Raw Coated Cage-Free Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Cage-Free Duck Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food is a dry formula with duck and turkey as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with duck as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like named turkey fat and marine oil, which offers beneficial EPA and DHA. The presence of turkey liver and gizzard adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The formula contains multiple pulse-family ingredients like peas, lentils, and pea protein within the top 15. This high legume stacking is a pattern the FDA has investigated, though the inclusion of organ meats offers some mitigation.
Good fit for adult dogs who thrive on a high-protein, grain-free diet. Less ideal if you prefer foods without significant legume content.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult German Shepherds navigating a sensitive stomach. Duck leads at position 1. Worth watching: multiple protein sources stacked (harder to isolate triggers). Shepherds have a documented tendency toward sensitive GI tracts and hip/elbow dysplasia. Limited-ingredient formulas with marine omega-3 source consistently fit better.
Looking at this for adult German Shepherds or German Shepherds with a sensitive stomach ? 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.
- NRC, 2006digestibility · fiber· cited in 2 claims
- AAFCO, 2024zinc
- Swanson et al., 2002prebiotics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 69/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+20.5 points): Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points): Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. To reach A-tier, this formula would need to gain about 6 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Strong protein profile with duck as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest carb quality in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (8/16)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in dry kibbles (38.6%)
- Bottom 10% for DMB fat in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (14.8%)
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 Wild Red Raw Coated Kibble Wholesome Grains Red Meat Recipe Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
Scores 15 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
$4.09/lb vs your seed's $4.77/lb (14% 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 animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey meal
Turkey with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh turkey. 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.
- 5turkey fat
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8fibertomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9protein plantpea protein
Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.
Position 9. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 10natural vegetable flavor
- 11protein animalturkey liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver: protein, iron, B vitamins, vitamin A.
Position 11. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 12protein animalturkey gizzard
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13goose
- 14suncured alfalfa
- 15fenugreek seed
Herb seed. Trace inclusion, mostly for flavor and label appeal.
- 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.
- 25fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Showing first 25 of 56. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.