Old Mother Hubbard Classic Chick’N’Apples (Chicken & Apples)
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Classic Chick’N’Apples (Chicken & Apples) is a dry food featuring chicken, though its life stage is not specified.
This food includes quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber, which can be beneficial for digestive health. The formula also appears to be AAFCO formulated, though the verbatim statement isn't published.
This formula is notably low in protein and fat on a dry matter basis, and wheat flour as the first ingredient points to a plant-protein-dominated profile. It also contains cane molasses, an added sugar with no nutritional justification.
Less ideal for active dogs or those needing a higher protein and fat diet, due to its low nutrient density and added sugar.
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 4, with zero pulses in the top 15. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Below-average grade. 42/100 (D) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. What capped it: the score can't exceed 49 because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. Removing the cap alone wouldn't change the band. Protein quality is the deeper issue.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
AAFCO formulation inferred from declared not stated. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. wheat flour as the #1 ingredient.
Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..
- Bottom 4% for DMB fat in Wellness's lineup (6.7%)
- Bottom 1% for crude fiber in Wellness's lineup (3.4% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (42/100)
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.
- 1wheat flour
Refined wheat, usually used as a binder. Cheap, not harmful, not a nutrition contributor.
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with wheat flour as the dominant carb.
- 2grainbarley
Whole grain with a low glycemic profile and some soluble fiber. Easy on blood sugar.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8cane molasses
Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.
- 9eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 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.
- 11supplementturmeric
Spice with anti-inflammatory compounds. Real research in humans, but the dose in kibble is small. Mostly there for label appeal.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13preservative naturalmixed 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.
- 14preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 15supplementgreen tea extract
- 16spearmint extract
14 of 16 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.