Calibra Verve GF Senior Chicken & Duck

Dry Extruded · completeHigh meatClear label

Verve GF Senior Chicken & Duck
Good
our rating

Our verdict

Is Calibra Verve GF Senior Chicken & Duck a good dog food?

We score it 73/100 (Good). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

Complete extruded dry food for senior dogs, with deboned chicken, dried duck protein and potatoes as the main ingredients.

How we score

Why you might choose it

  • Scores 73, in the top quarter of dry foods we track.
  • Meat makes up an estimated 66% of the dry matter (61% as fed).
  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.

Why you might not

We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
  • Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists deboned chicken
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists hydrolysed poultry protein
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists green-lipped mussel
  • Your dog avoids duck: the label lists dried duck protein
  • 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. Find foods that fit your dog.

Nutrition and feedingProtein 28% · Fat 15%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein28%
Fat15%
Fibre3%
Ash8%
Moisture10%
Omega-3 fatty acids0.30%
Omega-6 fatty acids2.10%
Calcium1.70%
Phosphorus1.30%
Sodium0.30%

Energy: 371 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Storage

Keep in a dry and cool place, avoid exposure of direct sunlight. Recommended use before the date shown on the package.

Feeding guide

Follow recommended daily dose. You can adjust dose having regard to age, activity, environment of dog. Watch optimal physical condition of dog and avoid overfeeding. It‘s recommended to serve food dry or moistened with water or broth. Always ensure there is plenty of fresh water.

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

vitamin A (3a672a) 16,500 I.U.; vitamin D3 (3a671) 1,650 I.U.; vitamin E (3a700) 300 mg; vitamin C (3a312) 250 mg; vitamin B1 (3a820) 4.8 mg; vitamin B2 (3a825i) 6 mg; niacinamide (3a315) 23 mg; calcium-D-pantothenate (3a841) 12 mg; vitamin B6 (3a831) 4.8 mg; folic acid (3a316) 0.6 mg; vitamin B12 0.05 mg; biotin (3a880) 0.65 mg; choline chloride (3a890) 1,800 mg; organic zinc (3b606) 90 mg; organic iron (3b106) 75 mg; organic manganese (3b504) 30 mg; organic copper (3b406) 14 mg; iodine (3b201) 0.7 mg; organic selenium (3b810) 0.2 mg

Technological additives

tocopherol extracts from vegetable oil (1b306(i)); ascorbyl palmitate (1b304); rosemary extract

Ingredients (18)10% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • meat 61.0%
  • carb 16.0%
  • veg 8.2%
  • supplement 8.0%
  • oil 3.8%
  • fibre 3.0%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1fresh deboned chicken (30 %)Deboned Chickenmeat · good3030.0
2duck protein (26 %)Dried Duck Proteinmeat · good2626.0
3potatoes (16 %)Potatoescarb · medium1616.0
4poultry fatPoultry Fatoil · medium-1.8
5pumpkin (4 %)Pumpkinveg · good44.0
6peas (4 %)Peasveg · good44.0
7apple pulp dried (3 %)Apple Fibrefibre · medium33.0
8hydrolysed poultry protein (3 %)Hydrolysed Poultry Proteinmeat · medium33.0
9yeastsYeastsupplement · good-1.7
10hydrolysed chicken liver (2 %)Hydrolysed Chicken Livermeat · medium22.0
11salmon oil (2 %)Salmon Oiloil · good22.0
12milk thistle seed (0.1 %)Milk Thistleveg · good0.10.1
13pineapple dried (0.1 %)Pineappleveg · good0.10.1
14glucosamineGlucosaminesupplement · good-1.5
15chondroitin sulphateChondroitinsupplement · good-1.4
16Mojave yuccaYucca Schidigerasupplement · good-1.3
17Boswellia serrata driedBoswellia Serratasupplement · good-1.1
18Perna canaliculusGreen-Lipped Musselsupplement · good-1.0
  1. 1. fresh deboned chicken (30 %)30% declared30.0% estimated
    Deboned Chicken · meat · good
  2. 2. duck protein (26 %)26% declared26.0% estimated
    Dried Duck Protein · meat · good
  3. 3. potatoes (16 %)16% declared16.0% estimated
    Potatoes · carb · medium
  4. 4. poultry fat1.8% estimated
    Poultry Fat · oil · medium
  5. 5. pumpkin (4 %)4% declared4.0% estimated
    Pumpkin · veg · good
  6. 6. peas (4 %)4% declared4.0% estimated
    Peas · veg · good
  7. 7. apple pulp dried (3 %)3% declared3.0% estimated
    Apple Fibre · fibre · medium
  8. 8. hydrolysed poultry protein (3 %)3% declared3.0% estimated
    Hydrolysed Poultry Protein · meat · medium
  9. 9. yeasts1.7% estimated
    Yeast · supplement · good
  10. 10. hydrolysed chicken liver (2 %)2% declared2.0% estimated
    Hydrolysed Chicken Liver · meat · medium
  11. 11. salmon oil (2 %)2% declared2.0% estimated
    Salmon Oil · oil · good
  12. 12. milk thistle seed (0.1 %)0.1% declared0.1% estimated
    Milk Thistle · veg · good
  13. 13. pineapple dried (0.1 %)0.1% declared0.1% estimated
    Pineapple · veg · good
  14. 14. glucosamine1.5% estimated
    Glucosamine · supplement · good
  15. 15. chondroitin sulphate1.4% estimated
    Chondroitin · supplement · good
  16. 16. Mojave yucca1.3% estimated
    Yucca Schidigera · supplement · good
  17. 17. Boswellia serrata dried1.1% estimated
    Boswellia Serrata · supplement · good
  18. 18. Perna canaliculus1.0% estimated
    Green-Lipped Mussel · supplement · good

