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Essence vs Pedigree

Essence vs. Pedigree

In this comparison article for Essence vs Pedigree, we'll highlight the key differences between these two pet food brands. To properly compare Essence and Pedigree, 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 Pedigree vs Essence comparison, we've utilized average data to make general comparisons. If you'd like to see individual product reviews, visit our Essence Review Page or Pedigree Review Page.

Guaranteed Analysis: Pedigree vs. Essence

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.

Essence Dog Food vs. Pedigree Dog Food

Dry Dog FoodEssencePedigree
Crude Protein40.9%25.8%
Crude Fat19.3%11.7%
Crude Fiber5.7%4.4%
Wet/Canned Dog FoodEssencePedigree
Crude Protein46.2%41.2%
Crude Fat32.6%22.3%
Crude Fiber6.0%6.1%

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 Essence dry dog foods provide significantly more protein than Pedigree. More specifically, Essence guarantees at least 15.09% more protein. For wet dog foods, Essence provides more protein (about 4.98% 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.

There is a relatively large difference between the fat content of Essence and Pedigree. On average, Pedigree dry dog food recipes contain 7.57% less fat than Essence recipes. In addition, Essence wet dog foods also provide more fat than Pedigree wet foods.


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

Essence Pet Food Ingredients vs. Pedigree Pet Food Ingredients

Here are some of the controversial ingredients used only by Pedigree.

Liver
Beet Pulp
Iron Oxide
Pea Protein
Animal Liver
Brewers Rice
Wheat Gluten
Animal Plasma
Caramel Color
Garlic Powder
Vegetable Oil
Corn Gluten Meal
Meat By-Products
Meat And Bone Meal
Powdered Cellulose
Chicken By-Products
Dried Tomato Pomace
Chicken By-Product Meal
Ground Whole Grain Corn
Poultry By-Product Meal
Ground Whole Grain Wheat

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 Pedigree.

Bha
Bht
Red 3
Blue 2
Red 40
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Added Color
Animal Fat (Preserved With Bha/Bht)
Animal Fat (Preserved With Bha And Citric Acid)

Product Safety: Recall History of Essence & Pedigree?

According to our records, Essence has never been recalled.

Pedigree has been recalled 2 times.

  • Aug. 31, 2014: Metal fragments
  • Aug. 26, 2014: Presence of a foreign material

Price Comparison: Which Brand Is More Expensive?

Dry Dog FoodEssencePedigree
Per Pound$4.11$0.97
Per Calorie$0.0024$0.0006
Wet Dog FoodEssencePedigree
Per Pound$4.99$2.18
Per Calorie$0.0090$0.0048

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 Essence or Pedigree, 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 Essence or Pedigree will depend on your shopping habits.

Pet owners who use our price comparison feature typically save more than 25% off retail prices for Essence and Pedigree. 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 Essence Pet Foods

You can purchase Essence pet foods from the following stores:


12 Recipes In-Stock Today

13 Recipes In-Stock Today

Where To Buy Pedigree Pet Foods

You can purchase Pedigree pet food products from these retailers:


38 Recipes In-Stock Today

3 Recipes In-Stock Today

33 Recipes In-Stock Today

Type Of Pet Foods Available

ProductEssencePedigree
Dry Dog Food6 Recipes9 Recipes
Wet Dog Food6 Recipes32 Recipes
Dog TreatsNoneNone
Dry Cat Food3 RecipesNone
Wet Cat Food3 RecipesNone
Cat TreatsNoneNone

Top Rated Essence Recipes

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Original Ranch & Meadow Recipe For Cats (Canned)
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Top Rated Pedigree Recipes

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Puppy Growth & Protection Chicken & Vegetable Flavor
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For Big Dogs Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor
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Chopped Ground Dinner Meaty Ground Dinner With Hearty Chicken
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Chopped Ground Dinner Bacon and Filet Mignon Flavor
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