The Pedigree Dog Food Review: Tested & Evaluated 2023
Written By Eloisa Thomas | Canine Coach, Double M.A in Anthropology.
Edited & Fact Checked By Renae Soppe | B.A Journalism & Science.
Last Updated: 27th October 2023
Want to change up your pup's food? Our in-depth Pedigree dog food review explores everything you need to know about this popular brand. This reveals the results from our expert team's research on this dog food with other authorities, testing and evaluating its different aspects for our canine companion's consumption.
Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly option for your little one or are wondering if you should switch brands, we let you in on the nitty-gritty so you make the best choice for your dog.
Related: The Best Dog Food Australia.
Related: How To Choose The Right Dog Food?
Related: How Is Australia’s Dog Food Industry Regulated?
Related: What is AAFCO? The Association of American Feed Control Officials.
Related: What Is the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA)?
Related: AAFCO vs PFIAA: Dog Food Standards Comparison Australia.
Related: Understanding Guaranteed Analysis Levels in Dog Food.
Related: Real Meat vs Meat Meal.
Quick Pick - Our Best Rated Dog Food
Our Number 1 Pick -
Petzyo Dog Food
- Ethically sourced Kangaroo, Chicken or Salmon, sweet potato & superfood extras
- Iron-rich & low fat proteins
- Three Omega 3 and 6 rich oils with a well balanced 11% fat content
- Made in Australia
Australia's Pedigree Dog Food Reviewed
Pedigree - Overall 2 Star Rating
- Ingredients: Cereals &/or cereal by-products, meat & meat by-products (poultry, beef &/or lamb), poultry palatant, vegetables, beet pulp, iodised salt, minerals (iron, zinc, copper, potassium and selenium), sunflower oil, vitamins (A, D3, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12 and choline), amino acid, antioxidants.
- Named Protein First: No.
- Dog Food Type: Grain Inclusive.
- Recipe Range: Beef or Beef & Veggies Or Chicken.
- Suitable For: Pedigree's recipe range can be suitable for puppy, adult and senior dogs depending on the recipe.
- Cost: $
- Australian Owned: No.
Taste | |
Ingredients | |
Protein content | |
Additives | |
Variety | |
Price | |
Taste 3/5
When it comes to taste, Pedigree is average. Most dogs will eat this brand with ease, although you might find picky eaters aren’t fans of the taste. Since this brand uses chicken flavour to increase palatability, it’s no wonder dogs are generally ok with the kibble.
Compared to Petzyo, our top-rated dog food in Australia, this brand has a typical taste since Petzyo also uses chicken. However, the difference is that the chicken in Petzyo is not merely a flavour but a main ingredient in their dog food.
On the other hand, their canned options are usually more attractive to dogs due to the higher meat percentage. However, owners complain about the high gelatine content and its general slimy texture.
We think this brand has a typical taste, so you won't have any difficulty feeding this to your dog. However, the taste might not be suitable for dogs who like a different flavour, such as beef, turkey, or salmon.
This brand is average at best in this category, so we’re giving it 3 stars.
Ingredient 1.5/5
Pedigree doesn’t fare well in the ingredients category. For all the ads and vet endorsements, their recipes are mediocre to average. Let’s examine their dry recipes up close:
In general, we’re not thrilled with this composition. Beyond the cereals and meat by-products, the kibble recipes have little more to fulfil your dog’s nutritional needs.
PRO TIP: According to the AAFCO, natural is"[…] a feed or feed ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subject to physical" – AAFCO [2]
Unlike Eureka, which uses real chicken and does not include any fillers on its dog food, this brand does not contain any healthier options for our dogs. Their dog food is mostly made up of wholegrain cereals, which is not good for our dogs, especially when it is given in large amounts.
When it comes to the wet recipes, Pedigree doesn’t fare much better. In this case, meat and meat by-products are the first ingredient, which is a welcome change. However, immediately after meat we can find thickeners and binders. The latter can come from gluten, beef and or sheep. However, given the total crude protein in their canned recipes is around 6%, the nutritional value of that meat content is pretty minimal and the bulk of the food is starch-based.
We do not recommend this to dog owners, especially if your dogs have allergies and food sensitivities. The ambiguous list of ingredients is a major concern for any fur parent.
Due to the vague ingredient list and the fact that the main ingredient is a mix of cereals, we’re taking off 3.5 stars.
Protein Content 3/5
Protein-wise, Pedigree is also average. Their dry kibble recipes have 20% crude protein and 10% crude fat. The protein content in their recipes is barely above the AAFCO’s recommendations of at least 18%. While according to experts this is enough to provide adequate nutrition to your dog, it contrasts against the usually higher protein percentages in dry kibble.
On the other hand, the fat content is very low, especially considering the second ingredient in all flavours is meat. The lower fat content means the "meat" has less nutritional value for dogs and is probably rich in bone and other non-muscle parts of the animal. While these can be part of a dog’s diet, we’d like to see more animal protein and fatty cuts in these recipes.
When compared to Ziwi Peak, one of the best dog food we have reviewed, the protein content and source of Pedigree is ok, but it could be improved by lessening the wholegrain cereals and replacing them with one that came from animal sources.
Pedigree also has a high-protein dry recipe, so it’s interesting to compare it to their regular kibble formulas. The so-called "high protein" dry food has 28% protein, almost 50% more than its regular counterpart. However, the ingredient list looks identical, meaning the proportions changed but not by much. Both recipes have wholegrain cereals as the first ingredient, so the core of the food stays the same.
Personally, we think this brand can improve its protein content. However, considering the price, the ingredients contained in this dog food are understandable.
Additives 3/5
Pedigree’s recipes use additives sparingly. While in general it’s good to see a limited-ingredient recipe, in this case it would be nicer to have different ones.
