Small Bites Adult Chicken, Turkey & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Chicken Soup for the Soul Small Bites Adult Chicken, Turkey & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is a dry food for adult dogs, featuring chicken and turkey as its main protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the primary ingredient, offering high biological value. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber. The combination of named fresh meat and same-species meal creates a solid foundation for the kibble.
The formula contains high legume stacking, with peas, faba beans, and lentils appearing in the top 12 ingredients. This reliance on pulse-family ingredients is a pattern the FDA flagged in its DCM investigation, which capped this product's score.
Good fit for adult dogs who prefer smaller kibble. Less ideal if you are concerned about high legume content in your dog's diet.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for lower-energy small companion breeds, including the French Bulldog, navigating a sensitive stomach. Chicken leads at position 1. Worth watching: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers). Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well.
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? 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.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 64/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+23.5 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. A hard cap of 64 also applied because pulse-family ingredients (peas, lentils, chickpeas) are stacked in the top 15 (the pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation). If a version with fewer pulses and more named animal protein in the top deck were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the A-band threshold (75).
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
Contains high legume stacking. Three or more pulse-family ingredients in top 10. Split-ingredient evidence of pea/lentil/chickpea reliance..
- Top 4% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (23.7/27)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Chicken Soup for the Soul's lineup (27.8%)
- Top 10% for caloric density in Chicken Soup for the Soul's lineup (376 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.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Beef & Brown Rice Recipe Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nature's Recipe Adult Chicken, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
$1.48/lb vs your seed's $1.96/lb (25% less) at a comparable score.
Tender & True Turkey & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 23-lb bag
Turkey instead of chicken, 5 points lower, 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
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5cracked pearled barley
Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7legumepeas
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 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9grainwhite rice
Refined grain with the bran stripped off. Easy to digest, but not as nutrient-dense as brown rice.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10faba beans
- 11fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 12. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 13othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 14fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 14: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 15protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 15: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 16protein animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
- 17mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 22preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 23preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 24fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 25supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
Showing first 25 of 58. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Classic Small Bites Adult Chicken, Turkey & Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.