Superior Care All Life Stages & Breeds Grain-Free Insect Protein Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nature's Protection Superior Care All Life Stages & Breeds Grain-Free Insect Protein is a dry food that uses dried black soldier fly larvae as its main protein source, suitable for all life stages.
This formula includes quality fat sources like poultry fat and salmon oil, which provides EPA and DHA. It also features quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, which can be good for digestion.
The main thing to note is the protein quality. Dried black soldier fly larvae, while novel, delivers limited bioavailable amino acids, which impacts the overall protein quality of the food.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages and breeds, especially if you're seeking a novel protein. Less ideal if you prioritize highly bioavailable protein.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Aussies are working-line dogs that thrive on high-protein performance formulas. Coat quality also benefits from EPA+DHA. Strong fit for medium-sized herding breeds, including the Australian Shepherd, navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (salmon), with salmon oil at position 6 for EPA/DHA skin support. 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 Australian Shepherds or Australian Shepherds 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 46/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from fat quality, worth 12 points to the final number: Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). Where it lost ground: protein quality, costing 22.5 points. Low protein quality. dried black soldier fly larvae delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared all life stages. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Low protein quality. dried black soldier fly larvae delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
- Lowest protein quality in Nature's Protection's lineup (2.5/27)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in dry kibbles (6.4% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for fat quality in Nature's Protection's lineup (12/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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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.
- 1dried black soldier fly larvae
- 2dried potato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
- 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.
- 4poultry fat
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5dried 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 5: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 6fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 6. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 7sodium aluminosilicate
Anti-caking agent that keeps powder ingredients flowing. Functional, not nutritional.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9fructooligosaccharide
Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- 10supplementyucca schidigera extract
Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.
- 11supplementgreen tea extract
- 12pot marigold
- 13mineraliron sulfate
- 14mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 15mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 16mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 17mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 18mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 19l-tyrosine
- 20l-cysteine
- 21supplementl-tryptophan
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.
- 22preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 23preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
16 of 23 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.