| Country of origin | Australia |
| Available from | , Various Retailers, Veterinary Practices |
Prime100 seem to have a surprisingly loyal following and are heavily endorsed by a number of Facebook groups. In our Prime100 SPD review we’ll take a look at the nutritional aspects of these rolls, whether they live up to the hype, and whether the Prime100 company is as transparent as they claim to be.
Prime100 dog food review
What the marketing says
Prime100 pet foods feature a “Vet Recommended” stamp, which may trick you into believing the products are endorsed by some official veterinary body. So what does this vet recommended stamp really mean?
On further research we found Prime100 own a website “VetRecommended.com.au”. This website makes a few statements such as “VET RECOMMENDED – THE BEST HEALTH FOR YOUR PET”, with a number of glowing testimonials of their choosing (which may or may not be genuine), and small print at the bottom saying “Prime100 PTY LTD ABN: 75 166 483 021”.
Prime100 seem to claim transparency, but we note the company has attempted to conceal numerous issues with the rolls over the years and are quick to delete consumer posts on their Facebook page if they’re in any way negative.
In regard to reports regarding plastic contaminants in Prime100 rolls mentioned here and here we found Prime100 reluctant to notify consumers. Not only were they reluctant, their conduct was far from professional in their correspondence with us. They did eventually publicise the plastic issues on their Facebook page, but in contrast with the correspondence we had from Prime100, a retail store, and numerous affected consumers, the post played down the situation to only mention a single case of soft plastic, which was quickly pushed down the page by a few unrelated meme posts.
We were recently made aware of another post subsequently deleted from their Facebook page which speaks of Prime100 using knackery meats in their products between 2013 and 2020, from a knackery listed on the Internet as “dead and injured animal removalists”. We note the statements Prime100 use in relation to human grade ingredients, and urge you to ensure products are labelled as 100% human grade if this is what you believe you are paying for. Statements such as “Includes human grade ingredients” or “sourced from human consumption facilities” do not necessarily mean the entire product is made from human grade ingredients, and in terms of pet grade meats most are sourced from human grade meat production facilities.
Unfortunately due to our dealings with the Prime100 company, it is very difficult to trust any of their products. Plastic and other contaminants can and do affect many pet food manufacturers, and in our opinion it is far better for a pet food manufacturer to be transparent than have a pet food review website be transparent for them.
Nevertheless, the remainder of our Prime100 dog food review will remain unbiased and focus on the ingredients and analysis of the Prime100 rolls (SPD™, SK-G™, SK-D™, a/f200V™, and Chicken & Vegetables/Beef & Vegetables).
If you are interested in dry food, then we also have a Prime100 SPD Zero G dog food review.
What the ingredients really say
We’ll take a look at Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Brown Rice dog food roll for the purpose of this review, with SPD™ in this case referring to “Single Protein Diet”, meaning only one ingredient is a source of protein. They seem to like trademarking acronyms at Prime100, and have even trademarked RAW™ which represents their own spin on the raw philosophy.
Many dogs suffer reactions to ingredients in common brands of pet food, with symptoms such as itchy skin, itchy coat, gunky eyes, skin rashes, gas, and very likely worse if these symptoms are unaddressed. It’s a common belief most diet-related sensitives are triggered by meat proteins such as chicken, beef, or lamb, but it’s almost always overlooked that cereals/cereal by-products, food colourings, preservatives, and poor ingredients as a whole play a very significant part in these reactions. Unfortunately for many dogs the affects of a disrupted microbiome from a poor diet can take a very long time to rectify.
If your dog is suffering such a reaction then a single protein diet may be an answer, but it’s always worth attempting an elimination diet to determine the root cause, as well as seeking the advice of a reputable vet.
Alternatives in terms of addressing food sensitivities and allergies in dogs are Frontier Pets as a freeze-dried food, or Canidae PURE and Taste of the Wild PREY as dry foods. You may find any pet food of a decent standard absent of cereals may also rectify such symptoms.
The first two ingredients in Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Brown Rice is chicken (including ground chicken bone) and brown rice, so at least they’re transparent in terms of ingredients. We can expect these ingredients to be relatively equal in proportion, so expect there to be as much brown rice as there is chicken. The third and final main ingredient is potato starch, which will likely tip the ingredients of the roll over to non-meat based rather than meat-based, but in terms of pet food this is still relatively good and 28.5% protein/20% fat is respectable for a dog food roll and much better than Prime Pantry as a Prime100 supermarket brand.
