All Life Stages Lamb & Rice Formula Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
CANIDAE All Life Stages Lamb & Rice Formula Canned Dog Food is a wet food featuring lamb and whitefish as its main protein sources.
This formula offers reasonable protein quality, with lamb providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fats and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also of good quality and include declared fiber.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier that has some emerging microbiome data, though there's no canine clinical evidence yet. It's a minor penalty in canned food.
Good fit for dogs of all life stages. 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 adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Lamb anchors position 1, with one pulse (dried peas at position 6), plus lamb liver at position 7 (a natural taurine precursor) and whitefish at position 4. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 62/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. lamb delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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.
Reasonable protein quality. lamb delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Top quartile for DMB fat in CANIDAE's lineup (25.0%)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in wet foods (36.4%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in CANIDAE's lineup (6.8% 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.
ACANA Premium Chunks Lamb in Bone Broth Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 12
Scores 12 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.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Whitefish, Rice, & Salmon Recipe Canned Dog, 13-oz can, case of 12
Whitefish instead of lamb, 4 points lower, 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 36%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2lamb broth
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3vegetable broth
- 4protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6dried 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 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7protein animallamb liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver, dense in B vitamins, iron, vitamin A.
Position 7. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 8fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 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.
- 11mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13cassia gum
Thickener common in wet food. Functional, no major concerns at typical inclusion.
- 14fiberxanthan gum
Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →
Position 14: trace fiber inclusion.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate
A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.
- 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.
- 25vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
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.