Blue Natural Veterinary Diet HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance Dry Dog Food
The first five ingredients are Salmon Hydrolysate, Pea Starch, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein. One of them is a named animal protein. We put the starch at 47.8%, above the 38.51% average across the foods we hold.
Protein runs low or starch runs high for this type of food. That does not make it unsafe, it just measures lower.
How we got to 44
Five things, one hundred points, and the reason for every one. We would rather show our working than ask you to trust a number.
26-32% dm reads typical mainstream.
Estimated, 6% ash assumed.
Count of named animal proteins.
Matched against the flag list.
Manufacturer, not recipe.
The numbers, without the water
Percentages on a bag include the water in the food, so a wet food always looks lower than a dry one. Taking the water out puts any two foods on the same footing. This one is 90% dry matter.
That is 9.3 points above average, so proportionally more of the bag is starch.
Everything on the label
Printed exactly as the manufacturer lists it, heaviest ingredient first. A dog food needs very little salt, so the 32 ingredients listed after salt are present in even smaller amounts. That is the salt divider, and it is why we only weigh the top of the list.
Salmon Hydrolysate, Pea Starch, Potatoes, Peas, Pea Protein, Canola Oil (source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Potato Starch, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavor, Flaxseed, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Pumpkin, Dried Kelp, Dried Chicory Root, Salt*The Salt Divider. Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after this point is present in an even smaller amount., Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Tryptophan, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, L-Threonine, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), L-Carnitine, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Dried Yeast, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Aspergillus niger fermentation extract, Dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Sodium Selenite, Oil of Rosemary
What those first ingredients actually are
The top of the list is most of the food by weight, so it is worth knowing what each one is. Green marks a named animal protein.
Salmon Hydrolysate
Salmon protein broken down into smaller fragments by enzyme treatment.
Pea Starch
The starch fraction separated out from peas after the protein and fiber are removed.
Potatoes
The tuber of the potato plant, cooked and used as a grain-free carbohydrate.
Peas
The seed of the pea plant, used whole, split or dried as a carbohydrate and plant protein source.
Pea Protein
The protein fraction separated out from peas after the starch and fiber have been removed.
How much of this to feed
A starting point, worked out from the resting energy formula vets use and this food's own calorie density. Every dog is different, so watch their weight and adjust. Your vet's advice beats a calculator.
How it compares
Same figures, same method, put next to another recipe from Blue and the archive average.
| Metric | This recipe | Blue Natural Veterinary Diet W+U… | Archive average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Score | 44 | 66 | -- |
| Protein, water out | 26.7% | 33.3% | -- |
| Starch, water out | 47.8% | 30.0% | 38.51% |
| Named in first five | 1 of 5 | 2 of 5 | -- |
Recall history
Recalls are matched to the manufacturer, not this exact recipe. A recall on a different product still tells you something about the plant it came from.
4 in the last three years, which costs this food points. Worth reading before you buy. See the recall log
Other flavors
More from Blue, scored the same way.