Fundamentals Dry Dog & Cat Food, 5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wysong Fundamentals Dry Dog & Cat Food is a dry food with chicken as its primary protein.
This formula uses quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber. It also has good protein quality, with chicken meal providing solid amino acid coverage. Plus, the fat sources are good, featuring named fats and marine oil for EPA and DHA.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. Also, the formula contains MSG, which can obscure the true formulation.
Good fit for owners seeking a dry food with quality protein and fat sources. Less ideal if you need a verified AAFCO statement.
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 Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Chicken meal anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 59/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What capped it: the score can't exceed 59 because the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement isn't disclosed on the retailer page (so our methodology can't verify the formula meets adult, growth, or all-life-stages standards). How it could climb: the brand publishing the AAFCO statement, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken meal delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
Contains msg. Safety signal is internet-fueled; real issue is transparency. Yeast extract as MSG loophole obscures formulation..
- Top 1% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (44.4%)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in dry kibbles (4.4% DMB)
- Top quartile for carb quality in Wysong's lineup (16/16)
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.
Wysong Adult Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag
Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Wholesomes Chicken Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
$1.18/lb vs your seed's $3.30/lb (64% less) at a comparable score.
Wholesomes Sensitive Skin & Stomach with Lamb Protein Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Lamb instead of chicken, matched score, different brand.
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 animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 4: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 5othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 6mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 7mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 8mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 9mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 10mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 11mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 12mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 13mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 14mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 15mineralsodium 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 →
- 16mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 17mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 18calcium propionate
- 19supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 20supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 22preservative naturalcitric acid
Natural antioxidant preservative. Helps keep fats from going rancid.
- 23yeast extract
Yeast broken down to a paste. Strong palatant plus a real source of B vitamins.
- 24preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 25preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
Showing first 25 of 34. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.