NutrientBoost Salmon & Vegetable Sensitive Stomach Gut Health Grain-Free Dry Dog Food for Medium & Large Dogs, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Solid Gold NutrientBoost Salmon & Vegetable is a grain-free dry food for all life stages, featuring salmon and ocean fish as its main protein sources.
This formula offers good protein quality, with salmon providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like named chicken fat and marine oil for EPA and DHA, plus animal plasma for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The formula does contain multiple pulse-family ingredients like chickpeas, peas, and lentils in the top 15, which is a pattern the FDA has noted. This is partially mitigated by the inclusion of animal plasma.
Good fit for medium and large dogs of all life stages, particularly those with sensitive stomachs. Less ideal if you prefer formulas without multiple legumes high on the list.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for lower-energy small companion breeds, including the French Bulldog, navigating a sensitive stomach. Salmon leads at position 1. Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well.
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? 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.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 60/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17 points): Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points): Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10.
Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Bottom 3% for crude fiber in Solid Gold's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Solid Gold's lineup (60/100)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Solid Gold's lineup (28.9%)
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.
Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Adult Salmon & Oatmeal Formula Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Scores 17 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Solid Gold Real Lamb, Brown Rice & Pearled Barley Whole Grain Recipe Dry Dog Food for Medium & Large Dogs, 24-lb bag
$3.12/lb vs your seed's $3.32/lb (6% 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 animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalocean fish meal
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5legumepeas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 8legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 8. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 9fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10animal plasma
- 11protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 12. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 13othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 14spray dried animal blood cells
- 15mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 18l-threonine
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 21fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 22fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 23supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 24mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
This 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 dog (over 70 lbs as an adult).