Skip to main content
snıff
Wellness

Lickable Treats Duck Recipe Made with Broth

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet Data verified from brand site

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Wellness Lickable Treats Duck Recipe Made with Broth is a wet treat featuring duck and chicken, designed for supplemental feeding.

This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources like tapioca starch, and it provides fermentable fiber from ingredients such as dried chicory root, which can be good for digestive health. It's also inferred to meet AAFCO nutritional standards.

The formula lacks a declared omega-3 source, with fish, salmon, and algae oils all absent. It also contains guar gum, an emulsifier with emerging microbiome data, though canine clinical evidence is not yet available.

Good fit for dogs who enjoy a wet, lickable treat. Nothing serious working against it for its intended purpose.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Duck anchors position 3, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus added taurine at position 6. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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

Middle-of-pack grade. 50/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+12 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What we'd flag for vet discussion: fat quality (-8 points). No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. B-tier is 10 points up. Fat quality is where to find them.

What lifted the score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..

CIP
What sets this apart
  • 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.

Similar dog foods worth considering

Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.

Better match
Higher score, similar formulation
Wellness

Wellness Complete Health Turkey & Duck

66

Scores 16 points higher with a similar formulation profile.

Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 57% ⓘ
Protein
8.5%
min (as fed)
Fat
1.35%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
85%
max

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).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

32 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    fish broth
  2. 2
    water sufficient for processing

    The regulatory phrase for cooking water in wet food. Has no nutritional implication, just labeling formality.

  3. 3
    duck

    Real meat. Often used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities to chicken or beef.

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

  4. 4
    chicken

    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.

  5. 5
    tapioca starch

    Refined cassava starch, used as a binder. Easy to digest, low on nutrition.

  6. 6
    taurine

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

  7. 7
    marine microalgae oil

    Plant-source omega-3 from algae. Useful especially in vegetarian or limited-fish formulas.

    Position 7. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.

  8. 8
    dried chicory root

    Natural prebiotic. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria. The same compound (inulin) used in human gut-health products.

    Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.

  9. 9
    tricalcium phosphate

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

  10. 10
    guar 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.

  11. 11
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  12. 12
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  13. 13
    magnesium sulfate

    Source of magnesium, a required mineral. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  14. 14
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  15. 15
    vitamin e supplement

    Required nutrient and a natural antioxidant. Often pulls double duty as a preservative.

  16. 16
    zinc proteinate

    Zinc bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form of the mineral, versus zinc oxide which sits cheaper on the label.

  17. 17
    thiamine mononitrate

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

  18. 18
    iron proteinate

    Iron bound to protein for better absorption. The premium form versus inorganic iron sulfate.

  19. 19
    niacin supplement

    B vitamin (B3). Required in complete dog foods, added as a supplement to standardize the dose.

  20. 20
    copper proteinate

    Copper bound to protein for better absorption. Common in better-formulated diets.

  21. 21
    manganese proteinate

    Manganese bound to protein for better absorption. The chelated form most premium brands use.

  22. 22
    l-carnitine

    Amino acid derivative that helps the body convert fat into energy. Common in weight-management formulas.

  23. 23
    vitamin a supplement

    Vitamin A in stable, standardized form. Required for vision, immune function, and growth.

  24. 24
    pyridoxine hydrochloride

    B vitamin (B6). Essential for protein metabolism. Standard inclusion in complete formulas.

  25. 25
    d-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.