Free Spirit Grain-Free Deboned Duck, Sweet Potato & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag

1. 1

   duck

   Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.

   protein animal
2. 2

   chicken meal

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

   protein animal
3. 3

   fish meal

   Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.

   protein animal
4. 4

   ground 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 →

5. 5

   chicken fat

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

   fat
6. 6

   pea starch

   Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.

7. 7

   pea protein

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

   protein plant
8. 8

   flaxseed meal
9. 9

   turkey meal

   Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey.

   protein animal
10. 10

    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    legume
11. 11

    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

    vegetable
12. 12

    venison

    Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.

    protein animal
13. 13

    natural flavor

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

    other
14. 14

    salt

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

    mineral
15. 15

    potassium chloride

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

    mineral
16. 16

    dicalcium phosphate

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

    mineral
17. 17

    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

    vegetable
18. 18

    dried chicory root

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

    fiber
19. 19

    alfalfa meal

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

    supplement
20. 20

    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

    fruit
21. 21

    blueberries

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

    fruit
22. 22

    kelp

    Seaweed source of iodine. Trace mineral support, common in better formulas.

    supplement
23. 23

    yucca schidigera extract

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

    supplement
24. 24

    zinc sulfate

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

    mineral
25. 25

    ferrous sulfate

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

    mineral

Showing first 25 of 36. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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