Complete Health Adult Grain-Free Natural Chicken Dry Dog Food, 12-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Complete Health Adult Grain-Free Natural Chicken Dry Dog Food is a grain-free dry formula for adult dogs, primarily featuring deboned chicken and chicken meal.
This formula starts with deboned chicken, which provides good protein quality and amino acid coverage. It also pairs that fresh meat with chicken meal, which is a strong way to build a protein-rich dry food.
The AAFCO statement for nutritional adequacy is inferred from the declared adult maintenance, but a verbatim statement isn't published by the retailer. This is a minor transparency point.
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.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Labrador Retriever, navigating weight management. At 390 kcal/cup this formula runs on the moderate side, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention's 2023 survey, 59% of dogs in the United States were classified as overweight or obese by their veterinary healthcare professional, representing an estimated 55 million dogs (APOP, 2023) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 66/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+17.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Also adding to the lift: ingredient diversity (+5). Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture. The 9-point gap to A-tier sits mostly in protein quality (17.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. deboned chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 1% for carb quality in Wellness's lineup (8/16)
- Bottom 10% for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (12.2%)
- Bottom quartile for DMB protein in Wellness's lineup (28.9%)
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.
Wellness Complete Health Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Chicken & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Scores 14 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Complete Health Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Lamb & Barley Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$2.33/lb vs your seed's $3.75/lb (38% 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 animaldeboned chicken
Real meat with the bones removed before grinding. The cleanest version of chicken on an ingredient label.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3dried ground potatoes
- 4legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5legumepeas
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 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6dried 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 6: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 14vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
Position 14: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 15vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 15: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 18supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 19fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 20fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 21vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 22mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness
Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label. See why →
- 23vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 24mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 50. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.