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Pedigree Small Dog Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag
Pedigree

Small Dog Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $1.21/lb

Pedigree Small Dog Complete Nutrition Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 0/100 (F) with Fair evidence. 5 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 39 due to 5 FLAG ingredients.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

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

ACF

Score capped at 39 due to 5 FLAG ingredients.

CAP why?

Plant-protein-dominated formula. ground whole grain corn as the #1 ingredient.

PQI

Contains bha. IARC Group 2B probable carcinogen; CA Prop 65 listed; FDA reassessment announced 2025. Natural alternatives (mixed tocopherols) widely available..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 6

  • bha
    Synthetic preservative classified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.' Many premium brands have removed it.
  • yellow 5
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Some dogs show allergic-type reactions.
  • yellow 6
    Artificial color with no nutritional value.
  • blue 2
    Artificial color. A 1990s industry-funded study reported brain tumors in male rats; subsequent reviews disputed methodology, but the additive provides no nutritional benefit.
  • red 40
    Artificial color with no nutritional value. Linked to behavioral effects in children; relevance to dogs is unclear but the ingredient serves only marketing purposes.
  • 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: 24% ⓘ
Protein
21%
min (as fed)
Fat
11%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

37 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    ground whole grain corn

    Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

  2. 2
    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.

  3. 3
    corn gluten meal

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

  4. 4
    animal fat

    Unnamed fat source. The species matters: 'chicken fat' or 'beef fat' is fine, but 'animal fat' tells you nothing about origin.

  5. 4
    bha Flagged

    Synthetic preservative. Listed as a possible human carcinogen by the IARC. Banned from human food in Japan and parts of the EU, still permitted in US pet food.

  6. 5
    meat and bone meal

    Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.

  7. 6
    soybean meal

    Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

  8. 7
    ground whole grain wheat
  9. 8
    natural flavor

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

  10. 9
    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.

  11. 10
    salt

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

  12. 11
    calcium carbonate

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

  13. 12
    monocalcium phosphate

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

  14. 13
    potassium chloride

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

  15. 14
    choline chloride

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

  16. 15
    dried 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 →

  17. 16
    dl-methionine

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

  18. 17
    vitamine e supplement
  19. 18
    zinc sulfate

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

  20. 19
    l-tryptophan

    Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.

  21. 20
    yellow 5 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. Strictly cosmetic. Banned or restricted in several countries.

  22. 21
    yellow 6 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. No functional purpose. Banned or restricted in several countries.

  23. 22
    carrots

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

  24. 23
    blue 2 Flagged

    Artificial coloring. No nutritional or functional purpose. Banned or restricted in several countries.

  25. 24
    niacin [vitamin b3]

Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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