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Next Level Super Premium Pet Food

Hero’s Salute

Evidence Limited
dry

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Hero’s Salute is a dry food with fish and chicken as its primary protein sources.

This food offers good protein quality, with fish meal providing solid amino acid coverage. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are clearly named and declared.

The main 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 owners who prioritize named protein and fat sources. Less ideal if you require a verified AAFCO statement.

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

Who this is for

Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. Working in its favor: L-carnitine listed (supports fat metabolism). Caloric density is not declared. The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs  (APOP, 2023) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Middle-of-pack grade. 55/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+15.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. fish meal delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 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). Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. AAFCO compliance is the deeper issue.

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. fish meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.

FQI
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 10% for overall Sniff Score in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (55/100)
  • Top quartile for fat quality in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (11/16)
  • Top quartile for carb quality in Next Level Super Premium Pet Food's lineup (15/16)

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
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Next Level Super Premium Pet Food

Next Level Super Premium Pet Food Senior Healthy Weight Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag

70

Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Native Level 2 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Native

Native Level 2 Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag

59

Chicken instead of fish, 4 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.

39 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    fish meal

    Concentrated fish protein, usually whitefish, herring, or mackerel. Strong amino acid profile. See why →

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    grain sorghum

    Same as sorghum. Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated.

    Position 3: major carbohydrate source.

  4. 4
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →

    Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.

  5. 5
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

    Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  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
    blood meal
  8. 8
    dried beet pulp

    Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →

    Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.

  9. 9
    dehydrated alfalfa meal

    Dried alfalfa. Fiber and trace minerals. Not exciting but it's a real plant ingredient.

  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
    yeast culture

    Fermented yeast. Source of B vitamins and beta-glucans that some research suggests support immune function.

  12. 12
    natural flavors

    Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

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

  14. 14
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  15. 15
    salt

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

  16. 16
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  17. 17
    dried chicory root

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

  18. 18
    taurine

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

  19. 19
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  20. 20
    l-carnitine

    Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.

  21. 21
    glucosamine hydrochloride

    Joint-support compound. Most useful in larger doses for older dogs. The kibble dose is real but modest.

  22. 22
    chondroitin sulfate
  23. 23
    zine sulfate
  24. 24
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  25. 25
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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