Pedigree

Pedigree Information

Pedigree is an established dog food brand that has been featured on store shelves for decades.

Pedigree is owned by Mars Petcare, who is a sub-brand of the larger Mars group. You will be familiar with many of the brands that the parent brand owns and sell, such as Mars candy and Uncle Bens rice, and Orbit Gum.

Mars Petcare owns many popular pet food brands alongside Pedigree, such as Crave, Royal Canin, Iams, Eukanuba, and Whiskas.

Mars Petcare has multiple manufacturing facilities, which are where we presume Pedigree is produced. These are in both the United States and the United Kingdom, with each country likely getting their supply of Pedigree from their respective factories.

Pedigree is widely available for purchase from many large retail stores such as Walmart and PetSmart. It is rarely seen at smaller pet food stores that often specialize in smaller and higher-cost brands.

Pedigree is also available for purchase online from several of the large pet food websites like Chewy, Amazon, and Petflow.

Pedigree Product Range

Pedigree has a large range of dog food products available. This range is a mix of dry dog food and wet/canned dog food. The range of wet/canned recipes is significantly larger than the dry range.

In particular, the wet/canned range has many more specialty recipes, such as high protein recipes, recipes for weight management, and for puppies.

Pedigree also produces a small range of dog treats.

Pedigree Nutrition

Pedigree dog food typically provides nutrition that is below average. This below-average nutritional profile consists of modest proportions of protein and fat and significant proportions of carbohydrates.

This kind of nutritional profile is not suitable for the majority of dogs, and many would thrive on a diet higher in animal-based protein and fat.

Below is an example of the nutrition provided by a Pedigree dry dog food recipe.

Pedigree Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Lamb

Some high-quality meat ingredients can be found in Pedigree recipes. Most of these ingredients feature in their wet/canned recipes and not their dry kibble recipes.

Ingredients such as Chicken and Beef are considered high-quality and can provide protein and fat to a dog’s diet. They are also industry favorites thanks to their relatively low cost and high availability.

Other Notable Ingredients

Pedigree uses a variety of vague and confusing meat ingredients in its recipes. Some examples of these include Poultry By-Product Meal, Animal Fat, and Bone Meal. While some of these ingredients can provide some beneficial nutrition, they are not accountable and transparent.

This means that Pedigree could easily change the source of these ingredients from Chicken to Beef without consequence or notification.

Pedigree makes extensive use of grain ingredients in its recipes, such as Corn, Wheat, and Soy. Grain ingredients are controversial additions to pet food recipes, with many dog owners refusing to feed them to their dogs. However, there are other dog owners who swear by grains.

Regardless of opinion, it is a fact that grain ingredients are a dense source of carbohydrates and can provide some additional nutrition in the form of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Sadly, in addition to the whole grain ingredients that Pedigree uses, they also use grain by-products like Brewers Rice and Wheat Flour. These are often leftovers of grain processing or are processed equivalents.

These ingredients can often provide poor-quality nutrition or be extremely dense sources of carbohydrates, and many would recommend avoiding them.

Pedigree Animal Testing

At this time, we have no information on whether Pedigree participates in invasive or laboratory testing of animals.

We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated.

Pedigree Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Pedigree is not a recall-free brand.

Sadly, Pedigree has an expansive history of recalls. While the last few years of production have been recall-free, this repeated history has us concerned that there may be more recalls in the future.

Pedgiree’s last recall was in August 2014 and was due to the possibility of metal fragments in the bags. According to Pedigree, the fragments were not embedded in the food itself, and there were no reported injuries or deaths. Despite this, having metal fragments in a pet food bad is extremely concerning.

This recall affected certain bags of Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition. See below.

• Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food, 15 lb. bags, UPC #2310010944, Lot #432C1KKM03, best by Aug. 5, 2015, and sold at certain Dollar General stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee)
• Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition dry dog food, 55 lb. bags, UPC #2310010731, Lot #432C1KKM03, best by Aug. 7, 2015, and sold at certain Sam’s Club stores in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio

However, the recall in 2014 was not the first instance of foreign objects being found in bags, and there was another recall in June 2012 due to the risk of plastic fragments. Once again, Pedigree reported no injuries due to this issue, but it casts further concerns.

This recall affected certain wet dog food recipes. See below.

• Pedigree+ Healthy Weight Premium Ground Entrée in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310034974
• Pedigree Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Beef & Liver Dinner in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310001913
• Pedigree Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Chicken & Rice Dinner in Meaty Juices, UPC #2310023045

Pedigree underwent two recalls in quick succession in September 2008 and August 2008. Both of these were for potential Salmonella contamination. Salmonella has to be taken seriously and can make pets extremely ill.

These recalls affected dry dog food recipes. See below.

• Pedigree Large Breed Adult Nutrition, 20 lb., 30.1 lb., 36.4 lb. and 40 lb. bags
• Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites Adult Nutrition, 4.4 lb., 8.8 lb., 20 lb., 32 lb., 40 lb., 44 lb. and 52 lb. bags
• 20 lb. bags of Pedigree Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites sold in Albertsons stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada (UPC #2310014719, Lot #830BFCAT02, best by July 2009).

