Overland Grain-Free Red Beef & Potato Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Ultimates Overland Grain-Free Red Beef & Potato Dry Dog Food is a dry food featuring beef as its primary protein source.
There are no notable positive drivers identified by our scoring methodology for this product. It does provide a full ingredient list and guaranteed analysis, which are basic expectations for commercial dog food.
The biggest concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the beef meal used here provides limited bioavailable amino acids, indicating low protein quality.
Good fit for owners who prioritize grain-free formulas. Less ideal if you need verified nutritional completeness for your dog.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (beef). The National Research Council (2006) recommends a minimum of 2.6 grams of linoleic acid (an omega-6) per 1000 kcal of metabolizable energy to maintain skin barrier function in adult dogs (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.
At 45/100, this formula lands mid-pack. 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 cap isn't the binding constraint here. Protein quality would also need to improve to reach the next band.
No positive drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
Low protein quality. beef meal delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest crude fiber in Ultimates's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Lowest protein quality in Ultimates's lineup (8.1/27)
- Lowest fat quality in Ultimates's lineup (6/16)
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.
ACANA Red Meat Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Scores 29 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wholesomes Beef Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.18/lb vs your seed's $1.99/lb (41% less) at a comparable score.
Wholesomes Chicken Meal & Potatoes Formula Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 35-lb bag
Chicken instead of beef, 9 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.
- 1protein animalbeef meal
Beef cooked down to a dry concentrate. More protein per pound than fresh beef. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 2: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 3pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
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 plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6legumepeas
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 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 14vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 20supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 21supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 24vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 25vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
Showing first 25 of 43. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.