Puppy Tender Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pea Recipe Bites in Gravy Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz, case of 24
Graded by The Sniff System
Nutro Puppy Tender Grain-Free Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pea Recipe Bites in Gravy is a wet food featuring chicken and chicken liver, designed for puppies.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named fat with marine oil for EPA and DHA, and chicken liver for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The biggest concern is the lack of an AAFCO statement, meaning its nutritional completeness is unverified. It also contains guar gum, an emulsifier with emerging microbiome data, which receives a minor penalty.
Good fit for puppies who need a wet food. Less ideal if you require verified nutritional completeness for your puppy.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for puppy Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 6, pea fiber at position 9), plus chicken liver at position 5 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 50/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+14.5 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). Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. AAFCO compliance is the deeper issue.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Bottom 10% for carb quality in Nutro's lineup (8/16)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in Nutro's lineup (22.2%)
- Bottom quartile for protein quality in Nutro's lineup (14.3/27)
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.
Nutro Ultra Grain-Free Trio Protein Chicken, Lamb & Whitefish Pate with Superfoods Senior Wet Dog Food Trays, 3.5-oz tray, case of 24
Scores 5 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Nutro Hearty Stew Turkey, Sweet Potato & Green Bean Cuts in Gravy Adult Canned Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
$3.59/lb vs your seed's $10.01/lb (64% 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.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
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.
- 3pork broth
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5protein 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 5. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 6legumepeas
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 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7animal plasma
- 8tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 9fiberpea fiber
Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.
Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13dried tomatoes
Real fruit. Lycopene and trace antioxidants. Different from tomato pomace, which is the fiber byproduct.
- 14supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 15fiberxanthan gum
Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →
Position 15: trace fiber inclusion.
- 16fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 17sodium acid pyrophosphate
- 18tetrasodium pyrophosphate
- 19magnesium proteinate
Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.
- 20sodium hexametaphosphate
- 21mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 22mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 23vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 24vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 25vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
100% complete and balanced food for puppies up to 1 year of age.