Skip to main content
Sniff
Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Dog Chow

Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $0.70/lb

Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 0/100 (F) with Fair evidence. 4 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 39 due to 4 FLAG ingredients.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

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

STACK

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

ACF

Score capped at 39 due to 4 FLAG ingredients.

CAP why?

Plant-protein-dominated formula. whole grain corn as the #1 ingredient.

PQI

Contains red 40. EU mandatory warning label since 2010. California AB 2316 banned 6 dyes from school foods (2024). HHS phase-out announced April 2025..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 5

  • 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.
  • yellow 6
    Artificial color with no nutritional value.
  • yellow 5
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Some dogs show allergic-type reactions.
  • red 40
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Linked to behavioral effects in children; relevance to dogs is unclear but the ingredient serves only marketing purposes.
  • blue 2
    Artificial color. A 1990s industry-funded study reported brain tumors in male rats; subsequent reviews disputed methodology, but the additive provides no nutritional benefit.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 24% ⓘ
Protein
21%
min (as fed)
Fat
10%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

28 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    whole grain corn

    Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

  2. 2
    meat and bone meal

    Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.

  3. 3
    corn gluten meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  4. 4
    beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols

    Real animal fat from a named species, with natural vitamin E doing the preservation. The clean version.

  5. 5
    soybean meal

    Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

  6. 6
    chicken by-product meal

    Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about.

  7. 7
    egg and chicken flavor
  8. 8
    wheat

    Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.

  9. 9
    natural flavor

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

  10. 10
    salt

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

  11. 11
    potassium chloride

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

  12. 12
    calcium carbonate

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

  13. 13
    l-lysine monohydrochloride

    Stable form of L-lysine, an essential amino acid. Common in plant-heavy formulas to balance the amino acid profile.

  14. 14
    choline chloride

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

  15. 15
    mono and dicalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  16. 16
    zinc sulfate

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

  17. 17
    ferrous sulfate

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

  18. 18
    manganese sulfate

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

  19. 19
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  20. 20
    calcium iodate

    Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.

  21. 21
    sodium selenite Flagged

    Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →

  22. 22
    yellow 6 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. No functional purpose. Banned or restricted in several countries.

  23. 23
    l-tryptophan

    Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.

  24. 24
    yellow 5 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. Strictly cosmetic. Banned or restricted in several countries.

  25. 25
    red 40 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. Dogs don't care about color. Banned in several countries over hyperactivity and allergic-reaction concerns.

Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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