Lamb Recipe with Raspberries Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 18-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Nulo Lamb Recipe with Raspberries Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food is a freeze-dried raw food with lamb and lamb liver as its primary protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with lamb as the main ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, providing beneficial EPA and DHA. Plus, the carbohydrate sources offer fermentable fiber.
Nothing concerning in the deck. However, the product does not have an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional adequacy for a specific life stage isn't explicitly guaranteed by the manufacturer.
Good fit for owners seeking a freeze-dried raw food with a strong protein and fat profile. Less ideal if you prefer an explicit AAFCO nutritional guarantee.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (9%) helps satiety. At 210 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 9% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). 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. 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 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 72/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+20 points): Strong protein profile with lamb as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (20 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").
Strong protein profile with lamb 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 negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for crude fiber in Nulo's lineup (9.5% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for caloric density in Nulo's lineup (210 kcal/cup)
- Top 10% for DMB fat in Nulo's lineup (30.5%)
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.
Nulo Freestyle Beef Recipe with Apples Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 18-oz bag
Scores 3 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Big Game Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 20-lb bag
$4.25/lb vs your seed's $43.55/lb (90% less) at a comparable score.
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Chicken instead of lamb, 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 animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animallamb liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver, dense in B vitamins, iron, vitamin A.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3ground lamb bone
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4lamb kidney
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5fruitraspberries
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8dried egg yolks
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9vegetablevegetable
Unnamed vegetable. No way to know what species. Named vegetables are far more transparent.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10green beans
Real vegetable. Fiber and a small amount of vitamins. Often used in weight-management formulas because it bulks up a meal without adding calories.
- 11fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 16apple cider vinegar
- 17fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 20fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 21probioticdried bacillus coagulans fermentation product
Probiotic strain. More heat-stable than lactobacillus, which means more of it likely survives kibble processing.
- 22mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 23fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 24mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 25mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
Showing first 25 of 30. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.