EN Gastroenteric Naturals Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EN Gastroenteric Naturals is a dry veterinary diet formulated with chicken, designed for dogs with specific digestive needs.
This formula includes quality fat sources, like named animal fat and marine oil, which provides EPA and DHA. It also features quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, which can support digestive health. The product has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation, meaning it's been tested for nutritional adequacy.
One thing to note is that brewers rice is the first ingredient, making this a plant-protein-dominated formula. It also contains menadione, a synthetic vitamin K3, which is banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses.
Good fit for dogs needing a veterinary diet with digestive support, especially given the AAFCO feeding trial substantiation.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (chicken). 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 56/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was fat quality (+12 points): Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The biggest detractor was protein quality (-15.5 points): Plant-protein-dominated formula. brewers rice as the #1 ingredient. The gap to B-tier is small (4.0 points). Addressing protein quality would likely close it.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. brewers rice as the #1 ingredient.
Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..
- Lowest crude fiber in Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets's lineup (2.3% DMB)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets's lineup (56/100)
- Bottom 10% for DMB fat in dry kibbles (10.8%)
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.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DH Dental Health Dry Dog Food, 16.5-lb bag
$4.91/lb vs your seed's $5.52/lb (11% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- menadioneSynthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1brewers rice
Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version. See why →
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with brewers rice as the dominant carb.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3brewers dried yeast
Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.
- 4cassava root flour
- 5animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 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.
- 7othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 8fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10glycerin
Humectant used in soft-moist foods to keep them chewy. Safe in moderation but a signal of a processed semi-moist product.
- 11mono and dicalcium phosphate
Source of calcium and phosphorus. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15l-lysine monohydrochloride
Stable form of L-lysine, an essential amino acid. Common in plant-heavy formulas to balance the amino acid profile.
- 16dried colostrum
- 17fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 18mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 19vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 22supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 25l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate
A stable form of vitamin C used in pet food. Provides antioxidant support and survives processing better than plain ascorbic acid.
Showing first 25 of 41. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.