Neutral Complete & Balanced Beef & Salmon Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz box
Graded by The Sniff System
Side By Side Neutral Complete & Balanced Beef & Salmon Wet Dog Food is a wet food featuring beef heart, salmon, and beef liver as its main protein sources.
The protein quality is reasonable, with beef heart providing good amino acid coverage. You'll also find quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber. The formula uses diverse, high-bioavailability proteins like beef heart, salmon, and beef liver.
The biggest thing to watch out for is the lack of an AAFCO statement. This means the nutritional completeness of the food is unverified, which capped its overall score.
Good fit for owners who prioritize whole food ingredients. Less ideal if you require an AAFCO statement to verify nutritional completeness.
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. Beef bone broth anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus beef heart at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor) and salmon at position 3. 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) .
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. beef heart delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 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). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Reasonable protein quality. beef heart delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 4% for carb quality in wet foods (16/16)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in grain-inclusive wet foods (11.1% DMB)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (59/100)
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.
Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Scores 10 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Venison & Salmon Stew with Potatoes & Carrots Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Venison instead of beef, 3 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 41%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1beef bone broth
Real bone broth. Adds flavor, moisture, and a small amount of collagen. Pleasant inclusion.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalbeef heart
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalbeef liver
Organ meat. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients available, rich in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6grainoats
Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7vegetablecelery
Real vegetable. Mostly water and a little fiber. Decorative more than nutritional in the amounts used.
Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 8green beans
Real vegetable. Fiber and a small amount of vitamins. Often used in weight-management formulas because it bulks up a meal without adding calories.
- 9supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 10vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 13dried yeast
Natural source of B vitamins and trace minerals. Adds a savory flavor that dogs respond well to.
- 14vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15beets
Whole beets, not to be confused with beet pulp. Real vegetable, fiber and antioxidants.
- 16apple
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 17egg shell
- 18pumpkin seed
Real seed. Source of magnesium, zinc, and traditionally used as a mild dewormer (the evidence is folkloric, not clinical).
- 19mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 20dehydrated alfalfa
- 21grainquinoa
Pseudo-grain with a complete amino acid profile. Rare in dog food because it's expensive.
- 22supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 23sunflower seed
- 24sesame seed
- 25chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.