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Horizon Legacy Northern Water Fish Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Horizon

Legacy Northern Water Fish Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

Evidence Fair
dry $3.72/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Horizon Legacy Northern Water Fish Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry formula primarily featuring salmon and whitefish.

This formula has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient, offering high biological value. Quality fat sources like salmon oil provide beneficial EPA and DHA. The combination of fresh salmon and salmon meal is a good sign for protein content.

The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this formula is unverified. This factor capped the overall score.

Good fit for dogs who do well on a fish-based diet. Less ideal if you prioritize a verified AAFCO nutritional completeness statement.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Strong fit for adult French Bulldogs and similar lower-energy companion breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Working in its favor: prebiotic fiber (chicory or FOS) for gut health. Salmon leads at position 1. 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

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 (+24 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.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.

STACK
What pulled it down

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
What sets this apart
  • Lowest carb quality in Horizon's lineup (5/16)
  • Top 10% for DMB protein in Horizon's lineup (37.8%)
  • Top 10% for protein quality in grain-free dry kibbles (24/27)

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.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Horizon Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Horizon

Horizon Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

59

$2.64/lb vs your seed's $3.72/lb (29% less) at a comparable score.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Health Extension Grain-Free Buffalo & Whitefish Recipe Dry Dog Food, 23.5-lb bag
Health Extension

Health Extension Grain-Free Buffalo & Whitefish Recipe Dry Dog Food, 23.5-lb bag

59

Whitefish instead of salmon, matched score, different brand.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 38% ⓘ
Protein
34%
min (as fed)
Fat
15%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4.8%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

55 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    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.

  2. 2
    salmon 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.

  3. 3
    peas

    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 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.

  4. 4
    pea 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.

  5. 5
    whitefish meal

    Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.

    Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  6. 6
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

    Position 6. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.

  7. 7
    pea fibre

    Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  8. 8
    dried alfalfa
  9. 9
    flaxseed

    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.

  10. 10
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

    Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  11. 11
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

    Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  12. 12
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

    Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  13. 13
    bok choy
  14. 14
    cabbage

    Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  15. 15
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

    Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  16. 16
    fructooligosaccharides

    Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.

  17. 17
    yucca schidigera extract

    Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.

  18. 18
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  19. 19
    colostrum
  20. 20
    dried saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation extract
  21. 21
    dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract
  22. 22
    dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract
  23. 23
    pineapple
  24. 24
    dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
  25. 25
    dried rhizopus oryzae fermentation

Showing first 25 of 55. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

14 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.