Complete Health Puppy Grain-Free Natural Chicken & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Complete Health Puppy Grain-Free Natural Chicken & Salmon Dry Dog Food is a dry formula for puppies, featuring deboned chicken and salmon as its main protein sources.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with deboned chicken as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and salmon oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The combination of named fresh meat and same-species meal creates a solid foundation for the food.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for puppies 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 puppy Labrador Retrievers navigating weight management. Working in its favor: crude fiber (5%) helps satiety. Caloric density is not declared, with crude fiber at 5% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). Labs are the canonical food-motivated breed. Weight management is the dominant practical concern, even more than breed-specific health risks. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 3 claims
- 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 72/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+23.5 points): Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: carbohydrate quality (8 of 16 possible). Full carbohydrate quality requires whole-grain or single-source carbohydrates with a declared fermentable fiber.
Strong protein profile with deboned chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 1% for carb quality in Wellness's lineup (8/16)
- Top 10% for protein quality in dry kibbles (23.3/27)
- Top quartile for overall Sniff Score in Wellness's lineup (72/100)
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.
Wellness Complete Health Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Chicken & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Scores 8 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Complete Health Puppy Wholesome Grains Natural Chicken, Oatmeal, & Salmon Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$2.33/lb vs your seed's $2.73/lb (14% 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.
- 3legumepeas
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 3. Pulse-family ingredient this high in the deck is a notable build choice. When stacked with other pulses in the top 10, matches the formulation pattern the FDA flagged in its diet-associated DCM investigation.
- 4protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5dried ground potatoes
- 6legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 6. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 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.
- 8dried 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 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 17vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
- 18vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 19vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 20supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 21fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 22fruitblueberries
Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.
- 23vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
- 24mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness
Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label. See why →
- 25vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
Showing first 25 of 52. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.