VFS Canine Low Fat Formula Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
SquarePet VFS Canine Low Fat Formula is a wet dog food that features whitefish and pork liver as its main protein sources.
This formula offers good protein quality, with whitefish and pork liver providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are good, featuring named fats like menhaden fish oil for EPA and DHA.
The main thing to note is the lack of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness isn't officially verified. It also contains guar gum, an emulsifier that gets a minor penalty in canned foods.
Good fit for dogs needing a low-fat diet. Less ideal if AAFCO nutritional completeness verification is a priority for you.
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. Whitefish anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus pork liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 54/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17 points): Reasonable protein quality. whitefish delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 59 also applied 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). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address AAFCO compliance as well.
Reasonable protein quality. whitefish delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest carb quality in SquarePet's lineup (13/16)
- Bottom quartile for overall Sniff Score in SquarePet's lineup (54/100)
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.
Canada Fresh Red Meat Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 5 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Blue Buffalo True Solutions Digestive Care Formula Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12
$4.16/lb vs your seed's $6.24/lb (33% less) at a comparable score.
Lotus Pork Loaf Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Pork instead of whitefish, 5 points higher, different brand.
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.
- 1water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 2protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3grainwhite rice
Refined grain with the bran stripped off. Easy to digest, but not as nutrient-dense as brown rice.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalpork liver
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5pork plasma
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6ground miscanthus grass
Same as miscanthus grass. A plant fiber source, mostly there for stool quality.
- 7fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9fatmenhaden fish oil
Omega-3 from menhaden, a small oily fish. Same skin and coat support as salmon oil.
Position 9. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 13mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 14mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 15mineralselenium yeast
Organic selenium grown in yeast. The form premium brands use, gentler and more bioavailable than sodium selenite.
- 16mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 17mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 18mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 19supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 20mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 21fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
- 22vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 23vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 24vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 25vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.