High Energy Active Sporting Gluten-Free Beef & Chicken Meal Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
VICTOR High Energy Active Sporting Gluten-Free Beef & Chicken Meal is a dry dog food primarily featuring beef and chicken.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources like grain sorghum and millet, which also provide fermentable fiber. This can be good for gut health and energy.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness for any life stage is unverified. This is why the score is capped.
Good fit for active dogs who might benefit from quality carbohydrate sources. Less ideal if you prefer food with a verified AAFCO statement.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Beef meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 59/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. A hard cap of 59 also applied 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). If the brand publishing the AAFCO statement were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom 4% for DMB protein in VICTOR's lineup (26.4%)
- Top 10% for DMB fat in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (22.0%)
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in VICTOR's lineup (4.2% 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.
VICTOR Classic Hi-Pro Plus Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 15-lb bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Normally Active Adult Gluten-Free Beef Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.12/lb vs your seed's $1.55/lb (27% less) at a comparable score.
Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Chicken instead of beef, 15 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.
- 2grain sorghum
Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grain millet
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6dehydrated alfalfa meal
Dried alfalfa. Fiber and trace minerals. Not exciting but it's a real plant ingredient.
- 7yeast culture
Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.
- 8blood meal conventionally dried
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11carrot powder
- 12fibertomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14dried seaweed meal
- 15supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 16supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17calcium stearate
- 18mineralzinc methionine complex
- 19vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 20supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 21mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 22hydrolyzed yeast
Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.
- 23mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 24silicon dioxide
- 25supplementl-carnitine
Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
18 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.