Red Mills Small Dog Food

Dry Extruded complete

Small Dog Food
Average
our rating

Is Red Mills Small Dog Food a good dog food?

We score it 49/100 (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 an overall rating of 49 out of 100. The meat content contributed +3.3 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +4.3 points to the total. However, the processing format reduced the score by -7 and ingredients without printed percentages decreased it by -13.1.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

100% 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 extruded dry food for dogs of all life stages, with maize, dried chicken protein and meat meal as the main ingredients.

Why you might choose it

  • Low in fat for its format: 10% fat on a dry-matter basis.
  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • Low in protein: 20% protein on a dry-matter basis.
  • 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.

View the source page

Estimated composition

meat36.5%
carb19.4%
fibre13.5%
supplement13.5%
oil9.0%
veg8.1%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
20%
Fat
9.50%
Fibre
2.40%
Ash
7%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin A 24000 iu/kg; Vitamin D3 2000 iu/kg; Alpha Tocopherol Acetate 250 iu/kg; Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate 7 mg/kg; Sodium Selenite 0.15 mg/kg; Iron Sulphate Monohydrate 75 mg/kg; Manganese Oxide 40 mg/kg; Zinc Oxide 70 mg/kg; Zinc Chelate of Glycine Hydrate 30 mg/kg; Calcium Iodate 1.50 mg/kg

Technological additives

tocopherol-rich extracts of natural origin

Who is this food for?

Suits

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

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dried chicken protein
  • Your dog avoids beef: it is listed as an ingredient
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists poultry fat
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists maize / corn
  • You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
  • You need more protein than this: 20.0% on a dry-matter basis is in the low band

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 (11)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1MaizeMaize / Corncarbpoor-11.8
2Dehydrated ChickenDried chicken proteinmeatgood-11.2
3Dehydrated BeefMeat Mealmeatmedium-10.7
4Poultry FatPoultry Fatoilmedium-10.2
5Dehulled OatsOatscarbmedium-9.6
6Whole LinseedLinseedveggood-9.1
7Beet PulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-8.6
8MineralsVitamins and mineralssupplementmedium-8.0
9Chicken DigestDigestmeatpoor-7.5
10Yeast ExtractYeastsupplementgood-7.0
11Chicory ExtractChicory Root Extractfibregood-6.4

Brand

Red Mills logo
Phone
+44 (0)7778980613
Address
Woodland Granaries, Narrow Lane, Wymeswold, Loughborough LE12 6SD
Contact page
www.redmills.com

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-08-22
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)
Product page
redmillsstore.ie

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 quality0.49.915+4.34
Meat share of dry matter28.6%0.116+3.32
Carb share of dry matter21.0%-0.113-2.37
Oil share of dry matter11.0%-0.088-0.97
Vegetable share of dry matter9.0%-0.002-0.02
Supplement share of dry matter15.3%-0.009-0.14
Recipe graded poor17.6%-0.045-0.79
Poor-quality meat in recipe6.8%-0.182-1.23
Number of poor ingredients2-0.868-1.74
Largest single poor ingredient10.8%0.056+0.61
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.131-13.09
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 quality0.49.915+4.34
Meat share of dry matter28.6%0.116+3.32
Carb share of dry matter21.0%-0.113-2.37
Oil share of dry matter11.0%-0.088-0.97
Vegetable share of dry matter9.0%-0.002-0.02
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter15.3%-0.009-0.14
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.371+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor17.6%-0.045-0.79
Poor-quality meat in recipe6.8%-0.182-1.23
Number of poor ingredients2-0.868-1.74
Largest single poor ingredient10.8%0.056+0.61
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.131-13.09
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
49.3
Final score
49/100

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
v249/100current
v149/100
v1.949/100
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
Protein2021.7 (band 18 to 40%)80.2
Fat9.510.3 (band 5.5 to 20%)90
Fibre2.42.6 (band 0.5 to 5%)98.1

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.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file0/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file0/5
Complete/complementary designation (mandatory)5/5
Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file0/10
Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory)10/10
Country of manufacture stated (voluntary)10/10
Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file0/5

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.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
with essential minerals for strong teeth and bones (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Omega oils to promote a glossy coat (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Prebiotics for a healthy gut (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Zinc + Omegas 3 & 6 for healthy skin and coat (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
rich in tasty Chicken (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
Smaller kibble size suitable for small breed dogs (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
25% meat content (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
free from artificial colours, flavours, and wheat gluten (on page)Free-fromManufacturer 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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