Lil’ Plates Dinner Duos Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew & Petite Pot Pie Variety Pack Grain-Free Wet Dog Food, 3.5-oz tub, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Merrick Lil’ Plates Dinner Duos is a grain-free wet dog food variety pack, featuring recipes like beef stew and petite pot pie, with chicken liver as a primary protein.
This food offers reasonable protein quality, with deboned chicken in the petite pot pie recipe providing good amino acid coverage. It also includes diverse, high-bioavailability protein sources like chicken liver and dried egg whites.
A notable watch item is the absence of a declared omega-3 source like fish or algae oil. The formula also contains guar gum, an emulsifier, though its impact on canine health is not yet clinically established.
Good fit for dogs who enjoy wet food variety. Less ideal if you prioritize a declared omega-3 source in their diet.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Petite pot pie: deboned chicken anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 9), plus chicken liver at position 4 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 56/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+19 points): Reasonable protein quality. petite pot pie: deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. What we'd flag for vet discussion: fat quality (-8 points). No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. B-tier is 4.0 points away. Improving fat quality is the most direct route.
Reasonable protein quality. petite pot pie: deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest fat quality in Merrick's lineup (4/16)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Merrick's lineup (16.7%)
- Bottom quartile for overall Sniff Score in Merrick's lineup (56/100)
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.
Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Small Breed Wet Dog Food Pint-Sized Puppy Plate, 3.5-oz tub, case of 12
Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Merrick Grain-Free Real Texas Beef & Chicken Dinner Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
$5.04/lb vs your seed's $10.66/lb (53% 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 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1petite pot pie: deboned chicken
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3turkey broth
Real broth from named meat. Adds flavor and moisture, signals a recipe that leans on real meat.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein 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 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5dried egg whites
Pure egg-white protein, no yolk. Very high amino acid quality.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 7vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 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.
- 9legumepeas
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 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 16natural falvor
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 19zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 20mineralsodium 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 →
- 21cobalt amino acid chelate
Cobalt bound to amino acids for better absorption. Trace mineral needed for B12 synthesis.
- 22mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24xanthan gum. 2a26022
- 25itsy bitsy beef stew: deboned beef
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.