Lamb Freeze-Dried Raw Sliders Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 14-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Smallbatch Pets Lamb Freeze-Dried Raw Sliders is a grain-free, freeze-dried raw food for all life stages, primarily featuring lamb.
This food offers good protein quality, with lamb hearts providing solid amino acid coverage. It's also quite high in protein and fat, which is typical for a raw-style diet.
The main thing to note is the absence of a declared omega-3 source, like fish oil or algae oil, which are often included for their health benefits.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages who prefer a freeze-dried raw diet. Less ideal if you want a clear omega-3 source.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
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) . Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Lamb hearts anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15.
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 55/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 16 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. lamb hearts delivers solid amino acid coverage. Where it lost ground: fat quality, costing 8 points. No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. This formula sits 5.0 points below the B-tier line. The most direct lever is fat quality.
Reasonable protein quality. lamb hearts delivers solid amino acid coverage.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
- Lowest DMB protein in Smallbatch Pets's lineup (46.3%)
- Top 2% for DMB fat in grain-free freeze-dried foods (43.2%)
- Lowest protein quality in Smallbatch Pets's lineup (15.8/27)
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.
Simple Food Project Lamb Recipe Freeze-Dried Dog Food, 6-lb box
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
A Better Treat Allergy Friendly Lamb Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 12-lb bag
$5.83/lb vs your seed's $50.27/lb (88% less) at a comparable score.
Formula Raw Lamb Grain-Free Adult Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food, 25-oz bag
Beef instead of lamb, 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.
- 1lamb hearts
Position 1. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 2protein animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3lamb livers
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4vegetablecelery
Real vegetable. Mostly water and a little fiber. Decorative more than nutritional in the amounts used.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5vegetablevegetable
Unnamed vegetable. No way to know what species. Named vegetables are far more transparent.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6bok choy
- 7cauliflower
- 8green 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.
- 9dandelion greens
- 10cilantro
- 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.
- 12preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 13supplementkelp
Seaweed source of iodine. Trace mineral support, common in better formulas.
- 14pollock oil
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15apple cider vinegar
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17wheatgrass
- 18oregano
- 19thyme
8 of 19 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Smallbatch Pets Lamb Non-GMO Freeze-Dried Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages, except for the growth of large breed dogs.