Choosing the best dog food for Pugs can be challenging. This brachycephalic dog requires a high-quality diet that will keep them from overeating. In this Beneful dog food review, we answer all the questions to help you decide if Beneneful is the right Pug dog food brand.
Is Beneful Good For Pugs?
Beneful dog food is known for its high-quality protein and high nutritional value. Every dog is different and some will thrive on a Beneful diet, while others may not like the food.
Unfortunately, finding the right food for your dog is not as simple as we like to think.
If this is your first dog or you’re not sure if your dog should eat Beneful, I’d recommend consulting your veterinarian.
*This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
Beneful Top Picks
We’ve rounded up some of the best Purina Beneful Incredibites for small dog breeds that have high reviews online.
Feed your Pug the tasty flavor of Real Chicken With Beneful IncrediBites. It is formulated for small dogs and contains 27 grams of protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients.
Your Pug will love the nutritious taste of beef with Purina Beneful Originals IncrediBites. You'll love the complete balanced nutrition that it provides your pal.
A Look At Beneful Brand Dog Food
Nestle Purina Petcare has been in the pet nutrition industry for over 80 years. The company was started by William H. Danforth, George Robinson, and William Andrews in 1894. Their focus was feeding farm animals and founded the Robinson-Danforth Commission Company.
In 1902 The name was changed to Ralston Purina. The company established the first pet nutrition care center in 1926 and has since evolved into the Nestle Purina PetCare Center.
Today, their team consists of over 400 scientists and 18,000 employees including nutritionists worldwide.
Their goal is to enhance the lives of pets and make discoveries that will further enhance the lives of pet welfare and helping raise awareness of what pets needs.
Is Beneful Made In The United States?
According to their website, Beneful dog foods are produced in their company-owned facilities throughout the United States.
They use on-site quality assurance laboratories and staff to ensure the high-quality standards of their pet products.
Beneful Quick Facts
- Phone: 1-800-778-7562
- Email: Website Contact Form
- Company: Nestle Purina PetCare Company
- Headquarters: 1 Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, MO 63164
Beneful Dog Food Standards
According to the FAQ section on the official Purina website, the company holds itself to very strict standards. that meet or exceed the FDA and AAFCo standards for pet food.
The company conducts 30,000 quality checks in a 24-hour production that involves packaging, processing, receiving, and packing.
Their main goal is to provide consumers with the safest quality pet products.
What Is The Beneful Great Nutrition Guarantee?
The company takes great pride in the quality of their products. If for any reason your dog is not 100% satisfied with the Beneful products, they will refund you your money.
According to their FAQ section, you just need to mail them a letter within 60 days of the purchase date and include the following information:
- Product feedback
- Receipt of purchase
- The “Best if Used By” date from packaging and UPC
- Your address and name
Has Beneful Ever Been Recalled?
Beneful has only ever had one recall and it was back in 2016. The recall was due to inadequate vitamins in the Beneful chopped and prepared wet foods, as well as the Pro Plan Savory Meals Wet Dog Food.
All dog food brands that have regular quality inspections are going to have at least one recall.
Beneful Dog Food Ingredients
Beneful doesn’t fully disclose where they source their ingredients from. Their website only states that they thoroughly evaluate their suppliers and their ingredients.
They want to ensure the ingredients meet their high standards and are sustainable long-term. In addition, their suppliers must implement environmental practices that align with their standards.
Purina puts protein in every single recipe. The type of protein will vary depending on the recipe you choose.
Here is a list of the different types of protein they use that can be found on their official website:
- Anchovies
- Arctic Char
- Beef
- Catfish
- Chicken
- Canola Meal
- Chicken-By-Product Meal
- Chicken Hearts
- Chicken Livers
- Cod
- Chicken Meal
- Corn Gluten Meal
Carbohydrates
Purina selects high-quality carbs that will help provide your four-legged friend with the energy they need.
Here is a list of the different types of carbs they use in their dog food recipes:
- Barley
- Brewers Rice
- Brown Rice
- Cassava Root Flour
- Cellulose Fiber
- Corn Germ Meal
- Dried Beet Pulp
- Long Grain Rice
- Malted Barley Extract
- Oat Meal
- Pea Fiber
- Pea Starch
The best way to find out what type of ingredients are in the food your dog is eating is to read the ingredient label.
Product Line
Feed your Pug the tasty flavor of Real Chicken With Beneful IncrediBites. It is formulated for small dogs and contains 27 grams of protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients.
Your Pug will love the nutritious taste of beef with Purina Beneful Originals IncrediBites. You'll love the complete balanced nutrition that it provides your pal.
Feed your Pug the tasty flavor of Real Chicken With Beneful IncrediBites. It is formulated for small dogs and contains 27 grams of protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients.
Your Pug will love the nutritious taste of beef with Purina Beneful Originals IncrediBites. You'll love the complete balanced nutrition that it provides your pal.
