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Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets CN Critical Nutrition Wet Dog & Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets

CN Critical Nutrition Wet Dog & Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $10.42/lb

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets CN Critical Nutrition Wet Dog & Cat Food, 5.5-oz, case of 24 earns a Sniff Score of 44/100 (D) with Fair evidence. 3 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 64 due to 3 WATCH ingredients.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.

ACF

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

STACK

Score capped at 64 due to 3 WATCH ingredients.

CAP why?

Contains menadione. Banned for human OTC use but tolerated at AAFCO-permitted levels in pet food. The only AAFCO-permitted vitamin K source..

CIP

Contains meat by-products. Unnamed by-products lack species traceability. Named by-products (chicken by-products) are CLEAR..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 3

  • meat by-products
    Unspecified species. AAFCO definition allows organs, blood, bone. but the lack of a named source means quality and consistency are not auditable.
  • menadione
    Synthetic vitamin K3. Banned in human supplements due to toxicity concerns at high doses. Permitted in pet food but premium brands use natural vitamin K alternatives.
  • 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: 38% ⓘ
Protein
9.5%
min (as fed)
Fat
7.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
75%
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 38%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

73 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

  2. 2
    meat by-products Flagged

    Unnamed organ meats and tissue. Could be nutritious, but no species is listed, so quality varies by batch.

  3. 3
    beef

    Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

  4. 4
    liver

    Generic liver, usually chicken or beef. Among the most nutrient-dense ingredients a dog can eat. Named species is more informative.

  5. 5
    poultry giblets
  6. 6
    corn oil
  7. 7
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  8. 8
    salmon

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

  9. 9
    artificial and natural flavors
  10. 10
    pork fat

    Real animal fat from a named species. Clean energy source.

  11. 11
    tricalcium phosphate

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

  12. 12
    potassium chloride

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

  13. 13
    guar gum

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

  14. 14
    oat hulls
  15. 15
    calcium sulfate

    Source of calcium. Functional, required for AAFCO-complete formulas.

  16. 16
    magnesium sulfate

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

  17. 17
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  18. 18
    taurine

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

  19. 19
    vitamin e supplement

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

  20. 20
    choline chloride

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

  21. 21
    zinc sulfate

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

  22. 22
    thiamine mononitrate

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

  23. 23
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  24. 24
    niacin supplement

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

  25. 25
    copper sulfate

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

Showing first 25 of 73. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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