Choice Cuts in Gravy Country Stew Adult Canned Wet Dog Food, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Pedigree Choice Cuts in Gravy Country Stew Adult Canned Wet Dog Food is a wet food primarily featuring chicken, formulated for adult dogs.
The formula is inferred to meet AAFCO standards for adult maintenance, meaning it's designed to be nutritionally complete. This is a basic requirement for commercial dog food.
This food has low protein quality, with chicken delivering limited bioavailable amino acids. It also contains unnamed meat by-products, which lack species traceability, and there's no declared omega-3 source.
Good fit for adult dogs needing a wet food option. Less ideal if you're looking for high-quality protein or specific omega-3 fatty acids.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 2, with one pulse (dried peas at position 7). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Below-average grade. 36/100 (D) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. AAFCO compliance did the heavy lifting (+4 points): AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer. What we'd flag for vet discussion: protein quality (-15.5 points). Low protein quality. chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids. C-tier is 9 points up. Protein quality is where to find them.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Low protein quality. chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
Contains meat by-products. Unnamed by-products lack species traceability. Named by-products (chicken by-products) are CLEAR..
- Lowest carb quality in Pedigree's lineup (8/16)
- Bottom 1% for fat quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (4/16)
- Bottom 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (36/100)
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.
Pedigree Choice Cuts in Gravy Chicken, Bacon, & Cheese Flavors Adult Soft Wet Dog Food, 3.5-oz pouch, case of 16
Scores 3 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Beef Adult Canned Wet Dog Food, 22-oz, case of 12
$1.66/lb vs your seed's $2.11/lb (21% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- meat by-productsUnspecified species. AAFCO definition allows organs, blood, bone. but the lack of a named source means quality and consistency are not auditable.
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 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 2protein animalchicken
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.
- 3protein animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein plantwheat gluten
Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.
Position 5: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 6protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7dried peas
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 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 9vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 13mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 14mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 15mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 16mineralsodium 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 →
- 17mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 18fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 19added color
Generic coloring. Doesn't say if natural or artificial. Dogs are color-blind, so any added color is for the human shopper.
- 20mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 24vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 25vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.