Ancient Stream Smoke-Flavored Salmon with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke-Flavored Salmon with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 74/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value..
Graded by The Sniff System
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Controversial ingredients · 1
- sodium seleniteSynthetic 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 →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
- 2protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient.
- 3protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.
- 4grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
- 5grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
- 6cracked pearled barley
Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.
- 7dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 8fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
- 9grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
- 10smoke-flavored salmon
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 13fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 14grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
- 15chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 21fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 22tomatoes
Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.
- 23fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 24fruitraspberries
- 25supplementyucca schidigera extract
Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.