Explorer Sensitive Skin & Coat Ocean Fish Meal & Oat Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Black Gold Explorer Sensitive Skin & Coat Ocean Fish Meal & Oat Recipe is a dry food featuring ocean fish and chicken, with no specific life stage indicated.
This recipe uses quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. It also has quality fat sources, including named fats like chicken fat and salmon oil, which provides EPA and DHA. The protein blend includes named fish meal for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The main thing to watch out for is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. This is why the score is capped at 59.
Good fit for adult dogs who might benefit from marine oils for skin and coat health. Less ideal if you require verified nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Ocean fish meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? 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.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 58/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (3.9% DMB)
- Top quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (16/16)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in dry kibbles (26.7%)
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.
Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Adult Salmon & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Scores 19 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Black Gold Explorer Original Performance 26/18 Dry Dog Food, 50-lb bag
$0.90/lb vs your seed's $1.27/lb (29% less) at a comparable score.
Purina Pro Plan Puppy Sensitive Skin & Stomach Lamb & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Lamb instead of ocean, 11 points higher, different brand.
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 animalocean fish meal
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5grainpearled barley
Barley with the outer hull removed. Easy to digest, steady carb release.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 11fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 12. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 15dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 15: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 18vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 20vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 21vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 22vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 23vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 24vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 25vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.