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Natural Balance Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Natural Balance

Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12

Evidence Fair
wet $4.90/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Natural Balance Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth is a wet food featuring chicken, whitefish, and salmon.

This recipe offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and the named fish contribute to diverse, highly bioavailable protein.

The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified and capped its overall score.

Good fit for dogs needing weight management, or owners who prioritize protein quality and fermentable fiber. 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.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (5%) helps satiety. Caloric density is not declared, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively  (Brooks et al., 2014) .

Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (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 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). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK
What pulled it down

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
What sets this apart
  • Top 2% for crude fiber in Natural Balance's lineup (25.0% DMB)
  • Bottom 10% for DMB protein in wet foods (30.0%)
  • Top quartile for protein quality in Natural Balance's lineup (19.5/27)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Natural Balance

Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12

69

Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Chicken Soup for the Soul Classic Whitefish & Salmon Recipe Pate Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Soul Classic Whitefish & Salmon Recipe Pate Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12

59

$3.56/lb vs your seed's $4.90/lb (27% less) at a comparable score.

Worth a look
Different brand, different protein
Zignature Salmon Limited Ingredient Formula Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Zignature

Zignature Salmon Limited Ingredient Formula Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12

55

Salmon instead of chicken, 4 points lower, different brand.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 30% ⓘ
Protein
6%
min (as fed)
Fat
2.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
80%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 30%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

45 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken broth

    Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

    Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.

  3. 3
    whitefish

    Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.

    Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  4. 4
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

    Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  5. 5
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

    Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  6. 6
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

    Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.

  7. 7
    potato

    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.

  8. 8
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

    Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  9. 9
    oat hulls
  10. 10
    dried 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 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.

  11. 11
    dried tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

    Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.

  12. 12
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

    Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  13. 13
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

    Position 13: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  14. 14
    ground flaxseed

    Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.

    Position 14: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.

  15. 15
    brewers dried yeast

    Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.

  16. 16
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  18. 18
    agar-agar

    Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.

  19. 19
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  20. 20
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  21. 21
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  22. 22
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  23. 23
    cobalt proteinate

    Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.

  24. 24
    manganese proteinate

    Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.

  25. 25
    sodium 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 →

Showing first 25 of 45. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.