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Earthborn

Wild Sea Catch

Evidence Limited
dry

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Earthborn Wild Sea Catch is a dry food featuring salmon and whitefish as its main protein sources.

This formula offers reasonable protein quality, with salmon providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes dried egg and named fish ingredients for diverse, high-bioavailability protein sources.

The biggest thing to watch out for is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This also capped its overall score.

Good fit for adult dogs whose owners are comfortable with unverified completeness. Less ideal if you require an AAFCO statement.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating skin allergies. Three named animal-protein species appear in the top 10. The National Research Council (2006) recommends a minimum of 2.6 grams of linoleic acid (an omega-6) per 1000 kcal of metabolizable energy to maintain skin barrier function in adult dogs  (NRC, 2006) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.

Why this score

At 50/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 18 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The cap isn't the binding constraint here. AAFCO compliance would also need to improve to reach the next band.

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK
What pulled it down

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
What sets this apart
  • Bottom 4% for carb quality in dry kibbles (8/16)
  • Bottom quartile for fat quality in grain-free dry kibbles (7/16)
  • Bottom quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-free dry kibbles (50/100)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
ORIJEN Wild Reserve Wild-Caught Fish Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
ORIJEN

ORIJEN Wild Reserve Wild-Caught Fish Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag

68

Scores 18 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural Turkey Meal & Vegetables Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Earthborn Holistic

Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural Turkey Meal & Vegetables Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

59

Turkey instead of salmon, 9 points higher, different brand.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Protein
n/a
min (as fed)
Fat
n/a
min (as fed)
Fiber
n/a
max (as fed)
Moisture
n/a
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

35 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    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.

  2. 2
    whiting meal
  3. 3
    whitefish 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.

  4. 4
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

    Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  5. 5
    tapioca

    Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.

  6. 6
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

    Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  7. 7
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

    Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  8. 8
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

    Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  9. 9
    dried egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

    Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  10. 10
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

    Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  11. 11
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  12. 12
    apples

    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.

  13. 13
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

    Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  14. 14
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

    Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  15. 15
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

    Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  16. 16
    spinach

    Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.

  17. 17
    sodium bisulfate
  18. 18
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

  19. 19
    choline
  20. 20
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  21. 21
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  22. 22
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  23. 23
    dl - methionine
  24. 24
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

  25. 25
    yucca schidigera extract

    Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.

Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.