High-protein formula for active dogs and puppies. 88% meat protein with VPRO blend for digestive and immune health.
88% meat protein
VPRO probiotic blend
All life stages
Great value for premium
Not for sedentary dogs
Only one protein source
Strong smell
Nutrition: 9/10 · Ingredient Quality: 8/10 · Value for Money: 9/10 · Palatability: 9/10
These are our own scores for the things that can be judged from the specification, the materials and how the product is built. They are not Amazon's customer rating.
That figure does not mean the food is 88% meat. It means roughly 88% of the protein content comes from animal sources rather than from plant ingredients.
That is a meaningful distinction and it is a better number to publish than most. Plant ingredients contribute protein too — peas, lentils and potato protein are all used to raise a guaranteed analysis figure cheaply — so a food can show high crude protein on the label with a substantial share of it coming from plants.
The practical relevance is amino acid profile and digestibility: animal protein sources generally deliver a more complete amino acid profile for a dog than plant sources at the same crude protein level.
It is still a manufacturer-stated formulation figure rather than an independently verified one, and it is not the same as the food being mostly meat by weight.
This is a high-protein, high-calorie formula, and matching it to the dog matters.
Suits: genuine working dogs — sporting, hunting, herding, sled and protection dogs in active season — and dogs with unusually high energy demands.
Does not suit: a pet dog that gets an hour's walk a day. "Active" in pet food marketing and "active" in the sense a formula is designed for are not the same thing. Feeding a working-dog formula to a companion dog, at the volume the dog wants, is a straightforward route to obesity.
Requires care: dogs with a history of pancreatitis, or on fat-restricted diets. Do not switch to a high-fat food without your vet.
A formula labelled for growth as well as adult maintenance is convenient in a multi-dog household. There is one important qualification.
For large-breed puppies, the AAFCO statement needs to cover growth of large-size dogs specifically, because controlled calcium matters for developing joints. Overfeeding a large or giant breed puppy and getting the calcium balance wrong is associated with developmental orthopaedic disease.
Check that wording on the bag rather than assuming "all life stages" covers it. If it does not, a large-breed puppy needs a different food.
This is where high-performance foods go wrong in pet homes.
Calorie density is high, so the correct portion looks small. Feeding the volume you fed of a standard food will put weight on the dog quickly.
Feed to body condition: ribs easy to feel with flat hands and light pressure, a waist visible from above, a belly that tucks up from the side. Adjust monthly, and weigh the dog on the same scales.
Weigh the food rather than scooping it. Kibble density varies by more than a third between foods, so the same cup holds different calories after a switch.
Treats, chews and training rewards stay under about ten per cent of daily calories and come out of the day's total.
Worth stating because it applies most to the dogs this food targets.
Gastric dilatation-volvulus — bloat — is a surgical emergency, most associated with large, deep-chested breeds. Known risk factors discussed in the veterinary literature include eating rapidly, a single large daily meal, and eating from a raised bowl in some studies.
Practical measures for a deep-chested dog: split the daily ration into two or more meals, use a slow-feeder bowl if the dog bolts, and avoid strenuous exercise immediately before and after eating.
Know the signs: unproductive retching, a distended hard abdomen, restlessness and drooling. That is an immediate emergency — bloat kills within hours.
Does it employ a qualified nutritionist to formulate?
Does it own its plants?
Does it run feeding trials, or formulate on paper?
What quality control runs on ingredients and finished batches?
Can it provide a complete nutrient analysis on request?
Ask those of this brand and of anything you compare it against.
That roughly 88% of the protein content comes from animal sources rather than plant ingredients — not that the food is 88% meat. It matters because peas, lentils and potato protein can raise a crude protein figure cheaply, and animal sources generally deliver a more complete amino acid profile at the same level.
Only if the dog genuinely works. These formulas are built for sporting, hunting, herding and sled dogs in active season. A pet dog getting an hour's walk a day fed a working-dog formula at the volume it wants will gain weight — 'active' in marketing and 'active' in formulation terms are different things.
Check the AAFCO statement. A formula covering growth as well as adult maintenance is fine for most puppies, but a large-breed puppy needs a statement that specifically covers growth of large-size dogs, because controlled calcium matters for developing joints.
Less than you think. Calorie density is high, so the correct portion looks small and feeding the volume you fed of a standard food will put weight on quickly. Feed to body condition, weigh the food rather than scooping it, and weigh the dog monthly on the same scales.
It is a surgical emergency most associated with large deep-chested breeds, and known risk factors include eating rapidly and a single large daily meal. Split the ration into two or more meals, use a slow feeder if the dog bolts, and avoid strenuous exercise right before and after eating. Unproductive retching with a distended hard abdomen means go now.