We all love our pets and want to ensure that we feed them a nutritious diet that contains all the essential nutrients their growing bodies need. In this article, we’ll answer the question “is Pedigree good for Pugs” and share everything we learn through our online research to help you decide if it’s the right food for your four-legged friend.
Is Pedigree Good For Pugs?
Personally, I don’t think that Pedigree is a high-quality dog food that will help your Pug eat a healthy diet. There are much better dog foods on the market that will be much better.
According to the Dog Food Advisor, one of the main ingredients is corn, which has been known to be used as an inexpensive filler and many dogs have a hard time digesting it.
*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.
Not only that, but whole grain corn is the number one listed ingredient on most of their dog food flavors and corn has been proven to cause allergy issues for many dogs.
If you’re looking for high-quality dog food for your pet, check out Pet Plate, which helps create a customized meal plan for your pooch! The best part is you get a deep discount on your first order!
That being said, you can read my Pedigree dog food review below to help you learn more about this brand. Plus, I’ve reviewed some of the small breed dog foods from their product line below.
Pedigree Top Picks For Small Breeds
As I mentioned above, I personally wouldn’t feed my Pug Pedigree. However, they do have several wet and dry dog foods catered to small dogs.
Puppies
Give your Pug puppy the nutrition they need to thrive. Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection is packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
Keep your Puppy puppy happy with the Pedigree Chopped Canned Dog food that contains essential minerals for healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Adults
Give your Pug puppy the nutrition they need to thrive. Pedigree Puppy Growth & Protection is packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
Keep your Puppy puppy happy with the Pedigree Chopped Canned Dog food that contains essential minerals for healthy skin and a shiny coat.
The price of pet products can add up quickly. If you’re looking to purchase Pedigree for your dog, don’t forget to compare prices to ensure you get the best price possible.
A Look At The Pedigree Brand Dog Food History
Pedigree has been around for over 60 years since 1932 to be exact. It was started by the Chappel brothers in Manchester England, and was called “Chappie.” They started making the dog food with the intention of making affordable dog food for pet owners. To keep the price low, they used low-quality protein sources and other poor quality ingredients.
In 1968 Mars Inc, acquired Kal Kan Foods of Los Angeles and changed the name of the dog food to Pedigree, which is the name they used to sell the product internationally.
Today, Pedigree is a subsidiary of Mars, Inc. In 2002 the English division of Mars Inc was labeled Masterfoods, until it into four separate entities in 2007. Today those entities are called Mars Petcare Uk, Mars Complementeray Petcare UK, Mars Chocolate UK, and Mars Food Uk.
Pedigree Dog Food Standards
Pedigree is a subsidiary of Mars Inc., which owns several other pet products and is one of the few remaining privately-owned “mega-corporations.” At the time of this writing, they have over 85,000 pet care associations that work on improving the lives of over 400 million pets around the world.
According to the Mars Website, Pets truly make the world a better place. That’s why we’re inspired to make A Better World for Pets™, a world where they’re healthy happy and welcome.
They also produce other popular pet products such as Nutro and Royal Canin pet products as well as a number of cat food products.
Is Pedigree Made In The United States
I searched everywhere online to see where the manufacturing plants for Pedigree are located. All I could find was that Mars Petcare US manufactures Kal Kan® in their own facilities in the United States and Canada.
Pedigree Quick Facts
- Phone: (800) 525-5273
- Email: website
- Company: Mars PetCare US, Inc
- Corporate Office: 315 Cool Springs Blvd, Franklin, TN 37067
Has Pedigree Ever Been Recalled?
Pedigree is no stranger to recalls, in fact, they have been recalled many times throughout its history.
In August 2008, FDA recalled the 20 lb. bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites due to possible salmonella.
September 2008, several pedigree dog food recipes from the Large Breed Adult Nutrition, and Small Crunchy Bits Adult Nutrition, due to possible salmonella.
In June 2012, the FDA recalled several dog food products due to a choking hazard.
In August 2014, another recall was issued by the FDA due to a possible foreign material (small metal fragments) in various dog food products.
Top Pedigree Dog Food Ingredients
As a Pug owner, it’s important to read the ingredient labels, so you know what you’re feeding your pug. Below are some of the main ingredients you’ll find in every Pedigree dog food bag.
Ground Whole Corn
Corn is the first ingredient in this dog food. Corn is a controversial and inexpensive cereal grain. It is known to provide energy for dogs but does not have a lot of nutritional value for dogs.
Animal Fat
Animal fat is the fourth ingredient found in most dog food bags. It is a generic by-product of rendering the same high-temperature process to make meat meals.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of what type of animal they use, we have no idea where they get their animal fat from.
Beet Pulp
Beet Pulp is the remaining material once the sugar beets have been extracted. It is an important source of fiber for canines to help maintain intestinal health.
