Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetable Recipe Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Finley's Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetable Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry food with salmon as its primary protein, though its life stage isn't specified.
This recipe features a strong protein profile, with salmon as the main ingredient, which means good bioavailability for your dog. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber and named fat sources like chicken fat and canola oil.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness for any life stage is unverified. This is why the score is capped.
Good fit for owners looking for a salmon-based dry food. Less ideal if you need verified nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (15%) helps satiety. At 358 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 15% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+21.5 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 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). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 2% for crude fiber in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (16.7% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (12/16)
- Top quartile for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (21.7/27)
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.
American Journey Protein & Grains Small Breed Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag
Scores 22 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
American Journey Protein & Grains Large Breed Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
$1.96/lb vs your seed's $3.50/lb (44% 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 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.
- 3grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8flax seed
- 9fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12fatcanola 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 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13legumepeas
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 13. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 14brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 14: minor grain inclusion.
- 15protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 15: trace plant protein.
- 16mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 17fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
- 18mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 21vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 22vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 23dl methionine
- 24dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 25supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
Showing first 25 of 66. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.