Chicken, Salmon & Turkey Recipes Variety Pack Wet Dog Food, 2.75-oz can, 24 count
Graded by The Sniff System
Nature's Recipe Chicken, Salmon & Turkey Recipes Variety Pack is a wet dog food featuring chicken, salmon, and turkey, though a life stage isn't specified.
This food does include quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, which can be good for gut health and digestion. Beyond that, there aren't many strong positives to note for this particular product.
The biggest concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the chicken recipe has low protein quality, and the formula includes carrageenan, a thickener linked to gastrointestinal inflammation.
Hard to recommend for any dog due to the unverified nutritional completeness and flagged ingredients. There isn't a clear 'good fit' scenario here.
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 recipe: chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 42/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable 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 fermentable fiber.
Low protein quality. chicken recipe: chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom 4% for fat quality in Nature's Recipe's lineup (6/16)
- Top 1% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive wet foods (64.7%)
- Bottom 4% for protein quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (6.7/27)
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.
Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Beef, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, 12 count
Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Entrees Wet Dog Food Variety Pack, 13-oz can, case of 12
$3.53/lb vs your seed's $7.22/lb (51% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- carrageenanSeaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.
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 65%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1chicken recipe: 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.
- 3vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 3: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 4grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5fatcanola 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 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6tomato puree
- 7mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 8vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 9vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 10vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 11vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 12vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 13vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 14vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 15vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 16vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 17vitaminfolic acid
B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.
- 18vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 19beta-carotene
- 20potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 21mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 22fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 23calcium sulfate
Source of calcium. Functional, required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 24mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 25ferrous glycine complex
Showing first 25 of 106. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.