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In The Kibble
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Ingredient file // Ingredient

Zinc Proteinate

Zinc bound to protein to improve absorption.

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 5 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

22%

493 of the 2,250 foods we track, from 38 brands. 413 dry dog food, 51 wet dog food, 15 frozen dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 26. In the top five of 0 foods, so it is usually a minor ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

5%

Usually listed after the salt, which caps it at roughly 1% of the recipe in 95% of foods.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.51
All foods $3.24

Median of the cheapest bag price across 348 priced foods, 8% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

14%

of the foods that list it are from Wellness. 38 brands use it in total.

What it is

Why it turns up in dog food

  • Zinc supports skin barrier function, coat quality and immunity. The proteinate form is absorbed more readily than zinc oxide.

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Wellness 71
  2. Nulo 68
  3. Stella & Chewy's 63
  4. Diamond 27
  5. Earthborn Holistic 25
  6. Bil-Jac 21
  7. Acana 18
  8. Verus 17
  9. Horizon 16
  10. Taste of the Wild 16

Plus 28 more brands.

Amazon best sellers that list it

  1. #10 Diamond Naturals Skin & Coat Formula All Life Stages Salmon & Potato Formula Dry Dog Food
  2. #17 Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food
  3. #40 Stella & Chewy’s Marie’s Magical Dinner Dust Grass-Fed Beef Recipe Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper
  4. #54 Wellness Complete Health Deboned Chicken & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
  5. #60 Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Beef And Rice Dry Dog Food
  6. #68 Wellness Complete Health Small Breed Turkey & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food
  7. #73 Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food
  8. #86 Taste of the Wild Ancient Prairie Canine Recipe with Roasted Bison & Roasted Venison Dry Dog Food

Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Flaxseed 46%
  2. Chicken Fat 45%
  3. Chicken Meal 35%
  4. Peas 33%
  5. Chicken 28%
  6. Lentils 25%
  7. Natural Flavor 22%
  8. Oatmeal 22%
  9. Turkey Meal 21%
  10. Sweet Potatoes 19%
  11. Dried Plain Beet Pulp 19%
  12. Chickpeas 19%
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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