Salmon & Ancient Grains Puppy Kibble
Graded by The Sniff System
Open Farm Salmon & Ancient Grains Puppy Kibble is a dry food for puppies, featuring salmon as its main protein.
This formula offers good protein quality, with salmon providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that have fermentable fiber. The inclusion of named fish meals like ocean menhaden and whitefish adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies of all sizes. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for puppy Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 64/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+16). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 11-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (17.5 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. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Open Farm's lineup (5.0% DMB)
- Top quartile for caloric density in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (420 kcal/cup)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Open Farm's lineup (15.6%)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
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.
- 6fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7ocean whitefish meal
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 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.
- 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.
- 10fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 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.
- 12othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 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.
- 14fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 16vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 17vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 18vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 20vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 21vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 22vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 23vitaminfolic acid
B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.
- 24mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 25mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nutrition & Benefits Guaranteed Analysis Calorie Content: 3,700 kcal/kg, 420 kcal/cup Nutrient Percentage of Recipe Crude Protein (min) 27% Crude Fat (min) 14% Crude Fiber (max) 4.5% Moisture (max) 10% Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (min) 0.2% Calcium (min) 1.2% Phosphorus (min) 1% Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 1% Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min) 1.5% Taurine (min) 0.2% Open Farm Puppy Salmon & Ancient Grains Recipe Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutrient levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Growth including growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult). View Complete Nutritional Profile