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Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Vegetarian Small Breed Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag
Natural Balance

Limited Ingredient Vegetarian Small Breed Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $4.00/lb

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Vegetarian Small Breed Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 42/100 (D) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Primary concern: plant-protein-dominated formula. brown rice as the #1 ingredient..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

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

ACF

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI

Plant-protein-dominated formula. brown rice as the #1 ingredient.

PQI

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: 20% ⓘ
Protein
18%
min (as fed)
Fat
8%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

50 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  2. 2
    oat groats

    Whole oats with only the inedible hull removed. The most intact form of oats available.

  3. 3
    pearled barley

    Barley with the outer hull removed. Easy to digest, steady carb release.

  4. 4
    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 →

  5. 5
    potato protein

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

  6. 6
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

  7. 7
    potato

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

  8. 8
    dicalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.

  9. 9
    natural vegetable flavor
  10. 10
    tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

  11. 11
    dried vegetable broth
  12. 12
    calcium carbonate

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

  13. 13
    taurine

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

  14. 14
    dl-methionine

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

  15. 15
    potassium chloride

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

  16. 16
    choline chloride

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

  17. 17
    salt

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

  18. 18
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  19. 19
    zinc sulfate

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

  20. 20
    ferrous sulfate

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

  21. 21
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  22. 22
    copper sulfate

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

  23. 23
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  24. 24
    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 →

  25. 25
    manganese sulfate

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

Showing first 25 of 50. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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