Millies Wolfheart Forerunner review

Our scoring finishes this one in the Good band, level with the typical adult dry food. Arithmetic is what holds it there, and nothing on the label is wrong. That 40% headline takes in the fat, the oil and the gravy, and the freshly prepared trout inside it comes out of the oven with most of its water gone. Protein therefore lands at 25.0% of dry matter and carbohydrate at 50.0%. Read it as what it actually is: a short, clean, fish forward recipe with every species named, joint support printed in figures and a calcium level that suits a growing large breed. It stays a straightforward food to put in front of a dog.

Ingredients, as declared: 40% Fish & Turkey (Freshly Prepared Trout (13%), Dried Turkey (13%), Dried Salmon (7%), Turkey Fat (3%), Salmon Oil (3%), Turkey Gravy (1%)), Sweet Potato (23%), Potato, Peas, Lucerne, Minerals, Dried Seaweed, Dried Carrot, Dried Cranberry, Tomato Pomace, Glucosamine 175 mg/kg, Methylsulfonylmethane 175 mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulphte 125 mg/kg

The label opens its 40% fish and turkey block up rather than leaving you to guess, which is more than many manage. The breakdown runs freshly prepared trout 13%, dried turkey 13% and dried salmon 7%, then turkey fat 3%, salmon oil 3% and turkey gravy 1%. The fat, the oil and the gravy all count towards the 40%. Fresh trout goes into the oven wet and comes out much lighter, so the two dried entries carry most of the protein that reaches the bowl.

Trout and salmon between them make this one of the few kibbles built on named fish rather than the catch all term. Salmon oil at 3% is a serious helping on top, and that is where the omega 3 comes from. Turkey is the one land meat here. It digests easily and runs leaner than chicken.

Sweet potato at 23%, potato, peas and lucerne carry the plant side, with no grain at all. Whole peas are more than filler here: along with their starch they carry fibre and a spread of minerals. The plants take on a fair share of the work, with carbohydrate estimated at 50.0% of dry matter against the 46.2% typical for adult dry food.

Joint support is printed into the ingredients list with its numbers attached: glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane at 175 mg/kg each, chondroitin sulphate at 125 mg/kg. Dried seaweed, dried carrot, dried cranberry and tomato pomace follow behind at trace level.

Calcium is the figure that quietly matters here, at 1.09% of dry matter. A large breed puppy needs about that. The label covers growth alongside adulthood, so it is worth knowing if a big puppy is going to grow up on this food. Each trace mineral comes with a figure: zinc and iron at 48 mg, manganese at 34 mg, copper at 5 mg and iodine at 0.96 mg per kilo.

£4.17 a kilo, sold in 700g and 12kg bags.

As a guide, a 15kg adult dog in moderate condition needs about 234 grams a day, assuming around 840 kcal a day (110 × bodyweight^0.75, the standard maintenance estimate), which puts a day at £0.97. For a dog of that weight the bag's chart asks 175 to 265 grams. Go with the waistline where the two disagree.