HA Hydrolyzed Salmon Flavor Dry Dog Food, 38-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed Salmon Flavor Dry Dog Food is a dry formula featuring hydrolyzed soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed salmon.
This formula provides reasonable protein quality, with hydrolyzed soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed salmon as key ingredients. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. The food has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation.
This food contains tbhq, a preservative prohibited in Japan with emerging immunotoxicity signals. It also includes menadione, a synthetic vitamin K3 banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses.
Good fit for dogs needing a hydrolyzed protein diet for sensitivities. Less ideal if you prefer foods without synthetic preservatives or vitamin K3.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Hydrolyzed salmon anchors position 6, with zero pulses in the top 15. In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 35/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+14.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. corn starch delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 64 also applied because three or more WATCH-tier ingredients appear in the deck. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address controversial-ingredient penalty as well.
Reasonable protein quality. corn starch delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Contains tbhq. Prohibited in Japan. Less data than BHA/BHT; emerging immunotoxicity signals..
Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..
- Bottom 2% for carb quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (9/16)
- Bottom 10% for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (315 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (35/100)
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.
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon Adult Large Breed Formula Dry Dog Food, 34-lb bag
Scores 35 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
$5.12/lb vs your seed's $5.21/lb (2% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- menadioneSynthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1corn starch
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with corn starch as the dominant carb.
- 2hydrolyzed soy protein isolate
- 3fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 3: primary fat source. Drives the formula's caloric density and omega-6 content.
- 4mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 5partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with tbhq
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6hydrolyzed salmon
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8corn oil
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 10l-threonine
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.
- 11fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 13fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16mineralmagnesium oxide
Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.
- 17vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 18supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 19mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 20mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 21mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 22mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 23mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.