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Sniff
Horizon Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Horizon

Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $2.64/lb

Horizon Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-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

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.

CQI

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

STACK

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24%
min (as fed)
Fat
14%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

58 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken meal

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

  2. 2
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  3. 3
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

  4. 4
    oats

    Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.

  5. 5
    grain rye
  6. 6
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  7. 7
    flaxseed

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

  8. 8
    alfalfa meal

    Dried alfalfa. Real fiber and trace minerals. Functional plant ingredient.

  9. 9
    natural flavor

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

  10. 10
    dicalcium phosphate

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

  11. 11
    egg product

    Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  12. 12
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  13. 13
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  14. 14
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

  15. 15
    bok choy
  16. 16
    cabbage
  17. 17
    blueberries

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

  18. 18
    choline chloride

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

  19. 19
    yucca schidigera extract

    Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.

  20. 20
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

  21. 21
    dl-methionine

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

  22. 22
    fructooligosccharides
  23. 23
    taurine

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

  24. 24
    dried sccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation extract
  25. 25
    dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract

Showing first 25 of 58. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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