Lamb Freeze-Dried Raw Sliders Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Smallbatch Pets Lamb Freeze-Dried Raw Sliders is a freeze-dried raw food built around lamb, presented as grain-free sliders.
The protein quality looks good, with lamb hearts and lamb livers providing excellent amino acid coverage. These organ meats, along with lamb, are prominent in the ingredient list.
A significant concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, there's no declared source of omega-3 fatty acids like fish or algae oil.
Good fit for adult dogs whose owners prioritize a raw, freeze-dried diet. Less ideal if you require AAFCO verification for nutritional completeness.
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. Lamb hearts anchors position 1, 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 51/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+16 points): Reasonable protein quality. lamb hearts delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 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). Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. Fat quality is the deeper issue.
Reasonable protein quality. lamb hearts delivers solid amino acid coverage.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- 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 11 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 $47.43/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, 10 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.