Turkey & Duck Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries Canned Dog Food, 12.5-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Turkey & Duck Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries is a wet canned food with turkey and duck as its primary proteins.
This formula offers good protein quality, with turkey providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. You'll also find quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
The formula contains guar gum, an emulsifier. While there's emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers, there's no specific canine clinical evidence, so it's a minor watch item for canned foods.
Good fit for dogs who enjoy wet food for palatability or hydration. Less ideal if you prefer foods without emulsifiers.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Turkey broth anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus turkey liver at position 4 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 66/100 (B) 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. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage. What we'd flag for vet discussion: controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points). Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. A-tier is 9 points up. Controversial-ingredient penalty is where to find them.
Reasonable protein quality. turkey delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Top 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-free wet foods (66/100)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in grain-free wet foods (5.6% DMB)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in Wellness's lineup (22.2%)
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 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wellness Complete Health Turkey
$3.92/lb vs your seed's $5.22/lb (25% less) at a comparable score.
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 44%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1turkey broth
Real broth from named meat. Adds flavor and moisture, signals a recipe that leans on real meat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalturkey
Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalduck
Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein animalturkey liver
Organ meat. Same nutrient-density story as chicken or beef liver: protein, iron, B vitamins, vitamin A.
Position 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6vegetablesweet potato
Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7dried egg whites
Pure egg-white protein, no yolk. Very high amino acid quality.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 10vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11dried egg product
Whole eggs with the water removed. Same nutritional value as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 11: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 12green beans
Real vegetable. Fiber and a small amount of vitamins. Often used in weight-management formulas because it bulks up a meal without adding calories.
- 13fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 15sodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 18mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 19mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 20mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 21mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 22mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 23mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
- 24cobalt proteinate
Cobalt bound to protein. Trace mineral needed for vitamin B12 synthesis, chelated form for better absorption.
- 25mineralpotassium iodide
Source of iodine, an essential trace mineral for thyroid function. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
Showing first 25 of 41. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.