Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food Real Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe, 22-lb bag

1. 1

   deboned chicken

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

   protein animal
2. 2

   chicken meal

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

   protein animal
3. 3

   sweet potato

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

   vegetable
4. 4

   potato

   Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

   vegetable
5. 5

   salmon meal

   Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient.

   protein animal
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 →

   legume
7. 7

   tapioca

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

8. 8

   chicken fat

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

   fat
9. 9

   turkey meal

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

   protein animal
10. 10

    dried egg product

    Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

11. 11

    natural flavor

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

    other
12. 12

    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

    protein animal
13. 13

    potato protein

    Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.

    protein plant
14. 14

    pea protein

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

    protein plant
15. 15

    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

    fat
16. 16

    salt

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

    mineral
17. 17

    sunflower oil

    Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.

    fat
18. 18

    dehydrated alfalfa meal

    Dried alfalfa. Fiber and trace minerals. Not exciting but it's a real plant ingredient.

19. 19

    potassium chloride

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

    mineral
20. 20

    choline chloride

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

    supplement
21. 21

    apples

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

    fruit
22. 22

    blueberries

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

    fruit
23. 23

    iron amino acid complex

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

    mineral
24. 24

    zinc amino acid complex

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

    mineral
25. 25

    zinc sulfate

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

    mineral

Showing first 25 of 51. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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