Common Sense Dog · Food database · NutriSource
35Below Average
NutriSource
Grain Free Small Bites Seafood Select Dry Dog Food
Kibble
Why this score
Base score+60
Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement) (mild) — ingredient #19 (trace amount)-1
Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) (mild) — ingredient #28 (trace amount)-1
Unidentified generic meal (1) — sourcing unknown-7
Legumes in top 3 ingredients (1) — DCM link-15
Legumes in top 5 ingredients (1) — DCM link-7
Anti-inflammatory ingredients (2) — turmeric, fish oil, kelp, etc.+6
Ingredients to watch (2)
Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement) mild
Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3 — the standard, AAFCO-required form of vitamin D in complete dog food, and its presence on a label is expected rather than alarming. Dogs cannot make meaningful vitamin D in their skin from sunlight the way people do, so it has to come from the diet. Two things are worth knowing. D3 is more potent than D2 (ergocalciferol) and has a narrower safety margin — it is the form used in rodenticides. And the real-world risk is manufacturing error, not the ingredient: FDA recalls in 2018–19 found dog foods containing up to 70x the intended vitamin D, causing hypercalcemia, kidney failure and deaths across brands including Hill's, Nutrisca, Sunshine Mills, Kroger and ELM. An ingredient label cannot tell you the amount, only that it is present — so this is flagged for awareness, not as a mark against the food.
Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) mild
⚪ Formulation signal: yeast culture and hydrolysed yeast are used as cheap palatants — the same job as animal digest. Note the distinction: BREWER'S YEAST is a genuine whole-food source of B vitamins and is not flagged here. It is the processed flavouring forms that signal a food needing help to be eaten.
Full ingredient list
1. Salmon2. Menhaden Fish Meal3. Peas4. Pea Flour5. Pea Starch6. Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid)7. Alfalfa Meal8. Natural Turkey And Chicken Flavor9. Flax Seeds10. Dried Tomato Pomace11. Sunflower Oil12. Dicalcium Phosphate13. Dried Brewers Yeast14. Potassium Chloride15. Calcium Carbonate16. Salt17. Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Selenium Yeast)18. Choline Chloride19. Vitamins (Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement)20. Lactic Acid21. Glucosamine Hydrochloride22. L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C)23. Chondroitin Sulfate24. Yucca Schidigera Extract25. Taurine26. Calcium Iodate27. Rosemary Extract28. Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae)29. Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product30. Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product31. Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract32. Dried Trichoderma Longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract33. Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract.
More from NutriSource
For informational and educational purposes only. This score reflects general and holistic pet-nutrition research applied to the published ingredient list. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition, is not veterinary advice, and creates no veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Ingredient lists change without notice — always check the bag. Always consult a licensed veterinarian before changing your dog's diet.