Breed Health Nutrition German Shepherd Adult Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag

1. 1

   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.

   protein animal
2. 2

   brown rice

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

   grain
3. 3

   oat groats

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

4. 4

   chicken fat

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

   fat
5. 5

   corn

   Whole corn is more nutritious than it gets credit for, with decent amino acids and steady carbs. The bigger concern is when corn dominates the top of the ingredient list at the expense of named meat.

   grain
6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   corn protein meal

   Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.

8. 8

   natural flavors

   Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.

   other
9. 9

   powdered cellulose

   Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.

   fiber
10. 10

    dried plain beet pulp

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

11. 11

    wheat gluten

    Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.

    protein plant
12. 12

    vegetable oil

    Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.

13. 13

    sodium aluminosilicate

    Anti-caking agent that keeps powder ingredients flowing. Functional, not nutritional.

14. 14

    fish oil

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

    fat
15. 15

    calcium carbonate

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

    mineral
16. 16

    salt

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

    mineral
17. 17

    potassium chloride

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

    mineral
18. 18

    monocalcium phosphate

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

19. 19

    choline chloride

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

    supplement
20. 20

    yeast extract

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

21. 21

    rosemary extract

    Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.

    preservative natural
22. 22

    preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid
23. 23

    taurine

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

    supplement
24. 24

    l-lysine

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

    supplement
25. 25

    dl-methionine

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

    supplement

Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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