Stews Beef & Vegetables in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 12.5-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Chewy Made Stews Beef & Vegetables in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is a wet food, primarily beef and chicken, formulated for growth.
This food has a strong protein profile, with beef as the main ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber and good fat sources, like marine oil for EPA and DHA.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier that receives a minor penalty in canned foods due to emerging microbiome data, though there's no canine clinical evidence yet.
Good fit for growing puppies and young dogs who need a high-quality protein and fat diet.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Beef anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 9), plus chicken liver at position 5 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 69/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+21 points): Strong protein profile with beef 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 6 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Strong protein profile with beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable 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 4% for overall Sniff Score in wet foods (69/100)
- Bottom quartile for fat quality in Chewy Made's lineup (12/16)
- Top 10% for protein quality in wet foods (21.2/27)
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.
VICTOR Grain-Free Beef & Vegetables Stew Cuts Wet Dog Food or Topper, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Scores 1 point higher with a similar formulation profile.
VICTOR Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables Stew Cuts Wet Dog Food or Topper, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Chicken instead of beef, 5 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 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2beef broth
Real broth. Adds flavor and moisture, signals the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5protein 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 5. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 6dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 9legumepeas
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 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 12protein animalchicken heart
Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.
Position 12. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 13fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14dried 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 14: trace fiber inclusion.
- 15fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
- 18sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 19fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 20mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 21sodium carbonate
pH buffer used in food processing. Functional, no quality signal.
- 22mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 23mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 24mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 25cobalt proteinate
Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.
Showing first 25 of 43. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Chewy Stews provide all essential vitamins and minerals. They are formulated to meet the nutritional levels establish by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth and maintenance including growth of large size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult).