WILD RESERVE™, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe
Graded by The Sniff System
ORIJEN WILD RESERVE™, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe is a dry food for all life stages, primarily featuring salmon and other wild-caught fish.
The protein quality looks good, with herring providing solid amino acid coverage. It also has quality fat sources, including named fats and marine oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The formula includes named fish for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
You'll find high legume stacking here, with multiple pulse-family ingredients in the top 15. This is a pattern the FDA flagged, though it's mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat in the top 10.
Good fit for dogs of all ages who thrive on a fish-based diet. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Labrador Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating weight management. Caloric density is not declared, with crude fiber at 15% (above the catalog median, supports satiety). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 63/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. herring delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-2 points): Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10. To reach A-tier, this formula would need to gain about 12 points, most likely through controversial-ingredient penalty.
Reasonable protein quality. herring delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
Contains high legume stacking. Multiple pulse-family ingredients in top 15. Mitigated by taurine supplementation or organ meat (natural taurine precursor) in top 10..
- Lowest carb quality in ORIJEN's lineup (8/16)
- Top 2% for DMB protein in grain-free dry kibbles (45.5%)
- Lowest overall Sniff Score in ORIJEN's lineup (63/100)
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.
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.
- 1herring
Whole fish, naturally high in omega-3s and very digestible protein. Common in premium formulas.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3monkfish
- 4acadian redfish
- 5flounder
Position 5: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 6whiting
- 7sardine meal
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8protein animalherring meal
Concentrated herring with the water removed. Carries protein and omega-3s in one ingredient.
Position 8: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 9blue whiting meal
- 10pollock meal
Position 10: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 11legumered lentils
Same concern as other lentils. Affordable plant protein, part of the legume stack the FDA examined. See why →
Position 11. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 12legumepinto beans
Position 12. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 13legumelentils
Same concern as peas. Affordable plant protein, but when they pile up in the top 5 ingredients, it's a flag. See why →
Position 13. Trace inclusion. Below the level associated with the FDA's DCM-pattern concerns.
- 14dehydrated salmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 14: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 15fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16legumenavy beans
- 17legumepeas
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 →
- 18natural fish flavor
- 19dried apple pomace
- 20herring oil
Concentrated omega-3 from herring. Same role as salmon oil, skin and coat support.
- 21freeze-dried shrimp
- 22safflower oil
- 23vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 24preservative naturalmixed tocopherols
Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →
- 25mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
Showing first 25 of 54. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
12 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.
ORIJEN™ Wild Reserve™ Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Complete Dog Food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb. or more as an adult).