Puppy Growth Gluten-Free Chicken Dry Dog Food, 50-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Puppy Growth Gluten-Free Chicken Dry Dog Food is a dry kibble for puppies, primarily featuring chicken.
This food offers good protein quality, with chicken meal providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber. Plus, it uses premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies needing a growth formula. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. Good fit for puppy Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. At 365 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 4.5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 63/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 15.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+12 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 12-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (15.5 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").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (5.0% DMB)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (30.0%)
- Bottom quartile for caloric density in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (365 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.
Blue Buffalo High Protein Puppy Chicken Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Scores 19 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Normally Active Adult Gluten-Free Beef Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.12/lb vs your seed's $1.74/lb (36% 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.
- 2grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4legumepeas
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.
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6protein animalfish meal
Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fiberdried beet pulp
Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 8. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 9hydrolyzed whole chicken
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 11blood meal
- 12yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 13dehydrated alfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Fiber and trace minerals. Not exciting but it's a real plant ingredient.
- 14othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 15fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 21supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 22supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 23supplementl-carnitine
Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.
- 24mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 40. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.