Blue's Stews Grain-Free Chicken & Beef Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Blue Buffalo Blue's Stews is a wet dog food, formulated for adult maintenance, with chicken as the primary protein source.
The protein quality is reasonable, with chicken delivering solid amino acid coverage. It also includes organ meat like chicken liver and dried egg product, which add diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
There's no declared omega-3 source like fish oil or algae oil. The formula also contains guar gum, an emulsifier, though there's no canine clinical evidence of harm.
Good fit for adult dogs. Less ideal if you're looking for a specific omega-3 source or prefer to avoid guar gum.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Blue's country chicken stew: chicken anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 6), plus chicken liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 56/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. blue's country chicken stew: chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. What we'd flag for vet discussion: fat quality (-8 points). No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. B-tier is 4.0 points away. Improving fat quality is the most direct route.
Reasonable protein quality. blue's country chicken stew: chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest fat quality in Blue Buffalo's lineup (4/16)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in Blue Buffalo's lineup (44.4%)
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Blue Buffalo's lineup (5.6% DMB)
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.
Blue Buffalo Blue’s Stew Hearty Beef Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Blue Buffalo Blue's Country Chicken Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
$3.75/lb vs your seed's $3.75/lb (0% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1blue's country chicken stew: chicken
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 4protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6legumepeas
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 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 10fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 16iron amino acid chelate
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 17supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19copper amino acid chelate
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 20manganese amino acid chelate
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 21mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 22vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 23cobalt amino acid chelate
Cobalt bound to amino acids for better absorption. Trace mineral needed for B12 synthesis.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
Showing first 25 of 68. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.