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Lotus Oven-Baked Small Bites Good Grains Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12.5-lb bag
Lotus

Oven-Baked Small Bites Good Grains Chicken Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12.5-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $4.16/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Lotus Oven-Baked Small Bites Good Grains Chicken Recipe is a dry food for adult dogs, featuring chicken, chicken liver, and sardine as its main protein sources.

This recipe offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also high quality and provide fermentable fiber.

Nothing concerning in the deck.

Good fit for adult dogs, especially those who prefer smaller kibble. Nothing serious working against it.

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

Who this is for

Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating hip and joint concerns. Working in its favor: glucosamine/chondroitin listed. No glucosamine or chondroitin on the label. Elbow dysplasia affects 10.1% of Labrador Retrievers evaluated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, from a sample size of 103,130 dogs submitted through 2023  (OFA) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with hip and joint 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 5 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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

Solid grade. 71/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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 (18.5 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").

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

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

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Lowest fat quality in Lotus's lineup (12/16)
  • Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Lotus's lineup (71/100)
  • Bottom 4% for crude fiber in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (3.3% DMB)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Lotus Wholesome Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 12.5-lb bag
Lotus

Lotus Wholesome Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 12.5-lb bag

81

Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Nutro Natural Choice Adult Small Bites Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Nutro

Nutro Natural Choice Adult Small Bites Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag

72

$2.92/lb vs your seed's $4.16/lb (30% less) at a comparable score.

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

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24%
min (as fed)
Fat
12%
min (as fed)
Fiber
3%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

49 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    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.

  2. 2
    rye

    Position 2: major carbohydrate source.

  3. 3
    chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

    Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  4. 4
    sardine

    Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  5. 5
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

    Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  6. 6
    barley

    Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.

    Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  7. 7
    oats

    Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.

    Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  8. 8
    brewers dried yeast

    Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.

  9. 9
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

    Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  10. 10
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

    Position 10. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  11. 11
    chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid

    Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  12. 12
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  13. 13
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

    Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  14. 14
    spinach

    Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.

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

  15. 15
    apples

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

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

  16. 16
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

  17. 17
    carrots

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

  18. 18
    blueberries

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

  19. 19
    calcium propionate
  20. 20
    salmon oil

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

  21. 21
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  22. 22
    olive oil
  23. 23
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  24. 24
    garlic
  25. 25
    ground flaxseed

    Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.

Showing first 25 of 49. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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