Selecting the right puppy food is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your new furry family member. The food you choose will fuel your puppy’s rapid growth and development in the critical first year and set the foundation for a long, healthy life. In this article we talk about Rachael Ray Nutrish Vs. PEDIGREE-Affordable Puppy Diet Analysis.
Among the maze of puppy food options on the market, Rachael Ray Nutrish and PEDIGREE are two of the most popular and affordable choices. But how do you decide which one is right for your pup? This blog post will compare and contrast key factors between Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites and PEDIGREE Puppy Growth and Protection recipes to help you make an informed decision.
Brand Backgrounds
Rachael Ray Nutrish is a premium pet food brand created by celebrity chef Rachael Ray. Launched in 2008, Nutrish aims to provide quality nutrition inspired by Rachael’s own home cooking. Nutrish recipes feature simple, easy-to-pronounce ingredients you might find in your own kitchen.
PEDIGREE has been one of the most recognizable pet food brands in the US for over 60 years. Backed by Mars Petcare, one of the largest pet food manufacturers globally, PEDIGREE offers a wide selection of dry and wet foods for dogs at budget-friendly price points.
Key Ingredients
When analyzing puppy foods, the first place to look is at the main ingredients. The order of ingredients gives you an idea of what makes up the majority of the food.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites lists chicken, chicken meal, and soybean meal as the top three ingredients. Chicken and chicken meal provide lean protein for building muscle, while soybean meal adds plant-based protein.
PEDIGREE Puppy Growth and Protection also lists chicken as the first ingredient, followed by corn and chicken by-product meal. Corn is a controversial ingredient criticized by some experts as a cheap filler that dogs digest poorly. By-product meal consists of parts of chicken other than meat, such as bones and organs.
Based on the main ingredients alone, Nutrish Little Bites takes the lead with more meat-based protein versus plant protein and by-products found in the PEDIGREE recipe.
Guaranteed Analysis
The guaranteed analysis provides a snapshot of the nutritional breakdown of fat, protein, fiber, moisture and other key contents.
On a dry matter basis, Rachael Ray Nutrish contains a minimum of 28% protein and 16% fat. PEDIGREE Puppy formula guarantees a minimum of 26% protein and 12% fat. The numbers are fairly close, but the edge goes to Nutrish for slightly higher protein and fat from animal ingredients.
Micronutrients
Both Rachael Ray Nutrish and PEDIGREE Puppy foods contain optimal levels of essential vitamins and minerals to support immunity, bone development, brain function, and overall growth in puppies.
A notable difference is that the Nutrish recipe includes chelated minerals, which some research suggests may be more easily absorbed compared to mineral salts used in most pet foods. Nutrish also includes more omega fatty acids from chicken fat versus the corn oil in PEDIGREE.
So when it comes to micronutrient additives, Nutrish Little Bites formulas have the advantage.
Feeding Guidelines
Following the proper feeding guidelines tailored for your puppy’s age, weight, and breed size is key to providing complete nutrition without over or underfeeding.
The feeding guidelines provided for Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites cover detailed recommendations based on age ranges from weaning to adulthood. Quantities are adjusted not only for weight but also for life stage factors like pregnancy and lactation.
The PEDIGREE feeding guidelines also cover each phase from weaning through the 18-month puppy stage. However, the weight ranges for determining food quantities are much broader compared to Nutrish. For large and giant breeds that gain significant weight each month, this makes it harder to fine-tune amounts.
Between the two brands, Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites offers better precision for feeding growing puppies of all sizes.
Price & Availability
When comparing puppy food options, affordability and accessibility are practical considerations for most pet parents.
A 6-pound bag of Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites has an MSRP of $12-$14. The MSRP for a 30-pound bag of PEDIGREE Puppy Growth and Protection formula ranges from $20-$25.
So you’ll spend about $2-$2.50 per pound for Nutrish compared to $0.60-$0.80 per pound for the PEDIGREE recipe. If price is your top concern, PEDIGREE offers more bang for your buck, especially with the larger bag size.
In terms of availability, PEDIGREE also has the advantage as one of the most widely distributed brands sold at big box stores, grocery chains and pet specialty retailers. Rachael Ray Nutrish may be harder to find at brick-and-mortar stores outside of pet superstores.
The Verdict
When you compare Rachael Ray Nutrish Little Bites head-to-head with PEDIGREE Puppy Growth and Protection recipes, Rachael Ray Nutrish comes out on top in terms of ingredients, guaranteed analysis and precision feeding guidelines tailored for puppies. However, PEDIGREE offers decent nutritional value at a significantly more affordable price point and wider availability.
Which brand is better for your new puppy? Here are some key questions to help you decide:
- Is your budget tight? If so, PEDIGREE gives you more value for the money.
- Are you willing to pay more for premium ingredients? Nutrish uses more meat proteins.
- Do you want better precision on feeding amounts? Nutrish adjusts better for growth factors.
- Does food need to be easily accessible where you live? PEDIGREE has wider store availability.
While the premium Nutrish formula edges out PEDIGREE in nutritional quality, tight budgets may make PEDIGREE the practical option for many pet parents. An affordable price and decent nutrition mean you don’t have to sacrifice quality to feed your growing puppy.
Whichever brand you choose, following feeding guidelines properly and adjusting amounts as your puppy grows is key to raising a healthy, happy fur baby! Monitoring weight, activity levels, digestive health and other factors will help confirm you’ve made the right puppy food fit. I sincerely hope you find this “Rachael Ray Nutrish Vs. PEDIGREE-Affordable Puppy Diet Analysis” article helpful.
