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Sniff
Hartwick Fields

Lamb and Whole Grain

Evidence Limited
dry

Hartwick Fields Lamb and Whole Grain earns a Sniff Score of 47/100 (C) with Limited evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

STACK

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

Low protein quality. lame delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

PQI

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
Protein
n/a
min (as fed)
Fat
n/a
min (as fed)
Fiber
n/a
max (as fed)
Moisture
n/a
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

39 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    lame
  2. 2
    oatmeal

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

  3. 3
    ground corn

    Cracked whole corn. Fine in moderation, but its presence in the top few ingredients usually signals a lower-cost recipe.

  4. 4
    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.

  5. 5
    brown rice

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

  6. 6
    corn gluten meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  7. 7
    chicken fat

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

  8. 8
    dried 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 →

  9. 9
    carrots

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

  10. 10
    dried egg product

    Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  11. 11
    natural flavor

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

  12. 12
    dried plain beet pulp

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

  13. 13
    dicalcium phosphate

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

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    potassium chloride

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

  16. 16
    calcium carbonate

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

  17. 17
    inulin

    Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.

  18. 18
    taurine

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

  19. 19
    zinc sulfate

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

  20. 20
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  21. 21
    choline chloride

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

  22. 22
    mixed tocopherols

    Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative.

  23. 23
    citric acid

    Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.

  24. 24
    ferrous sulfate

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

  25. 25
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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