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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Blue Buffalo

Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $2.43/lb

Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Senior Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 63/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source)..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

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: 20% ⓘ
Protein
18%
min (as fed)
Fat
10%
min (as fed)
Fiber
7%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

66 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    deboned chicken

    Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.

  2. 2
    brown rice

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

  3. 3
    oatmeal

    Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  4. 4
    barley

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

  5. 5
    chicken meal

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

  6. 6
    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 →

  7. 7
    pea starch

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

  8. 8
    potato starch

    Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.

  9. 9
    miscanthus grass

    Perennial grass used as a fiber source. Replaces cellulose in some recipes. Functional but unremarkable.

  10. 10
    dried tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

  11. 11
    natural flavor

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

  12. 12
    flaxseed

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

  13. 13
    dried yeast

    Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.

  14. 14
    chicken fat

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

  15. 15
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  16. 16
    fish meal

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

  17. 17
    l-threonine

    Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.

  18. 18
    potassium citrate

    Source of potassium. Sometimes added in urinary-support formulas to help manage urine pH.

  19. 19
    dicalcium phosphate

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

  20. 20
    direct dehydrated alfalfa pellets

    Pelleted alfalfa with the moisture removed. Same role as alfalfa meal, fiber and minerals.

  21. 21
    salt

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

  22. 22
    calcium carbonate

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

  23. 23
    potassium chloride

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

  24. 24
    dried chicory root

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

  25. 25
    choline chloride

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

Showing first 25 of 66. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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