Skip to main content
Sniff
Wholesomes with Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Wholesomes

with Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $1.30/lb

Wholesomes with Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 56/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

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

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable 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?

Score capped at 64 due to DCM-pulse trigger.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic 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 →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 24% ⓘ
Protein
22%
min (as fed)
Fat
12%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

37 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    lamb meal

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

  2. 2
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  3. 3
    white rice

    Refined grain with the bran stripped off. Easy to digest, but not as nutrient-dense as brown rice.

  4. 4
    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
    pea starch

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

  6. 6
    beef meal

    Beef cooked down to a dry concentrate. More protein per pound than fresh beef.

  7. 7
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  8. 8
    chicken fat

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

  9. 9
    pea protein

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

  10. 10
    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.

  11. 11
    flaxseed

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

  12. 12
    dried egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

  13. 13
    salt

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

  14. 14
    potassium chloride

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

  15. 15
    dl-methionine

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

  16. 16
    choline chloride

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

  17. 17
    vitamin a supplement

    Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.

  18. 18
    vitamin d3 supplement

    The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.

  19. 19
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  20. 20
    zinc sulfate

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

  21. 21
    ferrous sulfate

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

  22. 22
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  23. 23
    folic acid

    B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.

  24. 24
    biotin

    B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.

  25. 25
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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