Diet & Nutrition

When choosing a food for your pet, it's important to consider many factors, from your dog's age to his size to any special dietary needs he might have - and that's just the beginning. 

Puppy

At this key developmental stage in a dog's life, your pet needs special nutrient blends that include DHA to support proper vision and brain development.

Adult Dog

Our foods contain nutrient and energy levels designed to help keep your dog in ideal body condition when fed properly, with a glossy coat and plenty of energy. 

Senior Dog

Your senior dog may require a special nutrient formula to maintain lean body mass and help keep his mind bright.

Dogs' energy levels vary greatly. For example, a toy dog living in an apartment requires a lot fewer calories than a farm dog who spends the day playing and running outside. Remember, it's important to consider your dog's size, breed, age and activity level when determining his daily caloric needs.

All of our foods come with feeding instructions to help you properly feed your dog depending on his size, but certain types of dogs may require specialized foods to help them maintain an ideal body condition. Consult your veterinarian if you have concerns about your dog's diet.

If your dog has special needs, talk to you veterinarian about our Purina Veterinary Diets® line, which contains products formulated for:

• Sensitive Stomach
• Hypoallergenic
• Weight Management
• Joint Mobility
• Dental Health
• Dermatologic Management
• Kidney Function
• Diabetes

Unsure what to look for when reading a pet food label? See our a comprehensive guide to just what you're looking at. 

Navigating the countless options in the pet food section of your favorite store can be confusing. Here's a quick guide to help you get started in making informed decisions when selecting the food that's right for your pet.

According to government regulations, the label on every bag or can of pet food shall contain the following information:

Overview

This section contains a branded name, like Purina® Dog Chow®, along with an indication of the primary ingredient or a formula name such as chicken and rice.

Net Weight Statement

This indicates how much food is contained in the bag or can.

Manufacturer's Name and Address

Identifies where the product was made in case you have questions or comments about the product.

Ingredient List

Just like human food, the ingredients are listed in descending order of content weight.

Further down the list, you'll see many chemical-sounding names that correspond to vitamins and minerals.

Guaranteed Analysis

State regulations recommend a minimum level of certain nutrients. The guaranteed analysis shows the pet food's minimum or maximum of essential nutrients.

Nutritional Adequacy Statement

To substantiate claims, pet food must be complete and balanced to meet or exceed the standards of an established profile, or be proven to meet certain nutritional recommendations.

Feeding Directions

Follow these instructions to determine how much food to feed your pet each day. These are just guidelines, and you may need to increase or decrease the amount of food you feed to help maintain your pet’s ideal body condition.

Calorie Statement

This is expressed on a kilocalorie per kilogram basis. It may also be expressed as a common unit of measure, such as kilocalories per cup. This information will help you get a handle on the differences between dry pet food brands.

Other Label Claims

It's important to know how to navigate the information contained in a pet food label. Just know that any time you choose a pet food from Purina, you can be confident you've selected a pet food that provides complete and balanced nutrition.