Chicken & Super Greens Butcher Block Pâté
Graded by The Sniff System
The Honest Kitchen Chicken & Super Greens Butcher Block Pâté is a wet food featuring chicken and chicken liver.
This recipe uses quality fat sources, including marine oil for EPA and DHA, which are good for overall health. It also includes chicken liver, providing diverse, highly bioavailable protein. The formulation is inferred to meet AAFCO standards, even if the verbatim statement isn't published.
The ingredient deck includes sodium selenite. This is a synthetic form of selenium, which some owners prefer to avoid.
Good fit for dogs who enjoy a pâté texture and benefit from diverse protein. Less ideal if you prefer foods without synthetic minerals.
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. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor). 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 62/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Fat quality did the heavy lifting (+12 points): Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source). The supporting beat: ingredient diversity (+5 points). Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (14 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").
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Lowest carb quality in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (9/16)
- Top 5% for DMB fat in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (31.8%)
- Bottom 2% for crude fiber in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (4.5% DMB)
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.
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 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.
- 3protein animalchicken liver
Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4vegetablebroccoli
Real vegetable. Adds fiber and some antioxidants. Fine in the small amounts used in kibble.
Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 5vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6vegetablekale
Leafy green with antioxidants and fiber. Small dose in kibble, but it's not just for marketing.
Position 6: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 7vegetablespinach
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.
- 8agar-agar
Seaweed-derived gel used as a thickener. Functional alternative to carrageenan, generally well-tolerated.
- 9mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 10mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 11mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 12mineralsodium 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 →
- 13mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 14mineralsodium chloride
Same as salt. Required mineral, necessary at small doses.
- 15mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 16mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 17magnesium proteinate
Magnesium bound to protein for better absorption. The premium chelated form.
- 18mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 19fatsalmon oil
Pure omega-3s. The thing skin-and-coat formulas are usually built around.
- 20supplementdried kelp
Natural source of iodine and trace minerals. A common premium-brand inclusion.
19 of 20 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.