Choice Cuts in Gravy Filet Mignon, Hickory Chicken & Beef Noodles Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 3.5-oz pouch, case of 30
Graded by The Sniff System
Pedigree Choice Cuts in Gravy Filet Mignon, Hickory Chicken & Beef Noodles Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food is a wet food featuring chicken as its primary protein.
The recipe includes animal liver, which adds diverse, high-bioavailability protein to the formula. While the verbatim AAFCO statement isn't published, the adult maintenance claim suggests it's formulated to meet those nutritional standards.
The protein quality from the chicken is low, offering limited bioavailable amino acids. There's also no declared omega-3 source. The formula contains 'meat by-products' of unspecified species, which means their quality is not auditable.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy wet food. Less ideal if you're looking for higher protein quality or a declared omega-3 source.
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 9), plus animal liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 35/100 (D) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Ingredient diversity did the heavy lifting (+5 points): Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. What we'd flag for vet discussion: protein quality (-16 points). Low protein quality. chicken delivers limited bioavailable amino acids. C-tier is 10 points up. Protein quality is where to find them.
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.
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..
- Bottom 1% for fat quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (4/16)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in Pedigree's lineup (8.3% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (35/100)
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 High Protein Variety Pack Adult Dog Wet Food Pouches, 3.5-oz pouches, 18 count
Scores 12 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 $3.96/lb (58% 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.
- 1hickory smoked chicken: ingredients: sufficient water for processing
- 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.
- 3animal liver
- 4protein animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5poultry by-products
- 6wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein 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 7: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 8vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9dried 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 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11protein plantcorn gluten meal
Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 11: trace plant protein.
- 12corn starch
Position 12: minor grain inclusion.
- 13animal plasma
- 14soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 14: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18natural hickory smoked chicken flavor
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 21fiberxanthan gum
Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →
- 22added color
Generic coloring. Doesn't say if natural or artificial. Dogs are color-blind, so any added color is for the human shopper.
- 23vitaminascorbic acid
Vitamin C. Pulls double duty as a natural antioxidant preservative.
- 24mineralmagnesium oxide
Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.
- 25zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
Showing first 25 of 83. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.