Ava

Ava Large Breed Puppy review

Name: Ava Large Breed Puppy
Brand: Ava

64.8/100Good

DryPuppy

A Good chicken-led kibble for a big dog's first months, and a plain-speaking one. The chicken share is split into its parts, so you can see that 24.5% is meal and 17.5% fresh meat. Calcium is printed too, at 1.63% of dry matter, which puts you ahead of most puppy labels.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Large breed puppies in their first months, the dog this recipe names
Chicken-friendly pups. The bird makes up 51% of the recipe
Owners who want a calcium figure on the label to work from
Early joint attention, with glucosamine at 0.04% and chondroitin at 0.03% named
A young gut, helped by chicory root extract and yeasts for their prebiotics

Worth watching

Calcium at 1.63% of dry matter is a touch over the usual large breed aim, so check it with your vet for a giant-framed pup
Brown rice at 22.5% and maize at 13.5%, so it is no fit for a grain-free home
Salmon oil puts fish into a chicken bowl

Written by our editorial team. Independent guidance, not veterinary advice.

How this scores

How we score

64.8/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large breed puppies. Read the pack's chart against age and expected adult size, and adjust in small steps as the pup grows.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Large

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Ava Large Breed Puppy 64.8

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Nothing here falls over, and what holds the score back is spread thinly: a cereal-led base, calcium a shade high for big pups and an energy figure we had to estimate.

What's in it

Chicken meal24.5%Dried meat, so its share arrives more or less intact in the kibble.
Fresh chicken, chicken fat, chicken gravy17.5%, 6.5%, 2.5%The fresh meat loses most of its water in cooking. All four chicken parts add up to 51%.
Brown rice22.5%The main starch.
Maize13.5%
Beet pulp5%A well-tolerated fibre.
Whole dried eggProtein a puppy uses easily.
Salmon oilMarine omega 3 for skin, coat and brain, and the reason fish is on a chicken label.
Brewers yeast, minerals
Chicory root extract, yeasts0.16%, 0.11%Prebiotics, a sensible pairing for a young digestion.
Glucosamine, chondroitin, yucca, cranberry, green tea, pomegranate0.04% down to 0.005%The joint pair reads as gentle ongoing support, short of a working dose.

Vitamins A, D3 and E, with zinc and manganese as protein hydrolysate chelates, copper as an amino acid chelate and selenium from yeast.

Calcium at 1.63% of dry matter sits above the usual large breed mark. Raise it with your vet for a giant-framed puppy.

Named ingredients

Chicken (51%) (Chicken Meal 24.5%, Fresh Chicken 17.5%, Chicken Fat 6.5%, Chicken Gravy (2.5%), Brown Rice (22.5%), Maize (13.5%), Beet Pulp (5%), Whole Dried Egg, Salmon Oil, Brewers Yeast, Minerals, Chicory Root Extrat (as a source of Prebiotic Frutooligosaccharide) 0.16%, Yeasts (as a source of Beta-glucans and Prebiotic Mannanoligosaccharide) (0.11%), Glucosamine (0.04%), Chondroitin (0.03%, Yucca Extract (0.02%), Cranberry Extract (0.01%), Green Tea Extract (0.005%), Pomegranate Extract (0.005%)

Against the range

A single growth kibble for large breed puppies. Chicken makes up 51% of it, itemised as meal, fresh meat, fat and gravy, with brown rice and maize as the cereal base. Calcium is declared, and the label prints a percentage beside every extract.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

373.8 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

28%

Fat

17%

Fibre

2.5%

Ash

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

30.4%

Fat

18.5%

Fibre

2.7%

Ash

7.6%

Carbs

40.8%

As-fed composition

Estimated breakdown of the finished product by ingredient category, from the declared ingredient list and ingoing weights. These are estimates, not measurements.

Oils

100%

Pricing & size