Raw Blend Cage-Free Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Stella & Chewy's Raw Blend Cage-Free Recipe is a raw blend dry food featuring chicken and duck.
It has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, which means high biological value for your dog. Quality fat sources like chicken fat and salmon oil provide essential fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. The formula uses fresh chicken paired with chicken meal, which is a good sign for protein quality in an extruded food.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size who thrive on a high-protein diet. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with 2 pulse-family ingredients in the top 15 (peas at position 3, lentils at position 4), plus chicken liver at position 8 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Strong grade. 75/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+23 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: fat quality (+13 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest carb quality in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (8/16)
- Top 10% for protein quality in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (23.2/27)
- Lowest DMB fat in grain-free raw foods (15.9%)
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.
Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Raw Blend Wholesome Grains Puppy Cage-Free Chicken & Wild Caught Salmon Recipe with Superfoods Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Raw Blend Wholesome Grains Grass-Fed Beef, Beef Liver & Lamb Recipe with Superfoods Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
$4.00/lb vs your seed's $5.01/lb (20% less) at a comparable score.
Nulo Raw Medley Turkey, Sweet Potato & Duck Small Breed Adult Dry Dog Food, 10-lb bag
Turkey instead of chicken, 4 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.
- 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.
- 3legumepeas
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.
- 4legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5protein animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7fibertomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8protein 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 8. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10quail
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11protein animalchicken gizzard
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 12. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 13sun cured alfalfa
- 14fenugreek seed
Herb seed. Trace inclusion, mostly for flavor and label appeal.
- 15fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16coconut flour
- 17pumpkin seed
Real seed. Source of magnesium, zinc, and traditionally used as a mild dewormer (the evidence is folkloric, not clinical).
- 18fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 19vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 20vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
- 21beets
Whole beets, not to be confused with beet pulp. Real vegetable, fiber and antioxidants.
- 22vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 23squash
Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.
- 24fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 25vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
Showing first 25 of 53. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.