Wild Red Raw Coated Kibble Grain-Free Ocean Recipe Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Stella & Chewy's Wild Red Raw Coated Kibble Grain-Free Ocean Recipe is a dry food featuring trout as its primary protein.
This food has a strong protein profile, with trout as the first ingredient, which means high biological value for your dog. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, and good fat sources like named fats and marine oil, which is a natural source of EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size. 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. Trout anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus whitefish at position 2. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 81/100, landing in A-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+23.5 points): Strong protein profile with trout as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. Also adding to the lift: carbohydrate quality (+15). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with trout as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for carb quality in grain-free dry kibbles (15/16)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (34.1%)
- Top 1% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free dry kibbles (81/100)
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.
Stella & Chewy's Wild Red Raw Coated Kibble Wholesome Grains Ocean Recipe Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
Scores 5 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Stella & Chewy's Wild Red Raw Coated Kibble Grain-Free Prairie Recipe Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
$3.05/lb vs your seed's $3.16/lb (4% 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.
- 1trout
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 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.
- 3protein animalwhitefish meal
Whitefish cooked into a dry concentrate. Strong protein source, common in premium formulas.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 6protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9natural fish flavor
- 10fibertomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12cod
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13protein animalmackerel
Position 13: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 14herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15vegetablepumpkin
Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16ground pumpkin seed
Real seed. Source of magnesium, zinc, and traditionally used as a mild dewormer (the evidence is folkloric, not clinical).
- 17chia seed
Plant source of omega-3 and fiber. Like flaxseed, useful in trace amounts.
- 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.
- 22squash
Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.
- 23fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 24mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 25mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
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.