1st Choice Skin & Coat

Dry Extruded complete

44out of 100

Poor

our rating

Is 1st Choice Skin & Coat a good dog food?

We score it 44/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall rating of 44 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.1 points to the total. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6, the processing format subtracted -6.7, and the additive load contributed -1.7 points.

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

Recipe
44
Nutritionalmedium
95
Transparency
60
Safety
100
Evidence
Not recorded

The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.

Why you might choose it

Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

Meat makes up an estimated 5% of the dry matter; carbohydrates dominate.
100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.

View the source page

Estimated composition

supplement48.7%

veg17.6%

carb9.4%

fibre8.8%

additive6.2%

meat4.9%

oil4.5%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein: 22%
Fat: 12%
Fibre: 6%
Ash: 10%
Moisture: 10%
Omega-3 fatty acids: 1%
Omega-6 fatty acids: 4%
Calcium: 1.10%
Phosphorus: 0.75%
Sodium: 0.20%

Energy: 334 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

No additives recorded yet.

Feeding guide

Senior 7+ years; grams/cups based on weight (1.5-45.5 kg): 35-445 g (⅜-4⅛ cups) daily; +35 g or +⅜ cup per 5 kg / 10 lb above range. Standard 250 ml cup = 115 g.

Reviews

Trustpilot: 4.9/5 · 2,373 reviews

1 reviews on this product

Who is this food for?

Suits

Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

Your dog avoids lamb: the label lists lamb
Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish meal
Your dog avoids grain: the label lists barley
You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein

These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.

Ingredients (54)

#	As declared	Matched	Category	Tier	Declared %	Est. %
1	Lamb meal (a source of chondroitin sulfate)	Lamb	meat	medium	-	2.5
2	menhaden fish meal	Fish Meal	meat	medium	-	2.4
3	peas	Peas	veg	medium	-	2.4
4	barley	Barley	carb	medium	-	2.4
5	oats	Oats	carb	medium	-	2.4
6	millet	Millet	carb	good	-	2.3
7	pea starch	Pea Starch	carb	poor	-	2.3
8	vegetable oil preserved with mixed tocopherols	Vegetable oil	oil	medium	-	2.3
9	pea fiber	Pea Fibre	fibre	medium	-	2.3
10	suncured alfalfa meal	Alfalfa Meal	fibre	medium	-	2.2
11	dried citrus pulp	Citrus Pulp	fibre	medium	-	2.2
12	natural flavor	Flavor	additive	poor	-	2.2
13	flaxseed	Linseed	veg	good	-	2.2
14	salmon oil	Salmon Oil	oil	good	-	2.2
15	salt	Salt	additive	medium	-	2.1
16	yeast extract	Yeast	supplement	good	-	2.1
17	choline chloride	Choline	supplement	good	-	2.1
18	potassium chloride	Potassium Chloride	supplement	medium	-	2.1
19	calcium carbonate	Calcium Carbonate	supplement	medium	-	2.0
20	chicory extract (a source of inulin)	Chicory Root Extract	fibre	good	-	2.0
21	DL-methionine	Methionine	supplement	good	-	2.0
22	taurine	Taurine	supplement	good	-	2.0
23	glucosamine hydrochloride	Glucosamine	supplement	good	-	2.0
24	alpha-tocopheryl acetate (a source of vitamin E)	Vitamin E	supplement	good	-	1.9
25	ferrous sulfate	Iron sulfate	supplement	good	-	1.9
26	ascorbic acid (vitamin C)	Vitamin C	supplement	good	-	1.9
27	sodium hexametaphosphate	Sodium hexametaphosphate	additive	medium	-	1.9
28	zinc oxide	Zinc Oxide	supplement	good	-	1.8
29	turmeric	Turmeric	veg	good	-	1.8
30	dried rosemary	Rosemary	veg	good	-	1.8
31	cloves	Cloves	veg	good	-	1.8
32	yucca schidigera extract	Yucca Schidigera	supplement	good	-	1.7
33	L-carnitine	L-Carnitine	supplement	medium	-	1.7
34	manganous oxide	Manganese (II) Oxide	supplement	good	-	1.7
35	niacin	Niacin	supplement	good	-	1.7
36	d-calcium pantothenate	Calcium pantothenate	supplement	good	-	1.7
37	grapefruit extract	Grapefruit	veg	medium	-	1.6
38	vitamin A supplement	Vitamin A	supplement	good	-	1.6
39	cholecalciferol (a source of vitamin D3)	Vitamin D3 supplement	supplement	good	-	1.6
40	thiamine mononitrate	Thiamine mononitrate	supplement	good	-	1.6
41	biotin	Biotin	supplement	good	-	1.5
42	dried spearmint	Spearmint	veg	good	-	1.5
43	dried parsley	Parsley	veg	good	-	1.5
44	green tea extract	Green Tea	veg	good	-	1.5
45	dried ginger	Ginger	veg	good	-	1.5
46	sodium selenite	Sodium selenite	supplement	poor	-	1.4
47	zinc proteinate	Zinc Proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.4
48	riboflavin	Riboflavin	supplement	good	-	1.4
49	pyridoxine hydrochloride	Pyridoxine hydrochloride	supplement	good	-	1.4
50	vitamin B12 supplement	Vitamin B12	supplement	good	-	1.3
51	manganese proteinate	Manganese proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.3
52	calcium iodate	Calcium iodate	supplement	medium	-	1.3
53	copper proteinate	Copper proteinate	supplement	good	-	1.3
54	folic acid.	Folic acid	supplement	good	-	1.2

Brand

Website: https://www.1stchoice.ca/
Phone: 1 866 752-7378
Address: 1361, Graham Bell Street, Boucherville, Quebec, J4B 6A1, Canada
Contact page: www.1stchoice.ca

Trust and provenance

Recall history: No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked: 2026-09-19
Scored with: Model v3 (methodology)
Product page: www.1stchoice.ca

Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.

Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.7	9.191	+6.14
Carb share of dry matter	9.5%	-0.115	-1.09
Oil share of dry matter	5.1%	-0.092	-0.47
Vegetable share of dry matter	13.4%	-0.005	-0.07
Additive share of dry matter	6.4%	0.163	+1.04
Supplement share of dry matter	51.4%	-0.012	-0.63
Recipe graded poor	6.0%	-0.065	-0.39
Number of poor ingredients	3	-0.876	-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient	2.3%	0.060	+0.14
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
Additive penalty	-7.53	0.222	-1.67
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Dry Extruded	yes	-6.713	-6.71

Show all 40 components

Component	Input	Coefficient	Contribution
Base score	-	30.909	+30.91
Average ingredient quality	0.7	9.191	+6.14
Meat share of dry matter	0.0%	0.096	+0.00
Carb share of dry matter	9.5%	-0.115	-1.09
Oil share of dry matter	5.1%	-0.092	-0.47
Vegetable share of dry matter	13.4%	-0.005	-0.07
Additive share of dry matter	6.4%	0.163	+1.04
Supplement share of dry matter	51.4%	-0.012	-0.63
Other share of dry matter	0.0%	-0.375	+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter	0.0%	-0.027	+0.00
Recipe graded poor	6.0%	-0.065	-0.39
Poor-quality meat in recipe	0.0%	-0.179	+0.00
Number of poor ingredients	3	-0.876	-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient	2.3%	0.060	+0.14
Undeclared quantities	100.0%	-0.106	-10.56
Prints ingredient percentages	no	0.000	+0.00
Complete diet	no	2.294	+0.00
Frozen or chilled fresh	no	0.000	+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)	no	0.707	+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)	yes	-3.158	-3.16
High carb and low meat	no	-1.180	+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Meat share × fresh	0.0	0.000	+0.00
Fresh × high meat	0.0	11.084	+0.00
Additive penalty	-7.53	0.222	-1.67
Processing multiplier	0.98	33.786	+33.11
Processing: Raw	no	-0.054	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilled	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozen	no	-2.354	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigerated	no	0.000	+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelf	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Dried	no	6.629	+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Dried	no	6.331	+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressed	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Baked	no	-6.713	+0.00
Processing: Dry Extruded	yes	-6.713	-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moist	no	-6.174	+0.00
Processing: Dry Muesli	no	-10.146	+0.00
Processing: Wet Pate	no	-0.672	+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunks	no	-0.672	+0.00

Processing-type offset: +0.02
Subtotal: 44.0
Final score: 44/100

Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.

Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges

How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.

Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.

Nutrient	As fed (label)	Dry matter (scored)	Score
Protein	22	24.3 (band 18 to 40%)	87.2
Fat	12	13.3 (band 5.5 to 20%)	100
Fibre	6	6.6 (band 0.5 to 5%)	100
Calcium	1.1	1.2 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)	91.5
Phosphorus	0.75	0.8 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)	91.4
Calcium:phosphorus ratio	1.5	1.5 (band 1 to 2%)	98
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)	-	-	100
Energy (kcal/100g)	334	369.1	100

Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.

Scored over 8 declared nutrients (combined weight 100); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.

Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.

This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.

Transparency: what the label discloses

How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.

Item	Points
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)	10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file	0/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)	15/15
✗ Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file	0/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)	5/5
✓ Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)	5/5
✓ Feeding guidance given (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)	10/10
✓ Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)	10/10
✗ Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file	0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Additives declared, Batch and date labelling).

Safety: recall history

Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.

No recalls recorded in our database.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.

Claims on file; none we can check against the label

Claim	Type	Check	Substantiation
Limits Signs of Aging (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Healthy Aging SOLUTION, a clinically proven blend of polyphenol-rich plants and extracts that helps limit cell damage, reduce inflammation and consequences of cellular aging (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
An optimal ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids reduces shedding, protects the skin, and makes the coat shiny. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Added glucosamine and chondroitin also helps support cartilage and joint health. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
Antioxidants help protect cells against inflammation. (on page)	Functional	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion
This SKIN AND COAT formula with lamb and fish was designed to meet the specific needs of SENIOR dogs of all breeds. (on page)	Content	not checkable	Manufacturer assertion

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

Other products from 1st Choice

Puppy Medium and Large Breeds Chicken50

Dry Extruded

Adult Dog Food - Medium and Large Breeds - Chicken50

Dry Extruded

Adult Dog Food Toy and Small Breeds Chicken50

Dry Extruded

Skin and Coat All Breeds Puppy Lamb & Fish50

Dry Extruded

See all products from 1st Choice

Alternatives to Skin & Coat

Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.