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Stella & Chewy's

Stella’s Solutions Healthy Heart Support for Dogs

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $31.99 Data verified from brand site

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Stella’s Solutions Healthy Heart Support for Dogs is a dry food featuring chicken with ground bone, liver, and heart as its main protein sources.

This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken with ground bone providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like salmon oil, which is a named fat and a good source of EPA and DHA. The inclusion of organ meats and sardines adds diverse, highly bioavailable protein.

Nothing concerning in the deck.

Good fit for adult dogs who might benefit from a diet focused on heart health support.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Strong fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken with ground bone anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 6, chicken liver at position 2 (a natural taurine precursor), and salmon oil at position 5. 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

  • FDA, 2022
    cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    diet composition· cited in 2 claims
  • NRC, 2006
    nutrient bioavailability

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Solid grade. 63/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+15.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken with ground bone delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: fat quality (+12 points). Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (15.5 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").

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken with ground bone delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.

STACK
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Lowest crude fiber in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (5.3% DMB)
  • Top 1% for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (35.8%)
  • Bottom quartile for protein quality in Stella & Chewy's's lineup (15.5/27)

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.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Raw Coated Wholesome Grains Cage-Free Chicken & Duck Recipe with Superfoods Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag
Stella & Chewy's

Stella & Chewy's SuperBlends Raw Coated Wholesome Grains Cage-Free Chicken & Duck Recipe with Superfoods Dry Dog Food, 21-lb bag

80

Scores 17 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Grass-Fed Beef Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag
Stella & Chewy's

Stella & Chewy's Raw Coated Grass-Fed Beef Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food, 22-lb bag

63

$4.54/lb vs your seed's $39.37/lb (88% less) at a comparable score.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 42% ⓘ
Protein
40%
min (as fed)
Fat
34%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
5%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

18 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken with ground bone

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

    Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  3. 3
    chicken heart

    Organ meat. Dense in taurine, B vitamins, and CoQ10. One of the best ingredients dogs can eat.

    Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.

  4. 4
    sardines
  5. 5
    salmon oil

    Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.

    Position 5. Marine oil this high in the deck is likely the primary EPA/DHA source.

  6. 6
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  7. 7
    spinach

    Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.

    Position 7: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  8. 8
    broccoli

    Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.

    Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  9. 9
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

    Position 9: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  10. 10
    cranberries

    Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.

    Position 10: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  11. 11
    squash

    Real vegetable. Fiber, vitamin A, gentle on the stomach. Similar nutrition role to sweet potato.

  12. 12
    blueberries

    Antioxidants, real. But the amount in any kibble is too small to do much. Mostly marketing.

    Position 12: garnish-level inclusion. Marketing-prominent but minimal nutritional impact at this position.

  13. 13
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  14. 14
    l-cystine
  15. 15
    mixed tocopherols

    Natural vitamin E used to keep fats from going rancid. The good kind of preservative. See why →

    Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.

  16. 16
    fenugreek seed

    Herb seed. Trace inclusion, mostly for flavor and label appeal.

  17. 17
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  18. 18
    l-carnitine

    Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.

15 of 18 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.