Chicken Recipe High-Protein Adult Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 12-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Dr. Gary's Best Breed Chicken Recipe High-Protein Adult Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food is a freeze-dried raw food for adult dogs, featuring chicken as its main protein.
This freeze-dried raw food offers good protein quality, with chicken and chicken liver providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are well-regarded, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs, especially those whose owners prefer a freeze-dried raw diet. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor) and salmon oil at position 10. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 74/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+19 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (19 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").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 2% for carb quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (16/16)
- Bottom quartile for caloric density in Dr. Gary's Best Breed's lineup (274 kcal/cup)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in Dr. Gary's Best Breed's lineup (41.3%)
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.
Nature's Diet Fresh Chicken Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 3-lb bag
$11.66/lb vs your seed's $39.99/lb (71% less) at a comparable score.
Formula Raw Beef Grain-Free Adult Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 25-oz bag
Beef instead of chicken, 14 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.
- 2ground chicken bones
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5dried eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6sunflower seeds
- 7flaxseeds
Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.
- 8apple
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 9vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11green mussels
- 12carrot
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.
- 13vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14chicken cartilage
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 19vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 20preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 21fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 22fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 23vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 24vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
- 25supplementkelp
Seaweed source of iodine. Trace mineral support, common in better formulas.
Showing first 25 of 43. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.