Frozen Raw Patties Grain-Free Turkey Entree Dog Food, 9.4-lb bundle
Graded by The Sniff System
Vital Essentials Frozen Raw Patties Grain-Free Turkey Entree is a wet food featuring turkey, turkey heart, and turkey liver.
This formula offers good protein quality from turkey, turkey heart, and turkey liver, providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like herring oil, which is a marine oil rich in EPA and DHA.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this food is unverified. This lack of verification capped its overall score.
Good fit for owners seeking a raw, turkey-based diet. Less ideal if you require AAFCO verification for nutritional completeness.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Turkey anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus turkey heart at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor) and herring oil at position 4. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+15.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 5% for DMB protein in wet foods (58.3%)
- Bottom 10% for crude fiber in grain-free wet foods (4.2% DMB)
- Bottom quartile for carb quality in grain-free wet foods (9/16)
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 Gobblin' Good Dog Food, 64-oz bundle
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Freshpet Vital Chicken, Beef, Salmon & Egg Recipe Grain-Free Fresh Dog Food, 11-lb bundle
$6.54/lb vs your seed's $8.89/lb (26% less) at a comparable score.
Freshpet Vital Healthy & Natural Large Breed Fresh Dog Food, 20-lb bundle
Chicken instead of turkey, matched score, 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 58%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey heart
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3protein animalturkey liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver: protein, iron, B vitamins, vitamin A.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4herring oil
Concentrated omega-3 from herring. Same role as salmon oil, skin and coat support.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 6mineralzinc amino acid complex
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
- 7mineraliron amino acid complex
Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 8mineralcopper amino acid complex
Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.
- 9mineralmanganese amino acid complex
Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
8 of 9 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.