Is Dr. John Sporting Complete Extra Beef a good dog food?
We score it 20/100 (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".
Why this score?
This food achieves an overall score of 20 out of 100 based on several key factors. Ingredients without printed percentages contributed -9.1, while the processing format adjusted the score by -6.7. Furthermore, the overall quality of the ingredient list added -6.1, and the carbohydrate content contributed -5.6 to the final calculation.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
86% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe20
- Nutritionallow95
- Transparency43
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
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 adult dogs, with cereals, meat and animal derivatives and beef as the main ingredients.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 24%
- Fat
- 10%
- Fibre
- 2.50%
- Ash
- 9.50%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Feeding guide
Small Dogs (under 10kg): Up to 200g per day. Medium Dogs (10-20kg): 200-370g per day. Large Dogs (20-45kg): 370-680g per day. Giant Dogs (over 45kg): Over 680g per day. Can be given in one or more meals.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists cereals
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 (6)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cereals | Cereals | carb | poor | - | 21.5 |
| 2 | meat and animal derivatives | Meat and Animal Derivatives | meat | poor | - | 19.4 |
| 3 | 14% beef | Beef | meat | medium | 14 | 14.0 |
| 4 | vegetable protein extracts | Vegetable protein extracts | carb | poor | - | 17.2 |
| 5 | oils and fats | Oils and Fats | oil | poor | - | 15.0 |
| 6 | minerals. | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 12.9 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.gilpa.co.uk/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-10-06
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.gilpa.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.
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-06. 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 | -6.09 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 5.6% | 0.096 | +0.54 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 48.5% | -0.115 | -5.59 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 21.2% | -0.092 | -1.95 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 16.9% | -0.012 | -0.21 |
| Recipe graded poor | 73.1% | -0.065 | -4.75 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 19.4% | -0.179 | -3.46 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 4 | -0.876 | -3.50 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 21.5% | 0.060 | +1.29 |
| Undeclared quantities | 86.0% | -0.106 | -9.08 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| High carb and low meat | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| Additive penalty | -2.58 | 0.222 | -0.57 |
| 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 | -6.09 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 5.6% | 0.096 | +0.54 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 48.5% | -0.115 | -5.59 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 21.2% | -0.092 | -1.95 |
| 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 | 16.9% | -0.012 | -0.21 |
| 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 | 73.1% | -0.065 | -4.75 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 19.4% | -0.179 | -3.46 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 4 | -0.876 | -3.50 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 21.5% | 0.060 | +1.29 |
| Undeclared quantities | 86.0% | -0.106 | -9.08 |
| 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 | yes | -1.180 | -1.18 |
| 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 | -2.58 | 0.222 | -0.57 |
| 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
- 19.6
- Final score
- 20/100
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 | 24 | 26.5 (band 18 to 40%) | 93.2 |
| Fat | 10 | 11 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 93 |
| Fibre | 2.5 | 2.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.
No nutritional additives section declared on the label.
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 (14% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 2.8/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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, 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.
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
- "Made in the UK, with locally sourced ingredients where possible" — supported by the declared made in the UK data.
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| balanced nutrition for a healthy life (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Extra beef (14%) and extra protein (24%) (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Crunchy kibbles to help keep teeth clean (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made in the UK, with locally sourced ingredients where possible (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Recyclable packaging (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| no added artificial colours, flavours or sugars as standard (on page) | Free-from | 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 Dr. John
See all products from Dr. John
Alternatives to Sporting Complete Extra Beef
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.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.