Leader Slimline Adult Small Breed Dog Food

Dry Extruded complete

Slimline Adult Small Breed Dog Food
Average
our rating

Is Leader Slimline Adult Small Breed Dog Food a good dog food?

We score it 56/100 (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 a total score of 56 out of 100 based on several key factors. The meat content contributed +3.3 points, and the overall quality of the ingredient list added +7 points. However, the processing format reduced the score by -7 points. Additionally, ingredients without printed percentages resulted in a deduction of -10.3 points.

79% 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 dry food for adult small breed dogs, with dehydrated turkey and rice as the main ingredients.

Estimated composition

veg25.4%
meat25.0%
carb24.6%
supplement16.7%
oil4.5%
fibre3.8%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
21%
Fat
8%
Fibre
2.40%
Ash
6.50%
Moisture
10%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamins 21,750 iu; Vitamin D3 1,875 iu; Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 233 iu; Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate 28.0 mg; Sodium Selenite 0.3 mg; Iron Sulphate Monohydrate 229.2 mg; Manganese Oxide 65.0 mg; Zinc Oxide 91.0 mg; Zinc Chelate of Amino Acid Hydrate 187.5 mg; Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 2.4 mg; 3.2.3 L-Lysine Monohydrochlorid 1,630mg

Technological additives

Preserved with tocopherol-rich extracts of natural origin

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

Feeding guide

Feed the recommended daily amount according to body weight and activity level; adult dogs should be fed two feeds per day. Leader may be fed wet or dry. If feeding wet, use 1 part water to 2 parts feed and feed within 30 minutes of preparation. Ensure fresh drinking water is available.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken oil and fat
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated turkey protein
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - brown / whole grain
  • 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 (21)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Dehydrated Turkey (21%)Dehydrated turkey proteinmeatgood2121.0
2Brown RiceRice - brown / whole graincarbmedium-5.2
3White RiceRice - whitecarbmedium-5.1
4Pea StarchPea Starchcarbpoor-4.9
5Potato StarchPotato starchcarbpoor-4.8
6Dehulled OatsOatscarbmedium-4.7
7Chicken FatChicken Oil and Fatoilgood-4.5
8Whole LinseedLinseedveggood-4.4
9MineralsVitamins and mineralssupplementmedium-4.3
10AlfalfaAlfalfaveggood-4.1
11Hydrolysed Liver ProteinLivermeatgood-4.0
12Yeast ExtractYeastsupplementgood-3.9
13Chicory InulinInulinfibregood-3.8
14Dried CranberriesCranberriesveggood-3.6
15Dried BeetrootBeetrootveggood-3.5
16RosemaryRosemaryveggood-3.4
17GingerGingerveggood-3.2
18TurmericTurmericveggood-3.1
19Glucosamine HydrochlorideGlucosaminesupplementgood-3.0
20Yucca SchidigeraYucca Schidigerasupplementgood-2.8
21Chondroitin Sulphate.Chondroitinsupplementgood-2.7

Brand

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-13
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)

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 quality0.79.915+7.03
Meat share of dry matter28.0%0.116+3.25
Carb share of dry matter22.7%-0.113-2.56
Oil share of dry matter5.5%-0.088-0.48
Vegetable share of dry matter21.0%-0.002-0.04
Supplement share of dry matter18.7%-0.009-0.17
Recipe graded poor9.7%-0.045-0.43
Number of poor ingredients2-0.868-1.74
Largest single poor ingredient4.9%0.056+0.28
Undeclared quantities79.0%-0.131-10.34
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
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 quality0.79.915+7.03
Meat share of dry matter28.0%0.116+3.25
Carb share of dry matter22.7%-0.113-2.56
Oil share of dry matter5.5%-0.088-0.48
Vegetable share of dry matter21.0%-0.002-0.04
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter18.7%-0.009-0.17
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.371+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor9.7%-0.045-0.43
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.182+0.00
Number of poor ingredients2-0.868-1.74
Largest single poor ingredient4.9%0.056+0.28
Undeclared quantities79.0%-0.131-10.34
Prints ingredient percentagesno3.194+0.00
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshno11.440+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no-0.506+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-1.988+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.0-0.073+0.00
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
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
56.2
Final score
56/100

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
v256/100current
v153/100
v1.954/100
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
Protein2123.3 (band 18 to 40%)84.5
Fat88.9 (band 5.5 to 20%)84
Fibre2.42.7 (band 0.5 to 5%)98.9

Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.

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 (21% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)4.2/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)15/15
Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
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 file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (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
Strengthens Bones (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
support healthy weight loss and help to manage obesity (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
highly digestible (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Ideal for Small Breed Dogs (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
100% natural (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
Small Kibble Size (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
Low calorie (on page)High/low levelManufacturer assertion
Blended with botanicals (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
Nutritious turkey (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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