Stella's Solutions Hip & Joint Boost Freeze-Dried Raw Cage-Free Chicken Dinner Morsels Dog Food, 13-oz bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Stella & Chewy's Stella's Solutions Hip & Joint Boost is a freeze-dried raw food, featuring chicken with ground bone and chicken liver as its main protein sources.
This freeze-dried raw food offers good protein quality, with chicken with ground bone providing solid amino acid coverage. The inclusion of chicken liver and green mussels adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein sources.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs who might benefit from joint support. 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 adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken with ground bone anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 2 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 61/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+17.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken with ground bone delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: ingredient diversity (+5 points). Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. What's keeping it out of A-tier: fat-quality declaration (6 of 16 possible). Full fat-quality declaration requires a named-species animal fat (e.g., chicken fat, salmon oil) plus a marine oil with declared EPA/DHA milligram content.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken with ground bone delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest crude fiber in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (5.3% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (9/16)
- Bottom quartile for overall Sniff Score in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (61/100)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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$30.71/lb vs your seed's $39.37/lb (22% 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 animalchicken with ground bone
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein 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 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3coconut flour
- 4fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5chicken cartilage
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 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.
- 7supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 8preservative naturaltocopherols
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 9green mussels
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11fenugreek seed
Herb seed. Trace inclusion, mostly for flavor and label appeal.
- 12supplementturmeric
Spice with anti-inflammatory compounds. Real research in humans, but the dose in kibble is small. Mostly there for label appeal.
- 13lavender
- 14supplementl-carnitine
Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.
- 15sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 16supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
- 17mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 18supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 19mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 22mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 23mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 24mineralsodium 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 →
- 25vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.