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IAMS Proactive Health Large Breed Dry Dog Food Review

IAMS Proactive Health Large Breed Dry Dog Food Review

Our Recommendation

Iams is one of the better brands that you can get at a lot of grocery stores but I have my hesitations about recommending it. While it’s great that chicken is the first ingredient, I’m not a fan of dog foods that have corn as one of the first ingredients. Corn is heavily sprayed with glyphosate/Round Up. I think it is advisable for pet parents to avoid foods that have a lot of GMO grains in them.

  • Chicken is the first ingredient.
  • No artificial flavors but does contain caramel coloring agent.
  • Fruits and veggies in every bite make for a more complete diet. and better flavor for your dog.
  • Brewers yeast and good fats encourage healthy skin and coat.
  • Formulated to support healthy weight, joints, and hips of large breed dogs
  • Prebiotics help support digestion so your dog gets more out of their food.
  • Concentrated nutrition. I was surprised at how little you have to feed very large dogs.
  • Crunchy texture helps with tarter and plaque on teeth as well as preventing the bad breath that can happen as a result.
  • Flaxseed oil and added glucosamine are great for joint and hip health.
  • Chicken and egg proteins help maintain good muscle mass and a healthy weight which is very important to large dogs.

The price point of this food is okay, but you can get dog food that is meat and rice-based that contains probiotics for less than the cost of Iams. I think that Iams does a good job with marketing but they really need to reduce the amount of corn they are using. They have a lot of other good grains in this formula like barley and sorghum. I don’t mind those grains as much as the corn.

I do like that Iams does include fruits, veggies, flax seed oil, and glucosamine. If they get rid of the corn and caramel color and replace it with better ingredients, this could be a great dog food.

Ingredients

Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal (Source of Chondroitin Sulfate and Glucosamine), Ground Whole Grain Barley, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Dried Brewers Yeast, Flaxseed, Caramel Color, Salt, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Carrots, Tomatoes, Fructooligosaccharides, Spinach, Green Peas, Calcium Carbonate, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), DL-Methionine, Dried Apple Pomace, L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, Dried Blueberry Pomace, Mixed Tocoperols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid.

Scout’s Pick



 

 

Iams ProActive Health Adult Dry Dog Food for Large Dogs – Chicken, 30 Pound Bag

 

Buy from Amazon

Nutritional Analysis

Pet food ingredients, nutritional values, and the way they are labeled for consumers are monitored by several organizations in the United States including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NGO, Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Each year the AAFCO publishes two sets of nutritional minimum standards for dog food intended to help specify if a food is suitable for:

1. Dogs in the growth & reproduction phases of life
2. Adult dogs maintaining a healthy weight and activity level

Caloric Content

3,523 kcal/kg, 350 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Nutritional Component Value Meets AAFCO Growth & Reproduction Standards Meets AAFCO Adult Maintenance Standards
____________________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________
Crude Protein 22.5% min
Crude Fat 12.5% min
Crude Fiber 5.0% max
Moisture 10.0% max
Calcium 0.90 % min    
Phosphorus 0.70 % min    
L-Carnitine 30 mg/kg min    
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 1.96% min    
Glucosamine 350 mg/kg min    
Chondroitin SulFate 35 mg/kg min    

* – indicates not yet analyzed

Feeding Amounts

Weight Daily Feeding
50 lbs 2 2/3 – 3
60 lbs 3 – 3 1/2
70 lbs 3 1/2 – 4
80 lbs 3 3/4 – 4 1/2
100 lbs 4 1/2 – 5 1/4
120 lbs 5 1/4 – 6
140 lbs 5 3/4 – 6 3/4

Feeding Instructions

This is formulated with adult dogs in mind. If fed to puppies and nursing or pregnant females, the amount of dog food required may be 2-3 times that recommended in the feeding chart above.

Please note that this is really a food for large breed dogs one-year-old and over 50 lbs or giant breeds that are over two years old. If this is what your dog normally eats and they become pregnant, you should consider transitioning them to a different formula for a while. 

Transition Instructions

Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% of the current formula. Slowly increase the amount of Iams over the next three days while reducing the amount of the old ration. You might want to check and see how the calories per cup compare with your old brand so you can be sure that you feeding a similar amount to maintain weight.

The Bottom Line

I would feed Iams in a pinch but I would not go out of my way to buy it for my dog. I don’t think this would be a good ration for everyday use. Corn is very inexpensive so I don’t feel that paying this much for dog food that contains a lot of it is a good value for my dollar.

For a grocery store brand, Iams is definitely better than brands like Alpo but it could be improved. If you are trying to avoid herbicides and GMOs it is not the best choice due to the corn content. I also have to wonder where they source their chicken from. While chicken is the first ingredient, chicken by-product meal is another ingredient. Since there is a broad range of what that could be, I am hesitant to feed it to my pooch. I cannot justify the price for a dog food with a lot of corn and by-products. 

I really encourage pet food companies to stop with the artificial colors. Dogs do not care what color their food is and there is evidence that coloring agents are not good for long term health and well being of your canine companions. 

Scout’s Pick



 

 

Iams ProActive Health Adult Dry Dog Food for Large Dogs – Chicken, 30 Pound Bag

 

Buy from Amazon

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