Whole Health Blend Large Breed Real Chicken, Pea, Brown Rice & Carrot Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Rachael Ray Nutrish Whole Health Blend Large Breed Real Chicken, Pea, Brown Rice & Carrot Recipe is a dry food with chicken as its primary protein.
This formula features good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like named chicken fat and marine oil, which adds beneficial EPA and DHA. The carbohydrate sources are also good, offering fermentable fiber.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this product is unverified. This lack of verification capped its overall score.
Good fit for large breed dogs. Less ideal if you require a clear AAFCO statement to verify nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
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) . Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (dried peas at position 3, pea starch at position 6).
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 19.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The ceiling on this score is 59, set because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). The fix path: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement. That would lift the cap and put this formula above the B-band line at 60.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in Rachael Ray Nutrish's lineup (4.4% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Rachael Ray Nutrish's lineup (27.8%)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in Rachael Ray Nutrish's lineup (13.3%)
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.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Real Salmon, Veggies & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag
Scores 12 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Rachael Ray Nutrish Whole Health Blend Real Beef, Pea, & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.37/lb vs your seed's $1.37/lb (0% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 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.
- 3dried peas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
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.
- 5grainground corn
Cracked whole corn. Fine in moderation, but its presence in the top few ingredients usually signals a lower-cost recipe.
Position 5: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 6pea starch
Refined starch from peas, mostly carbs after the protein is removed. Counts toward the legume stack the FDA examined.
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 7dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
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.
- 11fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 11: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 12corn protein concentrate
Position 12: minor grain inclusion.
- 13mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15fatmenhaden fish oil
Omega-3 from menhaden, a small oily fish. Same skin and coat support as salmon oil.
Position 15. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 16othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 17mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 18mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 19mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 20mineralsodium 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 →
- 21mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 22mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 23supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 24supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 25lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.