98% Gamebird Poultry Grain-Free Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hound & Gatos 98% Gamebird Poultry Grain-Free Dog Food is a wet food featuring duck, turkey, and turkey liver as its main protein sources.
This food offers good protein quality, with duck providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like salmon oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The inclusion of turkey liver adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This lack of verification capped its overall score.
Good fit for dogs whose owners are okay with unverified nutritional completeness. Less ideal if you prefer a food with an AAFCO statement.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Duck anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus turkey liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor) and salmon oil at position 10. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+15.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. duck delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 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). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Reasonable protein quality. duck delivers solid amino acid coverage.
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.
- Top 3% for DMB fat in wet foods (38.6%)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in grain-free wet foods (9/16)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in grain-free wet foods (47.7%)
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.
ACANA Premium Pate Poultry in Bone Broth Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz, case of 12
Scores 13 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Birdie & Louie Chicken & Turkey Flavored Canned Pate Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
$3.46/lb vs your seed's $5.12/lb (32% less) at a comparable score.
Merrick Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Turducken, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Turkey instead of duck, 1 point higher, 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 48%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2turkey broth
Real broth from named meat. Adds flavor and moisture, signals a recipe that leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalturkey liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver: protein, iron, B vitamins, vitamin A.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5guinea fowl
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6quail
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7agar-agar
Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.
- 8mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 9supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 10fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 14mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 15mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 16mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 17magnesium proteinate
Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.
- 18mineralsodium 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 →
- 19mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 22vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 23vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 24vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 25vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
Showing first 25 of 30. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.