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ACANA Wholesome Grains Puppy Sea & Farm Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag
ACANA

Wholesome Grains Puppy Sea & Farm Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.42/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

ACANA Wholesome Grains Puppy Sea & Farm Dry Dog Food is a dry formula for puppies, featuring salmon and herring as its main protein sources.

This formula has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the primary ingredient, which means it delivers high biological value. You'll also find quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and the fat sources are good quality, being named and having declared origins.

There are no notable negative drivers or flagged ingredients in this formula. It looks like a clean ingredient list without common red flags.

Good fit for puppies of any size. Nothing serious working against it.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus pork liver at position 13 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.

Looking at this for puppy Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.

Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.

Research informing this analysis

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

  • FDA, 2022
    epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    diet composition· cited in 2 claims

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Strong grade. 81/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+24 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with declared fat sources.

FQI
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Top 4% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (24/27)
  • Bottom 10% for fat quality in ACANA's lineup (11/16)
  • Top 3% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (81/100)

Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.

Similar dog foods worth considering

Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
ACANA Sea to Stream Saltwater Fish Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag
ACANA

ACANA Sea to Stream Saltwater Fish Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food, 22.5-lb bag

87

Scores 6 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
ACANA Free-Run Poultry Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food, 32-lb bag
ACANA

ACANA Free-Run Poultry Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food, 32-lb bag

83

$3.12/lb vs your seed's $3.42/lb (9% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 32% ⓘ
Protein
28%
min (as fed)
Fat
19%
min (as fed)
Fiber
6%
max (as fed)
Moisture
12%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

48 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    herring meal

    Concentrated herring with the water removed. Carries protein and omega-3s in one ingredient.

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    oat groats

    Whole oats with only the inedible hull removed. The most intact form of oats available.

    Position 3: major carbohydrate source.

  4. 4
    sorghum

    Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.

    Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  5. 5
    pork fat

    Real animal fat from a named species. Clean energy source.

    Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  6. 6
    millet

    Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.

    Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  7. 7
    pork meal

    Pork cooked into a dry concentrate. Per pound, more protein than fresh pork.

    Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  8. 8
    pollock meal

    Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  9. 9
    oats

    Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.

    Position 9: minor grain inclusion.

  10. 10
    pork

    Real meat. Dense protein and fat, though less common in dog food than chicken or beef.

    Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  11. 11
    natural pork flavor

    Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  12. 12
    ground miscanthus grass

    Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.

  13. 13
    pork liver

    Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.

    Position 13. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.

  14. 14
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  15. 15
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  16. 16
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  17. 17
    dried kelp

    Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.

  18. 18
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  19. 19
    mixed tocopherols

    Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →

  20. 20
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  21. 21
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  22. 22
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

  23. 23
    vegetable

    Unnamed vegetable. No way to know what species. Named vegetables are far more transparent.

  24. 24
    collard greens
  25. 25
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

Showing first 25 of 48. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.