Adult Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Science Diet Adult Savory Stew with Chicken & Vegetables is a wet food for adult dogs, featuring chicken and pork liver as primary proteins.
This wet food offers reasonable protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber. The formula has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance, which is a strong indicator of nutritional adequacy.
Watch for the inclusion of guar gum, an emulsifier with emerging microbiome data, though no canine clinical evidence yet. The formula also contains added sugar, which is nutritionally unjustifiable in a complete dog diet.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy a wet food stew. Less ideal if you prefer foods without added sugars or emulsifiers.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 2, with one pulse (green peas at position 14), plus pork liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 63/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+19.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points). Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. A-tier is 12 points up. Controversial-ingredient penalty is where to find them.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..
- Bottom 5% for DMB protein in wet foods (23.5%)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (14.7%)
- Bottom quartile for fat quality in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (8/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
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Scores 12 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
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$4.54/lb vs your seed's $4.61/lb (2% less) at a comparable score.
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 24%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 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 animalpork liver
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6modified rice starch
- 7wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 9fiberdried beet pulp
Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10dextrose
- 11egg whites
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
Position 14. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 15vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16pork plasma
- 17hydrolyzed chicken flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken used as a palatability enhancer. Real ingredient, tiny inclusion, no quality signal either way.
- 18soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 21mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 22fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 25mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
Showing first 25 of 38. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.