Member’s Mark vs. Purina Pro Plan Dog Food – 2025 Comparison, Pros & Cons

There are a lot of decisions you’ll face as a dog owner, but one of the most important choices you need to make is what food you’ll be feeding your pet. You want the best for your dog, but with so many food options on the market, choosing the absolute best can feel impossible. Every brand and every recipe seem to offer something different for your pooch; this one provides digestive support, that one is high in protein, this one promotes optimal coat health, etc. Choosing the right food can feel impossible since they all claim to be superior!

To help ease the burden of choosing food for your dog, we’ve gone ahead and compared two of the big names in the dog food market. Today, we’re taking an in-depth look at Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan to compare their food selection, ingredients, pricing, and nutritional value.

Keep reading to learn which brand came out on top and why they’re superior.

A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Purina Pro Plan

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula	Boosts skin and coat health Available in different bag sizes Great for dogs with digestion issues	Check Price
Runner Up		Member's Mark Grain-Free Wild-Caught Salmon & Peas	Wild-caught salmon as first ingredient Huge bag at an affordable price No artificial flavors or colors	Check Price

While both Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan provide dogs with high-quality nutrition, Purina has the upper hand. This is due in part to their vast food options as well as their targeted diets for specific health conditions and life stages. Don’t just take our word for it, though; keep reading to learn why we think Purina Pro Plan has an edge over Member’s Mark.

We found three Purina Pro Plan recipes that stood out to us:

About Member’s Mark

Member’s Mark is a brand of dog food that’s manufactured by Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club is a membership-only store that runs similarly to Costco with over 600 clubs throughout the United States. You can find these stores in 44 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Sam’s Club was founded in 1983 and is owned and operated by Walmart, Inc. There are rumors online that Member’s Mark dog food is being made by Purina as of 2022, but we were unable to find any information that can confirm or deny these rumors.

Only for Members

Since Sam’s Club is a membership-only store, their Member’s Mark brand dog food is only available to members. While their membership fees are relatively low, it is something you should still take into consideration. Will you get a lot of value from becoming a Sam’s Club member, or will you only be shopping there for dog food?

Being only available to members does work against Member’s Mark, as it is just another yearly membership you have to sign up for.

Sam’s Club does allow non-members to make purchases online, but these purchases are subject to a 10% service fee.

Where Is Member’s Mark Made?

Member’s Mark’s recipes are all manufactured in the United States, but their ingredient sourcing is not entirely clear. It appears that neither Sam’s Club nor their owner, Walmart Inc., has released information about the companies that they partner with to manufacture any of the products that fall under their Member’s Mark brand.

About Purina Pro Plan

Purina is an American subsidiary of Nestle that focuses on marketing and producing pet food, treats, and cat litter. Several different brands fall under the Purina umbrella including Friskies, Purina One, and Purina Pro Plan.

Specific Nutrition Plans

One of the most unique things about Purina Pro Plan is that they manufacture their wet and dry dog food to provide specific and targeted nutrition based on your dog. Their specialized recipes provide options for special needs such as low fat or weight management diets and size-specific food for small or large breed dogs. You can find options targeted toward dogs with sensitive skin or sensitive digestive systems as well as food preference types such as pea-free or probiotic-rich.

Where Is Purina Pro Plan Made?

Ninety-nine percent of all of Purina’s pet foods sold in America are made in America. Most of the ingredients for their dog food are also sourced from the U.S.A. That said, the company does work with vendors from a variety of geographic regions, but these vendors must be able to pass the high standards of the company.

You can use their Pet Food Ingredients Source Map on their website to see where the most common ingredients in their foods are being sourced from as well as why the ingredients are included in the pet food formula in the first place.

The 3 Most Popular Member’s Mark Dog Food Recipes

Let’s take a closer look at three of Member Mark’s most popular dog food formulas.

1. Member’s Mark Pasture Raised Lamb + Brown Rice

The Pasture Raised Lamb and Brown Rice recipe comes in a 35-pound bag and features real lamb as the first ingredient. It doesn’t use corn, soy, or wheat in its formulation. There also are no artificial colors or preservatives added to this formula.

They include a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids and proteins. Omega-3s are great for dogs as they can help with skin conditions, allergies, and arthritis. The lamb in this recipe is pasture-raised, which may mean that it’s lower in fat and higher in protein.

This recipe also contains vitamin A, which can support vision and skin health in addition to the omega-3 fatty acids. It does, however, contain peas, which is a controversial ingredient right now. Recent studies suggest that peas may be one of the main dog food ingredients that are contributing to a rise in diet-associated canine heart disease.

2. Member’s Mark Chicken & Rice

This Chicken & Rice formula comes in a huge 35-pound bag. It features real chicken as the first ingredient so it’s high in protein to support your dog’s muscles. The formula is made with essential vitamins and nutrients your dog needs to be his healthiest. Member’s Mark includes vitamin E in this recipe which provides your dog with a defense against oxidative damage. Vitamin E is also great for cell function and eye health. Vitamin C helps support a healthy immune system and the prebiotics in the formula support your dog’s digestive health.

Like the previous recipe we reviewed, this food also lists peas and synthetic vitamin K in the ingredient list.

3. Member’s Mark High Protein Grain Free Chicken + Vegetable

The High Protein Grain Free Chicken and Vegetable recipe features chicken and chicken meal as the first two ingredients, with a crude protein of 34%, which is quite impressive. It includes omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to support healthy skin and coat, as well as glucosamine and chondroitin to support hip and joint health and prebiotic fiber for healthy digestion.

