Old Mother Hubbard Classic Liv’R’Crunch (Liver, Eggs, Apples & Carrots0
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Classic Liv’R’Crunch is a dry food with chicken liver as a primary protein, also featuring eggs, apples, and carrots.
This formula uses quality carbohydrate sources that also declare their fiber content. It also includes organ meat like chicken liver and eggs, which are good for diverse, highly bioavailable protein.
The formula is plant-protein-dominated, with wheat flour as the first ingredient. It also contains added sugar from cane molasses, which isn't nutritionally necessary. The protein and fat levels are quite low.
Hard to recommend for most dogs due to the low protein and fat content and the presence of added sugar.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for active large sporting breeds, including the Golden Retriever, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken liver anchors position 3, 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 41/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. A hard cap of 49 also applied because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address protein quality as well.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
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.
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 grain-inclusive dry kibbles (7.9%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in Wellness's lineup (6.2% DMB)
- Bottom 10% for protein quality in Wellness's lineup (5.6/27)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
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Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
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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.
- 2grainoatmeal
Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 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.
- 4wheat bran
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5cane molasses
Added sugar from sugar cane. Used for palatability or texture. Dogs don't need added sugar.
- 6fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7eggs
Whole eggs. The highest-quality protein on any ingredient label by amino acid score.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
Position 8: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 9vegetablecarrots
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.
- 10othernatural flavor
Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.
- 11mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 12preservative 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.
- 13preservative naturalrosemary extract
Natural preservative. Replaces synthetic ones like BHA and BHT.
Natural preservative. Methodologically preferred over synthetic alternatives.
- 14supplementgreen tea extract
- 15spearmint extract
12 of 15 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.