Calibra Life Fresh Beef Adult Medium review

Under our scoring this recipe reaches the Good band, the same band where the typical adult dry food settles. Full species naming, a real fresh meat share and dosed extras do the lifting, and while protein and processing, nutritional balance and value all read Good, transparency reaches Outstanding.

Ingredients, as declared: beef protein (27 %), fresh beef (26 %), rice (26 %), dried apple pulp (8 %), beef fat (preserved with tocopherols, 7 %), hydrolysed yeasts (2 %), salmon oil (2 %), egg shells (a source of calcium, 1 %), pea flour, dried blackcurrant (0.2 %), mannan-oligosaccharides (120 mg/kg), dried rosemary (100 mg/kg), dried thyme (100 mg/kg), Mojave yucca (80 mg/kg), fructo-oligosaccharides (70 mg/kg), inactivated bacteria and parts thereof (Lactobacillus helveticus HA - 122, 15 x 109 cells/kg).

The double beef entry, concentrated protein at 27% and fresh beef at 26%, gives the recipe both substance and taste. The dried form is what survives cooking, the fresh form is why the bowl empties, and protein converts to a healthy 29.7% of dry matter.

Rice at 26% is the only grain, backed by pea flour. Estimated carbohydrate converts to 45.6% of dry matter, just under the 46.2% typical of adult dry food.

Beef fat at 7% means even the fat is named to species, a courtesy plenty of labels skip. Marine omega 3s arrive with salmon oil at 2%. Egg shells at 1% supply a food-derived calcium that finishes at 1.21% of dry matter.

Dried apple pulp at 8% looks after fibre, dried blackcurrant adds an antioxidant note at 0.2%, and hydrolysed yeasts at 2% deepen the flavour. There is no added joint supplement in this recipe, worth knowing if that is on your shopping list.

Gut support comes dosed: mannan-oligosaccharides at 120 mg/kg, fructo-oligosaccharides at 70 mg/kg and an inactivated Lactobacillus helveticus strain. Mojave yucca at 80 mg/kg comes along for stool odour. The chelated trace minerals each carry their dose on the label.

£4.99 a kilo, in 100g, 2.5kg and 12kg bags plus a 20kg option sold under the Calibra Dog Breeder name.

Day to day, a 15kg adult dog in moderate condition gets through about 222 grams, around £1.11, based on the standard maintenance estimate of 840 kcal (110 × bodyweight^0.75).