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-14

Brand and contact: Calibra

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-14
Scored with
Model v3 (methodology)
Product page
calibrastore.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.

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 is 73 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +7.4 points, and the meat content added +6.3 points. Being labelled nutritionally complete added +2.3 points. However, the processing format reduced the score by -6.7 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.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.89.191+7.38
Meat share of dry matter65.9%0.096+6.32
Carb share of dry matter7.1%-0.115-0.82
Oil share of dry matter6.7%-0.092-0.61
Vegetable share of dry matter2.3%-0.005-0.01
Supplement share of dry matter13.2%-0.012-0.16
Undeclared quantities9.8%-0.106-1.03
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes0.707+0.71
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.89.191+7.38
Meat share of dry matter65.9%0.096+6.32
Carb share of dry matter7.1%-0.115-0.82
Oil share of dry matter6.7%-0.092-0.61
Vegetable share of dry matter2.3%-0.005-0.01
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.163+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter13.2%-0.012-0.16
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor0.0%-0.065+0.00
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients0-0.876+0.00
Largest single poor ingredient0.0%0.060+0.00
Undeclared quantities9.8%-0.106-1.03
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes0.707+0.71
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-3.158+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty0.000.222+0.00
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.02
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
73.4
Final score
73/100

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.

Score history across model versions

The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.

ModelScore
v373/100current
v272/100
v168/100
v1.970/100
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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein2831.1 (band 18.55 to 40%)100
Fat1516.7 (band 5.668055555555556 to 20%)100
Fibre33.3 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Calcium1.71.9 (band 0.5152777777777778 to 2.5%)100
Phosphorus1.31.4 (band 0.41222222222222227 to 1.6%)100
Sodium0.30.3 (band 0.10305555555555557+%)100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.31.3 (band 1 to 2%)88.5
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)371412.2100

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 9 declared nutrients (combined weight 105); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

Declared fortification: 19 nutritional additives on the label
  • vitamin A (3a672a) 16,500 I.U.
  • vitamin D3 (3a671) 1,650 I.U.
  • vitamin E (3a700) 300 mg
  • vitamin C (3a312) 250 mg
  • vitamin B1 (3a820) 4.8 mg
  • vitamin B2 (3a825i) 6 mg
  • niacinamide (3a315) 23 mg
  • calcium-D-pantothenate (3a841) 12 mg
  • vitamin B6 (3a831) 4.8 mg
  • folic acid (3a316) 0.6 mg
  • vitamin B12 0.05 mg
  • biotin (3a880) 0.65 mg
  • choline chloride (3a890) 1,800 mg
  • organic zinc (3b606) 90 mg
  • organic iron (3b106) 75 mg
  • organic manganese (3b504) 30 mg
  • organic copper (3b406) 14 mg
  • iodine (3b201) 0.7 mg
  • organic selenium (3b810) 0.2 mg

High confidence: full analysis plus minerals or omegas and declared energy.

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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✓ Printed percentages on the label (90.2% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)18/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)15/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)5/5
✓ 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)5/5
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 grain free dry dog food for adult dogs of small breeds (1–10 kg, 7+ years)." — supported by the declared grain-free data.

6 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.

Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
Pineapple – natural immunity support boost (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Vitamin C – immunity support / antioxidative properties (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Prebiotics (MOS, FOS, β-glucans) – digestion support, immunity support (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
70/30 ratio, 70 % of animal origin (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Complete grain free dry dog food for adult dogs of small breeds (1–10 kg, 7+ years). (on page)Free-fromconsistentManufacturer assertion
30 % of fresh chicken (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Mojave yucca - reduction smell of stool & flatulence (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer 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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