Pro Plan Savor Canned Dog FOOD Review

With a score of 6.5/10, Purina Pro Plan Savor Wet dog food is considered a moderate risk dog food based on our criteria. It’s also one of the higher scoring Purina brands. There are 2 recipes with 41% protein and 18% carbohydrate as calculated on a dry matter basis. 

It’s good to see this level of protein, however the carbohydrates are much higher than we expect to see in a wet dog food. Excessive carbohydrate is an indicator of lower food quality as it 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. 

There are added vitamins and minerals to meet nutrient requirements in these recipes. This usually reflects poor quality or overly processed ingredients. They are listed as undefined which is concerning because it’s assumed they are a standard premix, and it’s difficult to know the sources. 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. 

These recipes contain meat by-products, an unnamed protein. Unnamed animal proteins are a sign of low quality and can be made from any type of meat. Unnamed animal ingredients are often a less expensive, low quality ingredient that can be made from rendered waste of many proteins.

On the ingredient safety side, these foods are highly processed, 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. 

Carrageenan is a highly processed derivative of seaweed used as a thickener or texturizer. It may be linked to intestinal inflammation and other negative health effects.  

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