Skoki Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Firstmate Skoki Dry Dog Food is a dry formula for all life stages, featuring chicken and fish as its main protein sources.
This food uses quality carbohydrate sources like oatmeal and rice, and it declares its fiber content. You'll also find quality fat sources, with chicken fat specifically named. Plus, it includes premium micronutrients like chelated minerals such as zinc proteinate.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages. 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 adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus fish meal at position 5. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 62/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. Also adding to the lift: fat quality (+11). Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources. The 13-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (13.5 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").
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (516 kcal/cup)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Firstmate's lineup (13.3%)
- Top 10% for protein quality in Firstmate's lineup (13.7/27)
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.
Annamaet Original Adult Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wholesomes Fish Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.30/lb vs your seed's $1.65/lb (21% 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 meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6protein animallamb meal
Lamb cooked down to a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh lamb. See why →
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fibertomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 9supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 10calcium propionate
- 11mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 12mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 13mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 14mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 15mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 16mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 17mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 20vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 21vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 22d-pantothenic acid
- 23vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 24vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 25vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 29. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
SKOKI is formulated to meet the nutritional guidelines established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages except for the growth of large sized dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult).