Pure Farm To Bowl Small Breed Wild-Caught Salmon & Lentil Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
CANIDAE Pure Farm To Bowl Small Breed Wild-Caught Salmon & Lentil Recipe is a dry food for adult dogs, with salmon as its main protein source.
This recipe features a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It uses named fresh salmon paired with salmon meal, which is a good sign for how the food is made. The inclusion of named fish like salmon also adds to the diversity of high-quality protein.
This food contains menadione, a synthetic vitamin K3, which premium brands often replace with natural alternatives. There's also high legume stacking from peas, lentils, and garbanzo beans, though taurine is supplemented.
Good fit for adult small breed dogs. Less ideal if you prefer foods without synthetic vitamin K or high legume content.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for moderately active toy breeds, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 1, with 3 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 3, lentils at position 4, garbanzo beans at position 6), plus added taurine at position 11. The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 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, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 53/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+21 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points): Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source. To reach B-tier, this formula would need to gain about 7 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest crude fiber in CANIDAE's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top 3% for caloric density in grain-free dry kibbles (542 kcal/cup)
- Lowest carb quality in CANIDAE's lineup (5/16)
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.
CANIDAE All Life Stages Real Salmon & Ancient Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food, 27-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
CANIDAE Pure Farm to Bowl Real Lamb & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
$3.18/lb vs your seed's $4.00/lb (20% less) at a comparable score.
Pure Farm To Bowl Free-Range Chicken, Lentil & Garbanzo Bean, Small Breed Recipe
Chicken instead of salmon, 5 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- menadioneSynthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3legumepeas
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 →
Position 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 6legumegarbanzo beans
Same as chickpeas. Part of the legume stack the FDA investigated. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 11supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 12vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 15mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 16mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 17mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 18mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 19l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate
A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.
- 20vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 21mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 22mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 23vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 24mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 25mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
CANIDAE® Grain Free PURE Petite® Small Breed Adult with Fresh Salmon is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.