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Purina Pro Plan and Fromm have been dominating the dog food industry for a few decades now. Considering both of these brands have been manufacturing qualitative, highly sought-after products for several generations, it can feel impossible to decide which one would be the ideal fit for your dog’s diet. Therefore, in this guide, I’ll provide you with all the information you need to make a well-informed choice regarding which brand deserves your long-term commitment.
If you’re looking for the safest, highest-quality dog food, Fromm is the better choice. On the other hand, Purina Pro Plan is better suited for dog owners on a budget.
In the following sections, you’ll first find a general comparison between the two brands, allowing you to get a better idea of where their products stand against each other. After you’ve created a better idea of the brand that is most likely to serve you and your dog’s needs, you can go through Purina Pro Plan and Fromm’s pros and cons to determine whether any of the two are worth the investment.
If you are interested in checking out these two different dog foods on Amazon? You can find them by clicking here: Purina Pro Plan and Fromm.
Table of Contents
General Comparison
As a dog owner, your pet’s health and nutritional intake are always of the utmost priority. However, as dog food seems to become pricier and more stingily packaged by the day, it can be just as crucial to ensure that you can sustain your dog’s diet for a prolonged period without having to cut back its other health-related expenses.
For this reason, I want to kick off this article by taking you through each brand’s nutritional value, quality, safety, price point, and customer testimonials- all of which are essential to consider when choosing your pet’s new meal plan.
Nutritional Value
The micro and macronutrient ratios your dog gets through its daily diet are the building blocks to its health and longevity. Luckily, the manufacture and sale of pet food are highly regulated at both federal and state levels. This means by reading through each option’s labels; you’re guaranteed that you’re getting a (mostly) accurate rundown of the product’s nutritional value, which is the most important criteria upon which most pet owners base their preferences.
Protein Content
The most important macronutrient in a dog’s diet is protein, without which dogs can’t survive.
Therefore, when comparing Purina Pro Plan and Fromm’s nutritional labels, protein content was the first element I wanted to consider.
In general, Purina Pro Plan products have significantly more protein than their Fromm counterparts. The difference was also very consistent across their product ranges, meaning that if you’re aiming to up your dog’s protein intake, Purina Pro Plan is undoubtedly your best choice between the two. The brand’s products generally included 4-5% more protein than its competitor.
Fat Content
Even though protein is an invaluable part of a dog’s diet, the other two macronutrients should by no means be considered unimportant. Therefore, a protein-heavy product isn’t necessarily always the more nutritionally rich option, which is why you’ll still want to go through the entire label before reaching a conclusion.
Fats, for example, are another essential macronutrient you’ll want to make sure your pets get enough of, as it’s one of the main energy sources for them.
While humans rely primarily on carbohydrates to fulfill their energy expenditure needs, most pets rely on fats. Energy supply aside, healthy fat intake provides a plethora of other health benefits for dogs, so making sure they’re getting enough should be on top of your priorities list.
As far as fat content goes, it’s hard to pick a clear winner between the two brands. Percentages vary from one product line to another, making it difficult to name either Purina Pro Plan or Fromm as superior regarding fat supply.
For example, if you’re purchasing dry food, opting for the Purina Pro Plan product will allow you to provide your dog with almost 2% more fat in its daily diet. However, if you’re searching for wet food, the scale shifts on the other side, ironically enough, in the same exact amount. Fromm wet food provides around 2% more fat than its Purina Pro Plan counterpart.
In short, if increasing your dog’s fat intake is what you’re after, reading each specific product’s nutritional label might be necessary to reach a well-informed decision.
Fiber Content
Most healthy adult dogs don’t require any complex carbohydrates in their diet. However, they do need fiber to maintain a healthy digestive tract. The verdict is still unclear as far as the readings on this third macronutrient go.
Some inconsistencies between product ranges can tip the scale in each brand’s favor. While Fromm has a slight edge across the board, there’s still enough contradicting information that makes it hard to determine a clear winner on this criterion.
