Choice Cuts in Gravy Prime Rib, Rice & Vegetable Flavor & Roasted Chicken Adult Canned Wet Dog Food Variety Pack, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Pedigree Choice Cuts in Gravy is a wet dog food variety pack, featuring prime rib and roasted chicken flavors, formulated for adult dogs.
There isn't much to highlight as a strength here. The formula is inferred to meet AAFCO adult maintenance standards, which is the basic requirement for a commercial dog food.
The protein quality is low, partly because 'prime rib' delivers limited bioavailable amino acids. There's also no declared source of omega-3s, and the inclusion of unspecified 'meat by-products' means quality and consistency are not auditable.
This food is hard to recommend for any dog due to its low protein quality and unspecified ingredients.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 3, with zero pulses in the top 15. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 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 (-17.5 points). Low protein quality. prime rib delivers limited bioavailable amino acids. C-tier is 10 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. prime rib 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)
- Bottom 3% for carb quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (9/16)
- Bottom 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (7.4/27)
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.
Pedigree Choice Cuts Variety Pack with Beef, Chicken & Filet Mignon Adult Wet Dog Food, 3.5-oz pouch, case of 18
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Pedigree Chopped Ground Dinner with Chicken Adult Canned Wet Dog Food, 13.2-oz, case of 12
$1.78/lb vs your seed's $2.01/lb (12% 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.
- 1prime rib
- 2rice & vegetable flavor: water
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 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.
- 5wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6protein 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 6: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 7protein animalbeef
Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 9grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11dried green beans
Real vegetable. Fiber and a small amount of vitamins. Often used in weight-management formulas because it bulks up a meal without adding calories.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 15mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 16mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 17mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 18mineralsodium 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 →
- 19mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 20fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 21mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 22added color
Generic coloring. Doesn't say if natural or artificial. Dogs are color-blind, so any added color is for the human shopper.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 25vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
Showing first 25 of 66. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.