The third and fourth ingredients are vitamins and minerals which are required to make Prime100 dog food rolls AAFCO compliant and “complete and balanced”.
There are some nice minor inclusions in the Prime100 dog food rolls which are worth noting. Flaxseed oil is included to provide omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Psyllium husk helps regulate the consistency of dog poo, both in terms of constipation or diarrhoea, and is a useful addition if your dog suffers irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Assuming Prime100 rolls are in fact 100% human grade ingredients then these would be worth feeding over similar rolls you may find in the supermarkets.
Prime100 Rolls vs Prime Pantry Rolls
Prime Pantry is the supermarket alternative to Prime100 and therefore targets the regular supermarket consumer demographic. The Prime Pantry rolls are lower in protein and fat than the Prime100 counterparts due to containing more non-meat ingredients as the majority of the product.
To offer a comparison, a Prime100 roll may have one meat and two non-meat ingredients in what we consider the “majority” of the formula. The Prime Pantry Chicken with Broccoli and Apple may have as many as five non-meat ingredients to one meat ingredient.
We also note there are no claims of human grade ingredients on Prime Pantry rolls, so it is possible Prime100 rolls utilise a better standard of ingredients.
We would recommend feeding Prime100 dog food rolls if the choice is between Prime100 and Prime Pantry rolls.
Where to buy Prime100 dog food
Prime100 dog food rolls can be found in a number of Australian pet stores as well as .
Prime100 dog food rolls
There are a variety of Prime100 dog food rolls available, all of which are summarised by this review:
- Prime100 SPD™ Lamb & Rosemary Roll
- Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Rosemary Roll
- Prime100 SK-G™ Duck & Sweet Potato Roll
- Prime100 SK-G™ Turkey & Flaxseed Roll
- Prime100 SK-D™ Wild Boar & Pumpkin Roll
- Prime100 SK-D™ Salmon & Tapioca Roll
- Prime100 SK-D™ Crocodile & Tapioca Roll
- Prime100 SK-D™ Kangaroo & Pumpkin Roll
- Prime100 SK-D™ Kangaroo & Potato Roll
- Prime100 a/f200V™ Pea & Hemp Oil Roll
- Prime100 Chicken & Vegetables Roll
- Prime100 Beef & Vegetables Roll
Ingredients of Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Brown Rice Roll
Ingredients of Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Brown Rice dog food roll:
Chicken (including ground chicken bone), brown rice, potato starch, vitamins, minerals, flaxseed oil, psyllium husk, sunflower oil, salt, natural digestive enzymes, celery seed powder.
(Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, Citric Acid, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Calcium Iodate, Selenium).
Guaranteed analysis of Prime100™ SPD Chicken & Brown Rice Roll
Guaranteed analysis of Prime100 SPD™ Chicken & Brown Rice dog food roll on a dry matter basis:
| Protein | (min) 28.5% |
| Fat | (min) 20% |
Prime100 recalls
Australian pet food regulations do not enforce recalls, and accordingly pet food recalls in Australia are voluntary.
I used to really like some of these rolls, but I’m disappointed that the formula of my fave has been changed to less meat and more filler garbage. I also noticed a substantial price increase to these rolls a year or so ago at most pet food stores, which is odd considering they removed meat and replaced with bamboo filler.
Pretty sure dog’s wouldn’t eat ‘bamboo fibre’ by choice if it was presented to them lol.
The icing on the cake for me is the lack of company transparency and rudeness.
Unfortunately, most people won’t even know there was ingredient changes and will continue to feed this blindly when there are nutritionally better and cheaper options around.
Thank you for this thorough review on Prime100 dog food. It’s immensely helpful to have such detailed insights into the nutritional value and ingredients of this brand, especially for dog owners keen on providing balanced diets to their furry companions. The pros and cons section is a straightforward guide for anyone considering this dog food brand. It’s also enlightening to read about the potential allergens and the importance of a single protein source for dogs with sensitivities. This review definitely aids in making an informed decision for the best interest of our pets. Keep up the fantastic work!
