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Birdie & Louie Grain-Free Buffalo & Duck Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Birdie & Louie

Grain-Free Buffalo & Duck Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $4.18/lb

Birdie & Louie Grain-Free Buffalo & Duck Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 47/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

Low protein quality. duck meal delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

PQI

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 33% ⓘ
Protein
30%
min (as fed)
Fat
16%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

52 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    water buffalo meal
  2. 2
    duck meal

    Duck cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh duck.

  3. 3
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  4. 4
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  5. 5
    lentils

    Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →

  6. 6
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  7. 7
    tapioca starch

    Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.

  8. 8
    dried beet pulp

    Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble.

  9. 9
    dicalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.

  10. 10
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  11. 11
    menhaden fish oil

    Omega-3 from menhaden, a small oily fish. Same skin and coat support as salmon oil.

  12. 12
    ground flaxseed

    Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.

  13. 13
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  14. 14
    dried seaweed meal
  15. 15
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  16. 16
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  18. 18
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  19. 19
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  20. 20
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

  21. 21
    turmeric powder
  22. 22
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  23. 23
    dried spinach

    Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.

  24. 24
    fructooligosaccharide

    Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.

  25. 25
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.