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Solid Gold Toy & Small Breed Grain-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato & Apple Dry Dog Food, 11-lb bag
Solid Gold

Toy & Small Breed Grain-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato & Apple Dry Dog Food, 11-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $4.09/lb

Solid Gold Toy & Small Breed Grain-Free Real Beef, Sweet Potato & Apple Dry Dog Food, 11-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 52/100 (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 fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

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

MNI

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..

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: 33% ⓘ
Protein
30%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
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
    beef

    Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

  2. 2
    ocean fish meal
  3. 3
    lentils

    Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →

  4. 4
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  5. 5
    chicken fat

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

  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
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

  8. 8
    dried eggs

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

  9. 9
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  10. 10
    ground flaxseed

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

  11. 11
    natural flavor

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

  12. 12
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

  13. 13
    carrots

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

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    dicalcium phosphate

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

  16. 16
    salmon oil

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

  17. 17
    pumpkin

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

  18. 18
    blueberries

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

  19. 19
    cranberries

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

  20. 20
    choline chloride

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

  21. 21
    zinc sulfate

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

  22. 22
    ferrous sulfate

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

  23. 23
    copper sulfate

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

  24. 24
    manganese sulfate

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

  25. 25
    zinc proteinate

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

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

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