Dr. Clauder's Best Choice Junior Medium
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is Dr. Clauder's Best Choice Junior Medium a good dog food?
We score it 60/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a total score of 60 out of 100 based on several key factors. The processing format contributed -7 points, and the carbohydrate content contributed -4.6 points. Conversely, the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6 points, and the meat content contributed +4 points to the overall assessment.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
30% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe60
- Nutritionallow99
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited33
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 puppies, with rice, dehydrated poultry proteins and poultry fat as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 35% of the dry matter (33% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 28%
- Fat
- 16.50%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Ash
- 7.20%
- Calcium
- 1.50%
- Phosphorus
- 0.90%
- Sodium
- 0.30%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 15,000 IU; Vitamin D3 1,200 IU; Vitamin E 250 mg; Vitamin B1 10 mg; Vitamin B2 10 mg; Vitamin B6 5 mg; Vitamin B12 100 mcg; Vitamin C 70 mg; Biotin 650 mcg; Folic acid 3 mg; Niacin 45 mg; Calcium D-pantothenate 25 mg; Choline chloride 1,450 mg; Zinc (as zinc oxide) 90 mg; Zinc (as amino acid zinc chelate, hydrate) 45 mg; Iodine (as calcium iodate, anhydrous) 2 mg; Copper (as cupric sulfate, pentahydrate) 10 mg; Selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.2 mg
Technological additives
Tocopherol-rich extracts of natural origin; Propyl gallate
Storage
Always provide fresh water! Protect from moisture! Store in a cool, dry place.
Feeding guide
Daily feed amount based on age and final weight in g/day 2 months - 5kg/80g, 10kg/120g, 15kg/155g, 20kg/190g, 30kg/245g, 40kg/295g 3 months - 5kg/95g, 10kg/155g, 15kg/205g, 20kg/255g, 30kg/340g, 40kg/405g 4 months - 5kg/100g, 10kg/170g, 15kg/225g, 20kg/280g, 30kg/375g, 40kg/475g 6 months - 5kg/100g, 10kg/170g, 15kg/235g, 20kg/290g, 30kg/395g, 40kg/485g 8 months - 5kg/100g, 10kg/170g, 15kg/230g, 20kg/285g, 30kg/390g, 40kg/485g 10 months - 5kg/95g, 10kg/165g, 15kg/225g, 20kg/280g, 30kg/380g, 40kg/480g 12 months - 5kg/95g, 10kg/165g, 15kg/225g, 20kg/280g, 30kg/380g, 40kg/480g
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists green-lipped mussel
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
- 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 (16)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice 37.5% | Rice - white | carb | medium | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| 2 | dried poultry protein 31% | Dehydrated Poultry Proteins | meat | good | 31 | 31.0 |
| 3 | poultry fat | Poultry Fat | oil | medium | - | 3.8 |
| 4 | millet | Millet | carb | good | - | 3.7 |
| 5 | dried beet pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 3.5 |
| 6 | protein hydrolysate | Protein Hydrolysate | other | poor | - | 3.3 |
| 7 | linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 3.1 |
| 8 | chicory powder 1% | Chicory root | veg | good | 1 | 1.0 |
| 9 | dried yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 2.9 |
| 10 | 0.5% mannanoligosaccharides | Mannanoligosaccharides | supplement | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 11 | 0.1% beta-glucans | Beta-Glucans | supplement | good | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 12 | monocalcium phosphate | Monocalcium phosphate | supplement | good | - | 2.7 |
| 13 | whole egg powder | Dried Whole Egg | meat | good | - | 2.5 |
| 14 | sodium chloride | Salt | additive | poor | - | 2.3 |
| 15 | potassium chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 2.1 |
| 16 | green-lipped mussel extract 0.1% | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement | good | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Brand
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-09
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.dr-clauder.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.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +5.99 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 34.6% | 0.116 | +4.01 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 40.7% | -0.113 | -4.58 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 4.3% | -0.088 | -0.38 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.1% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.3% | 0.177 | +0.41 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 8.7% | -0.009 | -0.08 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.371 | -0.68 |
| Recipe graded poor | 5.6% | -0.045 | -0.25 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 3.3% | 0.056 | +0.18 |
| Undeclared quantities | 29.8% | -0.131 | -3.90 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 34.6 | -0.073 | -2.54 |
| Additive penalty | -2.81 | 0.236 | -0.66 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.6 | 9.915 | +5.99 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 34.6% | 0.116 | +4.01 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 40.7% | -0.113 | -4.58 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 4.3% | -0.088 | -0.38 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 4.1% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.3% | 0.177 | +0.41 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 8.7% | -0.009 | -0.08 |
| Other share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.371 | -0.68 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 5.6% | -0.045 | -0.25 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.868 | -1.74 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 3.3% | 0.056 | +0.18 |
| Undeclared quantities | 29.8% | -0.131 | -3.90 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 11.440 | +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 meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 34.6 | -0.073 | -2.54 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -2.81 | 0.236 | -0.66 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Raw | no | 13.322 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | 7.712 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | 6.583 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 4.857 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | 0.072 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 11.127 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 9.320 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | 4.569 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -2.321 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.833 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.711 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | 2.935 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | 2.292 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.01
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 59.8
- Final score
- 60/100
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.
| Model | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| v2 | 60/100 | current |
| v1 | 58/100 | |
| v1.9 | 59/100 |
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for puppies and growth. 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.
Scored against FEDIAF growth minima; puppy scoring is under review.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28 | 30.4 | 100 |
| Fat | 16.5 | 17.9 | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.5 | 1.6 | 98.1 |
| Phosphorus | 0.9 | 1 | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.7 | 1.7 | 95.8 |
Scored over 5 declared nutrients (combined weight 70); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% from the food type.
Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture 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 (70.2% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 14/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| 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 (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.
| Claim | Type | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|
| Supports the intestinal health and immune system of young dogs through MOS, FOS and yeast beta-glucans (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Without wheat, corn, or preservatives (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer 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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