Dr John

Dr John Grain Free review

Name: Dr John Grain Free
Brand: Dr John

65/100Good

DryPuppyAdult

A grain-free kibble that opens on poultry meal declaring 33% chicken, with sweet and white potato in place of cereal. Green-lipped mussel extract sits in the tail for the joints. It lands in our Good band, level with the typical adult dry food, and the label covers puppies too.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Homes where grain is out
Older or stiffening dogs, with green-lipped mussel extract on the list
A puppy and an adult sharing one bag
Owners who want the meat share spelled out, 33% chicken inside the meal

Worth watching

Green-lipped mussel is shellfish, so not for a dog kept off marine sources
No calcium declared, the number a large breed puppy needs most

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

How this scores

How we score

65/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceAverage

TransparencyGood

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for puppies and adults of every size. For a large breed puppy, ask the maker for the calcium figure before relying on it for growth.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy, Adult

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Dr John Grain Free 65.0

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Built on construction more than flourish: a third chicken meal and starch kept in proportion.

What's in it

Poultry meal33% chickenDried and concentrated, so this third is dense protein, not water.
Sweet potato15%Beta carotene and a slower-release starch.
White potato11%The plainer binder. Neither potato carries gluten.
Chicken fat, chicken gravy
Vegetables6% peasFibre and a little plant protein; the rest of the line is unnamed.
Beet pulp, alfalfa1.5% beet pulpA moderate fermentable fibre, and plant minerals.
Potato proteinLifts the protein figure, so not every point of the 25.0% is chicken.
Minerals, linseedLinseed for plant omega 3.
Sage, oregano, mint, rosemary, turmeric, gingerSeasoning more than substance.
Green-lipped mussel extract, yucca extractMussel for its omega 3 profile and the joints; yucca for a less pungent garden.

Calcium is not declared. For large breed puppy growth, ask the maker.

Named ingredients

Poultry meal (33% chicken), sweet potato (15%), white potato (11%), chicken fat, vegetables (6% peas), chicken gravy, beet pulp (1.5%), alfalfa, potato protein, minerals, linseed, mixed herbs (sage, oregano, mint, rosemary, turmeric and ginger), New Zealand green-lipped mussel extract, yucca extract.

Against the range

A single grain-free kibble. Poultry meal declaring 33% chicken leads, sweet potato at 15% and white potato at 11% do the binding, and peas at 6% sit inside an otherwise unnamed vegetables line. Green-lipped mussel extract, a six-herb blend and yucca close the list. No added vitamin or mineral panel is printed.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

336.5 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

25%

Fat

10.5%

Fibre

2.6%

Ash

7.25%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

27.5%

Fat

11.5%

Fibre

2.9%

Ash

Carbs

50.1%

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.

Meat

43%

Carbs

31.4%

Veg

12%

Oils

10.8%

Other

2.8%

Pricing & size