High Protein Variety Pack Chicken & Beef in Savory Gravy Canned Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Dog Chow High Protein Variety Pack is a wet food featuring chicken and beef in savory gravy.
Chicken is a primary protein source, contributing to good amino acid coverage. The formula also includes liver, which adds diverse, high-bioavailability protein to the mix.
The biggest watch item is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. There's also no clear source of omega-3 fatty acids, and the food contains unspecified meat by-products.
Good fit for owners looking for a wet food with chicken and beef. 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.
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) . Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Real beef in gravy: water anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus liver at position 5 (a natural taurine precursor).
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 45/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 16 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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 cap isn't the binding constraint here. Fat quality would also need to improve to reach the next band.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom 1% for fat quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (4/16)
- Top quartile for protein quality in Dog Chow's lineup (16.1/27)
- Bottom 3% for carb quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (9/16)
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.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Variety Pack Beef & Vegetable & Chicken & Vegetable Entrée Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Scores 11 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Dog Chow High Protein with Real Beef & Real Chicken in Savory Gravy Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 6
$1.91/lb vs your seed's $2.28/lb (16% less) at a comparable score.
Purina Pro Plan Savor Classic Beef & Chicken Entree Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Beef instead of chicken, 7 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- meat by-productsUnspecified species. AAFCO definition allows organs, blood, bone. but the lack of a named source means quality and consistency are not auditable.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 50%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1real beef in gravy: water
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein plantwheat gluten
Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.
Position 3: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 4protein animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5liver
Generic liver, usually chicken or beef. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients a dog can eat. Named species is more informative.
- 6protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7soy flour
Refined soy. Cheap plant protein, common in budget formulas. Pads the protein percent without matching meat amino acids.
- 8corn starch-modified
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 12mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 13mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 14mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 15mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 16mineralsodium 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 →
- 17mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19c412722. real chicken in gravy: water
- 20protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
- 21protein plantwheat gluten
Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.
- 22protein animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
- 23liver
Generic liver, usually chicken or beef. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients a dog can eat. Named species is more informative.
- 24soy flour
Refined soy. Cheap plant protein, common in budget formulas. Pads the protein percent without matching meat amino acids.
- 25corn starch-modified
Showing first 25 of 36. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.