EN Gastroenteric Low Fat Wet Dog Food, 13.4-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Low Fat is a wet food, formulated for specific dietary needs, with meat by-products and salmon as primary protein sources.
The formula includes quality carbohydrate sources like rice and barley, which also provide fermentable fiber. It also contains salmon, a named fish, for diverse protein, and has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for its nutritional adequacy.
This food contains "meat by-products," an unspecified protein source whose quality and consistency are not auditable. Carrageenan, a thickener some studies link to gastrointestinal inflammation, is also present. Additionally, there's no declared omega-3 source.
Good fit for dogs needing a low-fat, gastroenterically-focused diet. Less ideal if you prefer foods without unspecified protein sources or carrageenan.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (meat by-products). For Labrador Retrievers with suspected cutaneous adverse food reactions, a strict elimination diet trial must last a minimum of 8 weeks to reliably diagnose or rule out a food-based trigger. The National Research Council (2006) recommends a minimum of 2.6 grams of linoleic acid (an omega-6) per 1000 kcal of metabolizable energy to maintain skin barrier function in adult dogs (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with skin allergies ? 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.
Sniff scored this formula 34/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. A hard cap of 64 also applied because three or more WATCH-tier ingredients appear in the deck. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address protein quality as well.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Low protein quality. meat by-products delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
- Bottom 3% for DMB fat in Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets's lineup (5.6%)
- Top 4% for carb quality in wet foods (16/16)
- Bottom 1% for fat quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (4/16)
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 Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Naturals Wet Dog Food, 13.4-oz, case of 12
Scores 28 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Complete Essentials Variety Pack Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
$3.53/lb vs your seed's $5.77/lb (39% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 2
- meat by-productsUnspecified species. AAFCO definition allows organs, blood, bone. but the lack of a named source means quality and consistency are not auditable.
- carrageenanSeaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.
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 38%, 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 animalmeat by-products Flagged
Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5soy protein isolate
- 6protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 6: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 7protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8glycerin
Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.
- 9fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11fiberinulin
Prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Same compound found in chicory root.
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12calcium sulfate
Source of calcium. Functional, required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 13mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 14mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 15othercarrageenan Flagged
Seaweed-derived thickener. Some lab studies suggest gut inflammation, but the evidence in pets is mixed. See why →
- 16mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 18l-lysine monohydrochloride
Stable form of L-lysine, an essential amino acid. Common in plant-heavy formulas to balance the amino acid profile.
- 19mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 20vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 21mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 22vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 23vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 24natural smoke flavor
- 25vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.