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Solid Gold NutrientBoost Lamb, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Gut Health Whole Grain Dry Dog Food for Medium & Large Dogs, 22-lb bag
Solid Gold

NutrientBoost Lamb, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Gut Health Whole Grain Dry Dog Food for Medium & Large Dogs, 22-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $3.32/lb

Solid Gold NutrientBoost Lamb, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Gut Health Whole Grain Dry Dog Food for Medium & Large Dogs, 22-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. lamb delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

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

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

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: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24%
min (as fed)
Fat
10%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

35 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    lamb

    Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.

  2. 2
    lamb meal

    Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb.

  3. 3
    brown rice

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

  4. 4
    pearled barley

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

  5. 5
    oatmeal

    Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  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 →

  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
    chickpeas

    Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  9. 9
    animal plasma
  10. 10
    ocean fish meal
  11. 11
    chicken fat

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

  12. 12
    natural flavor

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

  13. 13
    spray dried animal blood cells
  14. 14
    ground flaxseed

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

  15. 15
    carrots

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

  16. 16
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  17. 17
    salmon oil

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

  18. 18
    potassium chloride

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

  19. 19
    blueberries

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

  20. 20
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

  21. 21
    dl-methionine

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

  22. 22
    choline chloride

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

  23. 23
    zinc sulfate

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

  24. 24
    ferrous sulfate

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

  25. 25
    copper sulfate

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

Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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