In regards to Vet recommendations most of the vets in my neck of the woods sell prime 100. I have fed my dog Prime 100 for near on 6 years. He is 10 years old, he is healthy, excellent skin and coat, good teeth and has not changed his weight in all that time. He is a Labrador retriever, a breed known for big appetites. I have feed him the same portions everyday but a little under the recommended amount for his size and weight. Better to slightly and I mean slightly under than overfeed. Anyways all I am getting to is the food is really good for him. My vet has always said that he is in excellent condition for his age.. and he is. Food is not the only reason but it does play an important part for a dogs health. Make no mistake I watch and gauge my dogs health like a hawk and if I ever had any inkling that the food I feed him is in any way a detriment to his health I would change it immediately and consult my vet. I go by results – long term.
I’m in a situation where I live in central QLD , not far from Emerald , I get my SPD salmon rolls from my vet , my little mini dachshund has severe IBD /colitis issues, and the only protein she can tolerate is fish , she seems to do well on the prime salmon n tapioca diet without causing any major gut turmoil, she can’t eat raw at all , she can’t eat any other protein either , I’m yet to find a similar one protein fish type of wet food that’s been cooked for her that I can buy in Emerald as pet shops only sell brands that don’t produce them and only my vet orders the prime rolls in .. any advice on what I could try on a dog that has very very very limited options must be fish variety only .
Hi Natalie, given your situation and the fact Prime 100 Salmon & Tapioca is working I would suggest continuing with it. Another possibility is to start adding some fresh or homemade ingredients which work, as this should add some variety. Probiotics may be a good option as well, which can either be off-the-shelf, kefir, natural yoghurt etc.
I have just been to my local pet store to purchase my normal prime 100 roll, and after reading the feeding guidelines, I noticed that half of them have an increase of 100 g/ 10 kg of body weight. Then I looked at the ingredients and it seems that bamboo fibre is the new superfood as it is listed third on the wild boar ingredients list. Meaning there has been a change in formulation and the pet stores are currently doing a change over.
With the knowledge I have learnt from your website and having at least a 30% increase in feeding guides indicates that there is less nutrition per serve?
Would really love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this.
Hi Lani, there are two reasons why ingredients can be used in a dog food – (1) for the benefit of your dog, and (2) to keep production costs down and profit up.
When it comes to what I consider “main ingredients” in rolls such as this, there can be two (1 meat, 1 non-meat), or more than two. The Balanced Life rolls have two, whereas the Prime 100 rolls usually have 3 or more, such as Salmon + Tapioca + Bamboo. This can mean 1/3rd salmon to 2/3 non-animal. That’s quite a difference.
Here’s a quote from the Pet Keen website on feeding bamboo shoots to a dog – “Bamboo shoots should be served in small amounts, as too much can lead to digestive upset and other health problems in dogs.”
That should leave you with another concern, as most people feed the same food to their dogs for all meals, every single day.
Thank you for a quick reply. Considering the wild bore & pumpkin was the first 2 ingredients in the old formulation and now lists as “Australian Pork including wild bore, tapioca, bamboo fibre then pumpkin”. What % of pork to bore?
This always made up 1/3 of my dogs diet with Ziwi Peak air dried & raw taking up 2/3 but I have to say I am not impressed with formulation changes with no signage, no reps going out to the pet stores to educate staff about this change, why the change, what makes it better? I will be finding a raw/loaf alternative. Prime have lost another customer due to their lack of. Awareness and putting profits over animal welfare.
You can expect mostly pork with that one.
Usually formula changes benefit profit margins, rarely anything else. It’s common for an established brand with a loyal reputation to make such changes, and most people won’t notice. ZiwiPeak is almost all meat, so that gives a good comparison to a roll with one part meat to two parts non-meat as the first (most significant) ingredients.
I’m disappointed by your Prime 100 SPD roll review.
So you rated them down due to the company behaviour?
I’ve been feeding my dog who has IBD these rolls for over 4 years. She is sensitive to chicken, beef, lamb, kangaroo and other proteins, so it’s hard to find another company producing rolls without these ingredients.
She is a picture of health on the SPD rolls and my vet endorses the food.
Anytime I’ve had a problem with a roll – once the Pea Roll was too crumbly and once a salmon roll had dark patches in it- the company has couriered me multiple rolls to replace them.
I find them a great company to deal with and would prefer to buy Australian than New Zealand products.
