Puppy Chicken & Salmon Pâté
Graded by The Sniff System
Open Farm Puppy Chicken & Salmon Pâté is a wet food, formulated as a pâté, with chicken and salmon as its main protein sources, designed for growing puppies.
This pâté offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage for growing puppies. It also features quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber, and its fat sources are well-named, including marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for growing puppies of any size. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Goldens appeared disproportionately in the FDA's DCM reports. Pulse-heavy grain-free formulas warrant extra caution; named animal protein with organ meat or marine sources is the safer fit. Strong fit for puppy Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus salmon at position 5.
Looking at this for puppy 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 69/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from protein quality, worth 17.5 points to the final number: Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. Secondary contribution comes from carbohydrate quality (+15 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The 6-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (17.5 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Top 4% for overall Sniff Score in wet foods (69/100)
- Top 10% for DMB protein in Open Farm's lineup (36.4%)
- Top 10% for carb quality in grain-free wet foods (15/16)
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.
ORIJEN Pate Chicken with Liver Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz, case of 12
Scores 2 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Simmered Salmon & Chicken One Pot Stew
Salmon instead of chicken, 7 points lower, 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 36%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1protein animalchicken
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.
- 2chicken bone broth
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3chicken livers
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 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.
- 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.
- 8tapioca
Starch from cassava root. Highly digestible energy source, but pure starch with minimal nutrition beyond that.
- 9fiberagar agar
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.
- 11wild-alaskan salmon oil
Position 11. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 12fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 12: trace fiber inclusion.
- 13mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 14vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 15vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 16vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 17pantothenic acid
- 18vitaminbiotin
B vitamin that supports skin and coat health. Required for AAFCO-complete formulas.
- 19vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 20vitaminriboflavin supplement
B vitamin (B2). Required in complete dog foods. The standardized form ensures consistent dosing.
- 21vitaminvitamin b12 supplement
Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.
- 22vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 23vitaminfolic acid
B vitamin (B9), essential for cell function. Standard in complete dog foods.
- 24vitaminvitamin d3 supplement
The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.
- 25zinc amino acid chelate
Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.
Showing first 25 of 31. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
20 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
Nutrition & Benefits Guaranteed Analysis Calorie Content: 1,143 kcal/kg or 405 kcal/can Nutrient Percentage of Recipe Crude Protein (min) 8% Crude Fat (min) 5.5% Crude Fibre (max) 2% Moisture (max) 78% DHA (min) 0.02% Omega 3 (min) 0.3% Omega 6 (min) 0.9% Open Farm Puppy Chicken & Salmon Recipe is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Growth, including growth of large size dogs (70lb or more as an adult) View Complete Nutritional Profile