New Zealand Venison & Ancient Grains Dog Kibble
Graded by The Sniff System
Open Farm New Zealand Venison & Ancient Grains Dog Kibble is a dry food for all life stages, featuring venison as its primary protein.
This kibble offers good protein quality, with venison providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are good, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
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) . Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Venison anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus ocean menhaden fish meal at position 3.
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 68/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 17 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. venison delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 7-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (17 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. venison delivers solid amino acid coverage.
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 quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (16/16)
- 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.
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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 animalvenison
Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.
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.
- 3ocean menhaden fish meal
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 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.
- 12fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
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.
- 15fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 17mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 18mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 19mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 20mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 21mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 22mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 23mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 24mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 25supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
Showing first 25 of 41. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nutrition & Benefits Guaranteed Analysis Calorie Content: 3,600 kcal me/kg, 385 kcal me/cup Nutrient Percentage of Recipe Crude Protein (min) 26% Crude Fat (min) 15% Crude Fibre (max) 4.5% Moisture (max) 10% Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (min) 0.11% Calcium (min) 1.2% Phosphorus (min) 1.0% Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 0.4% Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min) 1.25% Taurine (min) 0.2% Open Farm New Zealand Venison & Ancient Grains Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages except for growth of large size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult). View Complete Nutritional Profile