Happy Dog Ostrich Small Breed Dog Food (Mini Africa)
Dry Extruded complete

Is Happy Dog Ostrich Small Breed Dog Food (Mini Africa) a good dog food?
We score it 39/100 (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 recipe achieves an overall rating of 39 out of 100. Several factors influence this result, starting with ingredients without printed percentages, which contributed -11 points. Additionally, the processing format accounted for -7 points, the remaining ingredients added -3.4 points, and the additive load resulted in -2.4 points.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
84% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe39
- Nutritionalmedium97
- Transparency53
- 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.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 24%
- Fat
- 12%
- Fibre
- 2.50%
- Ash
- 8.50%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.30%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 2.50%
- Calcium
- 1.30%
- Phosphorus
- 0.95%
- Sodium
- 0.45%
Energy: 359 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A (3a672a) 12000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 (3a671) 1200 IU/kg; Vitamin E (all rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate 3a700) 75 mg/kg; Vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate 3a821) 4 mg/kg; Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 6 mg/kg; Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride 3a831) 4 mg/kg; Biotin (D (+)-biotin 3a880) 575 mcg/kg; Pantothenic acid (calcium D-pantothenate 3a841) 10 mg/kg; Niacin (3a314) 40 mg/kg; Vitamin B12 70 mcg/kg; Choline chloride (3a890) 60 mg/kg; Taurine (3a370) 500 mg/kg; Iron (E1, iron (II) sulfate monohydrate 3b103) 105 mg/kg; Copper (E4, copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate 3b405) 12 mg/kg; Zinc (zinc oxide 3b603, amino acid zinc chelate hydrate 3b606) 125 mg/kg; Manganese (E5, manganese (II) oxide 3b502) 25 mg/kg; Iodine (calcium iodate, anhydrous 3b202) 2 mg/kg; Selenium (E8, sodium selenite) 0.15 mg/kg
Technological additives
Tocopherol extracts from vegetable oils 1b306(i)
Reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Single named protein: ostrich
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
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 (9)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potatoes | Potatoes | carb | medium | - | 13.4 |
| 2 | Ostrich Protein (16%) | Ostrich Protein | meat | medium | 16 | 16.0 |
| 3 | Potato Protein | Potato protein | carb | medium | - | 12.6 |
| 4 | Oils and Fats | Oils and Fats | oil | poor | - | 11.8 |
| 5 | Hydrolysed Protein | Protein Hydrolysate | other | poor | - | 10.9 |
| 6 | Beet Pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 10.1 |
| 7 | Apple Pomace | Apple Fibre | fibre | medium | - | 9.2 |
| 8 | Sodium Chloride | Salt | additive | poor | - | 8.4 |
| 9 | Yeast Extract | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 7.6 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.happydoguk.com/
- [email protected]
- Phone
- (530) 267-6262
- Address
- 300 Salem Street Chico,CA 95928
- Contact page
- www.happydog.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.happydoguk.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 | -0.0 | 9.915 | -0.44 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 7.5% | 0.116 | +0.87 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 10.9% | -0.113 | -1.22 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 19.4% | -0.088 | -1.71 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 12.6% | 0.177 | +2.23 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.6% | -0.009 | -0.10 |
| Other share of dry matter | 9.1% | -0.371 | -3.38 |
| Recipe graded poor | 31.1% | -0.045 | -1.39 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.868 | -2.60 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 11.8% | 0.056 | +0.66 |
| Undeclared quantities | 84.0% | -0.131 | -11.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -1.988 | -1.99 |
| Additive penalty | -10.25 | 0.236 | -2.41 |
| 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 | -0.0 | 9.915 | -0.44 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 7.5% | 0.116 | +0.87 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 10.9% | -0.113 | -1.22 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 19.4% | -0.088 | -1.71 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.002 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 12.6% | 0.177 | +2.23 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.6% | -0.009 | -0.10 |
| Other share of dry matter | 9.1% | -0.371 | -3.38 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 31.1% | -0.045 | -1.39 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.868 | -2.60 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 11.8% | 0.056 | +0.66 |
| Undeclared quantities | 84.0% | -0.131 | -11.00 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 3.194 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 11.440 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | no | -0.506 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -1.988 | -1.99 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | -0.073 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -10.25 | 0.236 | -2.41 |
| 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
- 38.9
- Final score
- 39/100
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.
Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24 | 26.1 (band 18 to 40%) | 92.1 |
| Fat | 12 | 13 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 2.5 | 2.7 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 99.6 |
| Calcium | 1.3 | 1.4 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 97.4 |
| Phosphorus | 0.95 | 1 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.4 | 1.4 (band 1 to 2%) | 92.1 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 359 | 390.2 | 100 |
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.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (16% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 3.2/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) | 5/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| 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, Feeding guidance given, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| For Small Breeds (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Allergy-Friendly (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Single novel protein: ostrich (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Extra-small kibble for small breeds (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Novel Protein (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Grain-free and gluten-free (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| Vet-recommended for food intolerances (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids care for skin and coat (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| reduces intolerance risks and supports sensitive stomachs (on page) | Functional | 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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