Free-Range Grain-Free Chicken Recipe with Postbiotics Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Purpose Free-Range Grain-Free Chicken Recipe with Postbiotics Dry Dog Food is a dry food built around deboned chicken.
This formula features deboned chicken as a primary protein, offering solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality named fat sources and diverse protein from eggs, dried whitefish, and chicken liver for good bioavailability.
The main thing to watch here is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. This factor capped its overall score.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize quality protein and fat sources. Less ideal if you need an AAFCO statement to verify nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for lower-energy giant working breeds, including the Saint Bernard, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Deboned chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 11 (a natural taurine precursor) and dried whitefish at position 5. Worth watching: calorie density (452 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed. Based on 3,363 OFA cardiac screenings, 1.0% of Saint Bernards had abnormal findings. Dilated cardiomyopathy and subaortic stenosis are noted heritable cardiac diseases in the breed (OFA) .
Looking at this for adult Saint Bernards or Saint Bernards 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 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
- OFAcardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 59/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 59 also applied because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). If the brand publishing the AAFCO statement were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Reasonable protein quality. deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 3% for DMB protein in grain-free dry kibbles (44.4%)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (9/16)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (20.0%)
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.
ACANA Free Run Poultry Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
$1.79/lb vs your seed's $4.87/lb (63% 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 animaldeboned chicken
Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2dried chicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 5dried whitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 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.
- 8supplementalfalfa
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10flaxseeds
Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.
- 11protein 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 11. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 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.
- 13fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14tomato
- 15mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 16mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 21preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 22supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 24blueberry
- 25cranberry
Same as cranberries. Real ingredient, dose in kibble is small.
Showing first 25 of 50. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.