Calibra

Calibra Verve Senior Small Breed review

Name: Calibra Verve Senior Small Breed
Brand: Calibra

69.6/100Good

DryAdultSenior

A grain-free senior kibble for small breeds, in our Good band. Fresh chicken leads at 30%, but the dried duck protein at 26% does more of the work in the finished kibble. Below them the label stacks up a dosed joint set, three printed prebiotics and a few botanicals.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Small dogs getting on a bit. The portions and the recipe are built around them
Stiffer older dogs, with glucosamine at 260 mg/kg, chondroitin at 160 mg/kg and green-lipped mussel extract at 50 mg/kg
Seniors that do better without grain; potatoes at 16% do the binding
Owners who want gut support in print, from three prebiotics with doses
A fading appetite, which is what the hydrolysed chicken liver is for

Worth watching

Poultry fat and hydrolysed poultry protein stop at the bird family, which is not enough for a strict single-species plan
Salmon oil at 2% means fish is present
Chicken and duck head the list, one to weigh for a dog that reacts to poultry

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

How this scores

How we score

69.6/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for small-breed adults and seniors. The label's own table asks 130 grams a day at 10kg and 35 grams at 1kg, so weigh the dog before the first bag.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Breed size

Small

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Calibra Verve Senior Small Breed 69.6

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Construction lifts this within its band: two named animals up top, a modest starch share and a supplement deck dosed in print.

What's in it

Fresh deboned chicken30%Mostly water, which the oven takes away.
Duck protein26%The concentrated dried entry, doing a large share of the work.
Potatoes16%The starch, with no grain on the list.
Poultry fatNamed only to the bird family.
Pumpkin, peas4% each
Apple pulp dried, hydrolysed poultry protein, yeasts3%, 3%The poultry protein is the second family-level entry.
Hydrolysed chicken liver2%For an ageing appetite.
Salmon oil2%Marine omega 3s. Not fish free.
Milk thistle seed, pineapple dried0.1% eachA token amount of milk thistle.
Prebiotics, glucosamine, chondroitin, yucca, Boswellia, green-lipped mussel50 to 260 mg/kgA genuinely dosed joint and comfort set.

Every trace mineral printed with its dose, zinc at 90 mg and iron at 75 mg per kilo among them, in organic chelated forms usually chosen for better uptake.

Named ingredients

Fresh deboned chicken (30 %), duck protein (26 %), potatoes (16 %), poultry fat, pumpkin (4 %), peas (4 %), apple pulp dried (3 %), hydrolysed poultry protein (3 %), yeasts, hydrolysed chicken liver (2 %), salmon oil (2 %), milk thistle seed (0.1 %), pineapple dried (0.1 %), prebiotics (mannan-oligosaccharides 150 mg/kg, β-glucans 120 mg/kg, fructo-oligosaccharides 100 mg/kg), glucosamine (260 mg/kg), chondroitine sulphate (160 mg/kg), Mojave yucca (100 mg/kg), Boswellia serrata dried (80 mg/kg), green-lipped mussels extract (Perna canaliculus, 50 mg/kg).

Against the range

One grain-free kibble for small dogs in their later years, with two named animal sources at the top and the senior extras dosed in print.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

371 kcal/100g

Protein

28%

Fat

15%

Fibre

Ash

Moisture

10%

Dry weight

Protein

31.1%

Fat

16.7%

Fibre

3.3%

Ash

8.9%

Carbs

40%

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

61.3%

Carbs

20%

Veg

Oils

5.5%

Other

6.2%

Pricing & size