Like other recipes from Member’s Mark, this product also lists peas and synthetic vitamin K as ingredients. Also, too much protein can actually be harmful to some dogs, so we don’t recommend it unless your vet tells you that your dog could benefit from the extra protein.

The 3 Most Popular Brand Purina Pro Plan Dog Food Recipes

1. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula

Purina Pro Plan’s Salmon & Rice flavored formula is designed for adult dogs with sensitive skin and stomachs. It comes in several different bag sizes so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. This recipe is made without wheat or soy and is easy to digest. It’s high in protein and features real salmon as the first ingredient. The inclusion of omega-6 fatty acids supports your dog’s skin and coat while also supporting their joints and mobility. The probiotic and prebiotic fiber boosts digestive and immune health. This food is great for dogs of all breed sizes.

Similar to the three recipes from Member’s Mark, this formula also contains the controversial and synthetic version of vitamin K. Purina uses both farm-raised and ocean-caught salmon in their recipes. While all Purina’s products claim to be under strict quality control, studies show that farmed salmon can result in elevated exposure to dioxins and similar compounds that can act as immunosuppressives.

2. Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice Formula

This unique dog food features a blend of hard kibble and tender, shredded pieces that will pique your dog’s interest. This formula lists real chicken as its main ingredient and is high in protein to help your dog maintain an ideal body weight. It has been fortified with live probiotics to aid in digestion and boost your dog’s immune health. This recipe has many different vitamins, including vitamin B5 which can assist with vitamin metabolism, and vitamin D3 for regulating the balance and retention of calcium and phosphorus. This food is available in 6-, 18-, 35-, and 47-pound bags.

This food contains synthetic vitamin K.

3. Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice Formula

This Purina Pro Plan food is designed for dogs that live highly active lifestyles, such as hunting or sporting dogs. This recipe provides a blend of 30% protein and 20% fat to fuel your active dog’s metabolic needs while ensuring they can maintain his lean muscle mass. It features glucosamine and omega-3 fatty acids to provide the joint support your dog needs to stay healthy as well as antioxidants and B-vitamins to promote brain health.

This recipe also contains synthetic vitamin K. It is also a little higher in fat than some of Purina’s other dog food offerings, but we don’t consider this a “con” as the fat is purposely high to support an active dog’s needs.

Recall History of Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan Dog Food

Member’s Mark has had two recalls. The first occurred in November 2021 and was due to the potential of a foreign material (metal) being in their Beef Stick Dog Treats. The second happened in 2023 and was due to a possible Salmonella contamination.

Purina Pro Plan has had a couple recalls related to their dog products. In 2016, Purina made a voluntary recall of some of their Beneful and Purina Pro Plan wet dog foods. The reason for this recall was that select lots of these brands may not have been formulated with the appropriate level of vitamins and minerals. In 2023, they had a recall for potentially elevated levels of vitamin D.

Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan Comparison

We’ve compared Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan to one another in a range of categories below to give you a better understanding of how the two brands stack up against one another.

Taste

Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan dry food options would have much the same taste as they both rely on real meat as their main ingredient. Purina does have the upper hand here, however, as they not only also offer formulations of dry food with differing textures (such as the shredded blend we reviewed above), but wet food, too. Although Member’s Mark does offer wet food, there is only one option.

Nutritional Value

Both Member’s Mark and Purina Pro Plan list real meat as the first ingredient in the recipes we reviewed above. This makes their formulas high in protein that your dog needs to support his muscles. The majority of Member’s Mark’s recipes have higher crude protein content and are all lower in fat.

Both brands provide a dose of vitamins and minerals in their food. Most of Purina’s recipes offer higher concentrations of vitamins, however. Purina also provides the guaranteed live probiotic amount for each of their recipes, whereas there is no mention of probiotics on any of Member’s Marks food listings, only prebiotics aside from their high-protein option.

Price

Since Member’s Mark is a brand you can find in a wholesale store, you can expect to pay a lot less for their food. In fact, a 35-pound bag of their Chicken and Brown rice recipe is about half of the price of Purina’s Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula.

You should also factor in the price of the Sam’s Club membership you’ll need to buy yearly to have access to Member’s Mark food or the 10% surcharge you’ll be expected to pay if you choose to buy their food online without a membership. Unless you’re a Plus member, you’ll also need to pay for shipping.

If you opt for Autoship for Purina’s food via Chewy.com, you can save a few dollars per bag and also receive free one- to three-day shipping.

Selection

Member’s Mark has just three recipes for dog food. Their food is available in kibble form or one type of wet food. They also offer one type of treat.

Purina Pro Plan, on the other hand, has a much larger range of food. They have both wet and dry options, as well as food that’s developed specifically for your dog’s life stage (e.g., puppy, adult, and senior). They have formulas targeted toward breed size and health goals like sports performance, weight management, and cognitive health support.

Overall

Purina Pro Plan has a slight edge here as their products are not only more widely available and easy to access, but they have a much bigger selection of food to choose from, too.

Final Thoughts

Though both food brands have pros and cons, we believe Purina Pro Plan to be the superior option of the two. This brand has a huge variety of food that suits every dog’s life stage and health goal. Whether your pooch has food allergies, needs digestive support, or could benefit from a diet that promotes calm and balance, Purina Pro Plan has food for you. Their website even goes as far as explaining the benefits of the ingredients for each one of their recipes.

If you are motivated by price, however, you may wish to consider Member’s Mark if there is a Sam’s Club near you. Though you do need to pay for your club membership, it isn’t too costly considering the savings you’ll be getting across the board, and not just on dog food.