Whistlers Chicken with Rice & Vegetables
Dry Extruded complete High meat Clear label
Is Whistlers Chicken with Rice & Vegetables a good dog food?
We score it 61/100 (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 61 out of 100. The processing format contributed -7 points to the score, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.4. On the other hand, the carbohydrate content contributed -5.2, and ingredients without printed percentages added -3.9.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
30% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe61
- Nutritionallow96
- 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 adult dogs, with dried chicken protein, rice and chicken oil and fat as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 31% of the dry matter (26% as fed).
- Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
Why you might not
We found no significant drawbacks in the data we hold for this product.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 24%
- Fat
- 14%
- Fibre
- 3.50%
- Ash
- 6%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.50%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A/E672 16,000 iu/kg; Vitamin D/E671 1,500 iu/kg; Vitamin E/3a700 250 mg/kg; Iron sulphate monohydrate 75 mg/kg; Cupric sulphate pentahydrate 30 mg/kg; Manganous oxide 70 mg/kg; Zinc sulphate monohydrate 350 mg/kg; Zinc chelate of amino acids hydrate 350 mg/kg; Sodium selenite 0.45 mg/kg; Carnitine 135 mg/kg
Technological additives
Natural Antioxidants
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place.
Feeding guide
Small Dog 5-10kg: 105-165g; Medium Dog 10-25kg: 165-330g; Large Dog 25-45kg: 330-510g; Very Large Dog 45kg+: 510g+. Introduce gradually over 5-7 days, divided into 2 meals.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dried chicken protein
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists green-lipped mussel
- 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 (20)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehydrated Chicken (26%) | Dried chicken protein | meat | good | 26 | 26.0 |
| 2 | White Rice (20%) | Rice - white | carb | medium | 20 | 20.0 |
| 3 | Brown Rice (20%) | Rice - brown / whole grain | carb | medium | 20 | 20.0 |
| 4 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | good | - | 2.6 |
| 5 | Alfalfa | Alfalfa | veg | good | - | 2.5 |
| 6 | Full Fat Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 2.4 |
| 7 | Peas | Peas | veg | good | - | 2.3 |
| 8 | 4% vegetables | Vegetables | veg | medium | 4 | 4.0 |
| 9 | Yeast | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 2.2 |
| 10 | Salmon Oil (0.5%) | Salmon Oil | oil | good | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 11 | Salt | Salt | additive | poor | - | 2.1 |
| 12 | Milk Thistle | Milk Thistle | veg | good | - | 2.1 |
| 13 | Seaweed | Seaweed | veg | good | - | 2.0 |
| 14 | Nettle | Nettles | veg | good | - | 1.9 |
| 15 | Yucca Schidigera | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | - | 1.8 |
| 16 | Blackcurrant | Blackcurrant | veg | good | - | 1.7 |
| 17 | Green Lipped Mussel | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement | good | - | 1.6 |
| 18 | Kale | Kale | veg | good | - | 1.5 |
| 19 | Beetroot | Beetroot | veg | good | - | 1.5 |
| 20 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 1.4 |
Brand
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-15
- Scored with
- Model v2 (methodology)
- Product page
- whistlersdogfood.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 | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.43 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 31.1% | 0.116 | +3.61 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.8% | -0.113 | -5.16 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.7% | -0.088 | -0.50 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.3% | 0.177 | +0.41 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.9% | -0.009 | -0.06 |
| Recipe graded poor | 2.0% | -0.045 | -0.09 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.868 | -0.87 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 2.0% | 0.056 | +0.11 |
| Undeclared quantities | 29.5% | -0.131 | -3.86 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 31.1 | -0.073 | -2.28 |
| Additive penalty | -2.39 | 0.236 | -0.56 |
| 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 | 0.6 | 9.915 | +6.43 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 31.1% | 0.116 | +3.61 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 45.8% | -0.113 | -5.16 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.7% | -0.088 | -0.50 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 2.3% | 0.177 | +0.41 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.9% | -0.009 | -0.06 |
| 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 | 2.0% | -0.045 | -0.09 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.182 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.868 | -0.87 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 2.0% | 0.056 | +0.11 |
| Undeclared quantities | 29.5% | -0.131 | -3.86 |
| 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) | yes | -0.506 | -0.51 |
| 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 | 31.1 | -0.073 | -2.28 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -2.39 | 0.236 | -0.56 |
| 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
- 61.2
- Final score
- 61/100
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 | 61/100 | current |
| v1 | 60/100 | |
| v1.9 | 61/100 |
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 | 24 | 26.1 (band 18 to 40%) | 92.1 |
| Fat | 14 | 15.2 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 3.5 | 3.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 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 (70.5% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 14.1/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) | 5/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| naturally hypoallergenic (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| may help dogs that suffer from poor skin and coat condition, itching, scratching and hot spots (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Containing a single source of meat protein for gentle digestion (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Rich in chicken with rice and vegetables (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| wheat-free recipe (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains omega 3 fatty acids (from salmon oil), glucosamine and green lipped mussel for the nutritional support of joints (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Good proportion of energy from fat, with carnitine for sustained performance (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Provides essential nutrients along with zinc, essential fatty acids and nettle for coat condition (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains mannan oligosaccharides (a prebiotic) and natural antioxidants (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives (on page) | Free-from | 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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