Vetspec

VetSpec Puppy & Junior Formula: Chicken Formula review

Name: VetSpec Puppy & Junior Formula: Chicken Formula
Brand: Vetspec

68.5/100Good

DryPuppy

Flavour

A chicken bag and a salmon bag for growing dogs, both in our Good band and both grain free. The label is the strong part: one animal leads each list, the starch is declared, and the herb blend names where each prebiotic comes from. Fat runs generously, which suits a pup with plenty to burn.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Puppies fed without grain, with potato, peas and sugar beet pulp doing the work
A pup kept on fish alone. Salmon is the only animal in that recipe, meal through to oil
Lively pups, with fat at 18.0% on the chicken and 17.5% on the salmon
Owners who like prebiotics traced to a named source
Swapping protein without swapping brand, as the two share a starch base and herb blend

Worth watching

No calcium figure on either bag. Ask VetSpec before rearing a large or giant breed pup on it
Fish oil in the chicken recipe, so it does not suit a fish-free exclusion plan
Potato as the single starch, if your pup has done better on a mixed base

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

How this scores

How we score

68.5/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for puppies of every size, toy to giant. A puppy's portion climbs as it grows, so follow VetSpec's chart and check it against how your pup looks.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Salmon Formula 68.7
Chicken Formula 68.5

All two Good. Typical dry food: Good.

Both finish a shade above the middle of the puppy dry field, held there by the calcium figure neither label prints.

What's in it

Chicken, chicken meat meal26.2% eachFresh and rendered split evenly.
Potato24.2%The only real starch.
Chicken fat6.2%
Peas4.6%
Whole linseeds, sugar beet pulpPlant omega 3 and a mild, well tolerated fibre.
Chicken digest as gravy1.6%For palatability.
Fish oilMarine omega 3 no bird can provide, and the reason this one is not fish free.
Calcium carbonate, sodium chlorideCalcium added on purpose, amount not printed.
Culinary herbs blend: seaweed, chicory extract, yeast extract, alfalfa, yucca, kitchen herbs0.31% chicoryThe prebiotics, named by source.
Taurine, DL-methionine, lysine HCl

Vitamins A, D3 and E with L-carnitine and biotin, and iron, copper, zinc and manganese each split between a plain salt and an amino acid chelate.

No calcium figure printed. For a large or giant breed pup, ask VetSpec for it.

Named ingredients

Chicken (26.2%), chicken meat meal (26.2%), potato (24.2%), chicken fat (6.2%), peas (4.6%), 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 (0.31%), yeast extract as source of mannan-oligosaccharides (0.08%), alfalfa, yucca extract, rosemary, fennel, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, aniseed), taurine, DL-methionine, Lysine HCl

Against the range

Animals on the label: Chicken, plus fish oil; The salmon recipe is salmon alone.
Fat: 18.0%; 17.5% on the salmon.
Ash: 7.5%; Lighter at 5.5% on the salmon.

The one to pick if your pup has always done well on poultry.

Two bags on one design. A named animal opens each list, potato is the only starch of any size, and peas, whole linseeds and sugar beet pulp follow. Neither carries a cereal. Calcium carbonate is on both lists, but neither label prints a calcium figure.

The culinary herbs blend closes each recipe and names its prebiotics by source: chicory extract for fructo oligosaccharides, yeast extract for mannan oligosaccharides. Fat is generous in both, and energy is our estimate on each bag.

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%

Carbs

32.9%

Veg

0.2%

Oils

7.5%

Other

5.4%

Pricing & size