Lickable Treats Chicken Recipe Made with Broth
Graded by The Sniff System
Wellness Lickable Treats Chicken Recipe Made with Broth is a wet treat featuring chicken and chicken liver, designed for supplemental feeding.
This wet treat offers good protein quality from chicken, providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and chicken liver adds diverse, high-bioavailability protein.
A notable watch item is the absence of a declared omega-3 source. The recipe also contains guar gum, an emulsifier with emerging microbiome data, though canine clinical evidence is not yet established.
Good fit for adult dogs as an occasional treat. Less ideal if you're looking for a treat with a clear omega-3 source.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 13 and chicken liver at position 4 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 52/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+14 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was fat quality (-8 points): No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. To reach B-tier, this formula would need to gain about 8 points, most likely through fat quality.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Includes egg, named fish, or organ meat for diverse high-bioavailability protein.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest fat quality in Wellness's lineup (4/16)
- Top 3% for DMB protein in Wellness's lineup (56.7%)
- Bottom 3% for DMB fat in grain-free wet foods (9.0%)
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.
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 57%, 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.
- 2fish broth
- 3water sufficient for processing
The regulatory phrase for cooking water in wet food. Has no nutritional implication, just labeling formality.
- 4protein 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 4. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 5tapioca starch
Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.
- 6fatsunflower oil
Common plant oil. Useful in moderation for omega-6, though too much skews the omega ratio against the dog's favor.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7mineraltricalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus source. Same role as dicalcium phosphate, slightly different ratio.
- 8marine microalgae oil
Plant-source omega-3 from algae. Useful especially in vegetarian or limited-fish formulas.
Position 8. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 9fiberdried chicory root
Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.
Position 9: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 10fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
Position 10: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 11mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 14mineralmagnesium sulfate
Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16vitaminvitamin e supplement
Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.
- 17mineralzinc proteinate
Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.
- 18vitaminthiamine mononitrate
B vitamin (B1). Essential for nervous system function. Cooked-in vitamin loss is why thiamine is always added back.
- 19vitaminniacin supplement
B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.
- 20mineraliron proteinate
Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.
- 21mineralcopper proteinate
Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.
- 22mineralmanganese proteinate
Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.
- 23vitaminvitamin a supplement
Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.
- 24vitaminpyridoxine hydrochloride
B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.
- 25vitamind-calcium pantothenate
B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.