Grass-Fed Beef & Ancient Grains Dog Kibble
Graded by The Sniff System
Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef & Ancient Grains Dog Kibble is a dry food for all life stages, featuring beef and whitefish as its main protein sources.
This kibble has a strong protein profile, with beef as the first ingredient, which means good biological value for your dog. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are well-named, including marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of all ages and sizes. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
As of the FDA's June 2019 update on diet-associated DCM, the Saint Bernard was one of the most reported breeds, with 10 cases submitted to the agency (FDA, 2019) . Good fit for lower-energy giant working breeds like Saint Bernards, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Great Danes navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Beef anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus whitefish meal at position 3. What to watch: calorie density (431 kcal/cup) is rich for a lower-activity breed.
Looking at this for adult Saint Bernards or Saint Bernards 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 4 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
- OFAcardiac concerns with named research if dcm predisposed
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 79/100, this formula sits near the top of our catalog. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 20 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Open Farm's lineup (5.0% DMB)
- Top 5% for overall Sniff Score in dry kibbles (79/100)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Open Farm's lineup (28.9%)
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.
RawMix Large Breed Ancient Grains Dog Kibble
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
RawMix Large Breed Grain-Free Dog Kibble
$5.25/lb vs your seed's $7.50/lb (30% less) at a comparable score.
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
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainoats
Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8protein animalherring meal
Concentrated herring with the water removed. Carries protein and omega-3s in one ingredient.
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
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.
- 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.
- 15mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 20vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 21vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 22vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 24vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 25vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nutrition & Benefits Guaranteed Analysis Calorie Content (calculated): 3790 kcal me/kg, 431 kcal me/cup Nutrient Percentage of Recipe Crude Protein (min) 26% Crude Fat (min) 15% Crude Fibre (max) 4.5% Moisture (max) 10% DHA (min) 0.11% Calcium (min) 1.2% Phosphorus (min) 1.2% Vitamin A (min) 5000 IU/kg Vitamin E (min) 50 IU/kg Omega-6* (min) 1.25% Omega-3* (min) 0.4% Taurine (min) 0.2% Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef & Ancient Grains recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels estimated by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages except for the growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult). View Complete Nutritional Profile