Baked & Saucy Chicken & Sweet Potato Dog Food, 10.25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
I and Love and You Baked & Saucy Chicken & Sweet Potato Dog Food is a dry food featuring chicken and turkey as its main protein sources.
This food has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like named chicken fat and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The combination of fresh chicken and chicken meal is a solid approach for dry food.
The main thing to watch out for is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness hasn't been verified. This is why the score is capped at 59.
Good fit for owners who prioritize a strong protein and fat profile. 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.
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. Chicken anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (dried peas at position 3, dried garbanzo beans at position 8).
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 23.5 points to the final number: Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. 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 fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 10% for caloric density in I and Love and You's lineup (516 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for DMB protein in I and Love and You's lineup (31.8%)
- Top 10% for protein quality in dry kibbles (23.3/27)
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 Puppy Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Grain-Free Chicken & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
$1.79/lb vs your seed's $4.57/lb (61% less) at a comparable score.
Chewy Made Complete Nutrition High Protein Grain-Free Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 24-lb bag
Lamb instead of chicken, matched score, 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 animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3dried peas
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.
- 4protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 6vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8dried garbanzo beans
Same as chickpeas. Part of the legume stack the FDA investigated. See why →
Position 8. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 9flaxseeds
Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.
- 10dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11gelatin
- 12ground miscanthus grass
Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.
- 13othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 14sodium carboxymethylcellulose
- 15mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 19monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 20l -threonine
- 21supplementyucca schidigera extract
Plant extract added to reduce stool odor. Functional, not nutritional. Fine in trace amounts.
- 22fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 23supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 24chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
- 25preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
Showing first 25 of 51. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.