Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Sweet Potato & Salmon Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Sweet Potato & Salmon is a wet dog food, primarily featuring salmon and other fish, in a 13-ounce can.
This formula uses quality carbohydrate sources like sweet potato and potato, which also provide declared fiber. It includes named fish like redfish and salmon, contributing to a diverse protein profile.
A major concern is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. The formula is also plant-protein dominated, with sweet potato as a primary ingredient. It also contains menadione, a synthetic vitamin K3.
Good fit for dogs who need a wet food with named fish proteins. Less ideal if you require AAFCO verification for nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is limited to salmon and whitefish, and the product is explicitly marketed as limited-ingredient. For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. The National Research Council (2006) recommends a minimum of 2.6 grams of linoleic acid (an omega-6) per 1000 kcal of metabolizable energy to maintain skin barrier function in adult dogs (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.
Sniff scored this formula 43/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+12 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. A hard cap of 59 also applied 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). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address protein quality as well.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. sweet potato as the #1 ingredient.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom 1% for DMB protein in grain-free wet foods (22.7%)
- Bottom 4% for protein quality in grain-free wet foods (5.6/27)
- Bottom 10% for carb quality in Natural Balance's lineup (12/16)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Controversial ingredients · 1
- menadioneSynthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 23%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1fish broth
- 2vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 2: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 3vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4redfish
- 5protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 8: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10agar-agar
Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.
- 11mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 12vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 13vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 14vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 15vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 17vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 18vitaminmenadione Flagged
Same as menadione sodium bisulfite complex. Synthetic K3, banned in human supplements but the only AAFCO-approved K source, which is why even premium brands use it. See why →
- 19vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 20vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 21vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 22vitaminfolic acid
B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.
- 23mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 24mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 25mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.