Ava Medium Breed Mature review

Good is where this food lands on our scale, and Good is where the typical adult dry food sits too, so read this as a solidly middle of the road result rather than a caution. The chicken share is honest and itemised, but three grains together push carbohydrate to 50.3% of dry matter, above the 46.2% typical for adult dry food. That is why protein and processing and nutritional balance each settle at Average, while transparency reads Outstanding and value Good. What the assessment cannot see is the senior tailoring, and for the right dog that is the reason to pick it.

Ingredients, as declared: Chicken (38.5%) (Chicken Meal 20.5%, Fresh Chicken 12.5%, Chicken Fat 3%, Chicken Gravy 2.5%), Rice (20%), Maize (17.5%), Whole Barley (9%), Beet Pulp (7.5%), Salmon Oil, Brewers Yeast, Whole Dried Egg, Minerals, Chicory Root Extract (as a source Pre-biotic Fructooligosaccharide) (0.16%), Yeasts (as a source of Beta-glucans and prebiotic Mannanoliogsaccharide) (0.11%), Glucosamine (0.06%), Chondroitin (0.045%), Yucca Extract (0.02%), Cranberry Extract (0.01%), Green Tea Extract (0.005%), Pomegranate Extract (0.005%)

Chicken leads at 38.5%, and the label prints the split: chicken meal at 20.5%, fresh chicken at 12.5%, then chicken fat and gravy. Meal is a dried, concentrated form that keeps its weight through the oven, so putting it first means the headline still holds once the kibble is baked. Protein finishes at 26.1% of dry matter, a moderate level that suits a dog easing off full throttle.

Three grains carry the starch: rice at 20%, whole barley at 9% and maize at 17.5%. Naming and dosing all three is more openness than much of the market manages, though between them grain is doing a substantial part of this recipe's work.

The mature thinking lives in the small print. Glucosamine at 0.06% and chondroitin at 0.045% are the standard supplementary pairing for ageing joints, and here they are dosed on the label. Beet pulp at 7.5%, chicory root extract and yeast derived prebiotics tend to digestion, while cranberry, green tea and pomegranate extracts add antioxidants at trace level.

Salmon oil brings omega 3 for skin and coat, and whole dried egg tops up protein quality. Both earn their place, and both add to the allergen list, which only matters if you are steering around fish or egg. The trace minerals come largely as chelates, generally the better absorbed form, with zinc at 64.2 mg per kilo at the head of the panel and selenium in its organic yeast form.

£5.45 a kilo, sold in a 2kg bag.

Fed to a 15kg dog in moderate condition, that works out at roughly 241 grams and £1.32 a day, taking the usual maintenance estimate of about 840 kcal a day (110 × bodyweight^0.75). The label's own table gives 155 to 260 grams for dogs between 10kg and 20kg, so start there and let body condition arbitrate.