HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance Salmon Recipe Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, 12 count
Graded by The Sniff System
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet HF Hydrolyzed for Food Intolerance Salmon Recipe is a wet dog food featuring salmon hydrolysate.
Not much to highlight as a strength. The formula is designed for specific dietary needs, but its overall protein quality is a concern.
The score is significantly impacted by the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the salmon hydrolysate used for protein delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
Good fit for dogs with food intolerances needing a hydrolyzed protein diet. Less ideal if you prioritize verified nutritional completeness or protein quality.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (salmon). For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. Zinc is essential for skin immunity and healing; the NRC (2006) established a recommended allowance of 20 mg of zinc per 1000 kcal ME for adult dogs at maintenance (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.
Sniff scored this formula 35/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was ingredient diversity (+5 points): Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. 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 protein quality as well.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Low protein quality. salmon hydrolysate delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest carb quality in Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet's lineup (6/16)
- Top 10% for crude fiber in grain-free wet foods (13.6% DMB)
- Bottom 4% for DMB fat in grain-free wet foods (9.1%)
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 Wilderness Wolf Creek Stew Adult High-Protein Grain-Free Natural Hearty Savory Salmon Stew Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, 12 count
Scores 24 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Blue Buffalo Homestyle Recipe Chicken Dinner with Garden Vegetables & Brown Rice Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
$3.76/lb vs your seed's $7.03/lb (46% 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 36%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1salmon hydrolysate
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 3potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 4othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 5fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6cane molasses
Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.
- 7mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9agar-agar
Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.
- 10fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13calcium sulfate
Source of calcium. Functional, required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 17mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate
A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.
- 20supplementl-tryptophan
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.
- 21zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 22iron amino acid chelate
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 23copper amino acid chelate
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 24manganese amino acid chelate
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 25mineralsodium 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 →
Showing first 25 of 36. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.