For starters, Pedigree adds salt to their dry recipes. In dry dog food, salt is used to increase palatability, but it can cause some issues for older dogs or those with pre-existing kidney issues. In general, added salt isn’t vital in dog food and could cause health issues down the road. The recipes also feature sunflower oil to up the fat percentage and round up your dog’s omega-6 intake.
If we compare this brand to Petzyo, this brand includes a good source of healthy fat for our dogs like how Petzyo uses flaxseed, chicken and fish oil to supply the needed fat content for our dogs.
Finally, this dry food also adds a generic vitamin and mineral mix. This brand doesn’t mention which antioxidants and preservatives it uses, which could cause some issues since the pet food industry in Australia has been known to use sulphites. These compounds are considered by the RSPCA as potentially dangerous:
PRO TIP: sulphur dioxide and sodium and potassium sulphite preservatives – these can cause thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, which can be fatal. – RSPCA [3]
The worse thing about sulphites is that thiamine deficiency can happen even if only part of your dog’s diet contains those preservatives. Since we’re proponents of full disclosure when it comes to additives, and Pedigree continues to use blanket terms to refer to theirs, we’re taking off 2 stars.
We think this brand contains some good additives for our dogs, but it is also important to note that there might be harmful preservatives on this brand that can affect our dog's health, so we don't advise dog owners to give this especially if your dogs are sensitive or they already have some health issues.
Variety 4/5
When it comes to variety, Pedigree has plenty of options to choose from. On top of their wide array of dry kibble options, they also offer canned food, pouches and dental treats.
However, across the different presentations the ingredients stay remarkably similar. This repeats the shortcomings we’ve already mentioned.
Unfortunately, these recipes aren’t fit for dogs that need to avoid specific animal proteins or cereals. On the other hand, Pedigree doesn’t offer any grain-free recipes, so if that’s what you want this isn’t the best option for you.
In spite of these shortcomings, Pedigree has food options adapted to your dog’s life stage and specific needs. As such, you can find puppy, adult and senior recipes, as well as others for working dogs, one high-protein recipe and some options for large and small breeds.
Also, the variety of their recipe can compete with Eureka, one of the best dog foods in Australia. This is because they offer different recipes specific to a dog's age, breed, and size, which is an advantage if you have various dogs and want to feed them similar dog food.
Keep in mind the recipes adapted to your dog’s size -both small and large- are very limited and in both cases there’s only one dry food recipe and dental treats meant for adult dogs.
We like how this brand provides many options for dog owners. It is convenient and especially easy to buy from a single brand for your different dogs' needs instead of hopping from one to another.
Because this breed offers reasonable variety, we’re giving it 4 out of 5 stars in this category.
Price 3/5
Pedigree is one of the most affordable brands out there. In general, you can get big bags of dry food for a very reasonable price. While this is positive, it isn’t the sole point of consideration. Taking into account the high amount of cheaper cereals in the food, as well as the vague terminology used in the ingredient list, we don’t think the savings are worth it.
It might be cheaper than Petzyo, but it is certainly not better in all aspects, whether its taste, variety, ingredients, protein or the additives being used.
At this price point, there are other options that use meat as the first ingredient and you can even find some grain-free recipes if that’s what you’re looking for.
We think that there are other alternatives at similar prices that you can choose, such as making a homemade meal for your dog that you can be sure is safe and healthy instead of compromising their health.
Since there are other brands with a better ingredient list at a similar price, we’re taking off 2 stars.
Pedigree Puppy Food Review
As we already mentioned, this brand has different options for young dogs. There’s dry food, canned and milk.
Pedigree puppy kibble is only available in one recipe intended for all breeds. Like the adult kibble, this one has wholegrain cereals as the first ingredient, followed by meat. While this recipe does have added minerals, they don’t mention any vitamin on their ingredient list. This food does have added salt, which isn’t optimal if your dog is at risk of kidney issues.
On the other hand, they have one milk option intended to supplement weaning pups or as a treat. The first ingredient is in fact milk -without specifying the source- but this is followed by sucrose. Sucrose is a sweetener used to increase palatability. However, consistently feeding sucrose can increase dental plaque production and eventually lead to dental issues for your dog. Pedigree puppy milk also has salt, vegetable gum and emulsifiers, which we aren’t thrilled about and don’t add nutritional value. In general, you don’t need to give milk to a puppy unless they’re very young and in that case, you should choose actual puppy formula.
In short, there are better puppy food options out there.
Don’t Buy If…
While this brand might be a good for some dogs, you might want to look elsewhere if you:
Is Pedigree Dog Food Good? The Verdict
In general, we don’t recommend this brand. The high amount of cereals in the kibble composition, and the use of blanket terms in the ingredient list make it a mediocre to average option to feed your dog. For those on a limited budget, there are other brands at this price point with a better composition that use meat as the first ingredient.
Want to read more dog food brand reviews? Check out the below:
- Ivory Coat Dog Food Review
- Canidae Dog Food Review
- Advance Dog Food Review
- Supercoat Dog Food Review
- Black Hawk Dog Food Review
- Farmers Market Dog Food Review
- Optimum Dog Food Review
- Applaws Dog Food Review
- Nature's Gift Dog Food Review
- Royal Canin Dog Food Review
- Baxters Dog Food Review
- Leaps & Bounds Dog Food Review
- Stay Loyal Dog Food Review
- Science Diet Dog Food Review
- Savour Life Dog Food Review
- Scratch Dog Food Review
References
- What’s in the ingredient list? AAFCO. Available here.
- Natural, definition. AAFCO. https://talkspetfood.aafco.org/Natural
- Are preservatives in dog food a concern? RSPCA Australia. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/are-preservatives-in-pet-food-products-a-concern/
