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Wholemade Grain Free Fish
The Honest Kitchen

Wholemade Grain Free Fish

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $74.99 / 4-lb bag Data verified from brand site

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

The Honest Kitchen Wholemade Grain Free Fish is a dry food built around white fish, and it's formulated to be grain-free.

This food uses quality carbohydrate sources that provide fermentable fiber. It also includes eggs and named fish, like white fish, for diverse, highly bioavailable protein. The formula is inferred to meet AAFCO nutritional standards.

The main thing to watch for is the lack of a declared omega-3 source. Common sources like fish oil, salmon oil, or algae oil are all absent from the ingredient list.

Good fit for adult dogs who need a grain-free diet. Less ideal if you're looking for a guaranteed source of omega-3s.

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. White fish leads the deck, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 13. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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

Sniff scored this formula 58/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+15 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. The biggest detractor was fat quality (-8 points): No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. The gap to B-tier is small (2.0 points). Addressing fat quality would likely close it.

What lifted the score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

STACK

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF
What pulled it down

No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.

FQI
What sets this apart
  • Lowest fat quality in The Honest Kitchen's lineup (4/16)
  • Top 4% for carb quality in grain-free dry kibbles (15/16)
  • Bottom 2% for DMB fat in grain-free dry kibbles (9.3%)

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
Wholemade Whole Grain Turkey & White Fish
The Honest Kitchen

Wholemade Whole Grain Turkey & White Fish

66

Scores 8 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Best value
Lower price, comparable score
The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Grain-Free Chicken Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag
The Honest Kitchen

The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Grain-Free Chicken Whole Food Clusters Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bag

59

$4.65/lb vs your seed's $18.75/lb (75% 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: 35% ⓘ
Protein
32%
min (as fed)
Fat
8.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5.8%
max (as fed)
Moisture
8.9%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

27 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    white fish

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

  2. 2
    sweet potato

    Complex carb with fiber and beta-carotene. Gentle on the stomach.

    Position 2: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  3. 3
    eggs

    Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.

    Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.

  4. 4
    pumpkin

    Soluble fiber that supports stool quality. Mild and well-tolerated.

    Position 4: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.

  5. 5
    coconut
  6. 6
    bananas
  7. 7
    apples

    Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.

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

  8. 8
    cabbage

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

  9. 9
    tricalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.

  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
    parsley

    Real herb. Trace amount of vitamins K and C. The dose in kibble is small, mostly there for label appeal.

  12. 12
    minerals
  13. 13
    taurine

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

  14. 14
    vitamins
  15. 15
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

    Position 15: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.

  16. 16
    garlic
  17. 17
    choline chloride. vitamins: vitamin e supplement
  18. 18
    vitamin b12 supplement

    Essential for red blood cell formation and neurological function. Plant ingredients lack B12, so it has to be added.

  19. 19
    calcium pantothenate

    Same as d-calcium pantothenate. Vitamin B5 in standardized form.

  20. 20
    vitamin d3 supplement

    The active form of vitamin D dogs need. Required for calcium absorption and bone health.

  21. 21
    thiamine mononitrate

    B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.

  22. 22
    riboflavin . minerals: potassium chloride
  23. 23
    iron amino acid chelate

    Iron bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  24. 24
    zinc amino acid chelate

    Zinc bound to amino acids for better absorption. Same idea as zinc proteinate, the premium form of the mineral.

  25. 25
    copper amino acid chelate

    Copper bound to amino acids for better absorption. Premium form versus copper sulfate.

Showing first 25 of 27. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

16 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.