Stella’s Shredrs Cage Free Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth Adult Wet Dog Food, 2.8-oz pouch, case of 24
Graded by The Sniff System
Stella & Chewy's Stella’s Shredrs Cage Free Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth is a wet food for adult dogs, featuring chicken and salmon as its main proteins.
This wet food provides reasonable protein quality, with chicken delivering solid amino acid coverage. The recipe also includes salmon, adding to the diversity of high-bioavailability protein sources.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy wet food. 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 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 13 and salmon broth 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 56/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+14.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: ingredient diversity (+5). Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. The 4-point gap to B-tier sits mostly in protein quality (14.5 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.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for DMB protein in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (58.8%)
- Bottom 1% for DMB fat in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (11.8%)
- Top 10% for crude fiber in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (11.8% DMB)
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 FreshMade Frozen Fresh Grain-Free Chick-a-Lick'n Dog Food, 64-oz bundle
Scores 6 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Blue Buffalo Blue's Stews Grain-Free Chicken & Beef Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12
$3.75/lb vs your seed's $12.51/lb (70% less) at a comparable score.
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 59%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
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.
- 2chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3salmon broth
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 6fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 8mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 9mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 10supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 11mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 13supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 14zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 15reduced iron
- 16mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 17mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 18vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 19mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 20vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 21vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 22vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 23vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 24vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 25vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
Showing first 25 of 29. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.