Types of Dog Food Beneful Offers
Beneful has a wide range of dog food products that include dry dog food, wet dog food, and dog treats.
The original lineup of products was released in 2001 and in 2005 the Beneful Healthy Harvest products were introduced.
They offer life stages pet food to ensure that your pup gets the nutrients their bodies require.
Let’s take a look at the dog food recipes Beneful has to offer.
Dry Dog Food Recipes
- Beneful Grain-Free Dry Dog Food With Farm-Raised Chicken
- Healthy Puppy Dry Dog Food With Real Chicken
- Beneful Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food With Real Chicken
- IncrediBites Small Dog Dry Food With Real Beef
- Beneful IncrediBites Small Dry Dog Food With Real Chicken
- Originals Dog Food With Real Salmon
- Beneful Originals Dry Dog Food With Real Chicken
- Originals Dry Dog Food With Beef
- Playful Life Dry Dog Food With Real Beef & Eggs
- Beneful Select 10 Dry Dog Food With Farm-Raised Beef
- Superfood Blend Dry Dog Food With Salmon
Beneful Canned Products
In addition to dry dog kibble, they also offer a variety of wet dog food options. Beneful’s wet dog products are divided among five product lines; Superfood Blend, IncrediBites, Chopped Blends, Medleys, and Prepared Meals.
Here is the Beneful wet food recipes:
Superfoods Blend Wet Food Recipes:
- 6-Count Variety Pack with; real lamb, trout, superfood blend, ocean fish, and real chicken
- With Beef, Salmon, Spinach, Pumpkin, and Sorghum
- Contains Apples, Kale, Chicken, Accents of Millets
- With Trout and Lamb in Sauce
Chopped Blends Wet Food Recipes:
- It contains Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, Liver, Peas, and Chicken
- With Wild Rice, Carrots, Peas, and Chicken.
- Salmon, Brown Rice, Spinach, and Sweet Potatoes
- With Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, and Brown Rice
- Carrots, Spinach, Tomatoes, and Brown Rice
- With Barley, Peas, and Beef
IncrediBites Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- Salmon, Carrots, Tomatoes, and Wild Rice
- Wild Rice, Carrots, Tomatoes, and Chicken
- Beef, Wild Rice, Tomatoes, and Carrots
Medleys Wet Dog Food Recipes:
- Brown Rice & Spinach, Tomatoes, and Lamb
- Real Chicken, Pasta & Spinach, and Carrots
- Real Beef, Carrots, Tomatoes & Rice
- 12-Count Variety Pack
Prepared Meals Dog Food Recipes:
- Beef Stew made with real beef, liver, carrots, peas, rice, and barley
- Chicken Stew and features rice, peas, barley, and carrots
- The roasted chicken recipe made with brown rice, carrots, and spinach
- Savory Rice & Lamb Stew which consists of rice, carrots, peas
- Simmered Beef Entree dog recipe which consists of wild rice, barley, carrots, and spinach
- The Simmered Chicken Medley is made with real chicken and liver, green beans, wild rice, and carrots
- 6-pack and 12-pack variety packs
Where To Buy Beneful?
Purina Beneful is available nationwide at popular retail chains and grocery stores such as Walmart, Target, local pet stores and online retail merchants including Chewy.com and Amazon.
You can find promotional discount coupons on the Beneful official website, Facebook community, and occasionally in individual stores.
Final Word On Is Beneful Safe For Pugs?
Based on our research, we personally wouldn’t recommend this food to Pug owners.
Yes, it’s cheap and the company has cleaned up their act. At one point it was making dogs sick and even caused some deaths.
The company has improved its standards, but I would still be hesitant to feed my dog Beneful. However, there are thousands of people who feed Beneful to their dogs and everything is fine.
It all just comes down to a personal choice if you want to feed your dog this brand of food.
After spending hours online, I found that the Consumer Affairs Website has over 1,500 reviews from dog owners who claim Beneful harmed or killed their dogs.
There are much safer and better dog foods on the market for your pooch.
Next time you’re at the grocery store or pet store, be sure to turn the Beneful bag over and read all the ingredients. This will help you decide if it’s right for your pooch!
We’ve rounded up the Beneful small breed dog kibble, and wet food, in case you still want to feed your dog this food. After all, you’re the pet parent and know what’s good for your Pug!
Top Picks For Our Dogs
Best Dog Food
We Like: Pet Plate – It is customized for your dog and is made with real human ingredients. It’s the closest thing to home-cooked dog food without all the work. Get 30% off your first order.
Best Puppy Toy
We Like: Smart Pet Love – This behavioral aid puppy toy will help your pooch deal with everyday stressors.
References And Further Reading
Purina – About Purina – A Company of Pet Lovers
FSN – Food Safety Network – Lawsuit Claims Beneful Dog Food Is Poisoning Pets