Gain

GAIN Elite Grain Free Small Dogs: Adult Chicken review

Name: GAIN Elite Grain Free Small Dogs: Adult Chicken
Brand: Gain

59/100Good

DryAdult

Flavour

Small-mouth grain-free kibbles, both in our Good band, each built on one named animal in fresh and dried form. For a dog that eats only a little, the bowl is full: 27.2% protein in dry matter. The label prints fresh and dried shares separately.

Where to buy: coming soon

Live retailer links are coming soon. Once we have them from UK retailers, where to buy and the best price will appear here.

Our view

Likely to suit

Small breed adults, with kibble shaped and portioned to their size
Little dogs kept off cereal
Owners who want to see the meat broken into fresh and dried
Busy little dogs that burn through what they eat

Worth watching

Salmon oil in both and chicken fat in the salmon bag, so neither is fish or poultry free
Rich kibbles, so level the scoop on a quiet week

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

How this scores

How we score

59/100Good

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceAverage

TransparencyExcellent

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for small adults. The label asks around 98 to 113 grams a day for a 5kg to 6kg dog; check the table for your dog's weight.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult

Breed size

Small

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Adult Salmon 60.7
Adult Chicken 59.0

All two Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Fresh meat with a species attached and a useful dried share earn the band; the salmon edges ahead because more of its meat arrives dried.

What's in it

Fresh chicken25%Loses its water in cooking.
PeasUnusually high; the standard grain-free build.
Dried chicken14%Brings its protein through intact.
Sweet potatoes, potato flakesThe flakes mostly bind the kibble.
Chicken fat
Chicken gravy5%A cooked stock, for taste.
Dried beet pulp, linseed
Dried chicoryFOS and inulin, prebiotic fibres.
Salmon oil0.5%Omega 3, and a fish entry in a chicken bag.
Minerals, TruCal milk mineral complex1,000 mg/kg (TruCal)Part of the calcium comes in a dairy form.

Named ingredients

Fresh chicken (25%), peas, dried chicken (14%), sweet potatoes, potato flakes, chicken fat, chicken gravy (5%), dried beet pulp, linseed, dried chicory (a natural source of FOS and inulin), salmon oil (0.5%), minerals, TruCal Milk Mineral Complex (1,000 mg/kg).

Against the range

Dried meat: Dried chicken 14%; Dried salmon 17% in the other.
Calcium, dry matter: 1.2%; 1.3% on the salmon.
Gravy: Chicken gravy 5%; Salmon gravy 4%.

The obvious starting point for a small dog that has always eaten poultry without trouble.

Both bags open on fresh meat at 25%, with peas second and the same animal in dried form third. Sweet potatoes and potato flakes finish the starch, and each recipe carries a gravy of its own animal. Chicken fat, linseed, salmon oil at 0.5%, dried chicory and TruCal milk minerals are shared. Protein converts to 27.2% of dry matter and fat to 15.2% on both.

Price and value

No bag size is listed for either recipe.

As a guide, the label asks 98 to 113 grams a day for a dog between 5kg and 6kg on the chicken recipe, and 97 to 112 grams for the same dog on the salmon. By 8kg those rise to 140 and 139 grams respectively.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

358.8 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

25%

Fat

14%

Fibre

Ash

7.5%

Dry weight

Protein

27.2%

Fat

15.2%

Fibre

2.2%

Ash

8.2%

Carbs

47.2%

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

44%

Carbs

49.3%

Veg

Oils

3.5%

Other

2.2%

Pricing & size