Barking Heads Golden Years Wet Food for Senior Dogs - Chicken & Salmon
Wet Pate · completeHigh meatClear label
Our verdict
Is Barking Heads Golden Years Wet Food for Senior Dogs - Chicken & Salmon a good dog food?
We score it 85/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Complete wet paté food for senior dogs, with chicken, deboned chicken and chicken broth as the main ingredients.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
- You are limiting fat: 27.3% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band
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. Find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (22)4 of 22 percentages printed
Estimated composition
- meat 100.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 85% Chicken | Chicken | meat · medium | 85 | 85.0 |
| 2 | Salmon includes – Fresh Deboned Chicken (40%) | Deboned Chicken | meat · good | 40 | 40.0 |
| 3 | Chicken Broth (25%) | Chicken Broth | meat · medium | 25 | 25.0 |
| 4 | Fresh Salmon (20%) | Salmon | meat · good | 20 | 20.0 |
| 5 | Sweet Potato | Sweet Potatoes | carb · good | - | 0.0 |
| 6 | Carrots | Carrots | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 7 | Courgette | Courgette | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 8 | Spinach | Spinach | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 9 | Tomato | Tomato | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 10 | Salmon Oil | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 0.0 |
| 11 | Sunflower Oil | Sunflower oil | oil · good | - | 0.0 |
| 12 | Green Lipped Mussel Extract | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement · good | - | 0.0 |
| 13 | Seaweed | Seaweed | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 14 | Lucerne | Alfalfa | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 15 | Parsley | Parsley | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 16 | Celery | Celery Seeds | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 17 | Chicory Root | Chicory root | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 18 | Nettle | Nettles | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 19 | Turmeric | Turmeric | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 20 | Aniseed | Aniseed | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 21 | Green Tea | Green Tea | veg · good | - | 0.0 |
| 22 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement · medium | - | 0.0 |
- 1. 85% Chicken85% declared85.0% estimated
- 2. Salmon includes – Fresh Deboned Chicken (40%)40% declared40.0% estimated
- 3. Chicken Broth (25%)25% declared25.0% estimated
- 4. Fresh Salmon (20%)20% declared20.0% estimated
- 5. Sweet Potato0.0% estimated
- 6. Carrots0.0% estimated
- 7. Courgette0.0% estimated
- 8. Spinach0.0% estimated
- 9. Tomato0.0% estimated
- 10. Salmon Oil0.0% estimated
- 11. Sunflower Oil0.0% estimated
- 12. Green Lipped Mussel Extract0.0% estimated
- 13. Seaweed0.0% estimated
- 14. Lucerne0.0% estimated
- 15. Parsley0.0% estimated
- 16. Celery0.0% estimated
- 17. Chicory Root0.0% estimated
- 18. Nettle0.0% estimated
- 19. Turmeric0.0% estimated
- 20. Aniseed0.0% estimated
- 21. Green Tea0.0% estimated
- 22. Minerals0.0% estimated
Nutrition and feedingProtein 9% · Fat 6%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9% |
| Fat | 6% |
| Fibre | 1.50% |
| Ash | 2.30% |
| Moisture | 78% |
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Feeding guide
Weight of Dog | Wet Food only | As a Topper on Dry Food: 5kg 1½ / Up to ½; 10kg 1½-2 / Up to ¾; 20kg 2½-3½ / Up to 1; 30kg+ 4+ / Up to 1½
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Vitamin D3 450 IU/kg; Vitamin E (DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate) 40 mg/kg; Zinc as Zinc Oxide 30 mg/kg; Manganese as Manganese (II) Oxide 2 mg/kg; Copper as Cupric Sulphate Pentahydrate 0.4 mg/kg; Iodine as Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 0.3 mg/kg
Technological additives
Free from artificial colours, flavours & preservatives
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-19
Brand and contact: Barking Heads
- Website
- https://barkingheads.co.uk/
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 01344 596325
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.barkingheads.co.uk
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.
Brand and retailer reviews
External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.
138 reviews on this product · 4.8/5
Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
The overall score for this recipe is 85 out of 100. The meat content contributed +9.6 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.5 points. Being labelled nutritionally complete gave the recipe +2.3 points, and printing percentages for most of the recipe provided a further +2 points.
Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. 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 | +6.45 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 100.0% | 0.096 | +9.60 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.45 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 100.0% | 0.096 | +9.60 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.012 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 0.0% | -0.106 | +0.00 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| 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 | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 85.0
- Final score
- 85/100
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9 | 40.9 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 6 | 27.3 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.5 | 6.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
Declared fortification: 6 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin D3 450 IU/kg
- Vitamin E (DL-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate) 40 mg/kg
- Zinc as Zinc Oxide 30 mg/kg
- Manganese as Manganese (II) Oxide 2 mg/kg
- Copper as Cupric Sulphate Pentahydrate 0.4 mg/kg
- Iodine as Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 0.3 mg/kg
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 (100% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 20/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (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.
See all current recalls we track.
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.
100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Complete senior wet food recipe" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
9 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| specially formulated for older, wiser dogs (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| helps support healthy digestion & joint health (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Extra special ingredients like green lipped mussel extract, which provides chondroitin, to help maintain healthy joints (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| optimal protein and fat levels for your senior dog (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Approved by our vet for dogs over 7 years (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete senior wet food recipe (on pack) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Recipe free from artificial colours, flavours & preservatives (on pack) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Loads of quality, natural, free-run chicken & trout (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 65% Free Run Chicken (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-Free recipe (on pack) | 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.
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