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Pedigree High Protein Variety Pack Adult Dog Wet Food Pouches, 3.5-oz pouches, 18 count
Pedigree

High Protein Variety Pack Adult Dog Wet Food Pouches, 3.5-oz pouches, 18 count

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $4.31/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Pedigree High Protein Variety Pack Adult Dog Wet Food Pouches is a wet food with chicken as a primary protein, designed for adult dogs.

This food includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. It also has organ meat, like animal liver, which adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein to the recipe. The formula is inferred to meet AAFCO standards for adult maintenance.

The recipe contains unspecified meat by-products, so the source and consistency aren't auditable. It also lacks a declared source of omega-3s. Guar gum, an emulsifier, is present and receives a minor penalty.

Good fit for adult dogs who need a convenient wet food option. Less ideal if you prefer fully specified protein sources or added omega-3s.

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

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. With chicken & beef: sufficient water for processing anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus animal liver at position 6 (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

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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 47/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+12 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The biggest detractor was fat quality (-8 points): No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.

What lifted the score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF
What pulled it down

No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.

FQI

Contains meat by-products. Unnamed by-products lack species traceability. Named by-products (chicken by-products) are CLEAR..

CIP

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

CIP
What sets this apart
  • Top 2% for protein quality in Pedigree's lineup (13.9/27)
  • Bottom 1% for fat quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (4/16)
  • Top 2% for overall Sniff Score in Pedigree's lineup (47/100)

Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • meat by-products
    Unspecified 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 →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 61% ⓘ
Protein
11%
min (as fed)
Fat
3%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1%
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.

63 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    with chicken & beef: sufficient water for processing
  2. 2
    chicken

    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.

  3. 3
    meat 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.

  4. 4
    wheat gluten

    Concentrated wheat protein. Like other plant gluten meals, it pads the protein number on the label without contributing meat-quality amino acids.

    Position 4: 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.

  5. 5
    animal plasma
  6. 6
    animal liver
  7. 7
    beef

    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.

  8. 8
    corn starch

    Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.

  9. 9
    plain dried beet pulp

    Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.

  10. 10
    added color

    Generic coloring. Doesn't say if natural or artificial. Dogs are color-blind, so any added color is for the human shopper.

  11. 11
    salt

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

  12. 12
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  13. 13
    magnesium proteinate

    Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.

  14. 14
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  15. 15
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  16. 16
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

  17. 17
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  18. 18
    potassium iodide

    Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.

  19. 19
    sodium tripolyphosphate

    Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.

  20. 20
    natural smoke flavor
  21. 21
    xanthan gum

    Thickener common in wet food and gravies. Same emulsifier-microbiome conversation as guar gum, not a clear flag. See why →

  22. 22
    guar gum

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

  23. 23
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  24. 24
    meat by-products Flagged

    Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.

  25. 25
    turkey

    Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.

Showing first 25 of 63. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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