Grain-Free Lamb & Pea Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

1. 1

   lamb

   Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.

   protein animal
2. 2

   lamb meal

   Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb.

   protein animal
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 →

   legume
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 →

   legume
5. 5

   faba beans
6. 6

   pea flour

   Powdered peas, usually used as a binder or filler. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA flagged.

   legume
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.

   fat
8. 8

   tapioca starch

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

9. 9

   ground flaxseed

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

   fat
10. 10

    natural flavor

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

    other
11. 11

    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

    fat
12. 12

    pea protein

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

    protein plant
13. 13

    salt

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

    mineral
14. 14

    calcium carbonate

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

    mineral
15. 15

    choline chloride

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

    supplement
16. 16

    dl-methionine

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

    supplement
17. 17

    sodium tripolyphosphate

    Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.

    mineral
18. 18

    taurine

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

    supplement
19. 19

    dried chicory root

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

    fiber
20. 20

    raspberries

    fruit
21. 21

    tomatoes

    Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.

22. 22

    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

    fruit
23. 23

    mixed tocopherols

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

    preservative natural
24. 24

    citric acid

    Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.

    preservative natural
25. 25

    zinc proteinate

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

    mineral

Showing first 25 of 51. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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