Good Gravy Senior Chicken-Free Beef Recipe with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Now Fresh Good Gravy Senior Chicken-Free Beef Recipe with Ancient Grains is a wet food for senior dogs, featuring de-boned beef as its first ingredient.
This recipe includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. It also features dried egg for diverse, highly bioavailable protein. The AAFCO formulation is inferred for adult maintenance, which is a good baseline for senior dogs.
The recipe contains guar gum, an emulsifier. While emerging microbiome data exists for emulsifiers, there's no canine clinical evidence, and it's a minor penalty in wet food.
Good fit for senior dogs who need a wet food. Nothing serious working against it.
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 Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (7.5%) helps satiety. At 375 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 7.5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. 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 senior 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
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 57/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+12 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points). Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. B-tier is 3.0 points away. Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty is the most direct route.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest DMB protein in Now Fresh's lineup (26.7%)
- Top 10% for crude fiber in Now Fresh's lineup (8.3% DMB)
- Lowest fat quality in Now Fresh's lineup (6/16)
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.
Full Moon Freshly Crafted Ranch Raised Beef Recipe Grain-Free Adult Frozen Dog Food, 4-lb bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
NOW FRESH Good Gravy Ancient Grains Adult Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
$3.82/lb vs your seed's $4.23/lb (10% less) at a comparable score.
Freshpet Grain-Free Chicken, Beef, Salmon, & Egg Recipe Fresh Refrigerated Dog Food, 2-lb roll, case of 8
Chicken instead of egg, 2 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1de-boned beef
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2legumepeas
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 2. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 3grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainrye
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein animaldried egg
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label, by amino acid score.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7legumepea flour
Powdered peas, usually used as a binder or filler. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA flagged.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9pea fibre
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.
- 11natural flavour
- 12fatcanola 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 12: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 13mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 14grainmillet
Gluten-free whole grain. Fine for most dogs, often used as an alternative to rice.
Position 14: minor grain inclusion.
- 15monocalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard mineral inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
- 17supplementalfalfa
- 18grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
- 19grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
- 20tomato
- 21fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 22carob powder
- 23turkey bone broth
- 24vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 25squash
Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.
Showing first 25 of 62. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
17 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.