vs
Purina Dog Chow vs Vital Essentials

Purina Dog Chow vs. Vital Essentials

In this comparison article for Purina Dog Chow vs Vital Essentials, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Purina Dog Chow and Vital Essentials, we'll use up-to-date nutritional and price information.

There are many factors to consider when choosing the best pet food brand for your pet. Factors such as ingredient quality, guaranteed analysis, product safety, brand history, and cost are among the most important factors to consider.

Throughout this Vital Essentials vs Purina Dog Chow comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Purina Dog Chow Review Page or Vital Essentials Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Vital Essentials vs. Purina Dog Chow

According to AAFCO, all pet food labels must provide a guaranteed analysis of nutrient content. The analysis must provide guaranteed minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture.

All percentages used in this comparison are averages reported on a dry matter basis.

Purina Dog Chow Dog Food vs. Vital Essentials Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodPurina Dog ChowVital Essentials
Crude Protein26.2%52.2%
Crude Fat12.3%28.7%
Crude Fiber4.9%4.1%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodPurina Dog ChowVital Essentials
Crude Protein49.5%53.7%
Crude Fat14.5%31.0%
Crude Fiber6.8%5.6%

Crude Protein Comparison For Dog Food

Dogs require twenty-two amino acids to sustain life. Twelve of these amino acids are synthesized naturally, the remaining ten are consumed. Protein is the nutrient which provides some or all of these ten essential amino acids.

The comparison table above shows that Vital Essentials dry dog foods provide significantly more protein than Purina Dog Chow. More specifically, Vital Essentials guarantees at least 25.91% more protein. For wet dog foods, Vital Essentials provides more protein (about 4.23% more).


Crude Fat Comparison For Dog Food

Fats are an absolutely vital component of a balanced canine diet. Not only do fats provide energy, but they also serve important roles in the normal development and function of your dog's body. For example, fats help dogs produce prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation among many other significant functions.

Vital Essentials dry dog foods clearly provides more fat than Purina Dog Chow. In fact, the difference between the fat content is roughly 16.33%, which is a significant amount. Similarly, Vital Essentials wet dog foods provide significantly more protein than Purina Dog Chow wet foods.


There is a relatively insignificant difference between the crude fiber content of the two brands. With regards to wet dog food, Purina Dog Chow and Vital Essentials also provide roughly the same amount of crude fiber.

Purina Dog Chow Pet Food Ingredients vs. Vital Essentials Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Liver
Wheat Gluten
Soybean Flour
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Whole Grain Corn
Whole Grain Wheat
Ground Yellow Corn
Meat And Bone Meal
Turkey By-Product Meal
Chicken By-Product Meal
Poultry By-Product Meal

We believe that certain pet food ingredients are linked to adverse health affects; these ingredients are classified as harmful.

Here are some of the harmful ingredients used only by Purina Dog Chow.

Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Added Color
Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex

Product Safety: Recall History of Purina Dog Chow & Vital Essentials?

According to our records, Purina Dog Chow has never been recalled.

Vital Essentials has been recalled 4 times.

  • July 8, 2015: Listeria monocytogenes
  • Jan. 15, 2016: Salmonella
  • Feb. 24, 2018: Salmonella
  • April 16, 2018: Salmonella

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodPurina Dog ChowVital Essentials
Per Pound$1.22$37.19
Per Calorie$0.0008$0.0186

The average cost-per-lb is heavily influenced by the varying amounts of moisture present in each brand's food products (wet vs. dry food, dry vs. freeze-dried food, etc). However, the average cost-per-kcal eliminates the influence of moisture. Therefore, the average cost-per-kcal is the better metric to consider.

If you'd like to calculate the average cost-per-day or cost-pet-year of feeding Purina Dog Chow or Vital Essentials, input your pet's weight into our cost analyzer widget.

Averages price data can identify whether or not there exists a significant price difference between two brands. However, the actual price that you'll pay for Purina Dog Chow or Vital Essentials will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Purina Dog Chow and Vital Essentials. In addition, we currently have some great coupons for our readers.


Disclosure: PawDiet has an affiliate relationship with stores featured (or linked-to) in this article. We are compensated for referring customers. Thank you for shopping with our retail partners!

Where To Buy Purina Dog Chow Pet Foods

You can purchase Purina Dog Chow pet foods from the following stores:


4 Recipes In-Stock Today

1 Recipes In-Stock Today

4 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Vital Essentials Pet Foods

You can purchase Vital Essentials pet food products from these retailers:


47 Recipes In-Stock Today

43 Recipes In-Stock Today

21 Recipes In-Stock Today

23 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductPurina Dog ChowVital Essentials
Dry Dog Food5 RecipesNone
Wet Dog Food9 RecipesNone
Dog TreatsNone30 Treats
Dry Cat FoodNoneNone
Wet Cat FoodNoneNone
Cat TreatsNone8 Treats

Top Rated Purina Dog Chow Recipes

Dog Food
Purina Dog Chow
High Protein With Real Lamb
Check Price
Dog Food
Purina Dog Chow
Little Bites For Small Dogs
Check Price
Dog Food
Purina Dog Chow
High Protein With Real Beef (Classic Ground)
Check Price
Dog Food
Purina Dog Chow
High Protein With Real Chicken (Classic Ground)
Check Price

Top Rated Vital Essentials Recipes

Dog Food
Vital Essentials
Freeze-Dried Entrees Beef Mini Nibs
Check Price
Dog Food
Vital Essentials
Frozen Entrees Beef Mini Patties
Check Price
Cat Food
Vital Essentials
VitalCat Freeze-Dried Duck Mini Nibs For Cats
Check Price
Cat Food
Vital Essentials
VitalCat Frozen Rabbit Entree Mini Patties For Cats
Check Price