Bison Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 6-lb box
Graded by The Sniff System
Simple Food Project Bison Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food is a freeze-dried option for all life stages, with bison as its primary protein source.
This recipe features bison as a high-quality protein source, providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and ingredients like bison liver, egg, and ground krill add diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating weight management. At 367 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 6% (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 63/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+16.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. bison delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+12). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 12-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (16.5 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").
Reasonable protein quality. bison delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top quartile for crude fiber in grain-free freeze-dried foods (6.5% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for fat quality in grain-free freeze-dried foods (6/16)
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.
Nature's Diet Fresh Chicken Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 3-lb bag
Scores 8 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nature's Diet Fresh Beef Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 3-lb bag
$11.66/lb vs your seed's $18.75/lb (38% less) at a comparable score.
Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Simply Venison Dinner Patties Dog Food, 25-oz bag
Venison instead of bison, 6 points higher, 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 animalbison
Real meat, leaner than beef. Used as a novel protein, mostly in premium formulas.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2bison liver
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3egg
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.
- 4fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5green 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.
- 6vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8ground krill
- 9beets
Whole beets, not to be confused with beet pulp. Real vegetable, fiber and antioxidants.
- 10fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11ground eggshell
- 12potassium salt
- 13cod liver oil
Position 13. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 14supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 15dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 16preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 17sage
- 18guava
11 of 18 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
The Simple Food Project Bison Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).