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ORIJEN Premium Variety Pack Regional Red with Tundra Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 6
ORIJEN

Premium Variety Pack Regional Red with Tundra Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, case of 6

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $7.95/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

ORIJEN Premium Variety Pack Regional Red with Tundra Wet Dog Food is a wet food, featuring beef as a primary protein source.

This food has a strong protein profile, with beef as the primary ingredient, which means high biological value for your dog. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which provides beneficial EPA and DHA. Plus, the carbohydrate sources offer fermentable fiber.

The only thing to note is the inclusion of guar gum. While common in canned foods, there's emerging data on its impact on the microbiome, though no specific canine clinical evidence yet.

Good fit for adult dogs of any size. Nothing serious working against it.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Regional red: beef anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus beef kidney at position 5 (a natural taurine precursor) and sardine at position 10. 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

Methodology

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

  • FDA, 2022
    cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    diet composition· cited in 2 claims
  • NRC, 2006
    nutrient bioavailability

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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Sniff scored this formula 72/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+21.5 points): Strong protein profile with regional red: beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points): Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. The gap to A-tier is small (3.0 points). Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty would likely close it.

What lifted the score

Strong protein profile with regional red: beef as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI
What pulled it down

Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..

CIP
What sets this apart
  • Top 4% for DMB protein in grain-free wet foods (61.1%)
  • Top 3% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free wet foods (72/100)
  • Top 10% for protein quality in grain-free wet foods (21.6/27)

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.

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

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 61%
Protein
11%
min (as fed)
Fat
5.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
82%
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 61%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

80 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    regional red: beef

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

  2. 2
    beef bone broth

    Real bone broth. Adds flavor, moisture, and a small amount of collagen. Pleasant inclusion.

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

  3. 3
    lamb bone broth

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

  4. 4
    duck

    Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.

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

  5. 5
    beef kidney

    Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.

    Position 5. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  6. 6
    eggs

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.

    Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  7. 7
    dried egg whites

    Pure egg-white protein, no yolk. Very high amino acid quality.

    Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  8. 8
    lamb liver

    Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver, dense in B vitamins, iron, vitamin A.

    Position 8. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.

  9. 9
    lamb

    Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.

    Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  10. 10
    sardine

    Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  11. 11
    carrots

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

    Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  12. 12
    natural flavor

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

  13. 13
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →

    Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.

  14. 14
    salt

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

  15. 15
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

    Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  16. 16
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

  17. 17
    blueberries

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

  18. 18
    sunflower oil

    Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.

  19. 19
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

  20. 20
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  21. 21
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  22. 22
    thiamine mononitrate

    B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.

  23. 23
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  24. 24
    pyridoxine hydrochloride

    B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.

  25. 25
    calcium pantothenate

    Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.

Showing first 25 of 80. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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