Size Health Nutrition Medium Puppy Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Royal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Puppy Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food is a wet food featuring chicken and chicken liver, formulated for puppies.
The protein quality is good, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like fish oil, which is a marine oil providing EPA and DHA. This formula has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth, a strong indicator of its nutritional adequacy for puppies.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for medium-sized puppies. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 67/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: fat quality (+12). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The 8-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (18.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for growth.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for protein quality in Royal Canin's lineup (18.6/27)
- Bottom 10% for fat quality in Royal Canin's lineup (12/16)
- Top 4% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (67/100)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 35%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1water sufficient for processing
The regulatory phrase for cooking water in wet food. Has no nutritional implication, just labeling formality.
- 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.
- 3pork by-products
Generic pork organs and tissue without species-specific traceability. Named by-products are more transparent.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5brewers rice flour
- 6protein 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 6: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 7pork plasma
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8vegetable oil
Unnamed plant oil. Could be soy, canola, corn, or a blend. Named oils like sunflower or canola are more transparent.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9modified corn starch
- 10fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 11. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 14sodium aluminosilicate
Anti-caking agent that keeps powder ingredients flowing. Functional, not nutritional.
- 15hydrolyzed yeast
Yeast broken down with enzymes. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins and amino acids.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 18carob bean gum
- 19othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 20mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22glycine
- 23sodium carbonate
pH buffer used in food processing. Functional, no quality signal.
- 24zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.