Open FarmGrain-Free Whitefish Dry Dog Food

A lean, mild fish, often cod, haddock, pollock or a mix, used as a protein source. Whitefish is lower in fat and omega-3 than salmon or herring and is chosen for its gentle flavor and digestibility. The term covers several species, so it is less specific than salmon or herring for an owner tracking a fish allergy. Whitefish meal is the concentrated, dried form.

A legume used as a carbohydrate and plant protein, common in grain-free foods. Chickpeas supply fiber, folate and protein that lifts the number on the bag without adding meat. Legume-heavy grain-free foods were part of the FDA's 2018 to 2022 look at diet-associated heart disease in dogs, which did not establish a cause. A food that lists chickpeas or peas in the first few ingredients is leaning on plant protein.

A staple of grain-free recipes, supplying starch, fiber and plant protein. Peas were common in the diets examined in a federal investigation into heart disease in dogs; the investigation did not establish a cause and no ingredient was banned. Pea protein high on a list can inflate the protein number with a plant source. Pea allergy is rare. Not a problem, but worth noticing when it appears in several forms in one recipe.