Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Formula Low Calorie Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Natural Balance Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Formula is a dry food for adult dogs needing weight management, featuring chicken and salmon as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken meal as the first ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. Plus, the carbohydrate sources offer fermentable fiber.
The biggest thing to note is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. There's also some legume stacking, with multiple pulse-family ingredients in the top 15.
Good fit for adult dogs needing weight management. Less ideal if you prefer foods with a verified AAFCO statement for nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. Strong fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. At 315 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 10.5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 21 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with chicken meal as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Strong protein profile with chicken meal as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest DMB fat in Natural Balance's lineup (8.3%)
- Top 10% for protein quality in Natural Balance's lineup (20.9/27)
- Lowest caloric density in Natural Balance's lineup (315 kcal/cup)
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.
Natural Balance Health Protection Adult Real Chicken, Brown Rice & Pumpkin Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 19 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
$2.00/lb vs your seed's $2.92/lb (31% less) at a comparable score.
Canada Fresh Salmon Formula Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Salmon instead of chicken, matched score, 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 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.
- 2protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined 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.
- 4dried peas
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 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5oat groats
Whole oats with only the inedible hull removed. The most intact form of oats available.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainbarley
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.
- 7dried 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 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 8. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 9dehydrated alfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Fiber and trace minerals. Not exciting but it's a real plant ingredient.
- 10oat fiber
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 12dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.
- 13fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 15brewers dried yeast
Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.
- 16dried eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
- 17vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 18dried spinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 19dried parsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 20fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 21supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 22supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 25mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
Showing first 25 of 44. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.