We read the label so you don't have to.
Kibble Snob turns the printed label on a bag of dry dog food into a score, using a fixed, published rubric (scanner-rubric-v1).
What the label score is
The score is out of 100 rubric points, in five sections:
- First Ingredient (25 points). Whether the ingredient list opens with a named animal meat or a named meal, and what follows it.
- Protein Sources (20 points). How many different named animal proteins sit in the top ten, concentrated plant proteins in the top five, and animal sources that are not named.
- Ingredients the rubric deducts for (20 points). Certain plant ingredients in the top ten that the rubric deducts for, and one plant listed under several names.
- Additives (15 points). Artificial preservatives, artificial colors, added sugars and propylene glycol. Each group is deducted once.
- Nutrition vs Life Stage (20 points). Protein and fat on a dry-matter basis, compared with targets for the dog's life stage and size.
What it isn't
It is not a review, not veterinary advice and not a prediction about any dog's health. It reads what is printed. It does not test the food.
Scores never change based on who pays us
The code that scores a label reads only the label. Any list of suggested foods is ranked by label score alone and never receives affiliate data. Score library, comparison and methodology pages carry no affiliate links.
How we make money
No affiliate program is active right now, so we earn nothing from any link on Kibble Snob. If that changes, this page will say which programs are active, and every link will be marked "affiliate link".
How swaps are ranked
When we suggest foods with higher label scores, they are ranked by label score only, using the same rubric as your scan. A food appears only if its label was checked by a person and its score is at least 5 points higher for your dog's profile. Its printed nutritional adequacy statement must match your dog's life stage, and foods that carry the grain-free legume information flag are left out.
How we check labels
Each library entry is compared, ingredient by ingredient, against the physical bag or the maker's current published label. The date of that check is shown on the page. Formulas change, so the date matters.
Corrections and brands
We review every correction request and fix verified label errors. Brands and readers use the same path.
Questions
Is the label score a rating of the food?
No. It is a rubric applied to the printed ingredient list and guaranteed analysis. It does not say how any dog will do on a food.
Does the score depend on my dog?
Only the nutrition section does. It compares dry-matter protein and fat with targets for the life stage and size you choose. Library pages use an adult dog.
Can a brand pay to change a score?
No. Scores come from the printed label and the published rubric. There is no setting, field or code path through which payment can change one.
Why are some foods missing?
We only score dry kibble whose label we can read in full, and library entries are checked by a person against the bag or the maker's label. Wet, fresh, raw, treats and prescription diets are not scored.
What if a label has changed?
Formulas change. Check your bag, and use the correction link below. We review every correction request and fix verified label errors.
Is this veterinary advice?
No. Talk to your vet about your dog's diet, especially for health conditions.
This score reflects only what's printed on the label. It isn't veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your dog's diet, especially for health conditions.
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