Emergency Dry Dog Food, 8-oz bag, 5 count
Graded by The Sniff System
Mayday Emergency Dry Dog Food is a dry food that is plant-protein dominated, with yellow corn as the first ingredient.
There isn't much to highlight here. This product has no positive drivers in our analysis.
The formula is plant-protein dominated, with yellow corn as the first ingredient. It also contains BHA, a synthetic preservative classified as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,' and lacks an AAFCO statement.
Hard to recommend for any dog due to the flagged ingredients and lack of nutritional guarantees.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (chicken). Zinc is essential for skin immunity and healing; the NRC (2006) established a recommended allowance of 20 mg of zinc per 1000 kcal ME for adult dogs at maintenance (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.
At 0/100, this formula sits in territory where we recommend switching. The ceiling on this score is 39, set because multiple FLAG-tier ingredients are stacked in the formula. The cap isn't the binding constraint here. Protein quality would also need to improve to reach the next band.
- Lowest fat quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (2/16)
- Lowest overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (0/100)
- Bottom 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (4.5/27)
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.
Brothers Dog Food Chicken Meal & Egg Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag
Scores 64 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Pedigree Large Breed Adult Roasted Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$0.65/lb vs your seed's $14.52/lb (96% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- bhaSynthetic preservative classified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.' Many premium brands have removed it.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1grainyellow corn
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with yellow corn as the dominant carb.
- 2meat and bone meal
Unnamed animal protein with bone included. Cheap, vague, and not traceable to a specific species.
- 3protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
Position 3: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 4protein animalchicken by-product meal
Ground organs, bone, and tissue. Nutritionally dense, especially the liver and gizzard fractions. Named species ('chicken') is what matters. Generic 'poultry by-product meal' is the one to worry about. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5wheat middling
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6animal fat
Unnamed fat source. The species matters: 'chicken fat' or 'beef fat' is fine, but 'animal fat' tells you nothing about origin.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6preservative syntheticbha Flagged
Synthetic preservative. Listed as a possible human carcinogen by the IARC. Banned from human food in Japan and parts of the EU, still permitted in US pet food. See why →
Synthetic preservative at position 6. Sniff flags this regardless of where it sits in the deck.
- 7othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 8brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 10calcium carbonate potassium chloride
- 11supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 12titanium dioxide
- 13yellow #5
- 14yellow #6
- 15red #40
- 16blue #2
- 17mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 20vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 21manganous oxide
Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.
- 22vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 24vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
17 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.