Peak Chicken Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food, 35.2-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
ZIWI Peak Chicken Grain-Free Air-Dried Dog Food is an air-dried food featuring chicken and chicken liver as its main protein sources.
Chicken is the first ingredient, providing a strong protein profile with high biological value. Organ meats like chicken liver and heart, along with green mussel, add diverse, highly bioavailable protein. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
The score is capped because there's no AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, there's no declared omega-3 source like fish oil or algae oil.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize high-quality protein and an air-dried format. Less ideal if you need AAFCO verification of nutritional completeness.
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. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 protein quality (+21 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. 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).
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest crude fiber in ZIWI's lineup (3.5% DMB)
- Top quartile for caloric density in grain-free air-dried foods (474 kcal/cup)
- Lowest fat quality in ZIWI's lineup (4/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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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 liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3chicken bone
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4chicken necks
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5green mussel
Mussel from New Zealand. Natural source of glucosamine and omega-3s. Common in joint-support formulas.
- 6protein animalchicken heart
Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.
Position 6. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 7chicken cartilage
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 9dried apple pomace
- 10fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11dipotassium phosphate
- 12mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 14mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 15mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 16mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 17mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 18dried organic kelp
- 19mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 20preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 21preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
15 of 21 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.