Complete Nutrition High Protein Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Chewy Made Complete Nutrition High Protein Grain-Free Salmon & Sweet Potato Recipe is a dry food that features salmon, chicken, and turkey as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient, which provides high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like named chicken fat and marine oil, a good source of EPA and DHA. The named fish also adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The biggest watch item is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified and capped its overall score. There's also high legume stacking with dried peas and chickpeas appearing early in the ingredient list.
Good fit for owners seeking a grain-free formula with strong protein and fat sources. Less ideal if you prioritize verified nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Frenchies have notoriously sensitive GI tracts plus a tendency toward obesity given their low activity needs. Limited-ingredient formulas with moderate calorie density tend to fit them well. Good fit for lower-energy small companion breeds, including the French Bulldog, navigating a sensitive stomach. Salmon leads at position 1, with dried plain beet pulp (prebiotic fiber) at position 8 on the deck. What to watch: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers).
Looking at this for adult French Bulldogs or French Bulldogs with a sensitive stomach ? 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.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 21.5 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The ceiling on this score is 59, set 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). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Chewy Made's lineup (5.6% DMB)
- Top quartile for protein quality in Chewy Made's lineup (21.6/27)
- Bottom 10% for carb quality in Chewy Made's lineup (11/16)
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.
American Journey Grain-Free Senior Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Chewy Made Complete Nutrition Chicken, Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe Dry Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 28-lb bag
$1.79/lb vs your seed's $2.50/lb (29% less) at a comparable score.
American Journey Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Chicken instead of salmon, 14 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4dried 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 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6dried chickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
Position 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 13. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 14fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 17supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 18fiberfructooligosaccharides
Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.
- 19preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 20preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 21l-threonine
Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 24mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 25mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.