Scoundrel dog food

Every year, the ready-to-eat pet food segment is replenished with new Russian-made foods. Most of them have attractive packaging, are attractively priced, and at first glance appear to be no worse than imported diets from well-known brands.

The main difference lies in the composition and quality of the raw materials used in each recipe, and these are the very characteristics that best characterize each individual product. This article is devoted to a review of Prokhvost dry dog ​​food, as dog owners' reviews of it can be so contradictory that it becomes quite difficult to determine whether the product is good or bad based on breeders' statements.

Prokhvost pet food manufacturer

Prokhvost diets are manufactured by Velkorm, a company founded in 2009. This company specializes in the production and distribution of pet food. In addition to the Prokhvost brand, the company also produces the Probalance series of pet food, which are marketed as economy and premium menu items, respectively.

The company doesn't manufacture its own dog food, but orders it from the Russian branch of the renowned Danish concern Aller Petfood A/S, located in Tver. According to the official website, Prokhvost dog food is a complete and balanced product, and its formula was developed with the help of international experts and Aller Petfood's veterinary nutritionists.

Assortment

The Prokhvost brand produces two types of food: dry and canned. In total, customers can choose from ten different formulas.

In the wet food segment, there's only one variety called "Beef in Gravy." However, the ingredient list specifies "min. 4% beef," meaning you shouldn't be fooled into thinking the can contains select cuts of beef. It's available in 85g pouches and 415g cans.

Prokhvost dry dog ​​food can be purchased based on your pet's taste preferences—chopped meat, beef, chicken, and salmon and rice—or based on your pet's activity level and energy needs—a menu for dogs with high or normal exercise, as well as those kept in urban areas. There's also a food option for puppies of all breeds, suitable for pregnant and lactating bitches. It's available in 0.5, 2.5, 10, 13, 15, and 20 kg packs, depending on the diet.

An interesting detail:

Comparing four rations—meat platter, chicken platter, beef platter, and croquette platter—reveals an interesting fact: they differ only in the shape of the croquette. Their protein/fat ratios and composition are identical. It's easy to suspect they're the same product, just differently shaped and packaged.

Evaluation and analysis of the composition

Let's take a detailed look at the ingredients of Prokhvost dog food, using the version designed for adult dogs of all breeds. The manufacturer claims this menu is balanced and complete. This means that a dog, by consuming the daily ration, receives everything it needs (proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals) in sufficient quantities to stay healthy and meet all its body needs.

Whether this is actually true will be shown by a nutrient analysis:

• Protein – 22%
• Fat – 10%
• Ash – 8%
• Fiber – 4%
• Humidity – 10%
• Calcium – 1.4%
• Phosphorus – 1.1%

The fat and protein levels in this recipe are below the generally accepted average, which may be suitable for a pet that lives in an apartment and is not particularly active most of the time. However, this is not enough for a pet that prefers long walks and active play.

It's also worth noting what the manufacturer didn't mention in the analysis: the carbohydrate content, which is at 46%, which is, without exaggeration, much more than a dog needs.

To objectively assess the quality of a diet, it's necessary to carefully examine the composition of this product. It looks like this:

• Cereals and plant products
• Meat and animal products
• Animal fats and vegetable oils
• Natural flavor additives
• Fish and fish by-products

The list is rounded out by minerals and vitamins. The manufacturer also states that it uses antioxidants E320 and E321, as well as the preservative Myco Carb, to preserve the food.

The manufacturer does not provide information on the percentage content of the ingredients in the recipe, although this is a very common practice among many brands, but this approach does not inspire much confidence.

Ingredients in Scoundrel dog food

Squirrels

Component #2—"meat and animal products"—is the source of animal proteins in the recipe. An ingredient with such a vague name is typical of economy-class pet foods and represents a highly questionable product. While chicken fillet, beef, and other meats and their derivatives may also have this generic name, this definition also includes waste products unfit for human consumption: heads, skins, hooves, horns, and so on. Manufacturers are primarily interested in their own profits, so often these vague ingredients conceal low-quality raw materials.

