Waitrose

Waitrose Senior Grain Free review

Name: Waitrose Senior Grain Free
Brand: Waitrose

64/100Good

DryAdultSenior

An older-dog grain free kibble in our Good band, and the senior adjustments are the right ones. Linseed moves up to 4% and fat eases back, while chicken still makes up half the bag. Sweet potato remains the only starch.

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Our view

Likely to suit

Older dogs kept off cereal, with sweet potato as the whole starch at 33%
Stiffening joints, though the glucosamine and chondroitin are small
A dull senior coat. Linseed at 4% sits above the added fat
Dogs slowing gently: protein still at 29.0%, fat eased to 13.0%
Owners who buy with the weekly shop and still want the meat named and measured

Worth watching

Poultry fat with no species, for a dog being tested for triggers
Chicken gravy puts chicken right through the recipe
Glucosamine at 0.02% and chondroitin at 0.01%, too little to work as a joint supplement alone

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

How this scores

How we score

64/100Good

Protein and processingAverage

Nutritional balanceGood

TransparencyOutstanding

ValueGood

The details

Dog fit

Listed for adult and senior dogs of every size. The pack's table runs 194 to 336 grams for dogs between 12kg and 25kg, and an older dog often settles under it.

Food type

Dry

Life stage

Adult, Senior

Breed size

Toy, Small, Medium, Large, Giant

Main protein

Chicken

The score, in context

Waitrose Senior Grain Free 64.0

All one Good. Typical dry food: Good.

A named meat at half the bag and one root doing the starch work earn the result; an unnamed fat and undosed minerals keep it from climbing.

What's in it

Chicken50%, of which 26% freshFresh chicken is mostly water, so the dried portion carries most of the protein.
Sweet potato33%The only starch, with no stack of pulses.
Beet pulp6%Fibre that behaves itself.
Linseed4%Plant omega 3. Expect slow, quiet work on skin and coat.
Poultry fatCould be chicken, duck, goose or turkey; the pack does not say.
Chicken gravyKeeps the bowl interesting for an older appetite.
MineralsGrouped, with no doses.
Alfalfa, yucca extract0.02% yucca
Glucosamine, chondroitin0.02% and 0.01%The senior additions, here more in name than in weight.

Moisture is not declared, so the dry-matter figures assume the usual 8%.

Named ingredients

Chicken (50%, of which 26% Fresh), Sweet Potato (33%), Beet Pulp (6%), Linseed (4%), Poultry Fat, Chicken Gravy, Minerals, Alfalfa, Yucca Extract (0.02%), Glucosamine (0.02%), Chondroitin (0.01%).

Against the range

The senior version of the own-label grain free recipe. Chicken leads at 50% with its fresh share printed, sweet potato at 33% is the only starch, and linseed at 4% now sits above the added fat. Glucosamine and chondroitin join the end of the list in small amounts.

Nutritional analysis

Declared analysis

Energy

366 kcal/100g

Protein

29%

Fat

13%

Fibre

Ash

8.5%

Dry weight

Protein

31.5%

Fat

14.1%

Fibre

3.3%

Ash

9.2%

Carbs

41.9%

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

53%

Carbs

39%

Veg

0.8%

Oils

2.3%

Other

Pricing & size