Hi Sally, I find their rolls to be marketed as meat when the main three ingredients in most rolls to be meat/tapioca/bamboo fibre. You can compare this formulation to say the Balanced Life rolls which are meat/rice or meat/pumpkin in respect to the hypoallergenic kangaroo roll which you may also find suitable, and I believe cheaper.
I’m sorry you don’t see company behaviour as an important factor. Personally I see honesty and transparency in high regard for any pet food company, especially if you wish to put the health of your pet in their hands.
It’s not just company behaviour either, it’s issues with plastic and other issues with the products spanning multiple years.
None of the above accounts for the rudeness they have displayed towards the Pet Food Reviews team.
I find it very hard to recommend Prime100 products based on many factors, and because I believe there are better options.
I find Prime 100 Rolls perfect for my dog. I have tried many dog foods including raw, cooked, kibble, air dried all of which come with their pros and cons. However the Prime Rolls meet all the needs of my dog in a convenient way. I agree also with the reason you seem to have marked down this product. I read a lot of the reviews on different brands but cannot agree with your review for Prime Rolls.
I have been feeding Prime100 chicken and brown rice and chicken and veg mostly in conjunction with a different brand dry food as well as other raw ingredients for a few years. I did have an issue with black plastic in a roll and reported to to them straight away. They credited me the one roll. I’m not a fan of them spruking the AAFCO standard for their food as it really means nothing just a very basic minimal standard.
My dog has been fed this product for 6 years. Guess what he is in wonderful condition … according to my vet who has been looking after him for a long time. I tell you what MY review is based on.Is he healthy – yes – is his coat good – yes – does he suffer from skin allergies – no – is his weight stable – yes – is he a happy dog – YES. he is 10 years old and looks like a dog that is much younger.
I do not normally take the time to get involved in this type of communication but I have no problem saying that your review is not a good one at all.
Hi KC, that’s good to hear and there are certainly much worse dog foods on the market. 7.5 is actually quite a good rating, and it would be higher if my communications with Prime had given me more confidence in the ethics and truthfulness of the company. Unfortunately on a number of occasions I haven’t found this to be the case.
Could you please do more reviews of dog rolls? I am a pet-dog trainer and we use Prime100 for training as dogs are more engaged with wet food treats than dry, and it’s better to feed a complete dog food rather than something like devon. I would love to know if there is something better than the Prime rolls.
Thankyou for such a honest review of Prime 100. Honestly is very important and being straight forward is a better policy than trying to cover things up. I find my dogs love this product including a fussy Poodle mix. We all make mistakes in life and all lies get found out in the end as my aunty used to say. Thankyou for what you do .
Hi Joanna, there’s a review of the Prime100 rolls here. I’ll likely add more reviews of rolls in the future, but one that springs to mind while writing this is the Balanced Life rolls.
Very disappointed to hear about the lack of transparency. My dog loves SPD, and I’ve been recommended it time and again by very knowledgeable vet nutritionists as an alternative to raw food, or to use in conjunction with.
I was never overly confident with PRIME labelling, but dismissed my doubts because of the endorsement. I believe the endorsement is genuine as the nutritionists work tirelessly to educate ppl how to home prepare balanced raw food and this is by far their main focus. The only spruiking they really do is advertise their own services and own-brand developed supplements.
For the same $, or even less, I could have been feeding K9 freeze dried etc.
I so, so appreciate what you do here. I know it’s a first world problem re: what to feed your dog, but they’re like family. It’s honestly so much easier to figure out how to healthily feed my human children.
Hi Jennifer, in many ways Prime100 is better than what vet’s or nutritionists would previously recommend. Simply because the rolls offered more meat in a form more beneficial than dry biscuits, and at the time there was definitely a gap in the market for such products.
I’m shocked reading this, I’ve been feeding my dog these rolls for years as well as Canidae grain free Salmon.
Any recommendations for the best wet meat food for a borador? Lab x collie who is 10?
By the way thank you for all you do. I have sent your site to so many people!
Hi Mellissa, when it comes to raw dog foods these are my best recommendations, although their are some state-specific raw meat suppliers which are also good – https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/best-raw-dog-food-australia/
Can you please do a review of proudi dog food? And maybe an article for Big Dog vs ProudI. Cant find any reviews on the internet. Also if you could look at petzyo thatd be great. Its similar to lyka.
Hi Rob, Proudi is on my TODO list. It’s similar in many respects to Big Dog. There’s a review of Petzyo but I need to update it.