Kibble in the Raw Recipe Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Puppy Food, 86.4-oz bag, 1 count
Graded by The Sniff System
Primal Kibble in the Raw Recipe Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Puppy Food is a freeze-dried food for puppies, featuring chicken, chicken liver, and pork as its main protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like salmon oil, which delivers beneficial EPA and DHA, along with quality carbohydrate sources that offer fermentable fiber.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies needing a high-quality protein and fat diet. Nothing serious working against it.
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 Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor) and salmon oil at position 7. Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? 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.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 71/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+21 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: fat quality (+12). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 4-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (21 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 chicken 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.
- Lowest fat quality in Primal's lineup (12/16)
- Top quartile for protein quality in Primal's lineup (20.9/27)
- Lowest carb quality in Primal's lineup (12/16)
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.
Merrick Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble Puppy Recipe Freeze-Dried Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Puppy Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 20-lb bag
$4.25/lb vs your seed's $16.66/lb (75% less) at a comparable score.
Formula Raw Beef Grain-Free Adult Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 25-oz bag
Beef instead of chicken, 11 points lower, 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 animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalpork
Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5pork plasma
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6egg
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 7. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 8carrot
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.
- 9vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10apple
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 11vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 14mineralsea salt
Same as salt. Required at small doses for normal physiology.
- 15montmorillonite clay
Natural clay used as a binder and anti-caking agent. Functional, not nutritional.
- 16fibermiscanthus grass
Perennial grass used as a fiber source. Replaces cellulose in some recipes. Functional but unremarkable.
- 17coconut
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19vegetable oil
Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.
- 20cod liver oil
- 21ground alfalfa
- 22fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
- 23dried organic kelp
- 24liquid lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product
- 25liquid lactobacillus casei fermentation product
Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
18 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.