Original Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
AvoDerm Original Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe is a dry dog food for adults, featuring lamb meal as its main protein source.
This formula uses quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber, which is a good sign for digestive health. It also includes herring meal, a named fish, providing diverse, highly bioavailable protein. The product is formulated for adult maintenance, implying it meets AAFCO nutritional standards.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (5%) helps satiety. At 360 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 68/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. The supporting beat: ingredient diversity (+5 points). Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (14 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 10% for DMB protein in dry kibbles (23.3%)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in AvoDerm's lineup (5.6% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for protein quality in AvoDerm's lineup (13.8/27)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
AvoDerm Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Recipe Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nature's Recipe Adult Lamb, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 34-lb bag
$1.56/lb vs your seed's $2.77/lb (44% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animallamb meal
Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainwhite rice
Refined grain with the bran stripped off. Easy to digest, but not as nutrient-dense as brown rice.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein animalherring meal
Concentrated herring with the water removed. Carries protein and omega-3s in one ingredient.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8avocado
- 9flax seed
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12supplementalfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Real fiber and trace minerals. Functional plant ingredient.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15kelp meal
- 16avocado oil
- 17mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 18mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 19iron amino acid chelate
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 20zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 21mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 22copper amino acid chelate
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 23mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 24mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 25manganese amino acid chelate
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
Showing first 25 of 34. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.