N&D Prime Chicken & Pomegranate Mini Puppy Dry Dog Food, 5.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Farmina N&D Prime Chicken & Pomegranate Mini Puppy Dry Dog Food is a dry food featuring chicken as the main protein, formulated for puppies.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fats and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth is a strong indicator of nutritional adequacy for puppies.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. Working in its favor: L-carnitine listed (supports fat metabolism). Caloric density is not declared. Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for puppy Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (18 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 fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest carb quality in Farmina's lineup (11/16)
- Top 3% for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (24.2%)
- Bottom 3% for crude fiber in Farmina's lineup (2.5% DMB)
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.
Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Lamb & Blueberry Recipe Puppy Mini Dry Dog Food, 5.5-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Farmina N&D Ancestral Grain Chicken & Pomegranate Medium & Maxi Adult Dry Dog Food, 26.5-lb bag
$3.58/lb vs your seed's $7.27/lb (51% less) at a comparable score.
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.
- 2dehydrated chicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6pork fat
Real animal fat from a named species. Clean energy source.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7dehydrated pork
Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 9fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10monocalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 11dried whole eggs
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13dehydrated herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 13: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 14herring oil
Concentrated omega-3 from herring. Same role as salmon oil, skin and coat support.
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 15. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 16dried carrot
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.
- 17suncured alfalfa meal
Sun-dried alfalfa, preserving more of the natural vitamins than heat-dried versions.
- 18fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 19fructooligosaccharide
Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- 20dried pomegranate
Antioxidants, real. Like other fruit additions, the dose in kibble is mostly cosmetic.
- 21dried apple
Whole apple with the moisture removed. Real fruit, fiber, modest nutrition contribution.
- 22dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 23psyllium seed husk
Soluble fiber. Supports stool quality. The same fiber humans use for digestive regularity.
- 24dried sweet orange
- 25dried blueberry
Showing first 25 of 57. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.