Pulsar Grain-Free Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Horizon Pulsar Grain-Free Salmon Recipe is a dry food featuring salmon as its main protein source.
This recipe uses salmon meal as a primary protein, which provides good amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like salmon oil, a marine oil rich in EPA and DHA. The addition of liquid egg product further diversifies the protein sources.
A significant concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. The formula also contains high legume stacking, with red lentils and peas appearing early in the ingredient list.
Good fit for dogs who thrive on salmon-based, grain-free diets. Less ideal if you require AAFCO verification for nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (5%) helps satiety. At 410 kcal/cup this formula runs on the rich side, with crude fiber at 5% (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. 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 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 57/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+16.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. salmon meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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.
Reasonable protein quality. salmon meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest carb quality in Horizon's lineup (5/16)
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.
Horizon Pulsar Adult Grain-Free Chicken, Turkey & Salmon Small Breed Dry Dog Food, 8.8-lb bag
Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Horizon Pulsar Whole Grain Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$2.64/lb vs your seed's $3.16/lb (16% 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 meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2legumered lentils
Same concern as other lentils. Affordable plant protein, part of the legume stack the FDA examined. See why →
Position 2. 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.
- 3legumepeas
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.
- 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.
- 5protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fatsalmon 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.
- 7fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8liquid egg product
- 9vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12bok choy
- 13vegetablecabbage
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15fiberfructooligosaccharides
Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.
Position 15: trace fiber inclusion.
- 16supplementyucca schidigera extract
Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.
- 17dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract
- 18dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract
- 19pineapple
- 20probioticdried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract
- 21dried rhizopus oryzae fermentation extract
- 22probioticdried enterococcus faecium fermentation product
- 23probioticdried lactobacillus casei fermentation product
- 24driedlactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
- 25driedbifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product
Showing first 25 of 50. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
13 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.