My Pet Says Super Premium Large Breed Adult: Chicken & Rice review

Our scoring puts this just in front of the dry adult market's middle, inside the Good band that middle also occupies. The lift comes from ordinary virtues, nothing showy: a dried meat share doing real work, a mineral and vitamin panel printed dose by dose, and a joint trio at levels you can check. The cereal load stops it climbing higher, as does a protein figure of 27.2% of dry matter, respectable without being remarkable. For a big adult dog fed on a cereal recipe, that is a comfortable place to sit.

Ingredients, as declared: Chicken 37% (Including Dried Chicken 29%, Chicken Fat 7% & Chicken Gravy 1%), Rice (27%), Barley, Oats, Beet Pulp (2%), Brewer's yeast, Omega 3 Supplement, Minerals, Vitamins, Glucosamine (355 mg/kg),Methylsulfonylmethane (335 mg/kg), Chondroitin Sulphate (250 mg/kg). Vitamins: Vitamin A 14,400 IU, Vitamin D3 1,925 IU, Biotin 145 mcg. Trace Elements: Iron (Iron (II) Sulphate Monohydrate) 50 mg, Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate) 50 mg, Manganese (Manganous Sulphate Monohydrate) 35 mg, Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 12 mg, Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous) 1 mg.

The 37% chicken headline is worth unpacking, because it counts three separate entries: dried chicken at 29%, chicken fat at 7% and chicken gravy at 1%. Dried chicken goes in with its water already removed. That makes 29% a genuine amount of protein to build on, and the finished analysis agrees at 27.2% of dry matter.

Rice at 27% is the first plant on the list, with barley and oats behind it. Both of those cook down into easily digested carbohydrate and bring a useful spread of minerals and B vitamins along with their fibre. They also carry gluten, which only matters if you happen to be avoiding it.

Beet pulp at 2% is the fibre that keeps stools firm and predictable. Brewer's yeast sits just behind it, a natural source of B vitamins that most dogs also happen to find very tasty.

On a large breed food, the joint pack is what stands out here. Glucosamine at 355 mg/kg and methylsulfonylmethane at 335 mg/kg sit alongside chondroitin at 250 mg/kg, and printing all three doses rather than simply naming them tells you the intent is real.

The small print is fully declared as well. Vitamin A comes in at 14,400 IU, vitamin D3 at 1,925 IU and biotin at 145 mcg. Iron and zinc are at 50 mg each, manganese at 35 mg, copper at 12 mg and iodine at 1 mg per kilo. Calcium works out at 1.41% of dry matter, a sensible adult level for a heavy dog.

Only the omega 3 supplement stays vague, with no source ever pinned to it. A small part of the recipe, admittedly. It is still the single thing standing between this label and a clean claim that only one animal went into the bag.

£3.53 a kilo. Bags come in 12kg and 24kg, with 15kg and 30kg versions labelled for working dogs.

For a rough day rate, a 15kg adult dog in moderate condition would eat about 223 grams, taking around 840 kcal a day (110 × bodyweight^0.75, the standard maintenance estimate), which is £0.79. This is a large breed food, though, and the label's own table starts at dogs of 25kg, where it asks 275 to 355 grams.