Freestyle Turkey & Sweet Potato Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food, 26-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Sweet Potato is a grain-free dry food for puppies, featuring turkey and salmon as its main protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with turkey as the first ingredient, which means high biological value. It also uses quality fat sources like chicken fat. The combination of fresh turkey and turkey meal is a good sign for how the food is made.
The formula contains high legume stacking, with peas and chickpeas appearing in the top ingredients. This is a pattern the FDA has flagged in its DCM investigation, though it's partially mitigated here.
Good fit for puppies of any size. Less ideal if you prefer foods without multiple legumes in the top ingredients.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Shepherds have a documented tendency toward sensitive GI tracts and hip/elbow dysplasia. Limited-ingredient formulas with marine omega-3 source consistently fit better. Good fit for puppy German Shepherds and similar active herding breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Turkey leads at position 1, but 4 stacked proteins make isolating triggers harder. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).
Looking at this for puppy German Shepherds or German Shepherds with a sensitive stomach ? 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 74/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 23.5 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with turkey as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Where it lost ground: controversial-ingredient penalty, costing 2 points. Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. This formula sits 1.0 points below the A-tier line. The most direct lever is controversial-ingredient penalty.
Strong protein profile with turkey as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Top 5% for caloric density in Nulo's lineup (434 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Nulo's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top 10% for protein quality in grain-free dry kibbles (23.6/27)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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$2.80/lb vs your seed's $3.42/lb (18% 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 animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5legumepeas
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 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8trout
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 17dried tomatoes
Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.
- 18dried apples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 19fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 20vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 21supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 25l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate
A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.
Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.