Filet Mignon Flavor & Spring Vegetables Garnish Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag

1. 1

   beef

   Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

   protein animal
2. 2

   ground wheat

   Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.

   grain
3. 3

   meat and bone meal

   Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.

4. 4

   whole grain corn

   Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

   grain
5. 5

   brewers rice

   Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

6. 6

   chicken by-product meal

   Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about.

   protein animal
7. 7

   soybean meal

   Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

   protein plant
8. 8

   animal fat

   Unnamed fat source. The species matters: 'chicken fat' or 'beef fat' is fine, but 'animal fat' tells you nothing about origin.

9. 8

   bha Flagged

   Synthetic preservative. Listed as a possible human carcinogen by the IARC. Banned from human food in Japan and parts of the EU, still permitted in US pet food.

   preservative synthetic
10. 9

    corn gluten meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.

    protein plant
11. 10

    natural flavor

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

    other
12. 11

    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

13. 12

    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

14. 13

    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.

    protein animal
15. 14

    glycerin

    Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.

16. 15

    salt

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

    mineral
17. 16

    sugar

    Added sugar. No nutritional purpose for dogs. Most often found in budget semi-moist foods.

18. 17

    potassium sorbate
19. 18

    phosphoric acid
20. 19

    potassium chloride

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

    mineral
21. 20

    natural filet mignon flavor
22. 21

    choline chloride

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

    supplement
23. 22

    dried 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 →

24. 23

    calcium carbonate

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

    mineral
25. 24

    dl-methionine

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

    supplement

Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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