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Now Fresh Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Now Fresh

Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $4.23/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Now Fresh Grain-Free Puppy Recipe is a dry food for puppies, featuring de-boned turkey, salmon, and dried egg as its main protein sources.

This recipe includes de-boned turkey, salmon, and dried egg, providing a diverse mix of highly digestible proteins. It also uses premium micronutrient forms, like chelated minerals, which are more easily absorbed by your dog's body. The formula is designed to meet the nutritional needs for puppy growth.

Nothing concerning in the deck.

Good fit for puppies of any size. Nothing serious working against it.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Strong fit for puppy Australian Shepherds navigating skin allergies. Working in its favor: calorie density (414 kcal/cup) matches a high-energy working breed. The protein deck is limited to de-boned turkey and dried egg. Aussies are working-line dogs that thrive on high-protein performance formulas. Coat quality also benefits from EPA+DHA.

Looking at this for puppy 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.

Why this score

Solid grade. 62/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Ingredient diversity did the heavy lifting (+5 points): Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. The supporting beat: AAFCO compliance (+4 points). AAFCO formulation inferred from declared growth. Verbatim statement not published by retailer. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (14 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").

What lifted the score

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared growth. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Lowest crude fiber in Now Fresh's lineup (3.9% DMB)
  • Top quartile for DMB protein in Now Fresh's lineup (31.1%)
  • Lowest fat quality in Now Fresh's lineup (6/16)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Redbarn Whole Grain Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Redbarn

Redbarn Whole Grain Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

84

Scores 22 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Zignature Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Zignature

Zignature Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

64

$3.00/lb vs your seed's $4.23/lb (29% less) at a comparable score.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Redbarn Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Redbarn

Redbarn Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

77

Beef instead of egg, 15 points higher, different brand.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 31% ⓘ
Protein
28%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
min (as fed)
Fiber
3.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

51 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    de-boned turkey

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    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 2. 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.

  3. 3
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

    Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  4. 4
    dried egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

    Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  5. 5
    potato flour
  6. 6
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

    Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.

  7. 7
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

    Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  8. 8
    pea 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.

  9. 9
    monocalcium phosphate

    Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.

  10. 10
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  11. 11
    coconut oil

    Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.

    Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  12. 12
    de-boned salmon

    Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  13. 13
    de-boned duck

    Position 13: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  14. 14
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  15. 15
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

    Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  16. 16
    alfalfa
  17. 17
    tomato
  18. 18
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  19. 19
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  20. 20
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

  21. 21
    squash

    Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.

  22. 22
    bananas
  23. 23
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

  24. 24
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

  25. 25
    blackberries

Showing first 25 of 51. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

17 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.