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Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care Adult Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Blue Buffalo

Basics Skin & Stomach Care Adult Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $2.90/lb

Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care Adult Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 64/100 (B) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

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

FQI

Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.

STACK

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

CIP

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: 22% ⓘ
Protein
20%
min (as fed)
Fat
12%
min (as fed)
Fiber
6%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

63 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    turkey

    Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.

  2. 2
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

  3. 3
    turkey meal

    Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey.

  4. 4
    pea starch

    Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.

  5. 5
    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 →

  6. 6
    tapioca starch

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

  7. 7
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

  8. 8
    potato starch

    Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.

  9. 9
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

  10. 10
    natural flavor

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

  11. 11
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  12. 12
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

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

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    direct dehydrated alfalfa pellets

    Pelleted alfalfa with the moisture removed. Same role as alfalfa meal, fiber and minerals.

  16. 16
    calcium carbonate

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

  17. 17
    dicalcium phosphate

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

  18. 18
    choline chloride

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

  19. 19
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  20. 20
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

  21. 21
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  22. 22
    alfalfa nutrient concentrate

    Concentrated alfalfa, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. A legitimate functional ingredient.

  23. 23
    vitamin e supplement

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

  24. 24
    preserved with mixed tocopherols
  25. 25
    l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate

    A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.

Showing first 25 of 63. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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