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Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, 12 count
Nature's Recipe

Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, 12 count

Evidence Fair
wet $3.93/lb

Nature's Recipe Grain-Free Salmon, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, 12 count earns a Sniff Score of 55/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 2 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

STACK

Score capped at 59 due to no AAFCO statement.

CAP why?

No AAFCO statement. Nutritional completeness unverified.

ACF

Contains carrageenan. Plausible rodent colitis mechanism, no direct canine clinical evidence at food-grade levels. Concern elevated for dogs with IBD..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 2

  • carrageenan
    Seaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.
  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 36% ⓘ
Protein
8%
min (as fed)
Fat
5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
78%
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 36%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

27 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

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

  2. 2
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  3. 3
    chicken broth

    Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.

  4. 4
    turkey broth

    Real broth from named meat. Adds flavor and moisture, signals a recipe that leans on real meat.

  5. 5
    sweet potato

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

  6. 6
    pumpkin

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

  7. 7
    chicken liver

    Organ meat. Dense in protein, iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins. Among the most nutrient-rich ingredients a dog can eat.

  8. 8
    apple

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

  9. 9
    ground fish
  10. 10
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  11. 11
    turkey

    Real meat. Lean protein, good amino acid profile, often well-tolerated by dogs sensitive to chicken.

  12. 12
    canola oil

    Plant oil. Some omega-3 from the parent plant, though dogs absorb it less efficiently than fish-derived omega-3. Fine in moderation.

  13. 13
    salt

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

  14. 14
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet.

  15. 15
    carrageenan Flagged

    Seaweed-derived thickener. Some lab studies suggest gut inflammation, but the evidence in pets is mixed.

  16. 16
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

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

  18. 18
    zinc proteinate

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

  19. 19
    zinc sulfate

    Inorganic zinc. Effective at AAFCO doses but less well-absorbed than chelated forms like zinc proteinate.

  20. 20
    iron sulfate
  21. 21
    iron proteinate

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

  22. 22
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  23. 23
    copper proteinate

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

  24. 24
    sodium selenite Flagged

    Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →

  25. 25
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

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

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