Salmon Limited Ingredient Formula Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Zignature Salmon Limited Ingredient Formula Canned Dog Food is a wet food featuring salmon as its primary protein.
Salmon is the first ingredient, providing good protein quality and amino acid coverage. The formula also includes salmon meal, which, along with the fresh salmon, offers a strong protein profile.
The main thing to note is the absence of an AAFCO statement, which means the nutritional completeness of this formula is unverified.
Good fit for dogs who do well on a salmon-based limited ingredient diet. Less ideal if you want an AAFCO statement for nutritional completeness.
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 Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and English Setters navigating weight management. Caloric density is not declared. The landmark 14-year Purina Lifespan Study on 48 Labrador Retrievers demonstrated that dogs fed 25% fewer calories lived a median of 1.8 years longer and delayed the onset of chronic diseases. The 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines define overweight as a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 6-7 on a 9-point scale. A score of 8 or 9 indicates obesity, representing 20-30% and >30% above ideal body weight, respectively (Brooks et al., 2014) .
Looking at this for adult Labrador Retrievers or Labrador Retrievers with weight management ? 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.
- Brooks et al., 2014diagnostic · protocol · satiety· cited in 5 claims
- APOP, 2023prevalence
- Raffan et al., 2016genetics
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 55/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+19.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 59 also applied 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). Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address AAFCO compliance as well.
Reasonable protein quality. salmon delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Named fresh meat paired with same-species meal, a strong extrusion architecture.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.
- Lowest carb quality in Zignature's lineup (5/16)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in Zignature's lineup (47.7%)
- Top quartile for DMB fat in Zignature's lineup (29.5%)
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.
K9 Natural Lamb & King Salmon Grain-Free Canned Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Natural Balance Original Ultra Fat Dogs Chicken & Salmon Recipe in Broth Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Chicken instead of salmon, 4 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 48%, 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.
- 2fish broth
- 3protein animalsalmon meal
Salmon cooked into a dry concentrate. Carries both protein and natural omega-3s in one ingredient. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4legumepeas
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 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 5legumechickpeas
Also called garbanzo beans. Affordable plant protein source, part of the legume stack the FDA examined in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6agar-agar
Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.
- 7sun-cured alfalfa meal
- 8mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 9supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 10mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 11mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 12mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 13mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 14mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 15mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 16magnesium proteinate
Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.
- 17mineralsodium 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 →
- 18mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 19vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 20vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 21vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 22vitamincalcium pantothenate
Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.
- 23vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 24vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 25vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.