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Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Taste of the Wild

Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $2.14/lb

Taste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 57/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 1 controversial ingredient flagged. Primary concern: contains high legume stacking. multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10...

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. venison delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

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

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: 36% ⓘ
Protein
32%
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.

47 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    venison

    Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.

  2. 2
    lamb meal

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

  3. 3
    garbanzo beans

    Same as chickpeas. Part of the legume stack the FDA investigated. See why →

  4. 4
    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 →

  5. 5
    lentils

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

  6. 6
    pea protein

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

  7. 7
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

  8. 8
    egg product

    Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  9. 9
    duck meal

    Duck cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh duck.

  10. 10
    pea flour

    Powdered peas, usually used as a binder or filler. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA flagged.

  11. 11
    dried tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

  12. 12
    natural flavor

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

  13. 13
    fish meal

    Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile.

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    choline chloride

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

  16. 16
    taurine

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

  17. 17
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

  18. 18
    tomatoes

    Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.

  19. 19
    blueberries

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

  20. 20
    raspberries
  21. 21
    yucca schidigera extract

    Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.

  22. 22
    dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product
  23. 23
    dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product
  24. 24
    dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product

    A probiotic strain. Whether the dose is high enough to actually colonize is debated, but it's a real beneficial bacterium.

  25. 25
    dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product

Showing first 25 of 47. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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