Virbac Veterinary HPM Junior Special Large
Dry Extruded complete Clear label
Is Virbac Veterinary HPM Junior Special Large a good dog food?
We score it 50/100 (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 50 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list adds +4.3 points, while printing percentages on the label contributes +3.2 points. Conversely, the processing format takes away -7 points, and ingredients without printed percentages deduct -11.6 points from the total.
89% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe50
- Nutritionalmedium97
- Transparency47
- 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 adult dogs, with poultry, rice and lentils as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
- High in protein: 40% protein on a dry-matter basis.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 36%
- Fat
- 15.50%
- Fibre
- 5.50%
- Ash
- 7.50%
- Moisture
- 9%
- Carbohydrates
- 26.50%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.90%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 2%
- Calcium
- 1.10%
- Phosphorus
- 0.90%
- Sodium
- 0.60%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult 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: it is listed as an ingredient
- 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 (21)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehydrated Pork and Poultry Protein | Poultry | meat | medium | - | 6.1 |
| 2 | Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 6.0 |
| 3 | min | Lentils | veg | good | - | 5.8 |
| 4 | 7% Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | 7 | 7.0 |
| 5 | Hydrolysed Animal Protein | Hydrolysed Animal Protein | meat | medium | - | 5.7 |
| 6 | Animal Fat | Unspecified Animal Fats and Oils | oil | poor | - | 5.5 |
| 7 | Whole Pea | Peas | veg | good | - | 5.3 |
| 8 | Potato Starch | Potato starch | carb | poor | - | 5.2 |
| 9 | min | Lentils | veg | good | - | 5.0 |
| 10 | 4% Potato Starch | Potato starch | carb | poor | 4 | 4.0 |
| 11 | Field Bean Hulls | Field Bean Hulls | fibre | medium | - | 4.8 |
| 12 | Lignocellulose | Lignocellulose | fibre | medium | - | 4.7 |
| 13 | Beet Pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 4.5 |
| 14 | Mineral Salts | Salt | additive | poor | - | 4.4 |
| 15 | Fish Oil | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 4.2 |
| 16 | Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 4.0 |
| 17 | Fructo-Oligosaccharides | Fructo-oligosaccharides | supplement | good | - | 3.9 |
| 18 | Psyllium Fibre | Psyllium fibre | fibre | good | - | 3.7 |
| 19 | Chitosan | Chitosan | supplement | medium | - | 3.6 |
| 20 | Pasteurised Lactobacillus Acidophilus | Pasteurised Lactobacillus Acidophilus | supplement | good | - | 3.4 |
| 21 | Chondroitin Sulphate | Chondroitin | supplement | good | - | 3.2 |
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 | 0.4 | 9.915 | +4.30 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 16.7% | 0.116 | +1.94 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 8.5% | -0.113 | -0.96 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.2% | -0.088 | -1.34 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.1% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 6.4% | 0.177 | +1.13 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.1% | -0.009 | -0.18 |
| Recipe graded poor | 17.2% | -0.045 | -0.77 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.868 | -2.60 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.056 | +0.41 |
| Undeclared quantities | 89.0% | -0.131 | -11.65 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 16.7 | -0.073 | -1.22 |
| Additive penalty | -7.46 | 0.236 | -1.76 |
| 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 | 0.4 | 9.915 | +4.30 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 16.7% | 0.116 | +1.94 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 8.5% | -0.113 | -0.96 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.2% | -0.088 | -1.34 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.1% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 6.4% | 0.177 | +1.13 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 20.1% | -0.009 | -0.18 |
| 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 | 17.2% | -0.045 | -0.77 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.868 | -2.60 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.2% | 0.056 | +0.41 |
| Undeclared quantities | 89.0% | -0.131 | -11.65 |
| 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 | 16.7 | -0.073 | -1.22 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -7.46 | 0.236 | -1.76 |
| 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
- Subtotal
- 49.8
- Final score
- 50/100
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 | 50/100 | current |
| v1 | 46/100 | |
| v1.9 | 46/100 |
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 | 36 | 39.6 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 15.5 | 17 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 5.5 | 6 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Calcium | 1.1 | 1.2 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 91.3 |
| Phosphorus | 0.9 | 1 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 99.5 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.2 | 1.2 (band 1 to 2%) | 83.3 |
| 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 (11% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 2.2/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| 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 (Additives 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 |
|---|---|---|
| With a high protein content of 35% (87% from animal sources), your adolescent large breed dog will develop healthy muscle mass (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| VETERINARY HPM® Junior Large Dog gives your young dog the high-quality protein they need to maintain healthy joints (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| prebiotics and probiotics that are scientifically proven to support beneficial digestive flora and a healthy microbiome (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Psyllium fibre maintains regular digestion and stools (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| bentonite ensures normal stool odour and consistency (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| 77% of junior large breed dogs developed improved digestive tolerance after one month (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| contains supplements like omega-3 fish oil to support the skin and coat (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports healthy growth (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Controlled weight gain (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Joint and muscle development (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| High protein contributes to muscle development after the growth peak (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| The ideal balance of low carbohydrates and high protein helps prevent excessive weight gain and joint issues (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| high 35% protein content (87% from animal sources) (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| low carbohydrates (28%) (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| low fat and high fibre (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| does not contain any artificial colours or flavours (on page) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| Naturally present chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine help joint growth and elasticity (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 |
| 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 |
| Fish oil Healthy coat and skin barrier function (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| L-carnitine (330 mg/kg) Regulates metabolism to limit fat tissue build up (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Developed by vets (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| 35% high-quality protein to promote lean muscle mass development (on page) | High/low level | 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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