Just Juicy Pork Shoulder Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Lotus Just Juicy Pork Shoulder Stew Grain-Free Canned Dog Food is a wet food featuring boneless pork shoulder.
It includes quality fat sources like sunflower oil and salmon oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also good, offering fermentable fiber.
The biggest watch item is the lack of an AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the boneless pork shoulder provides limited bioavailable amino acids, leading to lower protein quality.
Good fit for dogs who enjoy a wet food with quality fats and carbs. Less ideal if you need verified nutritional completeness or higher protein quality.
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. Boneless pork shoulder anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 54/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Fat quality did the heavy lifting (+12 points): Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). 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). Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. Protein quality is the deeper issue.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Low protein quality. boneless pork shoulder delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest protein quality in Lotus's lineup (6.5/27)
- Top 5% for DMB protein in Lotus's lineup (59.1%)
- Lowest fat quality in Lotus's lineup (12/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
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$3.38/lb vs your seed's $9.72/lb (65% 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 59%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1boneless pork shoulder
- 2pork broth
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 4tomato paste
- 5fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 7monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 8mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 9chicory
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 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.
- 11fiberagar agar
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 14betaine
- 15mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 16mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 17vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 20mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 21mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 22mineralsodium 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 →
- 23vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 24vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 25vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.