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CANIDAE Pure Farm To Bowl Small Breed Wild-Caught Salmon & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
CANIDAE

Pure Farm To Bowl Small Breed Wild-Caught Salmon & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry adult maintenance $4.00/lb

CANIDAE Pure Farm To Bowl Small Breed Wild-Caught Salmon & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 53/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 2 controversial ingredients flagged. Primary concern: contains menadione. banned for human otc use but tolerated at aafco-permitted levels in pet food. the only aafco-permitted vitamin k source...

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

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

STACK

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..

CIP

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 · 2

  • 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.
  • menadione
    Synthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.

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

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 28% ⓘ
Protein
25%
min (as fed)
Fat
12.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

38 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

  2. 2
    salmon meal

    Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient.

  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
    lentils

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

  5. 5
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  6. 6
    garbanzo beans

    Same as chickpeas. Part of the legume stack the FDA investigated. See why →

  7. 7
    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.

  8. 8
    flaxseed

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

  9. 9
    natural flavor

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

  10. 10
    choline chloride

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

  11. 11
    taurine

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

  12. 12
    vitamin e supplement

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

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

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

  14. 14
    mixed tocopherols

    Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative.

  15. 15
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  16. 16
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  17. 17
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  18. 18
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  19. 19
    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.

  20. 20
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  21. 21
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  22. 22
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  23. 23
    vitamin a supplement

    Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.

  24. 24
    sodium selenite Flagged

    Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →

  25. 25
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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

AAFCO statement

CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Adult with Fresh Salmon is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.