Level 3 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Native Level 3 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble that features chicken meal as its primary protein source.
This food offers quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. It also provides reasonable protein quality, with chicken meal delivering solid amino acid coverage. The fat sources are also good, featuring named fat and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
The biggest thing to note is that this product lacks an AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, it contains MSG, which can be a transparency concern due to yeast extract obscuring the formulation.
Good fit for dogs needing quality protein and fat sources. Less ideal if you require an AAFCO statement for nutritional assurance.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Saint Bernards navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus fish meal at position 8. Worth watching: calorie density (438 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed. Based on 3,363 OFA cardiac screenings, 1.0% of Saint Bernards had abnormal findings. Dilated cardiomyopathy and subaortic stenosis are noted heritable cardiac diseases in the breed (OFA) .
Looking at this for adult Saint Bernards or Saint Bernards 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 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
- OFAcardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 59/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. 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). If the brand publishing the AAFCO statement were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains msg. Safety signal is internet-fueled; real issue is transparency. Yeast extract as MSG loophole obscures formulation..
- Top 10% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (20.7%)
- Top quartile for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (438 kcal/cup)
- Top quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (16/16)
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.
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Active Adult Gluten-Free Chicken Dry Dog Food, 50-lb bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
SPORTMiX CanineX Performance Chicken Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.40/lb vs your seed's $1.60/lb (13% 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 meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2brewers 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 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 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.
- 5fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 6: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 7grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9protein animaldried egg
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11brewer's liquid yeast
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 17yeast extract
Yeast broken down to a paste. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins.
- 18choline
- 19mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 22vitaminvitamin b7
- 23reed-sedge peat
- 24supplementl-lysine
Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.
- 25supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
Showing first 25 of 43. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.