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Instinct RawBoost Small Breed Adult High Protein Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Instinct

RawBoost Small Breed Adult High Protein Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $5.40/lb

Instinct RawBoost Small Breed Adult High Protein Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 71/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Reasonable protein quality. beef delivers solid amino acid coverage..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. beef delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

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

FQI

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: 35%
Protein
32%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
9%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

54 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    beef

    Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

  2. 2
    chicken meal

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

  3. 3
    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 →

  4. 4
    fish meal

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

  5. 5
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  6. 6
    chicken fat

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

  7. 7
    sweet potato

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

  8. 8
    turkey meal

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

  9. 9
    pea protein

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

  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
    freeze-dried beef
  13. 13
    ground flaxseeds

    Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.

  14. 14
    coconut oil

    Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.

  15. 15
    freeze-dried beef liver
  16. 16
    freeze-dried beef spleen
  17. 17
    pumpkin seeds
  18. 18
    salt

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

  19. 19
    potassium chloride

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

  20. 20
    freeze-dried beef kidneys
  21. 21
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  22. 22
    blueberries

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

  23. 23
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  24. 24
    cranberries

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

  25. 25
    montmorillonite clay

    Natural clay used as a binder and anti-caking agent. Functional, not nutritional.

Showing first 25 of 54. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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