Adult Small Breed High-Protein Chicken & Carrots Entree in Gravy Shredded Wet Dog Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24
Graded by The Sniff System
Purina Pro Plan Adult Small Breed High-Protein Chicken & Carrots Entree in Gravy is a shredded wet food with chicken as its primary protein, designed for adult dogs.
This wet food offers reasonable protein quality, with chicken providing good amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that have declared fiber, and it has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
The formula contains unnamed meat by-products, which means the species source isn't specified, making quality and consistency harder to audit. Also, there's no declared omega-3 source like fish or algae oil.
Good fit for adult small breed dogs. Less ideal if you prefer foods with fully specified animal ingredients and a declared omega-3 source.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and similar moderately active toy breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: explicitly formulated for small-breed dogs. Chicken anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 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, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 56/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+14.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. What we'd flag for vet discussion: fat quality (-8 points). No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. B-tier is 4.0 points away. Improving fat quality is the most direct route.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
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 fat quality in Purina Pro Plan's lineup (4/16)
- Top 3% for DMB protein in Purina Pro Plan's lineup (52.8%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in Purina Pro Plan's lineup (8.3% DMB)
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.
Purina Pro Plan Adult Small Breed High-Protein Beef & Green Beans Entree in Gravy Shredded Wet Dog Food, 5.5-oz can, case of 24
Scores 3 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Grain-Free Classic Chicken & Carrots Entree Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
$3.53/lb vs your seed's $5.73/lb (38% 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 53%, 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 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 3: 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.
- 4liver
Generic liver, usually chicken or beef. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients a dog can eat. Named species is more informative.
- 5protein animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 7: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 8soy flour
Refined soy. Cheap plant protein, common in budget formulas. Pads the protein percent without matching meat amino acids.
- 9corn starch-modified
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 12mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 13mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 14mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 15mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 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 →
- 17fish
- 18mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20calcium carbonate. a482923
17 of 20 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.