Canagan Free-Range Chicken Small Breed Dry Dog Food

Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label

Free-Range Chicken Small Breed Dry Dog Food
Average
our rating

Is Canagan Free-Range Chicken Small Breed Dry Dog Food a good dog food?

We score it 67/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall score of 67 out of 100. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributes +7.9 to the score, and the meat content adds +7. Conversely, the processing format subtracts -7, while ingredients without printed percentages reduce the total by -5.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

38% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

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.

Complete extruded dry food for dogs of all life stages, with chicken, dried chicken protein and sweet potatoes as the main ingredients.

Why you might choose it

  • Meat makes up an estimated 60% of the dry matter (56% as fed).
  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
  • Doesn't list grain ingredients.

Why you might not

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

View the source page

Estimated composition

meat56.5%
veg21.9%
supplement8.8%
oil5.4%
carb5.4%
fibre2.0%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
34%
Fat
17%
Fibre
3%
Ash
7%
Omega-3 fatty acids
0.45%
Omega-6 fatty acids
2.80%
Calcium
1.40%
Phosphorus
0.90%

Energy: 391 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A 15,000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 1,200 IU/kg; Vitamin E 150 mg/kg; Taurine 1,500 mg/kg; Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous) 2 mg/kg; Copper (Copper (II) Sulphate Pentahydrate) 10 mg/kg; Zinc (Chelate Hydrate) 45 mg/kg; Zinc (Oxide) 90 mg/kg; Selenium (Sodium Selenite) 0.2 mg/kg

Storage

Store in a cool dry place.

Feeding guide

Transition over a week: day 1 mix 25% Canagan with 75% previous food, day 3 make it 50/50, day 5 is 75% Canagan, day 7 is 100% Canagan. Reduce intake by 10% if overweight, increase by 10% if underweight. Always ensure clean drinking water. Adult small breed maintenance: 3kg 50g, 5kg 80g, 7kg 100g, 10kg 120g (active dogs add ~20-30g).

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
  • Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small 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 oil
  • 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 (25)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Freshly Prepared Free Range Chicken (26%)Chickenmeatmedium2626.0
2Dried Chicken (26%)Dried chicken proteinmeatgood2626.0
3Sweet PotatoSweet Potatoescarbgood-2.6
4PeasPeasveggood-2.6
5PotatoPotatoescarbmedium-2.5
6Chicken Fat (4.2%)Chicken Oil and Fatoilgood4.24.2
7AlfalfaAlfalfaveggood-2.4
8Dried Egg (3%)Dried Eggmeatmedium33.0
9Chicken Gravy (1.5%)Chickenmeatmedium1.51.5
10Salmon Oil (1.2%)Salmon Oiloilgood1.21.2
11GlucosamineGlucosaminesupplementgood-2.4
12AppleApplesveggood-2.3
13MSMMSMsupplementgood-2.2
14CarrotCarrotsveggood-2.1
15FructooligosaccharidesFructo-oligosaccharidessupplementgood-2.1
16SpinachSpinachveggood-2.0
17PsylliumPsylliumfibregood-1.9
18SeaweedSeaweedveggood-1.9
19Chondroitin SulphateChondroitinsupplementgood-1.8
20PeppermintPeppermintveggood-1.7
21CamomileChamomileveggood-1.7
22MarigoldCalendulaveggood-1.6
23CranberryCranberriesveggood-1.5
24AniseedAniseedveggood-1.5
25FenugreekFenugreekveggood-1.4

Brand

Canagan logo
Phone
+44
Address
Thomas Road Wooburn Green Buckinghamshire HP10 0PE
Contact page
www.canagan.co.uk

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-08-29
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)
Product page
canagan.com

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 v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.89.915+7.91
Meat share of dry matter60.3%0.116+7.00
Carb share of dry matter2.4%-0.113-0.27
Oil share of dry matter9.5%-0.088-0.84
Vegetable share of dry matter10.3%-0.002-0.02
Supplement share of dry matter14.3%-0.009-0.13
Undeclared quantities38.1%-0.131-4.99
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes-0.506-0.51
Meat share × printed percentages60.3-0.073-4.43
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.89.915+7.91
Meat share of dry matter60.3%0.116+7.00
Carb share of dry matter2.4%-0.113-0.27
Oil share of dry matter9.5%-0.088-0.84
Vegetable share of dry matter10.3%-0.002-0.02
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter14.3%-0.009-0.13
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.371+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor0.0%-0.045+0.00
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.182+0.00
Number of poor ingredients0-0.868+0.00
Largest single poor ingredient0.0%0.056+0.00
Undeclared quantities38.1%-0.131-4.99
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshno11.440+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)yes-0.506-0.51
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-1.988+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages60.3-0.073-4.43
Meat share × fresh0.0-0.339+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.016.475+0.00
Additive penalty0.000.236+0.00
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Rawno13.322+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno7.712+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno6.583+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno4.857+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno0.072+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno11.127+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno9.320+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno4.569+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-2.321+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.833+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.711+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno2.935+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno2.292+0.00
Processing-type offset
-0.01
Additives declared on label
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
67.3
Final score
67/100

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
v267/100current
v167/100
v1.968/100
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
Protein3437 (band 18 to 40%)100
Fat1718.5 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre33.3 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Calcium1.41.5 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)100
Phosphorus0.91 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)98.9
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.61.6 (band 1 to 2%)100
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)391425100

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 8% 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.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (61.9% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)12.4/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
Additives declared (mandatory)5/10
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 file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents 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.

See all current recalls we track.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
Chicken is an excellent source of protein, vitamins, phosphorous and selenium which is good for the immune system (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Provides a natural and valuable source of minerals which contain iodine to support thyroid function and control metabolism (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Marigold stimulates white blood cell production and strengthens the immune system (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Cranberry is rich in Vitamin C and helps promote a healthy urinary tract (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Camomile is thought to reduce stress (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Grain free dog food, with a smaller kibble, made with free range chicken and specially selected vegetables and botanicals (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion

Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.

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

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