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Sniff
Native Level 3 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Native

Level 3 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $1.60/lb

Native Level 3 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

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

FQI

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Contains msg. Safety signal is internet-fueled; real issue is transparency. Yeast extract as MSG loophole obscures formulation..

CIP

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: 31% ⓘ
Protein
30%
min (as fed)
Fat
20%
min (as fed)
Fiber
n/a
max (as fed)
Moisture
3.5%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

43 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken meal

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

  2. 2
    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.

  3. 3
    barley

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

  4. 4
    chicken fat

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

  5. 5
    ground flaxseed

    Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.

  6. 6
    dried plain beet pulp

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

  7. 7
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  8. 8
    fish meal

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

  9. 9
    dried egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

  10. 10
    natural flavor

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

  11. 11
    brewer's liquid yeast
  12. 12
    potassium chloride

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

  13. 13
    yeast culture

    Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    calcium carbonate

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

  16. 16
    fish oil

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

  17. 17
    yeast extract

    Yeast broken down to a paste. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins.

  18. 18
    choline
  19. 19
    zinc amino acid complex

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

  20. 20
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  21. 21
    dl-methionine

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

  22. 22
    vitamin b7
  23. 23
    reed-sedge peat
  24. 24
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

  25. 25
    taurine

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

Showing first 25 of 43. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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