Born Carnivore Savory Grain-Free Chicken, Peas & Lentils Recipe Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Tiki Dog Born Carnivore Savory Grain-Free Chicken, Peas & Lentils Recipe is a dry food featuring chicken and chicken liver as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the primary ingredient, offering high biological value. It also uses quality fat sources, including named fat and marine oil for EPA and DHA. The combination of fresh chicken and chicken meal is a good sign for its extrusion architecture.
This product lacks an AAFCO statement, so its nutritional completeness is unverified. It also contains high legume stacking with peas, lentils, and chickpeas in the top 15, though chicken liver helps mitigate this.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize a strong protein profile. Less ideal if you prefer a food with a verified AAFCO statement.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Neutral fit for adult French Bulldogs navigating a sensitive stomach. Chicken leads at position 1, and a single-species protein design that makes trigger isolation easier. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 22 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest crude fiber in Tiki Dog's lineup (5.0% DMB)
- Top quartile for protein quality in Tiki Dog's lineup (21.9/27)
- Lowest carb quality in Tiki Dog's lineup (5/16)
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.
Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Country Vet Naturals 28-16 Grain-Free Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$1.41/lb vs your seed's $6.28/lb (78% less) at a comparable score.
Tender & True Organic Grain-Free Turkey & Liver Recipe Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
Turkey instead of chicken, 6 points lower, 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 animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3legumepeas
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 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.
- 4protein 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 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10ground whole flaxseed
- 11vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 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.
- 13fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 15mineralsea salt
Same as salt. Required at small doses for normal physiology.
- 16brewer's yeast
- 17mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 18monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20fructooligosaccharide
Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- 21mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 22mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 23preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
- 24vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 25mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.