Virbac Senior Neutered Dog Large & Medium
Dry Extruded complete
Is Virbac Senior Neutered Dog Large & Medium a good dog food?
We score it 55/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall score of 55 out of 100 based on several key factors. On the positive side, the overall quality of the ingredient list adds +6.8 points, and printing percentages for most of the recipe contributes +2 points. However, the score is reduced by -13.1 points due to ingredients without printed percentages, and the processing format subtracts -7 points.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe55
- Nutritionalmedium93
- Transparency55
- 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 senior dogs, with poultry, rice and lignocellulose as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- High in protein: 35% protein on a dry-matter basis.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 32%
- Fat
- 12%
- Fibre
- 10.50%
- Ash
- 6.50%
- Moisture
- 9%
- Carbohydrates
- 30%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.90%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 2.10%
- Calcium
- 1.10%
- Phosphorus
- 0.70%
- Sodium
- 0.40%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 11000 IU; Vitamin D3 1100 IU; Vitamin E 590 mg; Vitamin B1 3.8 mg; Vitamin B2 11 mg; Vitamin B3 30 mg; Vitamin B5 26 mg; Vitamin B6 3 mg; Vitamin B9 0.48 mg; Vitamin B12 0.062 mg; Choline 3000 mg; Taurine 1500 mg; Copper 18 mg; Iron 220 mg; Iodine 2.6 mg; Manganese 26 mg; Selenium 0.4 mg; Zinc 150 mg; L-carnitine 330 mg/kg
Technological additives
Bentonite 0.5 %
Storage
VETERINARY HPM® Senior Neutered - Dry Dog Food For Medium & Large Breeds
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for senior dogs
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists poultry
- Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists poultry
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish oil
- Your dog avoids pork: the label lists hydrolysed pork
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
- 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 (17)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehydrated pork and poultry proteins | Poultry | meat | medium | - | 7.7 |
| 2 | Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 7.5 |
| 3 | Lignocellulose | Lignocellulose | fibre | medium | - | 7.2 |
| 4 | Hydrolysed pork and poultry proteins | Hydrolysed Pork | meat | medium | - | 7.0 |
| 5 | Peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 6.8 |
| 6 | Poultry Fats | Poultry Fat | oil | medium | - | 6.6 |
| 7 | Pea fiber | Pea Fibre | fibre | medium | - | 6.3 |
| 8 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 6.1 |
| 9 | Dried beet pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 5.9 |
| 10 | Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 5.7 |
| 11 | Fish oil | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 5.4 |
| 12 | Fructo-oligosaccharides | Fructo-oligosaccharides | supplement | good | - | 5.2 |
| 13 | Psyllium fibre | Psyllium fibre | fibre | good | - | 5.0 |
| 14 | Inactivated brewer’s yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 4.8 |
| 15 | Egg membrane | Eggshell Membrane Powder | supplement | good | - | 4.5 |
| 16 | hyaluronic acid from fermentation | Hyaluronic acid | supplement | good | - | 4.3 |
| 17 | Inactivated Lactobacillus helveticus | Inactivated Lactobacillus helveticus | supplement | good | - | 4.1 |
Brand
- Website
- https://uk.virbac.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
- uk.virbac.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 | 0.7 | 9.915 | +6.78 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 15.6% | 0.116 | +1.81 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 7.6% | -0.113 | -0.85 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.7% | -0.088 | -1.21 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.0% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 30.7% | -0.009 | -0.27 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.131 | -13.09 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| 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 | 0.7 | 9.915 | +6.78 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 15.6% | 0.116 | +1.81 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 7.6% | -0.113 | -0.85 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.7% | -0.088 | -1.21 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.0% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 30.7% | -0.009 | -0.27 |
| 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 | 0.0% | -0.045 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.868 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.056 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.131 | -13.09 |
| 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) | no | -1.988 | +0.00 |
| 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 | 0.00 | 0.236 | +0.00 |
| 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
- 54.5
- Final score
- 55/100
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 | 55/100 | current |
| v1 | 54/100 | |
| v1.9 | 55/100 |
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 32 | 35.2 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 12 | 13.2 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 10.5 | 11.5 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 55.8 |
| Calcium | 1.1 | 1.2 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 91.3 |
| Phosphorus | 0.7 | 0.8 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 88.5 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.6 | 1.6 (band 1 to 2%) | 100 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 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 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); 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.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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 (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight and hunger control (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Mobility and muscle support (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports renal health (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Weight control without feeling hungry (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| With the addition of L-carnitine, an amino acid that supports healthy fat metabolism (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| high protein preserves muscle mass (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| functional ingredients like hyaluronic acid and eggshell membrane help to keep the joints mobile and flexible (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Mobility support (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Low phosphorus levels reduce the burden on the kidneys, helping to maintain a healthy kidney function (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Prebiotics and postbiotics support the growth of beneficial digestive flora in the gut (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Gentle and functional ingredients promote a healthy gut flora, regular digestive movement and normal stools (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| High digestive tolerance (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids at the optimal ratios to support the skin barrier and keep their coat shiny (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports skin and coat health (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Weight control (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Prevents weight gain in older dogs with reduced energy, high protein and fibre, and L-carnitine for healthy fat metabolism (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Bentonite (0.5%) Protects the intestinal lining to regulate stools (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Lactobacilli (7 mg/kg) Postbiotics to build beneficial digestive flora (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| L-carnitine (330 mg/kg) Regulates metabolism to limit fat tissue build up (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Hyaluronic acid (100 mg/kg) Helps maintain joint elasticity (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| formulated with low fat levels, high fibre and protein to reduce the energy content of the food (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| high 32% protein content (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| complete and balanced diet for senior dogs (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Developed by vets (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| contains less phosphorus than regular adult dry dog food (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| contains a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (on page) | Nutrient | Manufacturer assertion |
| VETERINARY HPM® does not contain any artificial colours or flavours (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| VETERINARY HPM® Senior Neutered Dog Large & Medium is a complete nutritious diet for medium and large breeds (on page) | 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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Alternatives to Senior Neutered Dog Large & Medium
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.
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