Purina Dog Chow: Adds Up to 2 Years to Your Dog’s Life*
Imagine if your choice of dog food could extend the life of your favorite pet by years.
That seems to be the claim in a currently running commercial for Purina Puppy Chow and Dog Chow. The ad says, “add up to two healthy years to his life.”
What proof does the company have? The ad goes on to say, “a groundbreaking 14 year study by Purina proves that Puppy Chow, then Dog Chow nutrition, fed properly over a lifetime, helps add up to two quality years with your dog.”
Wow. Who would feed any other brand to their dog if Purina is so much better?
*MOUSE PRINT: The company never tested other brands of dog food compared to Purina. “All dogs received the same 100 percent nutritionally complete and balanced foods – only the amount differed. ”
In fact, here is the test methodology:
For the first three years, the control group was fed an unlimited amount of food during 15-minute daily feedings; afterwards they were fed an amount estimated to be the caloric requirement for large breed dogs in “normal” body condition. Each dog in the lean-fed group always received 75 percent of the amount eaten by its paired littermate. All dogs consumed the same diets, which were 100 percent nutritionally complete and balanced (first a puppy formula, then an adult formula) — only the quantity provided was different.
Translation: what was really tested was how underfeeding your dog could extend his life.
While the advice from the actual test may be sound — that slim dogs live longer — it may not be just this brand that can extend your dog’s life.
Is that in dog years or people years?
Comment by J Bartholomew — June 25, 2007 @ 1:18 pmWas that before of after the dog food recall? Menu Foods?
Comment by susan — June 29, 2007 @ 12:13 pmI’ve had just about enough of all this corporate greed! All they want to do is drain your pocketbook and they will tell you whatever lies they need to to do it! They should all go to jail for a real long time!!!!
Comment by shawn — June 29, 2007 @ 2:42 pmYeah, this seems like it crosses the line into false advertising. The commercial should say “Feeding your dog LESS Purina Dog Chow can help extend your dog’s life by 2 years.”
But I guess that wouldn’t make the stockholders as happy.
Comment by raindog469 — July 1, 2007 @ 5:42 pmAt 10 years old my dog is healthy and playful he has always
Comment by Charlie J. — July 7, 2007 @ 12:06 pmbeen fed Purina Dog Chow, too much at times, I’m sure other
brands would have done as well, but they do send discount
coupons if you ask. Its good stuff.
Poison. It’s all junk; corn meal, by products, i.e. rotten horse remains and any other filler they can throw in. I realize some dogs have thrived on Purina but many more have shortened life spans. Get some real human grade dog food that has real meat and not fillers. Chicken Soup, Premium Edge/ vegetables, a little rice, a little raw meat. Do your research. No kidney problems, allergies, skin irritations, stomach problems etc
Since when have we been able to trust big Corps. to tell the truth. They sure as heck don’t care about our dogs!
Melissa
Comment by Melissa — July 7, 2007 @ 11:18 pmI think Purina big wigs should all resign.I really don’t have anything against the dog food but if I had stocks in Purina I would sell right now. Purina is advertising that if you want your dogs to live longer they should be fed 25% less. To them,one plus one doesn’t equal two.What Purina should do to find out about how to feed all pets is to go to any Humane Society or SPCA shelter and ask the volunteers and and the paid workers their opinions on what they think.Maybe they will learn that one plus one IS two.
Comment by DonAnthony — August 19, 2007 @ 9:54 amActually Purina was one of the few pet food companies not tainted by the toxic Chinese pet food filler. Regardless of their idiots in marketing, it is a quality product.
Comment by Mark J Smith — November 28, 2007 @ 10:26 pm