Scanned by Randall Saunders · April 10, 2026
Member's Mark Grain Free Dog Treats - Peanut Butter Flavored
60/100
Grade C− — Minimum Recommended
📦 Product Overview
BrandMember's Mark
TypeDog Treats/Snacks
Life Stageadult
Size5 lb (2.27 kg)
AAFCO Compliant❌ No
This is a treat/snack, not a complete and balanced food. No AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement is present. The label explicitly states this is intended as a reward, not as a meal. Treats should make up no more than 10% of a dog's daily caloric intake.
⚠ DCM Heart Disease Risk
Pea flour is the #1 ingredient — a legume-derived flour. The FDA's ongoing DCM investigation has flagged diets where peas, lentils, and other legumes are primary ingredients. While this is a treat and not a sole diet, the fact that pea flour is the dominant ingredient by weight means heavy daily use could contribute to legume load in a dog's overall diet. Use in moderation, especially for breeds at elevated DCM risk (Golden Retrievers, Dobermans, Great Danes, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels).
🧪 Ingredient Breakdown
❌Pea Flour
Legume flour — refined, processed legume product. This is the #1 ingredient, meaning these treats are primarily legume-based, not meat-based. Pea flour is used because it's cheap, bakes easily, and inflates protein numbers without any animal protein. Linked to the FDA's DCM investigation in dogs.
−3 pts
🟡Coconut Oil
High in saturated fat with debated benefits for dogs. Provides structure and palatability to the baked treat. Not harmful in small amounts but not an ideal fat source.
−1 pts
🟡Canola Oil
Omega-6 heavy oil with minimal omega-3 benefit. A cheap filler fat. Not harmful in small treat quantities but offers little nutritional value.
−1 pts
✅Pumpkin Puree
Good ingredient — fiber-rich, supports digestion, low glycemic. One of the genuinely beneficial ingredients in this treat.
✅Peanut Butter
Dogs generally love peanut butter and it provides protein and healthy fats. Critically, no xylitol is listed — that's essential, as xylitol is fatal to dogs. However, peanut butter is listed last, meaning there's very little of it relative to the pea flour that dominates this treat. The 'Peanut Butter Flavored' name is slightly misleading — this is a pea flour treat with a hint of peanut butter.
⚖ What's Good / What's Bad
Good
✅ Only 5 ingredients — genuinely simple and transparent
✅ No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
✅ No unnamed/unspecified animal ingredients — zero rendering risk
✅ Non-GMO Project Verified
✅ Pumpkin puree is a legitimately beneficial ingredient
✅ No xylitol (critical for dog safety with peanut butter products)
✅ Made in the USA
✅ No BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, or any chemical preservatives
Bad
❌ Pea flour is the #1 ingredient — these are legume treats, not peanut butter treats
❌ Zero animal protein — the 15% crude protein comes entirely from pea flour and peanut butter (plant sources)
❌ DCM risk ingredient is the primary ingredient by weight
❌ Product name says 'Peanut Butter Flavored' but peanut butter is the LAST of 5 ingredients — barely present
❌ 43 kcal per treat is relatively high — easy to over-treat, especially for smaller dogs
🧬 Potential Cancer-Linked Ingredients
✅ None found.
📊 Score Breakdown
Start score100 pts
Ingredient penalties−5 pts
❌ NO NAMED WHOLE-MEAT PROTEIN IN TOP 3 INGREDIENTS−20 pts
❌ PRIMARY PROTEIN SOURCE IS A BY-PRODUCT, DIGEST, OR UNSPECIFIED (No animal protein at all — pea flour is the primary protein contributor)−15 pts
Final score60/100
💬 The Verdict
A transparent, simple treat with no artificial garbage — but it's fundamentally a pea flour biscuit with a whisper of peanut butter. Zero animal protein, legume-dominant, and riding the 'grain free' marketing wave that the FDA is actively investigating for DCM links. The short ingredient list is refreshing, but the actual composition is cheap legume filler held together with oil.
🧨 Final Verdict
Randall's take: This is an honest product in the sense that it doesn't hide behind 30 ingredients of chemical garbage — what you see is what you get. And what you get is a pea flour biscuit. That's it. The peanut butter is listed dead last, meaning there's barely a trace of it. The marketing says 'Peanut Butter Flavored' because legally they can't call it a peanut butter treat when there's so little in there. No artificial colors, no preservatives, no rendering nightmares — credit where it's due. But there's also zero animal protein, the primary ingredient is a legume flour flagged in the FDA's DCM investigation, and the calorie count is high enough that it's easy to over-treat. For occasional use as a simple, clean biscuit — it's fine. But don't mistake 'simple ingredients' for 'good nutrition.' These are vegan legume crackers for dogs, and dogs are not vegans. Use sparingly, especially for DCM-susceptible breeds.