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Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Duck & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag
Wellness

Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Duck & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.42/lb

Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Adult Wholesome Grains Natural Duck & Oatmeal Dry Dog Food, 26-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 59/100 (C) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Primary concern: low protein quality. duck delivers limited bioavailable amino acids..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

AAFCO formulation inferred from declared adult maintenance. Verbatim statement not published by retailer.

ACF

Premium micronutrient forms such as chelated minerals or natural vitamin E.

MNI

Low protein quality. duck delivers limited bioavailable amino acids.

PQI

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • 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: 23% ⓘ
Protein
21%
min (as fed)
Fat
11%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4.75%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

44 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    duck

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

  2. 2
    oatmeal

    Gentle on the stomach. Slow-release carbs and soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  3. 3
    peas

    Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →

  4. 4
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  5. 5
    potato protein

    Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  6. 6
    dried plain beet pulp

    Beet fiber, with the sugar removed. Long unfairly maligned. It's a real soluble fiber that supports stool quality.

  7. 7
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  8. 8
    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.

  9. 9
    dicalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.

  10. 10
    calcium carbonate

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

  11. 11
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  12. 12
    dried chicory root

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

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

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

  14. 14
    taurine

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

  15. 15
    choline chloride

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

  16. 16
    vitamin e supplement

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

  17. 17
    mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness

    Natural vitamin E used as a preservative. The good kind of antioxidant on a label.

  18. 18
    niacin supplement

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

  19. 19
    zinc proteinate

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

  20. 20
    ferrous sulfate

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

  21. 21
    zinc sulfate

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

  22. 22
    iron proteinate

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

  23. 23
    vitamin a supplement

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

  24. 24
    thiamine mononitrate

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

  25. 25
    d-calcium pantothenate

    B vitamin (B5). Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

Showing first 25 of 44. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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