Restore Grain-Free Dog & Cat Food, 9-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Wysong Restore Grain-Free Dog & Cat Food is a dry formula built around chicken as its primary protein source.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. It also uses premium micronutrient forms like chelated minerals, which are more easily absorbed by your dog's body.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means its nutritional completeness is unverified. This factor capped its overall score.
Good fit for dogs whose owners prioritize quality carbohydrate sources. Less ideal if AAFCO verification of nutritional completeness is a must-have.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Dried chicken 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. 57/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+12 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.
Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Top 4% for DMB protein in Wysong's lineup (72.2%)
- Bottom 5% for crude fiber in grain-free dry kibbles (3.3% DMB)
- Top 5% for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (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.
Wysong Adult Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag
Scores 18 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Country Vet Naturals 28-16 Grain-Free Dog Food, 30-lb bag
$1.41/lb vs your seed's $5.60/lb (75% less) at a comparable score.
Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Lamb, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Lamb instead of chicken, 2 points higher, 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.
- 1dried chicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3dried natural meat broth
- 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.
- 5fiberbeet pulp
Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble. See why →
Position 5: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 6gelatin
- 7apple fiber
- 8flaxseeds
Plural form, same as flaxseed. Plant source of omega-3, helpful for skin and coat.
- 9othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 10mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 11mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 12mineralzinc sulfate
Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.
- 13mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 14mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 15mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 16mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 17mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 18mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 19mineralsodium 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 →
- 20mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 21fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
- 22chicken bone broth
- 23avocado oil
- 24rice bran oil
- 25supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.