Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Duck & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Duck & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food is a dry food featuring duck as its main protein, formulated for adult dogs.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources like oatmeal and brown rice, which also provide fermentable fiber for gut health. It also uses premium micronutrient forms, like chelated minerals, which are easier for your dog's body to absorb.
The main thing to watch here is the protein quality. While duck is the first ingredient, the way it's processed means it delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
Good fit for adult dogs who may need a limited ingredient diet. Less ideal if you are looking for a high-quality protein source.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Aussies are working-line dogs that thrive on high-protein performance formulas. Coat quality also benefits from EPA+DHA. Strong fit for adult Australian Shepherds navigating skin allergies. The protein deck is built around a single species (duck), and the product is explicitly marketed as limited-ingredient. Zinc is essential for skin immunity and healing; the NRC (2006) established a recommended allowance of 20 mg of zinc per 1000 kcal ME for adult dogs at maintenance (NRC, 2006) .
Looking at this for adult Australian Shepherds or Australian Shepherds with skin allergies ? 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.
At 59/100, this formula lands mid-pack. The lift comes from carbohydrate quality, worth 13 points to the final number: Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. Where it lost ground: protein quality, costing 16 points. Low protein quality. duck delivers limited bioavailable amino acids. This formula sits 1.0 points below the B-tier line. The most direct lever is protein quality.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
Low protein quality. duck delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.
- Bottom 1% for DMB protein in Wellness's lineup (23.3%)
- Top quartile for caloric density in Wellness's lineup (453 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 10% for fat quality in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (6/16)
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.
Wellness CORE Adult Wholesome Grains High-Protein Natural Ocean Whitefish & Herring Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Scores 22 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Lamb & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
$3.42/lb vs your seed's $3.42/lb (0% 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 animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 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.
- 4grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 5: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 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.
- 7fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8fatcanola oil
Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 10mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 11othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 12fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 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.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness
Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label. See why →
- 18vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 19mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 20mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 21mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 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.
- 24vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 25vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
Showing first 25 of 44. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.