Ingredient #5—"fish and fish by-products"—is also essentially a questionable ingredient. We don't know what species of fish are involved, the quality of the raw materials, or what parts of the fish were used. Such undesirable ingredients should be avoided in dog food.

Fats

Third on the ingredient list is "animal fats and vegetable oils." This is a mixture of some fats and unknown oils. The proportions in which they are mixed are unknown, nor is the source of their origin. Animal fats are produced by rendering animal tissue, which is considered unfit for human consumption. This component cannot be considered high-quality or trustworthy, much less beneficial for dogs.

Cereals

The recipe lists "cereals and plant products" at the very top. The fact that it's listed at number one means it's the most abundant ingredient in the food. Again, we're looking at a certain "Mr. X," which likely conceals waste plant materials and the lowest-quality, substandard grain mixtures. Using such unknown ingredients allows the manufacturer to save significant amounts of money and allows it to use the cheapest raw materials available on the market. Such ingredients are untrustworthy and should be avoided whenever possible.

Other feed components

The manufacturer lists mysterious natural flavorings as ingredients. These contain no nutritional value for pets; they are simply intended to create the impression of delicious food for dogs, who evaluate food primarily by smell. The manufacturer does not disclose the specific additives used.

The antioxidants used in this recipe to preserve the food from spoilage are E320 and E321. They are also known as chemical preservatives BHA and BHT. They are banned in many countries because they are believed to cause cancer.

The additive Miko Carb is also used as a preservative, but it is considered completely safe and prevents the growth of various fungi and the accumulation of toxins in dry food.

Reviews of Prokhvost dog food

This food is very popular among dog owners, largely due to its low cost. Reviews from those who have purchased Prokhvost for their dogs are very mixed. Some are extremely negative and critical, as well as positive, which is typical for budget-friendly foods. We present some of them for your consideration:

Lyudmila, pet – Belgian Shepherd:

"My dog ​​is quite large, so she eats a lot. Feeding her expensive brands is quite expensive, so I'm looking for budget options. After this food, my dog ​​suffered terrible poisoning. Thankfully, there are good vets; they were able to save her from surgery, but then we had to struggle to get her back on her feet. In the end, my savings ended up costing me three times more than the treatment costs. This food is absolutely terrible, stay away from it."

Peter, owner of a Kurzhaar and a Jack Russell:

"Both dogs eat this food with pleasure. I switched one to it as an adult, and the other started with it as a puppy. I like the ingredients; it's much better than many other brands, plus sometimes you'll find heart-shaped or bone-shaped kibble in the package. They have no stomach issues, they're active, and their coats are shiny. They love this food too; they always ask for more. I recommend it to everyone—it's better than holistic food!"

Veterinarians' reviews of Prokhvost dog food are very restrained, often concluding that economy-class diets fail to provide the animal's body with all the necessary nutrients.

Price

Average price of Prokhvost dry dog ​​food online:

• 0.5 kg – from 47 to 53 rubles.
• 2.5 kg – from 205 to 215 rubles.
• 10 kg – from 750 to 1020 rubles.
• 13 kg – from 1035 to 1128 rubles.
• 20 kg – from 1870 to 2130 rubles.

Canned ProKhvost food in a pouch costs 14-17 rubles, in a jar from 53 to 61 rubles.

In conclusion, we would like to point out that ProKhvost brand diets are untrustworthy, as every ingredient appears questionable; practically every one of them could be labeled with a question mark. They might as well not have listed the ingredients on the food packaging at all. The presence of potentially hazardous preservatives further exacerbates the overall situation. This diet is neither complete nor balanced. Our resource cannot recommend this brand's diets and recommends choosing premium or super-premium foods.

Read also:

• Should you soak dry dog ​​food?
• Chicken allergy in dogs