Premium Performance 26/16 EXERCISE Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag

1. 1

   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.

   protein animal
2. 2

   corn

   Whole corn is more nutritious than it gets credit for, with decent amino acids and steady carbs. The bigger concern is when corn dominates the top of the ingredient list at the expense of named meat.

   grain
3. 3

   brewers rice

   Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

4. 4

   chicken fat

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

   fat
5. 5

   wheat gluten

   Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.

   protein plant
6. 6

   corn gluten meal

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

   protein plant
7. 7

   natural flavors

   Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.

   other
8. 8

   dried plain beet pulp

   Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

9. 9

   fish oil

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

   fat
10. 10

    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

    fiber
11. 11

    calcium carbonate

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

    mineral
12. 12

    vegetable oil

    Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.

13. 13

    sodium silico aluminate

    Same role as sodium aluminosilicate. Anti-caking agent at trace inclusion.

14. 14

    monocalcium phosphate

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

15. 15

    potassium chloride

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

    mineral
16. 16

    powdered psyllium seed husk
17. 17

    sodium hexametaphosphate
18. 18

    salt

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

    mineral
19. 19

    choline chloride

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

    supplement
20. 20

    hydrolyzed yeast

    Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.

21. 21

    marigold extract
22. 22

    dl-methionine

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

    supplement
23. 23

    taurine

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

    supplement
24. 24

    glucosamine hydrochloride

    Joint-support compound. Most useful in larger doses for older dogs. The kibble dose is real but modest.

    supplement
25. 25

    magnesium oxide

    Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.

    mineral

Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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