Vitalin

Vitalin Puppy review

Name: Vitalin Puppy
Brand: Vitalin

69.5/100Good

DryPuppy

A grain-free growth kibble built on chicken alone, and the label breaks its 37% chicken claim into dried, fresh and gravy. Potato and sweet potato bind it. It finishes in our Good band.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Puppies that do well on chicken, the only animal named on the list
Grain-free homes: potato, sweet potato and peas bind the kibble
Owners who like a meat claim itemised, with dried chicken at 25% doing most of the work
Pups whose digestion needs a hand, with prebiotics and a live culture named and measured
Puppies that put on condition easily. The energy estimate of 345 kcal per 100g runs under the typical 376

Worth watching

Salmon oil, so the bag is not fish free
No calcium figure, on a bag sold for toy through to giant pups
Carbohydrate at 45.6% of dry matter, against 39.0% for the typical puppy kibble

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

How this scores

How we score

69.5/100Good

Protein and processingGood

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyExcellent

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for puppies of every size. For a large or giant breed pup, ask Vitalin for the calcium figure before committing, and feed from the growth chart on the bag.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Puppy

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Vitalin Puppy 69.5

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

It keeps pace with the puppy field, held level by a starch share above most growth kibbles and a protein figure that is decent without commanding.

What's in it

Chicken: dried chicken, freshly prepared chicken, chicken gravy37% (25%, 10%, 2%)Dried meat has already lost its water, so the 25% does most of the work.
Potato, sweet potatoThe starch base, with no cereal.
Potato protein
Chicken oilSame bird, so the animal side stays on one species.
Whole peas, dried carrot, dried parsnip2.0% eachReal inclusions.
Salmon oilGood for a growing coat, and it puts fish in the bowl.
Sugar beet, monosodium phosphate
Chicory root extract, citrus extracts, MOS, high nucleotide yeast0.3% down to 0.1%Prebiotics, with citrus as a natural antioxidant.
Apple cider vinegar, spearmint, honey, nettle, thyme200mg/kg eachSeasoning territory.
Yucca, tyndallised Lactobacillus helveticus0.01% (culture)

No calcium figure on the label. For a large or giant breed pup, put the question to Vitalin first.

Named ingredients

Chicken (37%, including Dried Chicken 25%, Freshly Prepared Chicken 10%, Chicken Gravy 2%), Potato, Sweet Potato, Potato Protein, Chicken Oil, Whole Peas (2.0%), Dried Carrot (2.0%), Dried Parsnip (2.0%), Salmon Oil, Sugar Beet, Monosodium Phosphate, Chicory Root Extract (as a source of Prebiotic FOS) (0.3%), Citrus Extracts (0.2%), Mannan-oligosaccharides (Prebiotic MOS) (0.1%), High Nucleotide Yeast, Apple Cider Vinegar Powder (200mg/kg), Dried Spearmint (200mg/kg), Honey Powder (200mg/kg), Dried Nettle (200mg/kg), Dried Thyme (200mg/kg), Extract of Yucca Schidigera, Tyndallised Lactobacillus Helveticus HA-122 (0.01%).

Against the range

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

345.2 kcal/100g

Estimated using Modified Atwater factors*

Protein

28%

Fat

12%

Fibre

Ash

7.5%

Moisture

Dry weight

Protein

30.8%

Fat

13.2%

Fibre

2.2%

Ash

8.2%

Carbs

45.6%

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

35%

Added water

Carbs

50.9%

Veg

4.8%

Oils

5.1%

Other

2.2%

Pricing & size