Pro Plan Large Athletic Puppy Healthy Start Chicken
Dry Extruded complete Clear label
Is Pro Plan Large Athletic Puppy Healthy Start Chicken 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 score of 39 out of 100. Printing percentages on the label boosted the score by +3.2. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -9.4. Furthermore, the processing format and the carbohydrate content lowered the score by -7 and -5.5 respectively.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
72% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe39
- Nutritionallow100
- 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 chicken, wheat and dehydrated poultry proteins as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- High in protein: 32% protein on a dry-matter basis.
- Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
Why you might not
- 7 poor-graded ingredients make up about 46% of the recipe.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 32%
- Fat
- 18%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Ash
- 7.50%
Energy: 401 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vit A: 27000 IU/kg; Vit D3: 900 IU/kg; Vit E: 200 IU/kg; Vit C: 120 mg/kg; Iron (II) sulphate monohydrate (Fe: 120 mg/kg); Calcium iodate anhydrous (I: 1.9 mg/kg); Copper (II) sulphate pentahydrate (Cu: 13 mg/kg); Manganous sulphate monohydrate (Mn: 45 mg/kg); Zinc sulphate monohydrate (Zn: 110 mg/kg); Sodium selenite (Se: 0.13 mg/kg)
Technological additives
Tocopherol extracts from vegetable oils: 50 mg/kg
Feeding guide
Daily feeding amounts by puppy age (1.5–24 months), expected adult body weight (25–70 kg), and for gestation/lactation. These are guidelines only; adjust for activity, condition and individual needs. Introduce solid food gradually during weaning. Clean fresh water available at all times.
Reviews
Trustpilot: 1.8/5 · 628 reviews
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 chicken
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish oil
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists wheat
- 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 (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High quality chicken (19%) | Chicken | meat | medium | 19 | 19.0 |
| 2 | Wheat | Wheat | carb | poor | - | 7.8 |
| 3 | Dried poultry protein | Dehydrated Poultry Proteins | meat | good | - | 7.4 |
| 4 | Rice (9%) | Rice - white | carb | medium | 9 | 9.0 |
| 5 | Soya meal | Soya | carb | poor | - | 7.1 |
| 6 | Animal fats | Unspecified Animal Fats and Oils | oil | poor | - | 6.8 |
| 7 | Digest | Digest | meat | poor | - | 6.5 |
| 8 | Corn protein meal | Maize gluten | carb | poor | - | 6.2 |
| 9 | Wheat gluten | Wheat Gluten | carb | poor | - | 5.8 |
| 10 | Corn | Maize / Corn | carb | poor | - | 5.5 |
| 11 | Dried beet pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 5.2 |
| 12 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 13 | Dried egg | Dried Egg | meat | medium | - | 4.5 |
| 14 | Fish oil | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 4.2 |
| 15 | Dried colostrum (0.1%) | Colostrum | supplement | medium | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Brand
- Phone
- 0800 212 161
- Contact page
- www.purina.co.uk
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-12
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.purina.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 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 | -0.2 | 9.915 | -1.90 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 24.2% | 0.116 | +2.81 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 48.9% | -0.113 | -5.51 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 14.5% | -0.088 | -1.28 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.1% | -0.009 | -0.05 |
| Recipe graded poor | 45.7% | -0.045 | -2.04 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 6.5% | -0.182 | -1.18 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 7 | -0.868 | -6.08 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.8% | 0.056 | +0.44 |
| Undeclared quantities | 71.9% | -0.131 | -9.41 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 24.2 | -0.073 | -1.78 |
| Additive penalty | -0.20 | 0.236 | -0.05 |
| 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 | -0.2 | 9.915 | -1.90 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 24.2% | 0.116 | +2.81 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 48.9% | -0.113 | -5.51 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 14.5% | -0.088 | -1.28 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.002 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.1% | -0.009 | -0.05 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.371 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 45.7% | -0.045 | -2.04 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 6.5% | -0.182 | -1.18 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 7 | -0.868 | -6.08 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.8% | 0.056 | +0.44 |
| Undeclared quantities | 71.9% | -0.131 | -9.41 |
| 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) | no | -0.506 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 24.2 | -0.073 | -1.78 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -0.20 | 0.236 | -0.05 |
| 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
- 38.5
- 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.
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 | 39/100 | current |
| v1 | 33/100 | |
| v1.9 | 35/100 |
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 | 32 | 34.8 | 100 |
| Fat | 18 | 19.6 | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 401 | 435.9 | 100 |
Scored over 3 declared nutrients (combined weight 50); 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 (28.1% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 5.6/20 |
| 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) | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adapted for Large Athletic breeds (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Chicken as No1 ingredient & High protein (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| High Protein (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Colostrum to help support natural defences (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps promotes healthy growth and long-term health (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps support healthy joints (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Science based nutrition with no added colourants (on pack) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains vitamin D, minerals and specific levels of omega-3 fatty acids (0.3%) to help support healthy teeth and gums (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Also suitable for gestating / lactating bitches (on pack) | Content | 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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