Proactive Health Adult Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 3.5-oz pouch, case of 18
Graded by The Sniff System
Iams Proactive Health Adult Variety Pack Wet Dog Food is a wet food for adult dogs, featuring chicken, chicken liver, and chicken heart as its main protein sources.
This formula offers reasonable protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It includes organ meats like chicken liver and heart, plus dried egg whites, for diverse, highly bioavailable protein. The product also has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier. While emerging microbiome data exists, there's no canine clinical evidence of harm, so it's a minor watch item for wet foods.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy a wet food with diverse protein sources.
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 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas & carrots recipe: chicken at position 2, peas at position 7), plus chicken 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 57/100 (C) 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. B-tier is 3.0 points away. Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty is the most direct route.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest carb quality in Iams's lineup (8/16)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in Iams's lineup (50.0%)
- Bottom 10% for fat quality in Iams's lineup (6/16)
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.
Hill's Science Diet Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 18 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Variety Pack Adult High Protein Lamb & Vegetables, Turkey & Vegetables Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
$3.53/lb vs your seed's $6.09/lb (42% less) at a comparable score.
Wellness Complete Health Pate Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 6
Lamb instead of chicken, 4 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 50%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
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.
- 2peas & carrots recipe: chicken
Position 2. 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.
- 3protein 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 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4protein animalchicken heart
Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5protein 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 5: 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.
- 6dried egg whites
Pure egg-white protein, no yolk. Very high amino acid quality.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7legumepeas
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 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9dried 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 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10fibercellulose
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11modified tapioca starch
- 12mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 15mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 16mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 17mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 18mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 19flaxseed oil
- 20mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 21othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 22mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 25vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
Showing first 25 of 112. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.