Calibra

Calibra Life Fresh Beef Senior Large review

Name: Calibra Life Fresh Beef Senior Large
Brand: Calibra

67.6/100Good

DryAdultSenior

A beef and rice kibble for big dogs in their later years, and a fair one, landing in our Good band. The beef is split honestly on the label, 26% dried beef protein beside 26% fresh beef. Every senior extra comes with its dose printed.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Large breeds in their senior years, the dog the recipe is sized for
Ageing hips and elbows: glucosamine at 310 mg/kg and chondroitin at 210 mg/kg
Dogs that do best on beef, the only meat on the list
Owners who like digestive care in print, from MOS and FOS to a heat-treated Lactobacillus culture

Worth watching

Salmon oil supplies the omega 3s, so it is not fish free
Rice matches each beef entry at 26%. Carbohydrate is moderate, at 49.5% of dry matter

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

How this scores

How we score

67.6/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceAverage

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for large adults and seniors. The label's own feeding table starts at 30kg, so scale down for a smaller dog and watch the waistline.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Breed size

Large

Main protein

Beef

The score, in context

Calibra Life Fresh Beef Senior Large 67.6

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

A well-declared label and a genuine beef share do the work here, while nutritional balance holds it back at Average.

What's in it

Beef protein26%Dried, so it keeps its weight through the oven and carries most of the kibble's protein.
Fresh beef26%Brings flavour. Most of its water goes in cooking.
Rice26%The only grain, and the binder.
Dried apple pulp10.5%Gentle fibre.
Beef fat5%Named, and preserved with tocopherols.
Hydrolysed yeasts, salmon oil2% eachSalmon oil adds the long-chain omega 3s.
Egg shells1%Calcium in a food-derived form. Relevant only to the rare dog with a true egg allergy.
Pea flour, milk thistle seed0.5% (milk thistle)Milk thistle is a herb traditionally chosen with older livers in mind.
Glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate310 mg/kg, 210 mg/kg
Prebiotics, Lactobacillus culture, blackcurrant, rosemary, thyme, Mojave yuccaMOS at 120 mg/kg and FOS at 70 mg/kg, with a heat-treated Lactobacillus helveticus.

A full vitamin set, and every added trace mineral in an organic form, the type generally absorbed more readily.

Calcium converts to 1.21% of dry matter, inside the range for a large dog.

Named ingredients

Beef protein (26 %), fresh beef (26 %), rice (26 %), dried apple pulp (10.5 %), beef fat (preserved with tocopherols, 5 %), hydrolysed yeasts (2 %), salmon oil (2 %), egg shells (a source of calcium, 1 %), pea flour, milk thistle seed (0.5 %), dried blackcurrant (0.2 %), glucosamine (310 mg/kg), chondroitine sulphate (210 mg/kg), 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).

Against the range

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

363 kcal/100g

Protein

25%

Fat

12%

Fibre

3.5%

Ash

5.5%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

27.5%

Fat

13.2%

Fibre

3.8%

Ash

Carbs

49.5%

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.

Meat

54.3%

Carbs

27.5%

Veg

10.5%

Oils

3.7%

Other

Pricing & size