Dr Veneta

Dr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Young review

Name: Dr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Young
Brand: Dr Veneta

89.1/100Outstanding

Freeze-driedPuppyAdult

Pork at 80.2% makes this about as single-minded as a recipe gets, and pork is a meat most dogs have never been offered. Freeze drying leaves 1.4% moisture and 553 kcal in every 100g, so portions are small. Outstanding band, just above the middle of the freeze-dried field.

Where to buy: coming soon

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Our view

Likely to suit

Dogs due a fresh start on protein. Pork rarely turns up in anything they will have eaten
One animal doing the work: pork alone is 80.2% of the recipe
Hungry, hard-running dogs, at 553 kcal per 100g
Puppies through to seniors, as every life stage is named on the pack
Homes short of freezer space; the bag is shelf stable
No grain, potato or pulse anywhere on the label

Worth watching

Marine collagen means pork is not the only animal on the list
Fat at 45.4%, so a dog carrying a little extra needs its portions weighed
Calcium converts to 0.67% of dry matter, a figure for a large-breed puppy owner to raise with the maker

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

How this scores

How we score

89.1/100Outstanding

Protein and processingOutstanding

Nutritional balanceOutstanding

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueOutstanding

The details

Dog fit

Listed for puppies, adults and seniors of every size. The food is dense, so weigh each portion on the scales in the first week of the switch.

Food type

Freeze-dried

Life stage

Puppy, Adult, Senior

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Pork

The score, in context

Dr Veneta Freeze-Dried Stay Young 89.1

All one Outstanding. Typical dry food: Good.

Clearing the middle of the freeze-dried field takes some doing, and better than four fifths of the recipe being pork is how this one does it.

What's in it

Pork80.2%Very nearly the whole recipe, and a novel protein for a great many dogs. Freeze drying keeps its palatability.
Pumpkin, pear7.5% eachSoluble fibre and a little natural sweetness.
Cranberry2%
Beet pulp, seaweedSomething for the prebiotics to ferment, and iodine with trace minerals.
Fermented Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chicory rootMOS and beta glucans, then FOS.
Marine collagenA second, marine animal on the list.
Glucosamine, chondroitin sulphateFor the joints.
Yucca, dandelion root, green tea, hawthorn leaf, boswellia
Ginger, turmeric, black pepperA warm finish; turmeric and black pepper are a long-standing kitchen pairing.

No vitamin or mineral premix is declared, so the micronutrition rests on the ingredients themselves.

Calcium converts to 0.67% of dry matter; a large-breed puppy owner should raise it with the maker.

Named ingredients

Pork (80.2%), Pumpkin (7.5%), Pear (7.5%), Cranberry (2%), Beet pulp, Seaweed, Fermented Saccharomyces cerevisiae (as a source of prebiotic MOS and beta glucans, Marine Collagen, Chicory root (as a source of prebiotic FOS), Glucosamine, Chondroitin sulphate, Yucca, Dandelion root, Green tea, Hawthorn leaf, Boswellia, Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper.

Against the range

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

553 kcal/100g

Protein

37.1%

Fat

45.36%

Fibre

2.7%

Ash

5.9%

Moisture

1.4%

Dry weight

Protein

37.6%

Fat

46%

Fibre

2.7%

Ash

Carbs

7.7%

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

80.2%

Carbs

1.7%

Veg

16.1%

Other

Pricing & size

Price per kilo: £29.90 (RRP)
Pack: 125g, 500g (also sold inside the 625 g Discover Set and the 2.5 kg Wellness Set)
A 15kg dog eats: 95 to 160 g a day, 130 in the middle
Cost per day, 15kg dog: £3.89

About 130 grams a day for a 15kg adult, small because the food is so dense.

Budget end of the market for a freeze-dried food, and strong value for what is in the recipe.

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