Ground Whole Wheat
You’ll find soybean meal, gluten meal, and ground whole wheat on the ingredient label. This will cause your dog to consume a lot of grain and plant matter that can be challenging to digest and can produce more waste.
Meat and Bone Meal
Meant and bone meal is “the rendered product from mammal tissues including bones”, according to AAFCA. It is exclusive of any hide trimmings, manure, added blood, hoof, horn, or hair, except in such amounts may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. (source)
Vegetable Oil
According to the AAFCO vegetable oil is the product that remains after extracting the oil from fruits or seeds, which is then processed for edible purposes.
Vegetable oil is added to dog foods to help flavor the food as well as maintain a shiny coat.
Brewers Rice
Brewers rice is small fragments of rice kernels that are left after milling whole rice kernels. This ingredient is usually found in lower-cost dog and cat foods.
It provides your pooch with caloric energy, but only has a modest nutritional value to dogs.
Quality Of Ingredients
According to some top pet websites, Pedigree dog food is considered a low-quality dog food that is not good food for dogs. While other foods on the market have some of the same ingredients, this food has none of the better ingredients your dog needs.
This food has a lot of grain and plant matter that may be hard for your dog to digest. Not only that, but it may make your dog gassy and flatulent.
Pedigree Dog Food Formulas Offered
Pedigree offers a full range of recipes for dogs and cats from dry food, wet food, and treats. You can browse their website and find over 70 dog products, I’ve listed some of them below:
- Pedigree Dry Dog High Protein Beef and Lamb Flavor
- Adult Dry Roasted, Rice & Vegetable Flavor
- Grilled Steak & Vegetables for Adult Dogs
- Small Breed Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor
- Grilled Steak And Vegetables Dry Dog Food For Small Dogs
- Chicken & Vegetable Dry Puppy Dog Food
- Dry Dog Food For Big Dogs Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetables
- Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food Roasted Chicken And Vegetable Flavor
- Pedigree Active Senior Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor
Pedigree Wet Dog Food Choices
- Wet Dog Food Choice 8ct Beef, Noodles & Vegetables Flavors In Sauce and Grilled Chicken Flavor
- Chicken Casserole in Gravy, Grilled Chicken Flavor in sauce and Vegetables, Beef, Noodles Flavor Sauce
- Prime Rib and Hearty Chicken Flavor Homestyle Meals
- Chopped Ground Dinner Bacon Cheeseburger Flavors
Treats
- Dentastix™ Grain-Free for Large, small or medium dogs
- Dentastix™ original dog treats for a toy, small, medium, and large dogs
Plus several other Dentastix products available in an assortment of flavors.
Pedigree Dog Food Bag Sizes
Their popular Pedigree Complete Nutrition for Puppies can be purchased in a 3.5 lb, 16.3 lbs, or 36 lb bag. While some of the Pedigree large breed Adult dry dog food bags can be purchased in 30 lbs, 17 lbs, or 36.4 lbs.
You’ll definitely find a bag that is suitable for your dog. When shopping, it’s important to remember that according to the manufacturer the shelf life for canned and pouched recipes is 24 months, while the dry dog food has a 12-month shelf life after the “Best Before” date.
Once it gets old and stale, you’ll want to dispose of the product because the nutritional integrity of the product may be affected.
What Pugs Will Benefit From Pedigree?
None, this is such a low-quality dog food that doesn’t have a lot of benefits for your pet. I highly recommend choosing among some of the other brands on the market.
Related: Is Merrick Good For Pugs?
Related: Is IAMS Good For Pugs?
Where To Buy Pedigree And How Much It Costs?
Pedigree dog food is very inexpensive, which is one of the reasons that it appeals to many pet owners. It can be purchased at any of your local retail stores such as Target, Walmart, and online at Amazon and Chewy.
Prices will vary depending on the several factors such as size, where you buy, and the product you purchase, however, you can expect to pay between $4.97 – $27.97 (give or take a few dollars).
Final Word On Is Pedigree Safe For Pugs
After spending hours reviewing the Pedigree dog food brand online, I personally would not recommend this dog food for Pugs. It is a very low-quality dog food that contains a lot of unhelpful ingredients.
Your brachycephalic dog requires healthy food options that will provide them with the nutrition they need to thrive and live a long happy life!
I’ve done the research, now it’s up to you to decide whether Pedigree is right for your Pug!
Our Top Picks
Dog Food: Pet Plate: Customized for each individual dog to create a unique meal plan to help your Pug thrive. Get your 30% off your first order.
Puppy Toy: Smart Pet Love Snuggle Behavioral Aid Toy easily comfort your puppy without medications. The realistic body heat and heartbeat help your pooch relax!
References And Further Reading
Pedigree – About Us
FDA Gov – FDA Regulation of Pet Food
KalKan – FAQ’s
PetSafe – Patrick Mahaney – Pet Food: The Good, the Bad, and the Healthy