Ingredient #1Upper
Salmon Meal
Salmon Meal is a species-named animal meal ingredient. It is rendered rather than fresh, but the species source is still clearly identified. It reads as an upper-tier protein source.
Label analysisGrade DKibble (Extruded)
Horizon
Horizon Pulsar Salmon
Editor ingredient insight
Horizon Pulsar Salmon suits dogs that do better on fish than chicken, beef, or pork, especially when the household wants a grain-free salmon-based kibble to rotate in.
The first ingredients are salmon meal, red lentils, peas, pea starch, and salmon, so the single-animal-protein direction is clear, but the formula also leans heavily on legumes and pea starch.
It discloses 28% protein, 15% fat, 3,685 kcal/kg, 4.0% omega-3, 0.20% taurine, and 1.15%/0.90% calcium/phosphorus, which is enough support for a fish-based skin-and-coat oriented choice.
I would not use it for dogs that react poorly to lentils or peas, households avoiding legume-heavy grain-free foods, or low-fat weight-control goals.
Although the label covers large-breed growth, I would still look first at a dedicated large-breed puppy food when mineral control needs to be more conservative.
Meal-basedPlant booster present
01. NUTRIENT PROFILE
Key nutrients & mineral profile
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 28%Fat 15%Other 57%Other includes moisture, ash and remaining components.
Position within the same processing type
Compare protein, fat and energy density in low, typical and high bands.
Protein positionHigher
This food is on the higher side for crude protein among extruded foods.
Fat positionTypical
This food sits around the typical crude fat range among extruded foods.
Calorie densityTypical
This food sits around the typical calorie range among extruded foods. Check the feeding guide and weight trend alongside this comparison.
Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
Calcium1.15%
Phosphorus0.9%
Crude fiber5%
Omega-34%
Omega-60.3%
Undisclosed values are not treated as zero.
02. INGREDIENT QUALITY & DISCLOSURE
Ingredient assessment · 49 disclosed ingredients
The top ingredients are still usable, but this is the part to inspect more carefully before calling the recipe a clear strength.
Ingredient gradeMixed
Ingredient #1 · Salmon MealUpper
Named MealIngredient #2 · Red LentilsLower
Whole Plant ProteinIngredient #3 · PeasLower
Whole Plant ProteinIngredient #2Lower
Red Lentils
Red Lentils is a whole plant-protein ingredient. It is not a processed protein concentrate, but when it appears near the top it can still weaken the animal-protein-led structure. It reads as an lower-tier plant protein booster.
Ingredient #3Lower
Peas
Peas is a whole plant-protein ingredient. It is not a processed protein concentrate, but when it appears near the top it can still weaken the animal-protein-led structure. It reads as an lower-tier plant protein booster.
Full disclosed ingredient listIn disclosed order
Salmon Meal — Support positive ingredientsRed Lentils — Caution ingredientsPeas — Caution ingredientsPea Starch — Neutral ingredientsSalmon — Primary positive ingredientsSalmon Oil (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, source of Vitamin E) — Support positive ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsCarrots — Neutral ingredientsApples — Neutral ingredientsBroccoli — Neutral ingredientsBok Choy — Neutral ingredientsCabbage — Neutral ingredientsBlueberries — Neutral ingredientsFructooligosaccharides — Neutral ingredientsHydrolyzed Yeast — Neutral ingredientsYucca Schidigera Extract — Support positive ingredientsTaurine — Support positive ingredientsDried Aspergillus niger Fermentation Extract — Neutral ingredientsPineapple — Neutral ingredientsDried Trichoderma longibrachiatum Fermentation Extract — Neutral ingredientsDried Rhizopus oryzae Fermentation Extract — Neutral ingredientsDried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Bifidobacterium bifidum Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsDried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product — Support positive ingredientsVitamin A Acetate — Neutral ingredientsVitamin D3 Supplement — Neutral ingredientsVitamin E Supplement — Support positive ingredientsVitamin B12 Supplement — Neutral ingredientsRiboflavin — Neutral ingredientsNiacin — Neutral ingredientsFolic Acid — Neutral ingredientsPyridoxine Hydrochloride — Neutral ingredientsThiamine Mononitrate — Neutral ingredientsD-Calcium Pantothenate — Neutral ingredientsBiotin — Support positive ingredientsL-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C) — Neutral ingredientsFerrous Sulphate — Neutral ingredientsIron Proteinate — Neutral ingredientsZinc Sulphate — Support positive ingredientsZinc Proteinate — Support positive ingredientsManganous Oxide — Neutral ingredientsManganese Proteinate — Neutral ingredientsCopper Sulphate — Neutral ingredientsCopper Proteinate — Support positive ingredientsCalcium Iodate — Support positive ingredientsSelenium Yeast — Support positive ingredientsMagnesium Oxide — Support positive ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide
Whole plant protein source in the top 3
Animal protein · Salmon Meal (#1), Salmon (#5)
Plant protein · Red Lentils (#2), Peas (#3)
The crude protein number may include influence from whole plant ingredients.
This is not the same as processed protein boosting, but it is not purely meat-led.
Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
Salmon oilSkin and joint support ingredientFOSGut support ingredientYucca extractStool odor support ingredientTaurineHeart support ingredientProbioticsGut support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredient
03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG
What to consider before feeding
Salmon Meal supply animal protein at the start of the ingredient list. Pea Starch supply carbohydrate energy. The recipe combines animal protein sources with carbohydrate sources.
Red Lentils, Peas contribute plant protein alongside carbohydrates and fiber among the leading ingredients. Total crude protein is not a measure of meat-derived protein alone. Flaxseed add fat and energy; fat content is a separate choice criterion from the protein sources.
What works well in this food
- Crude protein is on the higher side.
- Price per kilogram stays low enough that this can still make sense on a value basis.
- Nutrient disclosure is broad enough to compare real numbers directly.
Check before feeding
- Whole plant protein sources can contribute to crude protein, so the animal-protein share still needs a closer read.
- Top ingredients include an FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile, so this part deserves a more cautious read.
- Fish protein is still the first ingredient, but plant-protein boosters high in the recipe make it a more cautious alternative-protein candidate.
When this food fits your dog
Among foods made the same way, protein is higher, fat is typical, and calorie density is typical. This combination is worth comparing when protein matters but a higher-calorie food is not the aim. High protein alone does not make it an active-dog-only food; judge weight changes against total daily calories.
Consider it first when
- Budget matters
- Baseline nutrition still comes first
- Ingredient quality comes after value
Choose another food first when
- Fresh-meat-first quality matters more
- Ingredient quality matters more than budget
Plant-protein concentration remains the clearest trade-off here.
04. COMPARE FOODS
Smart salmon alternatives
Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.
05. MANUFACTURING & DISCLOSURE
Manufacturer background & public information
Horizon background
Founded in 2006 in Canada.
Disclosure confidence C2
There is a usable disclosure baseline, but the public record is still fairly thin.
Recall information
The currently searched public sources are not enough to make a confident recall or withdrawal call for this brand.
May 12, 2026