My Pet Says Superfood 65 Light/Senior Small Breed: Responsibly Sourced British Turkey & Pork review

This one settles in our Excellent band, a step clear of the typical dry adult food. Reaching it on a light recipe is the interesting part. Taking fat out normally means putting starch in, and yet carbohydrate here converts to only 32.6% of dry matter against the 46.2% that is typical, because the meat share never moves. The result is protein at 40.8% of dry matter. In an older small dog the muscle goes long before the appetite does, so that is the figure to watch.

Ingredients, as declared: 65% Turkey & Pork (35% Freshly Prepared Responsibly Sourced British Turkey, 14% Dried Pork, 11.5% Dried Turkey, 2.5% Turkey Gravy, 2% Turkey Fat), Sweet Potato, Beans, Beet Pulp, Dried Superfood Blend* (including Parsley, Papaya, Nettle, Courgette, Pumpkin), Minerals, Omega 3 Supplement, Joint Pack (Glucosamine 180 mg/kg, Methylsulfonylmethane 180 mg/kg, Chondroitin Sulphate 125 mg/kg), Fructooligosaccharides (FOS, 175 mg/kg), Mannanoligosaccharides (MOS, 50 mg/kg), Olive Extract (0.01%). Vitamins: Vitamin A 14,423 IU, Vitamin D3 2,000 IU, Vitamin E 96 IU. Provitamins: L-Carnitine 240 mg. Trace Elements: Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate) 48 mg, Iron (Iron (II) Sulphate Monohydrate) 48 mg, Manganese (Manganous Sulphate Monohydrate) 34 mg, Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 12 mg, Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous & Potassium Iodide) 1.7 mg, Selenium (Sodium Selenite) 0.19 mg.

Four meat entries make up the 65%, each printed: 35% freshly prepared British turkey, dried pork at 14%, dried turkey at 11.5%, turkey gravy at 2.5% and turkey fat at 2%. The oven strips the water from fresh meat. That leaves the two dried entries, roughly a quarter of the bag between them, carrying the finished kibble.

Turkey is a sensible headline meat on a food like this. It is leaner than chicken and easy on the digestion. Light and senior recipes lean on it for exactly that reason. Pork is the more unusual half of the pair, uncommon enough in dog food that plenty of dogs will never have tried it. For an older dog who has worked through the usual proteins, that is a genuine advantage.

Beet pulp provides the fibre, and the recipe holds together on sweet potato and beans. No cereal goes into the bag. Fibre converts to 4.3% of dry matter, useful for keeping a dog on a reduced portion feeling like they have eaten. Energy lands at 349 kcal per 100g where 357 is the everyday figure for a dry adult food.

Every senior and light addition here carries a printed dose. L-carnitine sits at 240 mg, glucosamine and methylsulfonylmethane at 180 mg/kg each and chondroitin at 125 mg/kg. That is the combination you would ask for on a food aimed at a stiffening dog that also needs to lose a little.

The prebiotics are printed as well: fructooligosaccharides at 175 mg/kg and mannanoligosaccharides at 50 mg/kg, both feeding the friendly bacteria lower down. Olive extract at 0.01% is there as a trace antioxidant. The mineral panel is fully declared, with zinc and iron at 48 mg, manganese at 34 mg, copper at 12 mg and iodine at 1.7 mg per kilo. The dried blend of parsley, papaya, nettle, courgette and pumpkin sits low enough on the list to count as seasoning.

The bags are 6kg, 12kg and 24kg, at £6.50 a kilo.

A 15kg dog in moderate condition works out at about 241 grams a day here, or £1.56, from a maintenance estimate of roughly 840 kcal (110 × bodyweight^0.75). Most dogs on this food weigh well under that reference. The label's own table starts at 1kg and asks 75 to 130 grams for a dog between 5kg and 10kg.