Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food Review: Recalls, Pros, and Cons

Introduction

In the world of dog food, most products are grouped into one of two categories: wet or dry. With Purina’s line of Moist & Meaty Soft Dog Food, however, your dog can enjoy the benefits of both in one delicious formula.

While the Purina Moist & Meaty products are sure to be a hit with any dog, owners should take a look at the ingredients before adding it to their dog’s everyday diet. With high fructose corn syrup sitting at the top of the list, this might not be a good choice for dogs predisposed to diabetes or obesity.

So, is the Purina Moist & Meaty Soft Dog Food worth keeping around for an occasional snack? Or are you better off leaving this formula on the store shelf?

At a Glance: The Best Purina Moist and Meaty Dog Food Recipes

There are only a few recipes currently available from the Purina Moist & Meaty line of dog food, but they all promise to leave your dog begging for more. The most popular delicious-sounding flavors currently available include:

Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food Reviewed

The Purina Moist & Meaty Soft Dog Food combines the enticing flavor of wet food with the minimal mess of dry food — what’s not to love?

Who makes Purina Moist & Meaty and where is it produced?

As you can tell from the product name, the Moist & Meaty line of dog food is formulated and manufactured by Purina. However, it’s important to clarify that Purina is not an independent company. Since being bought out in 2001, the Purina brand is owned by Nestlé.

Purina claims that 99% of their dog food products are made in the United States — the Moist & Meaty product line is included in this percentage. All Purina products are made in company-owned factories, not third-party ones.

Which Type of Dog Is Purina Moist & Meaty Best Suited For?

The Purina Moist & Meaty line is formulated for the specific needs of healthy adult dogs. These formulas can be used as an entire meal, as a topper to your dog’s normal food, or as an occasional treat.

Because of this dog food’s unique texture, it is an excellent option for dogs with dental issues who may struggle to eat dry food.

A Quick Look at Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food

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Ingredients Analysis

Calorie Breakdown:

While the Purina Moist & Meaty line is a unique take on dog food that your pup is sure to love, the product falls short when it comes to its ingredients list. Unfortunately, every Moist & Meaty recipe relies heavily on controversial ingredients:

Beef by-product

Seeing any type of “by-product” in your dog’s food can be alarming, but this ingredient probably isn’t as nefarious as you think. Basically, beef by-product is what’s left over when a cow is processed for meat. In other words, this ingredient is a ground-up mixture of meat, bones, skin, fat, and organs.

That mixture isn’t appetizing from a human perspective, but these scrap body parts actually contain key nutrients that dogs rely on.

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Soy grits/flour

Take a look at the ingredients in any of the Moist & Meaty formulas, and you’ll find that soy grits and soy flour are at the very top of the list. But what does this mean for your dog’s health?

The debate over whether soy is safe for dogs is a heated one with no clear winner. On the one hand, soy protein is the most complete plant-based protein found in dog food. On the other, most experts agree that animal protein is the preferred source for a healthy canine.

Before adding any of the Moist & Meaty dog food flavors to your dog’s regular diet, consider how you feel about relying on soy as a primary source of protein.

High fructose corn syrup

The most alarming ingredient found in the Purina Moist & Meaty dog food is, without a doubt, high fructose corn syrup. Worse, this ingredient is listed third or fourth, depending on which flavor you’re looking at.

High fructose corn syrup serves no purpose aside from adding sugar. This sweet substance is just as bad for our dogs, if not more so, as it is for us humans.

Though feeding your dog a food that contains high fructose corn syrup might not result in immediate consequences, long-term consumption could put your dog at risk of diabetes, obesity, and other serious health concerns.

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Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food Recall History

Pet food recalls are at the forefront of most dog owners’ minds, so it’s no surprise that most consumers want to know a company’s history before purchasing from it. Fortunately, Purina has a limited list of recalls.

While Purina has issued a handful of recalls related to its cat food formulas, only two recent recalls have affected its dog food products. None of these recalls have applied to the Moist & Meaty product line.

In 2013, Purina recalled a single batch of dry dog food for potential salmonella contamination. In 2016, Purina issued a voluntary recall of several varieties of wet food containing an insufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

Reviews of the 3 Best Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food Recipes

We’ve covered so much about Purina and its line of Moist & Meaty soft dog food formulas. But before you make up your mind, let’s take a moment to look into these products a little further:

1. Purina Moist & Meaty Burger With Cheddar Cheese

The Purina Moist & Meaty Burger with Cheddar Cheese formula is probably the most intriguing for dog owners, especially those with a dog who loves junky human food and cheddar cheese favors. This meaty burger with cheddar dog food comes in individual pouches for easy portions and to prevent the unused food from drying out.

Meaty burger with cheddar flavor includes 18% protein, 7% fat, 3% fiber, and 33% moisture. Each cup of food (about 1.3 pouches) contains 474 calories.

If you’re like us, then you value the opinions of other dog owners when it comes to your dog’s health and wellbeing. You can check out Amazon reviews to learn what such people have to say about this cheddar cheese flavor.

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2. Purina Moist & Meaty Steak Flavor

As we take a closer look at the different Purina Moist & Meaty recipes, it quickly becomes apparent that these formulas are practically identical in terms of use, packaging, and nutritional value. While the burger-inspired flavors resemble ground beef, the Purina Moist & Meaty Steak Flavor pieces look like small bits of chopped steak.

Just like the previous flavor, this recipe contains 18% protein, 7% fat, 3% fiber, and 33% moisture. Again, each cup of food (about 1.3 pouches) contains 474 calories.

For more information about what other dog owners think of this formula, we suggest reading the Amazon reviews.

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3. Purina Moist & Meaty Chopped Burger

Here, we have the Purina Moist & Meaty Chopped Burger recipe. This formula features ground beef-like pieces of soft food that can be fed to your dog alone or on top of their dry food.

Just like the other recipes we’ve reviewed, the Chopped Burger flavor contains 18% protein, 7% fat, 3% fiber, and 33% moisture. The 474 calories per cup are also the same.

To learn what other consumers have to say about the Purina Moist & Meaty Chopped Burger formula, we encourage you to read the most recent Amazon reviews.

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What Other Users Are Saying About Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food

If you think that we’re the only ones questioning the quality of ingredients found in Purina Moist & Meaty formulas, here’s what others have to say:

Dog Food Network: “Although the brand has been in operation for over 100 years now, dominates an impressive market shares, and sources its ingredients from trusted suppliers, the issue lies in the ingredients it’s using in the recipes that don’t make for the healthiest food choice for our canine friends.”

DogFoodAdvisor: “The next item is high fructose corn syrup (or HFCS). HFCS is a corn-based sugar mixture commonly used to make soft drinks, cookies, and candy. Sugar is an empty nutrient — just as unhealthy for dogs as it is for humans.”

Conclusion – Is Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food Right For You?

All in all, the Purina Moist & Meaty product line is a unique but imperfect option for dog owners looking to spice up their pup’s day-to-day menu. While we don’t encourage owners to feed Purina Moist & Meaty Dog Food to their dog at every meal, it makes an excellent treat for special occasions. Ultimately, it’s probably a healthier option than table scraps!

With that said, the Purina Moist & Meaty formulas – meaty burger, or steak flavour -could be a much-needed option for dogs with diminished appetites or dental issues. If you’re struggling to find a food that your dog is willing to eat, ask your veterinarian which dog food is right for your pooch.