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Vital Essentials RAW FUSION Frozen Raw Patties Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food, 4.7-lb box
Vital Essentials

RAW FUSION Frozen Raw Patties Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food, 4.7-lb box

Evidence Fair
wet $10.00/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Vital Essentials RAW FUSION Frozen Raw Patties Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food is a wet food featuring chicken, chicken heart, and chicken liver.

This recipe offers good protein quality from chicken, which provides solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like herring oil, a named fat and a marine oil for EPA and DHA. The inclusion of chicken heart and liver adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.

The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This lack of verification capped its overall score.

Good fit for owners who prefer a raw diet and are comfortable with unverified nutritional completeness. Less ideal if you require an AAFCO statement for guaranteed complete nutrition.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken heart at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor) and herring oil at position 9. 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

  • FDA, 2022
    cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    diet composition· cited in 2 claims
  • NRC, 2006
    nutrient bioavailability

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

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 (+19.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken 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.

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK
What pulled it down

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF
What sets this apart
  • Bottom 10% for crude fiber in grain-free wet foods (4.2% DMB)
  • Top 10% for DMB protein in wet foods (54.2%)
  • 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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Instinct FreshRaw Meals Grain-Free Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food, 16-oz, case of 6
Instinct

Instinct FreshRaw Meals Grain-Free Cage-Free Chicken Recipe Dog Food, 16-oz, case of 6

68

Scores 9 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Freshpet Vital Chicken, Beef, Salmon & Egg Recipe Grain-Free Fresh Dog Food, 11-lb bundle
Freshpet

Freshpet Vital Chicken, Beef, Salmon & Egg Recipe Grain-Free Fresh Dog Food, 11-lb bundle

58

$6.54/lb vs your seed's $10.00/lb (35% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 54% ⓘ
Protein
13%
min (as fed)
Fat
8%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1%
max (as fed)
Moisture
76%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 54%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

14 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

    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.

  2. 2
    chicken heart

    Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.

    Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  3. 3
    chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

    Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  4. 4
    apple

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

  5. 5
    squash

    Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.

  6. 6
    carrot

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, antioxidants. Same as carrots, sometimes singular on labels.

  7. 7
    blueberry
  8. 8
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

    Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  9. 9
    herring oil

    Concentrated omega-3 from herring. Same role as salmon oil, skin and coat support.

    Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  10. 10
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  11. 11
    zinc amino acid complex

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

  12. 12
    iron amino acid complex

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  13. 13
    copper amino acid complex

    Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.

  14. 14
    manganese amino acid complex

    Manganese bound to amino acids for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.

13 of 14 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.