Pro 2X High Calorie Chicken Dry Dog Food, 16-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Bully Max Pro 2X High Calorie Chicken Dry Dog Food is a high-calorie dry formula built around chicken and egg product.
This formula features good protein quality, with chicken meal providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that offer fermentable fiber, and the fat sources are well-defined, like chicken fat and flaxseed.
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 absence also capped its overall score.
Good fit for active dogs or those needing a high-calorie diet. Less ideal if you prefer foods with verified nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
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) . Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus white fish meal at position 5.
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 19 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 1% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (27.8%)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (12/16)
- Top 1% for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (600 kcal/cup)
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.
Bully Max 30/20 Adult High-Protein & Fat Chicken Dry Dog Food, 15-lb bag
Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Beneful Healthy Weight with Farm-Raised Chicken Dry Dog Food, 36-lb bag
$1.08/lb vs your seed's $5.12/lb (79% less) at a comparable score.
VICTOR High Energy Active Sporting Gluten-Free Beef & Chicken Meal Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Beef instead of chicken, matched score, 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 animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 2: primary fat source. Drives the formula's caloric density and omega-6 content.
- 3grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5white fish meal
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6dried 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 6: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 7tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 8grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9brewers dried yeast
Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.
- 10fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 15supplementl-lysine
Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17vitaminascorbic acid
Vitamin C. Pulls double duty as a natural antioxidant preservative.
- 18vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 19supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 20vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 22vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 23vitamin b 12 supplement
- 24vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 25vitamin a acetate
Showing first 25 of 45. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.