Protein & Grains Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food, 28-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
American Journey Protein & Grains Senior Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe is a dry food for senior dogs, featuring deboned chicken and chicken meal as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with deboned chicken and chicken meal providing high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and good fat sources like named chicken fat and marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for senior dogs who need a diet with quality protein and fat sources. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for senior Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. At 319 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 7% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for senior Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 74/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+23 points): Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+13). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 1-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (23 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 10% for DMB protein in American Journey's lineup (27.8%)
- Top 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (22.9/27)
- Bottom 10% for DMB fat in American Journey's lineup (12.2%)
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.
American Journey Protein & Grains Small Breed Salmon, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 14-lb bag
Scores 7 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Chewy Made Complete Nutrition Beef, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 28-lb bag
Beef instead of chicken, 2 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animaldeboned chicken
Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4legumepeas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11suncured alfalfa meal
Sun-dried alfalfa, preserving more of the natural vitamins than heat-dried versions.
- 12fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 15: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 16dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 17fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
- 18mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 19dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
- 20vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 21grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
- 22vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
- 23vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.