Calibra

Calibra Life Fresh Beef Starter & Puppy review

Name: Calibra Life Fresh Beef Starter & Puppy
Brand: Calibra

71.4/100Excellent

DryPuppy

The richest of Calibra's beef growth bags, and in our Excellent band. Beef comes in three forms (dried protein, fresh meat and its own fat), so every animal ingredient is one species. Calcium is printed and traced to a named source, egg shells.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Pups of any build. The label runs from toy breeds to giants
A pup that will grow big, with calcium at 1.21% of dry matter
Hard-growing young dogs: 398 kcal per 100g against 376 for a typical puppy kibble
Gut support from the start, with two prebiotics and an inactivated Lactobacillus culture
Named fats only: beef fat, 2% salmon oil, 0.3% algae oil

Worth watching

Rice at 23%, so there is grain
Salmon oil and egg shells rule out a strict fish-free or egg-free plan
Energy dense, so weigh a calmer pup's meals
No glucosamine or chondroitin, unlike the large-breed bag in the family

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

How this scores

How we score

71.4/100Excellent

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueExcellent

The details

Dog fit

Listed for puppies of every size, from weaning on. Start from the bag's chart, then let the ribs and waistline set the amount week by week.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Beef

The score, in context

Calibra Life Fresh Beef Starter & Puppy 71.4

All one Excellent. Typical dry food: Good.

Almost nothing on this label is left to trust, and that is most of why it clears the typical puppy kibble.

What's in it

Beef protein29%A dried concentrate, water already out.
Fresh beef26%Weighed wet.
Rice23%The lightest cereal share in the beef family.
Beef fat10%Most of the energy, preserved with tocopherols.
Dried apple pulp6%The fibre.
Hydrolysed yeasts, salmon oil2% eachSalmon oil for the long-chain omega 3.
Egg shells1%The calcium source, named.
Pea flour
Algae oil, dried blackcurrant0.3%, 0.2%A plant source of omega 3 alongside the salmon.
Prebiotics, rosemary, thyme, yucca, Lactobacillus helveticus120 mg/kg down to 70 mg/kg

A fully dosed vitamin panel and trace elements mostly in organic form, zinc, iron and copper among them.

Named ingredients

Beef protein (29 %), fresh beef (26 %), rice (23 %), beef fat (preserved with tocopherols, 10 %), dried apple pulp (6 %), hydrolysed yeasts (2 %), salmon oil (2 %), egg shells (a source of calcium, 1 %), pea flour, algae oil (0.3 %, Schizochytrium limacinum), 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).

Against the range

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

398 kcal/100g

Protein

30%

Fat

17%

Fibre

1.8%

Ash

6.2%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

33%

Fat

18.7%

Fibre

Ash

6.8%

Carbs

39.5%

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

58.9%

Carbs

25.5%

Veg

Oils

5.3%

Other

4.4%

Pricing & size

Price per kilo: £4.99 (RRP)
Pack: 100g, 750g, 2.5kg, 12kg, 20 kg (sold under the trade name "Calibra Dog Breeder Starter & Puppy Fresh Beef 20kg" - https://calibrastore.co.uk/products/calibra-dog-breeder-starter-puppy-fresh-beef-20kg)
A 15kg dog eats (our estimate): 190 to 230 g a day, 210 in the middle
Cost per day, 15kg dog: £1.05

Mid-market for a dry food, and fair value for the quality.

Ingredients and nutrition are taken from manufacturer data. Retailer pricing is not yet live for this food.