Pulsar Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Horizon Pulsar Grain-Free Turkey Recipe Dry Dog Food is a grain-free dry food built around turkey as its primary protein.
This formula includes premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals, which are easier for your dog's body to absorb compared to their inorganic counterparts. This attention to detail in ingredient quality is a positive aspect.
The formula lacks an AAFCO statement, so its nutritional completeness is unverified. Additionally, the high inclusion of red lentils and peas triggers a flag for the pattern the FDA investigated in relation to DCM.
Good fit for owners seeking a grain-free turkey formula. Less ideal if you prioritize an AAFCO statement or are concerned about legume-heavy diets.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult French Bulldogs and similar lower-energy companion breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Turkey meal leads at position 1, with fructooligosaccharides (prebiotic fiber) at position 15 on the deck. 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 47/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was micronutrient inclusion (+3 points): Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E. A hard cap of 59 also applied 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). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address AAFCO compliance as well.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
- Lowest carb quality in Horizon's lineup (5/16)
- Bottom 10% for caloric density in Horizon's lineup (392 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for protein quality in Horizon's lineup (11.6/27)
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.
Holistic Select Adult Health Grain-Free Deboned Turkey & Lentils Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 20 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
ACANA Puppy Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Chicken instead of turkey, 17 points higher, different brand.
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 animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. 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 animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal 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.
- 8vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11bok choy
- 12vegetablecabbage
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
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
- 24probioticdried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
A probiotic strain. Whether the dose is high enough to actually colonize is debated, but it's a real beneficial bacterium.
- 25dried bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product
Showing first 25 of 48. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
15 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.