acids and phytonutrients. Processed foods are also linked to higher mortality rates in many species. 

These recipes also have ingredients in the top 5  known for high pesticide/herbicide residues. Crops that are spray-dried with Roundup contain more herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases.  

These recipes also use known GMO crops in the top 5 ingredients. There are limited safety studies on genetically modified and Roundup Ready crops, although they are lacking in nutrients compared to non-GMO foods. GMO crops also strip nutrients from soils, cause increased pesticide risk and may be involved in bee die-off. 

Recipes in this line contain natural flavor, which is added to make processed food more palatable. But natural flavor is often either MSG or animal digest, both low quality ingredients with limited safety studies. Food coloring has been added to these foods. It’s often added to make them look more appealing to consumers and to hide the grey color of rendered ingredients. Food dyes are linked to health issues. 

Finally, rice is an ingredient that can be contaminated with arsenic from the water it’s grown in. Arsenic is linked to chronic health issues.  

These concerns don’t cost points but are worth noting. 

It’s worth noting that when dog food labels say “With Beef & Vegetables” “With Turkey & Wholesome Veggie Accents,” “With Lamb & Rice” and “With Beef & Vegetables,” AAFCO requires those “with” ingredients to be only 3% of the product’s weight. 

There’s also an AAFCO rule stating “a product does not need to have a huge amount of an ingredient which only provides flavor. A flavor designation in a product name (or elsewhere on a label) may be used as long as a listed ingredient provides the flavor …”  This flavor rule would apply to the Alpo recipes labeled “T-Bone Steak Flavor,” “Beef Tenderloin Flavor,” and “Rotisserie Chicken Flavor.” In other words, it’s only flavor and it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s T-bone steak, beef tenderloin or rotisserie chicken in the food. 

Lastly, Purina doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.