Family Favorite Grain-Free Recipes Sunday Chicken Dinner Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Blue Buffalo Family Favorite Grain-Free Recipes Sunday Chicken Dinner is a wet food, primarily featuring chicken, chicken liver, and dried egg.
This formula offers reasonable protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. The inclusion of chicken liver and dried egg adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
A significant concern is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, there's no declared omega-3 source like fish oil or algae oil.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize diverse protein sources and quality carbohydrates. Less ideal if you require AAFCO verification or specific omega-3s.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 52/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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 fat quality as well.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- 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 Family Favorite Grain-Free Recipes Shepherd's Pie 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 $3.83/lb (2% 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.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
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.
- 5protein animaldried egg
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7vegetablepotato
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.
- 8green beans
Real vegetable. Fiber and a small amount of vitamins. Often used in weight-management formulas because it bulks up a meal without adding calories.
- 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.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 15othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 16caramel color
Artificial coloring made by heating sugars. Cosmetic. Some forms contain trace 4-MEI, a compound the IARC lists as possibly carcinogenic.
- 17zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 18iron amino acid chelate
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21copper amino acid chelate
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 22manganese amino acid chelate
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 23mineralsodium 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 →
- 24vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 25cobalt amino acid chelate
Cobalt bound to amino acids for better absorption. Trace mineral needed for B12 synthesis.
Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.