Review Summary

You might not recognize the name Performatrin Dog Food, nor are you likely to find it without a lot of looking in the United States. That’s because it’s the house brand of the Canadian-based retailer Pet Valu. The pandemic had many casualties among them, including all the US-based stores. The company announced on November 4, 2020, that it was ceasing all operations in this country¹.

Pet Valu cited the pandemic. However, many pet-related businesses, such as Chewy.com², thrived with record sales. Instead, industry experts suspect the company simply pivoted to its more lucrative markets. Pet Supplies Plus³ acquired an estimated 40 stores. However, a check on the company’s website turned up no Performatrin products.

Pet Valu advertises its Performatrin brand as the holistic choice and is also their top seller⁴. However, the question remains:  Is that a significant loss for US pet owners? The answer lies with the product ingredients, their health value for dogs, and the marketing practices of the retailer and manufacturer.

At a Glance: The Best Performatrin Dog Food Recipes

The brand includes three product lines: Performatrin, Performatrin Naturels, and Performatrin Ultra. The company manufactures several specialty dog foods for issues such as weight loss, sensitive stomach, and an indoor pet formula.

Performatrin Dog Food Reviewed

Performatrin ticks off many of the boxes associated with the industry’s pet humanization⁵ trend. Marketers have convinced many consumers of the value of so-called natural and holistic products for themselves. That has spilled over to the care of their animal companions. You’ll see many of the same buzzwords on the pet food labels, like wellness and natural.

Who Makes Performatrin Dog Food, and Where Is It Produced?

The pet retailer Pet Valu makes and sells the Performatrin brand in Canada. Its headquarters is in Markham, Ontario. It was founded in 1976. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find specific information about its manufacturing. The brand’s website redirects visitors to the retail site. Our research found no US-based stores carrying or making these products.

It’s worth noting that Pet Valu has an in-house nutritionist⁶. Compare that to a manufacturer such as Royal Canin, which has a team of board-certified veterinary nutritionists. The company also conducts feeding trials on their pet foods.

Which Type of Dog Is Performatrin Dog Food Best Suited For?

Many of the Performatrin products are listed as grain-free. As we discuss in detail below, we cannot recommend these dog foods in good conscience. We strongly urge you to discuss these types of diets with your veterinarian. Undoubtedly, the products will appeal to pet parents looking for a boutique brand. It is worth noting that Pet Valu adheres to the standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

Which Type of Pet Might Do Better With a Different Brand?

The concern with many of the Performatrin products is that some are grain-free. A spike in cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy⁷ (DCM) led the FDA⁸ to launch an investigation. Preliminary findings suggested a possible link between grain-free foods and those containing ingredients like legumes and potatoes with DCM. Again, we advise you to discuss your pet’s diet with your veterinarian.

Alternative choices offering high-quality nutrition include Purina Pro Plan High Protein Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Puppy Food or Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Adult Dry Dog Food.

Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good and Bad)

Any commercial food will have its good and bad points. Performatrin is no exception. However, the not-so-great ones outweigh the favorable ones. Keep reading and see what you think.

High-Protein

All the Performatrin foods we looked into far exceeded the protein recommendations of the AAFCO for puppies and dogs. Many, except the limited ingredient formulas, contain multiple sources. They often include various meals and offer a concentrated, highly digestible form. Proteins in their whole form are typically listed at the top of the ingredients.

High-Fat Content

The AAFCO’s recommendations for the fat percentage are a minimum of 8% and 5% for puppies and adults. We looked at the Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Original Recipe Dog Food. One cup of this food contains 411 calories and 16% fat. The feeding instructions are 1 cup for an 11-pound. The recommendations of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention¹⁰ are that a dog this size should eat no more than 275 calories daily.

Probiotics

You’ll often see these boutique foods with unexpected ingredients like probiotics. Performatrin is no exception. It strikes us as curious, given some consumers’ aversion to unpronounceable ingredients. We think Dried “Enterococcus faecium fermentation product” qualifies. Nevertheless, probiotics¹¹ like this one offer some value for remedying GI distress. We can’t help but wonder if the high fat content makes them necessary.

Controversial Ingredients

Unfortunately, many of the diets also contain some of the ingredients that the FDA has red-flagged, including peas, navy beans, and lentils. A check of the agency’s website turned up only one complaint for this brand and DCM¹².

Some also have things meant to appeal to pet owners without offering any significant nutritional value¹³, such as blueberries, tomatoes, and spinach. The inclusion of beet pulp is problematic, too. Evidence suggests a link between this food and low taurine levels¹⁴. This amino acid is essential for cardiovascular health. Fortunately, Performatrin products, including those with beet pulp, contain this nutrient.

A Quick Look at Performatrin Dog Food

Recall History

Performatrin hasn’t had many recalls. The ones that have occurred involved the Ultra line. It’s worth noting that they have included both the cat and dog food. There is also the DCM complaint we mentioned earlier. A search of the Government of Canada website uncovered no recent alerts or recalls.

Reviews of the 3 Best Performatrin Dog Food Recipes

1. Performatrin Naturals Salmon Dry Dog Food

The main ingredients in Performatrin Naturals Adult Salmon & Veggies Recipe Dog Food are enough to make you take notice. Fish-based products usually are in the cat realm. It could offer a viable alternative, considering that beef and chicken food allergies are most common in dogs. Surprisingly, the product description makes no mention of this obvious health benefit, although reviewers did.

Overall, the food is palatable. The pets and owners are both satisfied with it. We didn’t note any complaints about an odor, which you may expect with a fish-based diet. However, we found plenty of other red flags that concerned us.

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2. Performatrin Adult Lamb Formula Dry Dog Food

Performatrin Adult Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Formula Dog Food includes several protein sources, including eggs and grains. It also has fish oil to keep your pet’s coat looking its best. The ingredient list isn’t as long as we’ve seen on many of the company’s products. While it has grains in it, it also includes several controversial ones like beet pulp and peas.

The protein, fat, and fiber contents are in line with the AAFCO’s recommendations. That caloric count is also lower than some of the brand’s richer diets. Sadly, the feeding instructions still exceeded the recommended amount to prevent obesity.

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3. Performatrin Ultra Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food

Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free Adult Recipe Large Breed Dog Food gets its name from its high protein content. This diet comes in at a whopping 28%. While turkey is the primary source, it also taps into some controversial ingredients with a trifecta of peas, lentils, and chickpeas. It contains potatoes, too, which raises another red flag. It also has probiotics to help offset any gastrointestinal (GI) distress.

Pet owners reviewing the product were pleased. However, as we did, they noted that this dog food is very expensive. It comes in only two sizes, 13.2 and 26 pounds. The cost must have certainly come into play with the company not offering a larger bag for pet owners whom the product targets.

What Other Users Are Saying

We searched online for the overall customer feelings regarding Performatrin Dog Food. We found a mixed bag of overwhelming positive and outright negative reviews. The main criticism was often GI distress, which isn’t unusual, given the fat content of many of their products. A few also cited the company’s lack of transparency with the same obstacles we encountered in our research.

Conclusion

Performatrin Dog Food has found a niche with pet parents who want these types of products. Sadly, our research doesn’t uncover any compelling reasons to give your pup this food. Instead, we found the opposite to be true. Finding these diets will undoubtedly be difficult even for the most persistent dog owner. Perhaps switching to a more appropriate food is not a bad thing.

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Featured Image Credit: Performatrin