Belcando

Belcando Finest Senior Grain-Free review

Name: Belcando Finest Senior Grain-Free
Brand: Belcando

45.4/100Average

DryAdultSenior

A poultry kibble for small and medium dogs entering their later years, and it finishes in our Average band. Amaranth stands in for cereal. The senior thinking is in the small print, from krill and chia to taurine at 500 mg.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Small and medium dogs moving into their senior years
Older dogs kept off grain, with amaranth and potato starch carrying the starch
Owners who want the senior extras in print: taurine dosed, krill for marine omega 3
Fussier older eaters. Hydrolysed poultry liver is there to keep the bowl interesting

Worth watching

No species on the poultry, so a strict plan for a known chicken problem cannot run on it
Krill and fish meal, so this is not fish free
Carbohydrate at an estimated 54.1% of dry matter, worth weighing for a dog that does better on meat

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

How this scores

How we score

45.4/100Average

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balancePoor

TransparencyExcellent

ValueAverage

The details

Dog fit

Listed for small and medium adults and seniors. If a particular bird is a problem for your dog, ask Belcando which ones the poultry covers.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Breed size

Small, Medium

Main protein

Poultry

The score, in context

Belcando Finest Senior Grain-Free 45.4

All one Average. Typical dry food: Good.

Cooked-out water, a heavy starch share and unnamed species keep it a band under the typical dry food, and none of that makes it a poor choice for the dog it names.

What's in it

Fresh poultry meat40%Fresh, so most of that weight leaves in the oven. Chicken, duck, goose or turkey: no species given.
Amaranth19%A pseudocereal, so the grain-free promise holds. More protein than cereal, no gluten.
Potato starch, pea flourThe binders.
Hydrolysed poultry liver4.5%A palatant to keep an older appetite engaged.
Low-ash dried poultry protein2.5%The modest dried backup.
Krill, hydrolysed gelatin, dried baker's yeast2.5% eachMarine omega 3 from the krill; gelatin as a collagen source for ageing joints.
Grape seed expeller, carob bean gum, beet pulpThe seed residue is an antioxidant source. The danger in grapes is the fruit.
Fish meal, poultry fat, chia seedsfish meal 2%Chia adds plant omega 3.
Calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, salts
Dried herbs, yuccaherbs 0.2%Seasoning, and the label prints the percentage that says so.

Taurine at 500 mg for the heart, with zinc, manganese and iron in their standard forms and selenium as sodium selenite.

Calcium works out at 0.89% of dry matter, a comfortable adult level.

Named ingredients

Fresh poultry meat (40%); Amaranth (19%); Potato starch; Pea flour; Hydrolyzed poultry liver (4.5%); Low-ash dried poultry protein (2.5%); Ground sea zooplankton (Krill, 2.5%); Hydrolyzed gelatin (2.5%); Dried baker's yeast (2.5%); Grape seed expeller; Dried carob bean gum; De-sugared dried beet pulp; Fish meal from marine fish (2%); Poultry fat; Chia seeds; Calcium carbonate; Dicalcium phosphate; Potassium chloride; Sodium chloride; Dried herbs (total: 0.2%; Nettle leaf, Gentian root, Centaury, Chamomile, Fennel, Caraway, Mistletoe, Yarrow, Blackberry leaves); Yucca schidigera

Against the range

One senior kibble for small and medium breeds. Fresh poultry leads, amaranth replaces cereal, and the smaller entries carry the senior touches: krill, chia, hydrolysed gelatin and dosed taurine. The poultry is never pinned to a species.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

340.7 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

19.5%

Fat

12%

Fibre

4.3%

Ash

5.5%

Moisture

10%

Dry weight

Protein

21.7%

Fat

13.3%

Fibre

4.8%

Ash

6.1%

Carbs

54.1%

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