Holistic Large Breed Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Dr. Gary's Best Breed Holistic Large Breed Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.
Graded by The Sniff System
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- sodium seleniteSynthetic 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 →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
- 4fiberdried 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.
- 5chicken fat [preserved with natural mixed tocopherols ]
- 6protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 7grainpearled barley
Barley with the outer hull removed. Easy to digest, steady carb release.
- 8brewers dried yeast
Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.
- 9protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11lecithin
Natural emulsifier, usually from soy or sunflower. Helps blend fats and water. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 12fatmenhaden fish oil
Omega-3 from menhaden, a small oily fish. Same skin and coat support as salmon oil.
- 13flax seed
- 14fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16dl methionine
- 17supplementl-lysine
Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.
- 18monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 19mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 20supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 21cranberry
Same as cranberries. Real ingredient, dose in kibble is small.
- 22supplementalfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Real fiber and trace minerals. Functional plant ingredient.
- 23sea mussel
- 24vitaminascorbic acid
Vitamin C. Pulls double duty as a natural antioxidant preservative.
- 25fructo-oligosaccharides
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.