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Blue Life Protection Formula Small Breed Senior Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food

Top 5 ingredients of Blue Life Protection Formula Small Breed Senior Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food are Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, and Oatmeal. According to the guaranteed analysis, we calculated the starch ratio as 42.0%.

Composition of one cup as fed: protein 23.0%, fat 13.0%, fiber 6.0%, moisture 10.0%, ash, assumed 6.0%, starch, derived 42.0%
23%
13%
10%
42%
  • protein
  • fat
  • fiber
  • moisture
  • ash, assumed
  • starch, derived
Starch works out at 42.0% of this cup, above the kibble average. Protein comes in at 23.0%. One cup carries 371 kcal.
PROTEIN
23.0%
STARCH, DERIVED
42.0%
KCAL / CUP
371
Compare With Another Food

Ingredient Wiki

FIRST 5 OF 69 COMPONENTS

Our read The ingredients

A sensible vitamin idea with modest payoff

Signature feature

LifeSource Bits

LifeSource Bits™, made with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals and “cold-formed” to retain their potency.

Blue says

What it is Dark pieces mixed among the small kibble. Blue cold-forms these separate pieces with added vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Our grade

  1. Marketing
  2. Modest
  3. Meaningful

Heat can wear down some vitamins, so cold forming makes sense. The finished food is still formulated to meet adult nutrient minimums, leaving no clear nutritional advantage for your dog.

Modest Real, but smaller than the pack makes it sound.

Carrots, blueberries and cranberries all follow salt. They add variety to the recipe, but only in small amounts.

  • 28 Carrots
  • 38 Blueberries
  • 39 Cranberries
  • 22 Salt

Guaranteed
Analysis

As printed on the bag, measured “as fed”

Calories
3,559 kcal/kg
Crude Protein (min.)
23.0%
Crude Fat (min.)
13.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)
6.0%
Moisture (max.)
10.0%
Starch ratio (calculated)
42.0%

371 kcal per cup.

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Complete guaranteed
analysis

Every row printed on the bag, measured “as fed”

Crude Protein (min.)
23.0%
Crude Fat (min.)
13.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)
6.0%
Moisture (max.)
10.0%
DHA (min.)*
0.1%
Calcium (min.)
0.9%
Phosphorus (min.)
0.7%
Taurine (min.)*
0.1%
Vitamin E (min.)
300 IU/kg
Omega 3 Fatty Acids (min.)*
0.75%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min.)*
2.25%
Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C) (min.)*
100 mg/kg
L-Carnitine (min.)*
100 mg/kg
Glucosamine (min.)*
400 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (min.)*
300 mg/kg

*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Full Ingredient
Declaration

Exactly as the bag prints it, heaviest first

SALT DIVIDER

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Peas, Pea Starch, Natural Flavor, Pea Fiber, Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Pea Protein, Fish Oil (source of DHA-Docosahexaenoic Acid), Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Potatoes, Dried Chicory Root, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, DL-Methionine, 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., Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, Dicalcium Phosphate, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Garlic, L-Carnitine, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Sulfate, Vegetable Juice for color, Ferrous Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Parsley, Turmeric, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Copper Sulfate, L-Lysine, Biotin (Vitamin B7), Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Sulfate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Chondroitin Sulfate, 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

Ingredients are listed heaviest first, and a dog food needs very little salt, so everything after the divider is present in an even smaller amount.

NUTRITION, DRY MATTER
NUTRIENT AS FED DRY M. READING
PROTEIN 23.0% 25.6% TYPICAL
FAT 13.0% 14.4% n/a
FIBER 6.0% 6.7% n/a
CARB (EST.) 42.0% 46.7% HIGH
STARCH RATIO 42.0% KIBBLE AVG 38.0%

Our read The label

Small senior kibble with moderate protein

The number

44%

About 44% of calories come from estimated carbohydrate, the largest share. That matters if your senior needs more protein per bite.
  1. How was it proven?

    Formulated

    Blue formulates this recipe to meet AAFCO adult maintenance levels. Senior is not a separate AAFCO life stage.

  2. Is it a high-protein food?

    No

    Protein falls below the dry food average we list. Chicken and chicken meal lead, but grains and pea ingredients also shape the bowl.

Feed it to
Healthy older small dogs that handle chicken and grains and need small kibble.
Skip it for
Puppies, dogs allergic to chicken, and owners seeking a higher-protein senior diet.
PRICE BY BAG SIZE

What a bag costs

BAG LOWEST PRICE PER LB WHERE
5 lb $14.97LIVE $2.99 Amazon lowest of 2 stores
15 lb $43.53LIVE $2.90 PetSmart lowest of 7 stores

Prices marked LIVE were read from the store on Oct 11. Prices change often; the store’s price at checkout is the one that counts. We may earn a commission on some links.

HOW MUCH TO FEED

Daily portion calculator

Weight
45 lb
Weight goal
OF THIS FOOD, PER DAY
2.9CUPS
    1,076 kcal302 g

    Calculated from the resting energy formula vets use and this food’s actual calorie density (371 kcal per cup). A starting point to adjust from, not a prescription.

    RECALL HISTORY // BLUE

    2 FDA Recalls On Record

    MAR 17, 2017
    CONTAINS BEEF THYROID HORMONE

    Dog food Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.

    NOV 25, 2015
    SALMONELLA

    Cub Size - Wild Chews Matched by brand. The notice lists the exact products and lots.

    None in the last three years. Older events stay on the record. See the recall log

    One honest caveat. These figures are what a label will tell us: protein, starch, the top of the ingredient list, flagged additives and the brand’s recall record. They cannot tell you whether your dog will do well on this food. Allergies, gut sensitivity, age and health conditions all matter more than any of it, and none of them are printed on a bag. If your dog is thriving on a food whose figures read lower than this one, that is not a mistake, and we would not switch on our say-so.

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