All Life Stages Chicken, Lamb & Fish Formula Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
CANIDAE All Life Stages Chicken, Lamb & Fish Formula is a wet dog food featuring chicken, chicken liver, and lamb, suitable for all life stages.
This formula boasts a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber and good fat sources, like named fat with marine oil for EPA and DHA.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier. While there's emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers, there's no canine clinical evidence, so it's a minor watch item for canned food.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages, from puppies to seniors. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor) and whitefish at position 6. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 65/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+20 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points): Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. To reach A-tier, this formula would need to gain about 10 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Top 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (20.2/27)
- Top 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (65/100)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in CANIDAE's lineup (25.0%)
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.
ACANA Premium Chunks Lamb in Bone Broth Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 12
Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Eukanuba Adult with Lamb & Rice Canned Dog Food, 13.2-oz, case of 12
$3.26/lb vs your seed's $4.91/lb (34% less) at a comparable score.
ACANA Premium Beef & Lamb Chunks in Bone Broth Variety Pack Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 6
Beef instead of chicken, 9 points higher, different brand.
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 41%, 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.
- 3protein 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 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7protein animalchicken heart
Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.
Position 7. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 8dicalciumphosphate
- 9fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 12cassia gum
Thickener common in wet food. Functional, no major concerns at typical inclusion.
- 13fiberxanthan gum
Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
- 17mineraliron sulfate
- 18vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 19fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 20zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 21vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 22mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 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 →
- 24mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 25niacinsupplement
Showing first 25 of 34. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.