Protein Bowls Adult Wholesome Grains Salmon, Whitefish & Rice Fresh Alternative Dog Food, 6.2-oz pouch, case of 6
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Protein Bowls Adult Wholesome Grains Salmon, Whitefish & Rice Fresh Alternative Dog Food is a wet food that features salmon, whitefish, and chicken.
This food has a strong protein profile, with salmon as the first ingredient, providing high biological value. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources that offer fermentable fiber. The formula features named fish and chicken for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for adult dogs who enjoy a wet food with a strong fish and chicken protein profile. 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 active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 14. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 67/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+21 points): Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+12 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What's keeping it out of A-tier: fat-quality declaration (7 of 16 possible). Full fat-quality declaration requires a named-species animal fat (e.g., chicken fat, salmon oil) plus a marine oil with declared EPA/DHA milligram content.
Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (67/100)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in grain-inclusive wet foods (5.0% DMB)
- Top 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (21.2/27)
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 CORE Hearty Cuts in Gravy Chicken & Turkey Recipe Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Scores 3 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Venison & Salmon Stew with Potatoes & Carrots Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
$5.22/lb vs your seed's $12.46/lb (58% less) at a comparable score.
Natural Balance Specialized Nutrition Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formula Adult Salmon & Brown Rice Wet Dog Food, 12.7-oz can, case of 12
Whitefish instead of salmon, 2 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 40%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalwhitefish
Real fish meat. Lean protein with a clean amino acid profile.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3tuna
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6red bell peppers
- 7yellow bell peppers
- 8fish bone broth
- 9potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 10mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 11mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 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.
- 15mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16mineralsodium tripolyphosphate
Preservative and texture agent in wet food. Functional at small doses, not a major concern, but some brands avoid it.
- 17supplementparsley
Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.
- 18dill
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 21mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 22mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 23vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 24anise seed
- 25mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
Showing first 25 of 35. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Wellness Protein Bowls Salmon, Whitefish and Rice Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.