Therefore, once again, you might need to research the nutritional label of the specific product you’re eyeing before making a choice, as a broad generalization of which brand provides more dietary fiber cannot be accurately made.
Micronutrient Range
After going through protein, fats, and fiber, the only nutritional values left to discuss are vitamins and minerals.
In this instance, Fromm would be the better choice. Their products are fortified with a wide range of micronutrients, including (but not limited to):
- Zinc
- Calcium
- Copper
- Manganese
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D3
- Biotin
- Vitamin B12
- Folic acid
Therefore, if your most pressing priority is micronutrient intake, opting for Fromm would be your best bet.
Quality and Safety
Brute protein, fat, and fiber content aren’t the only indicators of a qualitative pet food product. In my opinion, macronutrient quality is much more important than quantity. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I’ll be taking a look at the ingredient quality of both of these brands, along with some possible health concerns they might subject your pet to.
The race isn’t as tight in this instance. Generally speaking, Fromm products are of better quality. They contain fewer potentially harmful ingredients, seem to be more tightly regulated, and have only been recalled once (in comparison, Purina Pro Plan products have been recalled 6+ times).
Purina Pro Plan utilizes a list of ingredients that might be damaging to dogs with specific allergies or pre-existing health issues. These ingredients include corn oil, added colorings, animal fat preserved with citric acid, and menadione sodium bisulfate complex.
However, keep in mind that Purina Pro Plan is a brand that has been recommended by the FDA as one of the most nutritionally rich options on the market; therefore, as long as your pet is generally healthy, I’d say there’s not much cause for concern.
However, if your pet has specific health conditions or food intolerances that can be exacerbated by particular ingredients, making that extra investment to access a better-regulated product might be worth it.
In conclusion, I can confidently say that while both alternatives make excellent choices for already healthy dogs, Fromm products are safer and more qualitative overall. The quality disparity between the two brands can be better understood through a comparison of their recall history.
For example, as mentioned. Fromm products have voluntarily been recalled once due to claims of inadequate levels of vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, Purina Pro Plan has been recalled several times based on claims that have ranged from plastic contamination to salmonella risk. As a result, considering both companies’ similar operating timeframe, it’s safe to assume that Fromm foods are simply better regulated.
Price Point
As you might’ve expected, investing in a better-quality brand comes at a premium price. However, I wouldn’t say that the price disparity between the two is too stark, which is understandable considering the nutritional profile of both brands is comparable.
Fromm’s price per calorie can be anywhere from 17% to 50% higher than its counterpart, while its price per pound is around 13% to 30% steeper.
In this instance, I’d say that price per calorie might be the best metric to differentiate between the two brands, as differences in volume, weight, and moisture level might sometimes be difficult to account for.
Therefore, owners on a budget might want to opt for Purina Pro Plan, especially if their pet is in good overall health.
However, if the price point isn’t much of an issue, spending that extra dollar or two might be worth it, especially if your dog is prone to health issues or food intolerances.
Customer Testimonials
You can compare nutritional labels all day long and still not be able to find the right brand for your dog’s unique dietary needs. Therefore, I always say that the most important comparison metric for any product is how well its buyers receive it.
This is why I scoured the internet to compare impressions and reviews on these two highly sought-after brands. Dog owners on Golden Retriever Forum and Reddit shared their unfiltered, unsponsored opinions on these brands, and there seem to be some universally agreed-on verdicts.
Purina is beloved by vets, as the brand is backed up by various research that testifies to its nutritional value and quality. On the other hand, Fromm is a family-owned business whose customers seem to have nothing but glowing reviews regarding the effect that its products have had on their pets.
Overall, when it comes to appearance-related topics (such as coat shine and length), customers seem to favor Fromm, and many suggest that making the switch from Purina Pro Plan to Fromm has helped move the coat growing process along. This shift is likely linked to Fromm’s extensive micronutrient range.
