Born Carnivore Savory Grain-Free Herring, Peas & Lentils Recipe Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Tiki Dog Born Carnivore Savory Grain-Free Herring, Peas & Lentils Recipe is a dry food featuring herring as its main protein source.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with herring as the first ingredient, which is great for bioavailability. It also uses quality fat sources like chicken fat and the marine oils from herring, providing EPA and DHA. The combination of herring and herring meal is a good sign for extrusion.
The biggest concern is the missing AAFCO statement, so its nutritional completeness is unverified. There's also legume stacking with peas, lentils, and chickpeas high on the list, though chicken liver helps mitigate this.
Good fit for dogs who thrive on fish-based diets and owners seeking strong protein. Less ideal if you need an AAFCO statement.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult French Bulldogs and similar lower-energy companion breeds navigating a sensitive stomach. Working in its favor: prebiotic fiber (chicory or FOS) for gut health. Herring 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+23 points): Strong protein profile with herring as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. 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). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Strong protein profile with herring 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 DMB protein in Tiki Dog's lineup (28.9%)
- Top 10% for protein quality in Tiki Dog's lineup (23.1/27)
- Lowest crude fiber in Tiki Dog's lineup (5.0% DMB)
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.
Farmina Natural & Delicious Wild Herring Grain-Free Mini Breed Formula Dry Dog Food, 15.4-lb bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Native Level 4 Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.60/lb vs your seed's $6.00/lb (73% less) at a comparable score.
Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 3.5-lb bag
Chicken instead of herring, 14 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.
- 1herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalherring meal
Concentrated herring with the water removed. Carries protein and omega-3s in one ingredient.
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.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10ground whole flaxseed
- 11coconut
- 12mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 13brewer's yeast
- 14fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 14. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 15monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 16mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 17supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 18mineralsea salt
Same as salt. Required at small doses for normal physiology.
- 19fructooligosaccharide
Prebiotic fiber, often abbreviated FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- 20mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 21mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 22preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
- 23vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 24mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 25mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
Showing first 25 of 36. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.