Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables Stew Cuts Wet Dog Food or Topper, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
VICTOR Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables Stew Cuts is a wet food or topper for growing puppies, featuring chicken and chicken liver as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the first ingredient, offering high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like marine oil, which provides EPA and DHA. The addition of chicken liver and egg further boosts the protein diversity.
The formula contains guar gum, which is an emulsifier. While there's emerging data on emulsifiers and the microbiome, there's no specific canine clinical evidence yet, so it's a minor watch item.
Good fit for growing puppies who need a high-quality protein source. 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 puppy Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: AAFCO growth profile (suitable for puppies). Chicken anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 7), plus chicken liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 64/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+20.5 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points). Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. A-tier is 11 points up. Controversial-ingredient penalty is where to find them.
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).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Bottom 4% for carb quality in VICTOR's lineup (11/16)
- Top quartile for DMB protein in VICTOR's lineup (44.4%)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in VICTOR's lineup (27.8%)
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.
VICTOR Grain-Free Beef & Vegetables Stew Cuts Wet Dog Food or Topper, 13.2-oz, case of 12
Scores 6 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Chewy Made Stews Chicken & Vegetables in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 12.5-oz can, case of 12
$3.41/lb vs your seed's $4.21/lb (19% less) at a comparable score.
Chewy Made Stews Beef & Vegetables in Gravy Grain-Free Canned Dog Food (FORMERLY AMERICAN JOURNEY), 12.5-oz can, case of 12
Beef instead of chicken, 5 points higher, different brand.
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 44%, 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.
- 3beef broth
Real broth. Adds flavor and moisture, signals the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein 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 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5dried egg whites
Pure egg-white protein, no yolk. Very high amino acid quality.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7legumepeas
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 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12dried plain beet pulp
Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality. See why →
Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.
- 13fatground flaxseed
Cracked flaxseed for better digestibility. Same plant omega-3s as whole flaxseed, just easier for the dog to extract.
Position 13: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 15. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 16sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18sodium carbonate
pH buffer used in food processing. Functional, no quality signal.
- 19mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 20mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 21mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 22mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 23mineralsodium 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 →
- 24cobalt proteinate
Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.
- 25mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 26. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
VICTOR Grain-Free Chicken & Vegetables Stew is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Growth and Maintenance, except for the growth of large size dogs weighing 70 pounds or more as an adult.