Vetspec

VetSpec Healthy Dog Adult Formula: Chicken Formula review

Name: VetSpec Healthy Dog Adult Formula: Chicken Formula
Brand: Vetspec

68.9/100Good

DryAdult

Flavour

The plain everyday food in the VetSpec line, made as a chicken recipe and a salmon recipe on one plan, both in our Good band. A meal and a fresh meat of the same species lead each list, which keeps carbohydrate under the typical adult dry food. The salmon version carries the simpler allergen picture.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Choosing by animal, as both versions follow the same plan
Dogs kept off land meats. The salmon recipe names no other animal
A mixed pack, with both drawn up for adults of any size
Cereal-free homes: potato and peas do the binding
Owners who like an itemised label, meat and prebiotics all given percentages

Worth watching

Fish oil in the chicken recipe
Chicken right through the chicken version, from meal to fat to gravy
Rich in fat, so measure a quiet dog's bowl

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

How this scores

How we score

68.9/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for adults of every size. The calories are our estimate, and the label's low activity column gives 130 to 200 grams to a dog of 11kg to 20kg.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Chicken Formula 68.9
Salmon Formula 68.6

All two Good. Typical dry food: Good.

So little separates the two that the choice is about the animal.

What's in it

Chicken26.5%Fresh, so the oven takes most of its weight.
Chicken meat meal26.4%What holds the protein up in the finished kibble.
Potato24.4%
Chicken fat6.3%
Peas4.7%
Whole linseeds, sugar beet pulpPlant omega 3 and a mix of soluble and insoluble fibre.
Chicken digest as gravy1.6%
Fish oilLong-chain omega 3, and the only animal besides chicken.
Calcium carbonate, sodium chlorideAdded calcium, with no calcium figure printed.
Culinary herbs blend: dried seaweed, chicory extract, yeast extract, alfalfa, yucca, rosemary, fennel, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, aniseed0.08% each prebioticChicory gives FOS and yeast gives MOS. The herbs after them are seasoning.

Vitamins A, D3, E and biotin, with copper and zinc each as a simple salt and an amino acid chelate, and selenium as selenised yeast.

Fish oil is on the list, which a fish-avoiding dog will need counted.

Named ingredients

Chicken (26.5%), chicken meat meal (26.4%), potato (24.4%), chicken fat (6.3%), peas (4.7%), whole linseeds, sugar beet pulp, chicken digest as gravy (1.6%), fish oil, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride, culinary herbs blend (dried seaweed (0.2%), chicory extract as source of fructo-oligosaccharides (0.08%), yeast extract as source of mannan-oligosaccharides (0.08%), alfalfa, yucca extract, rosemary, fennel, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, aniseed), DL-methionine

Against the range

Meat: Chicken 26.5%, meal 26.4%; Salmon meal 29.1% and fresh salmon 21.7% in the other.
Carbohydrate, dry matter: 38.0%; 41.2% in the salmon.
Ash, dry matter: 8.2%; 6.0% in the salmon.

A fraction tidier on paper, with meal and fresh meat almost level.

Both recipes share one design: a dried meat meal and a fresh meat of the same animal at the front, potato binding, peas and sugar beet pulp behind. Whole linseeds run through both, and a culinary herbs blend closes each list with chicory and yeast extracts at 0.08% each.

Neither contains cereal. Protein converts to 31.3% and 31.9% of dry matter, and neither label prints its calories or a calcium figure.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

373.5 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

28.5%

Fat

18%

Fibre

2.5%

Ash

7.5%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

31.3%

Fat

19.8%

Fibre

2.7%

Ash

8.2%

Carbs

38%

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

54.5%

Carbs

33%

Veg

0.2%

Oils

7.6%

Other

4.7%

Pricing & size