Similar to Pedigree’s most recent recall, they underwent a recall in September 2007 for the possibility of metal fragments. This recall only affected some products sold in New Zealand, with no US recipes were affected.

This recall affected the following chilled dog roll recipes with best by dates of Oct 16-19 2007:

• Pedigree beef and liver, lamb and vegetable, beef rice and vegetable, and chicken and rice dog rolls
• Optimum beef, lamb and vegetable, chicken and rice, and selected meats rolls

Pedigree’s earliest recorded recall was in March 2004 and was caused by links to kidney failure in dogs. This recall affected food sold in select Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand. This did not affect any recipes sold in the United States.

The recipes affected are listed below:

• Pedigree Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Puppy Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Puppy Small Breed Dry Dog Food, all varieties
• Pedigree Dog’s Delight Ringo
• Pedigree Dog’s Delight Tasty Bone
• Pedigree Puppy Biscuit Dog Treats
• Whiskas Dry Cat Food, all varieties
• Kitekat Dry Cat Food
• Kal Kan Brekkies Dry Cat Food
• Cesar Duo

Pedigree Featured Articles

The 10 Worst Dog Foods

Best of Pedigree

High Protein Beef And Lamb Flavor Review

Check Price On Chewy

Pedigree has a small number of high protein recipes within its product range. We are going to highlight these recipes as they provide superior nutrition when compared to Pedigree’s other offerings.

The above dry food recipe provides above-average proportions of protein (27% Crude). This is especially high, given Pedigree’s price point.

Sadly, it isn’t clear which ingredients are the source of this protein, and it is likely a mix of Corn and Meat Meral.

Corn also acts as the ingredient’s primary plant-based ingredient and provides carbohydrates and fiber.

High Protein Chicken & Turkey Review

Check Price On Chewy

Pedigree’s wet dog food recipes tend to contain a more favorable ingredient list when compared to their dry food recipes. This is especially the case with their high protein range.

The above Chicken and Turkey recipe uses a mix of Chicken, Turkey, and Meat By-products as its primary ingredients. These provide an ample portion of protein and fat.

The recipe then uses a mix of Wheat-based ingredients to provide carbohydrates and fiber.

Pedigree Full Product Range

Dry Dog Food

High Protein Beef And Lamb Flavor

Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor

Adult Grilled Steak And Vegetable Flavor

Adult Roasted Lamb, Rice And Vegetable Flavor

Small Breed Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor

Small Breed Grilled Steak And Vegetable Flavor

Small Breed Grilled Salmon, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor

Puppy Chicken & Vegetable Flavor

For Big Dogs Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor

Healthy Weight Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Flavor

Active Senior Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor

Wet Dog Food

High Protein Beef & Lamb

High Protein Chicken & Turkey

Pouch Traditional Ground Dinner

Traditional Ground Dinner With Chicken And With Beef

Choice Cuts In Gravy Can Country Stew, Chicken & Rice

Choice Cuts Beef, Noodles & Vegetables Flavor In Sauce

Choice Cuts Grilled Chicken Flavor In Sauce

Choice Cuts Chicken Casserole In Gravy

Chopped Ground Dinner Beef, Bacon And Cheese Flavor

Chopped Ground Dinner Bacon And Filet Mignon Flavor

Meaty Ground Dinner With Hearty Chicken

Choice Cuts Filet Mignon Flavor In Gravy

Meaty Ground Dinner With Slow Cooked Beef

Homestyle Prime Rib And Hearty Chicken Flavor

Chopped Ground Dinner Bacon Cheeseburger Flavors

Choice Cuts Prime Rib And Bacon Flavor In Gravy

Chopped Ground Dinner With Turkey & Bacon

Chopped Ground Dinner With Chicken, Liver & Beef

Puppy Morsels In Sauce With Chicken

Chopped Ground Dinner With Chicken

Chopped Ground Dinner With Beef

Chopped Ground Dinner With Chicken And Rice

Chopped Ground Dinner Filet Mignon

Chopped Ground Dinner T-Bone Steak Flavor

Choice Cuts In Gravy With Chicken & Rice

Choice Cuts In Gravy With Chicken

Choice Cuts In Gravy With Lamb & Vegetables

Choice Cuts In Gravy Country Stew

Choice Cuts In Gravy With Beef

Choice Cuts In Gravy Steak & Vegetable Flavor

Homestyle Meals Porterhouse Steak And Vegetable Flavor In Gravy

Homestyle Meals Roasted Chicken, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor In Gravy

Homestyle Meals Prime Rib, Rice, And Vegetable Flavor In Gravy

Weight Management Beef & Liver Dinner

Weight Management Chicken & Rice Dinner

Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner With Chicken & Beef

Puppy Chopped Ground Dinner With Lamb & Rice

Choice Cuts Grill Inspired Classics Hickory Smoked Chicken

Chopped Ground Dinner Sirloin Flavor