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Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Pate Small Breed Variety Pack Filet Mignon & Porterhouse Flavor Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz tray, case of 12
Blue Buffalo

Divine Delights Pate Small Breed Variety Pack Filet Mignon & Porterhouse Flavor Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz tray, case of 12

Evidence Fair
wet $6.58/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Blue Buffalo Divine Delights Pate Small Breed Variety Pack Filet Mignon & Porterhouse Flavor Dog Food Trays is a wet food featuring filet mignon beef as its primary protein.

This food features filet mignon beef as the primary ingredient, which means a strong protein profile with high biological value. It also includes chicken liver and dried egg, adding diverse, highly bioavailable protein sources.

A significant concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. The formula also contains carrageenan, a thickener that some studies link to gastrointestinal inflammation.

Good fit for small breed dogs who enjoy a pate texture. Less ideal if you prefer foods with verified nutritional completeness or without carrageenan.

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

Who this is for

Strong fit for moderately active toy breeds, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Filet mignon: beef anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 9, pea flour at position 10), plus chicken liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time  (FDA, 2019) .

Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 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 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

  • FDA, 2022
    epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 claims
  • NRC, 2006
    nutrient bioavailability

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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Sniff scored this formula 42/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+20 points): Strong protein profile with filet mignon: beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. A hard cap of 59 also applied because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address AAFCO compliance as well.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with filet mignon: beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK
What pulled it down

Score capped at 64 due to 3 WATCH ingredients.

CAP why?

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
What sets this apart
  • Bottom 1% for carb quality in Blue Buffalo's lineup (8/16)
  • Top quartile for protein quality in grain-free wet foods (20.1/27)
  • Bottom 4% for overall Sniff Score in Blue Buffalo's lineup (42/100)

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.

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

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • carrageenan
    Seaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 36%
Protein
8%
min (as fed)
Fat
6%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
78%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 36%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

70 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    filet mignon: beef

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

  2. 2
    beef broth

    Real broth. Adds flavor and moisture, signals the recipe leans on real meat.

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

  3. 3
    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

  4. 4
    chicken 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.

  5. 5
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

    Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  6. 6
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

    Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  7. 7
    potato

    Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.

    Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  8. 8
    dried egg

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.

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

  9. 9
    peas

    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 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  10. 10
    pea flour

    Powdered peas, usually used as a binder or filler. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA flagged.

    Position 10. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  11. 11
    potato starch

    Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.

  12. 12
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →

    Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.

  13. 13
    natural filet mignon flavor
  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    sodium phosphate

    Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.

  16. 16
    cane molasses

    Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

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

  18. 18
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  19. 19
    choline chloride

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

  20. 20
    zinc amino acid chelate

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

  21. 21
    iron amino acid chelate

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  22. 22
    xanthan gum

    Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →

  23. 23
    vitamin e supplement

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

  24. 24
    copper amino acid chelate

    Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.

  25. 25
    manganese amino acid chelate

    Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.

Showing first 25 of 70. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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