On the other hand, dog owners concerned with their pet’s protein intake strongly favor Purina Pro Plan. The brand’s macronutrient content puts even much more expensive brands to shame. Therefore, the brand that will suit your and your pet’s requirements best heavily depends on your priorities and budget.
Purina Pro Plan’s Pros and Cons
Now that you’re better informed about where each brand stands in terms of nutritional value, quality, safety, price, customer testimonials, and product variety, you might’ve created an idea of the company whose products will fit within your pet’s diet best.
However, just because you’ve found one brand superior to the other doesn’t mean that its products will be worth your long-term investment. It’s crucial to always ensure that the purchase you’re making will deliver a value equal to or greater than its price. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Purina Pro Plan products you’ll want to take into consideration before making a choice:
Purina Pro Plan’s Pros
Purina Pro Plan’s products aren’t only beloved by a broad, loyal customer base, but they’re also backed up by extensive research attesting to their nutritional value.
The brand offers excellent value at its given price point. Compared to other brands that fall within the same price range, Purina Pro Plan provides a nutritional profile that’s hard to replicate.
Therefore, as long as your dog is in good health, opting for Purina Pro Plan is one of the best choices you can make, as you’ll be able to provide your pet with all the macronutrient content it requires without breaking the bank.
Purina Pro Plan’s Cons
Still, if budget isn’t an issue, there are some safer, better-quality options that might be of greater benefit to your dog’s health and longevity.
Given that Purina Pro Plan products often comprise some potentially harmful ingredients in their recipes (including colorings, corn oil, and animal fat preserved in acid), they’re probably not the healthiest choice you can make for your pet.
It’s also important to note that the brand’s products have been recalled several times throughout their long-standing history due to issues with quality control.
Lastly, even though Purina Pro Plan sells some of the most protein-rich products on the market, many of its recipes are still grain-based. According to PetMD, you always want to aim for a higher percentage of meat-based sources when it comes to your dog’s diet, while it’s advisable to avoid grain intake as much as possible.
Fromm’s Pros and Cons
Fromm’s products have been circulating the pet food market for centuries now. Throughout its long-standing history, the brand has been able to accumulate a loyal customer base. However, is there a reason why Fromm didn’t achieve the commercial success of its peers? And, more importantly, does its quality justify its price?
Fromm’s Pros
Fromm is a family-owned business that has been operating for five generations now. Its products have only been recalled once (voluntarily) throughout its long-standing history due to a relatively benign concern regarding vitamin and mineral readings.
Their products are nutritionally rich, qualitative, and tightly regulated, which explains why you’ll always find their products excellently reviewed on any online store or forum. They’re toxin and allergen-free, and customers seem to testify to their products’ beneficial effect on their pets’ coat health and length.
Even though they might’ve not achieved the same amount of success as their peers due to their family-based profile, their products’ quality more than justifies the price. Therefore, if you’re willing to invest a bit more to provide your pet with a nutritious, high-quality diet, I’d highly recommend trying out Fromm.
Fromm’s Cons
Having said that, Fromm has still been recalled once, which is something you’ll want to consider when choosing a food brand for your pet. Even though the recall was based on a claim regarding vitamin and mineral readings inconsistencies, the event still casts a shadow of doubt on whether the nutritional label on these products is always 100% accurate.
Moreover, some of their products are still not entirely grain-free, which might be a dealbreaker depending on your dog’s health condition.
Final Thoughts
Purina Pro Plan and Fromm are both excellent pet food brands with a long-standing history of satisfied customers. Therefore, the ideal choice for you and your pet will ultimately depend on your budget and priorities.
For example, if you’re on a budget and your pet is generally healthy, opting for Purina Pro Plan is an excellent (and research-backed) choice. On the other hand, if diet quality and safety are at the top of your priorities list, I’d recommend paying a bit extra and investing in Fromm’s better-regulated products.
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