RawBoost Small Breed High Protein Real Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Instinct RawBoost Small Breed High Protein Real Chicken Recipe is a dry food featuring chicken, designed for small breed dogs.
This recipe has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the main ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like named chicken fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The combination of fresh chicken and chicken meal creates a solid extrusion architecture.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for small breed dogs who need a high protein diet. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for moderately active toy breeds like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, and Shih Tzus navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: explicitly formulated for small-breed dogs. Chicken anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 3, chickpeas at position 10), plus freeze-dried chicken liver at position 14 (a natural taurine precursor) and fish meal at position 7. The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 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, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 72/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+20.5 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (20.5 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").
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Instinct's lineup (4.9% DMB)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (19.8%)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in Instinct's lineup (11/16)
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.
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Scores 8 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Instinct BeNatural Adult Real Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$2.80/lb vs your seed's $5.40/lb (48% 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
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 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.
- 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.
- 5tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 6vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9freeze-dried chicken
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 10. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 11dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 13ground flaxseeds
Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.
- 14freeze-dried chicken liver
- 15mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 16fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18pumpkin seeds
- 19freeze-dried chicken heart
- 20montmorillonite clay
Natural clay used as a binder and anti-caking agent. Functional, not nutritional.
- 21fibermiscanthus grass
Perennial grass used as a fiber source. Replaces cellulose in some recipes. Functional but unremarkable.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.