Limited Ingredient Venison & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Chewy Made Limited Ingredient Venison & Sweet Potato Recipe is a grain-free dry dog food featuring venison as its main protein.
This formula includes quality fat sources, like named fat with marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. It also uses premium micronutrient forms, such as chelated minerals, which are more easily absorbed by your dog.
The biggest watch item is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the protein quality is noted as low, as venison can deliver limited bioavailable amino acids.
Good fit for owners who prioritize quality fats and chelated minerals. Less ideal if you require verified nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. At 325 kcal/cup this formula runs on the lean side, with crude fiber at 6% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 57/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was fat quality (+12 points): Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). 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). If the brand publishing the AAFCO statement were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
Low protein quality. venison delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest DMB protein in Chewy Made's lineup (24.4%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in grain-free dry kibbles (6.7% DMB)
- Lowest protein quality in Chewy Made's lineup (9.9/27)
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 16 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 $2.62/lb (32% less) at a comparable score.
American Journey Grain-Free Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Chicken instead of venison, 16 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 animalvenison
Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 2: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 3legumepeas
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 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined 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.
- 5venison meal
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 7protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 7: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein 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.
- 9canola meal
- 10fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 13pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
Position 13. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 14protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 14. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 15vegetable oil
Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 17mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 18mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 22vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 23vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 25vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
Showing first 25 of 46. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.