Is Connolly's RED MILLS Leader Puppy a good dog food?
We score it 64/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This food achieves an overall score of 64 out of 100. The meat content contributed +3.7 points, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +7.4 points. However, the processing format reduced the score by -6.7 points. Additionally, ingredients without printed percentages subtracted -6.8 points from the total.
64% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe64
- Nutritionallow100
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- EvidenceNot recorded
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.
Why you might choose it
- Meat makes up an estimated 43% of the dry matter (40% as fed).
- Single named animal protein: chicken.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- 64% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 28%
- Fat
- 15%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Ash
- 6.50%
- Moisture
- 10%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Vitamin A 24,000 iu/kg; Vitamin D3 2,000 iu/kg; Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 250 iu/kg; Copper Sulphate Pentahydrate 28.0 mg/kg; Sodium Selenite 0.3 mg/kg; Iron Sulphate Monohydrate 250.0 mg/kg; Manganese Oxide 65.0 mg/kg; Zinc Oxide 97.2 mg/kg; Zinc Chelate of Amino Acid Hydrate 200.0 mg/kg; Calcium Iodate Anhydrous 2.4 mg/kg
Technological additives
Antioxidants: Preserved with tocopherol-rich extracts of natural origin
Storage
Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Feeding guide
See feeding table on page (amounts split across 2-3 meals/day depending on age). For puppies 1-6 months give minimum three feeds per day; for 6-12 months give minimum two feeds per day. May be fed wet (1 part water to 2 parts feed, lukewarm) or dry.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for puppies
- Single named protein: chicken
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - brown / whole grain
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 (19)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dehydrated Chicken (36%) | Dried chicken protein | meat | good | 36 | 36.0 |
| 2 | Brown Rice | Rice - brown / whole grain | carb | medium | - | 4.7 |
| 3 | White Rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 4.5 |
| 4 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | medium | - | 4.4 |
| 5 | Dehulled Oats | Oats | carb | medium | - | 4.3 |
| 6 | Whole Linseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 4.1 |
| 7 | Minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 4.0 |
| 8 | Alfalfa | Alfalfa | veg | good | - | 3.9 |
| 9 | Hydrolysed Liver Protein | Liver | meat | good | - | 3.7 |
| 10 | Yeast Extract | Yeast | supplement | good | - | 3.6 |
| 11 | Chicory Inulin | Inulin | fibre | good | - | 3.5 |
| 12 | Dried Cranberries | Cranberries | veg | good | - | 3.4 |
| 13 | Dried Beetroot | Beetroot | veg | good | - | 3.2 |
| 14 | Rosemary | Rosemary | veg | good | - | 3.1 |
| 15 | Ginger | Ginger | veg | good | - | 3.0 |
| 16 | Turmeric | Turmeric | veg | good | - | 2.8 |
| 17 | Glucosamine Hydrochloride | Glucosamine | supplement | good | - | 2.7 |
| 18 | Yucca schidigera | Yucca Schidigera | supplement | good | - | 2.6 |
| 19 | Chondroitin Sulphate. | Chondroitin | supplement | good | - | 2.5 |
Brand
- Phone
- +353 (0)599775800
- Address
- Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny, R95 EKH4
- Contact page
- www.redmillspet.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-17
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.redmillspet.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 v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.35 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 38.5% | 0.096 | +3.70 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.115 | -1.58 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.1% | -0.092 | -0.47 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.005 | -0.10 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 16.5% | -0.012 | -0.20 |
| Undeclared quantities | 64.0% | -0.106 | -6.76 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.35 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 38.5% | 0.096 | +3.70 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.115 | -1.58 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 5.1% | -0.092 | -0.47 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 18.5% | -0.005 | -0.10 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 16.5% | -0.012 | -0.20 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 64.0% | -0.106 | -6.76 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | yes | 0.707 | +0.71 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | no | -3.158 | +0.00 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.180 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 11.084 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 0.98 | 33.786 | +33.11 |
| Processing: Raw | no | -0.054 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 6.331 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.713 | -6.71 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- +0.02
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 64.3
- Final score
- 64/100
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.
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; Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28 | 30.9 | 100 |
| Fat | 15 | 16.6 | 100 |
Scored over 2 declared nutrients (combined weight 40); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% 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 (36% of the recipe mass) (voluntary) | 7.2/20 |
| 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) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (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.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.
Claims on file; none we can check against the label
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blended with botanicals (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% natural (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Chicken number one ingredient (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports healthy growth (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Strong, Healthy Muscles (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Strong Immune System (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Strengthens Bones (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Packed with essential vitamins and minerals for healthy growth including calcium and phosphorus (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Enriched with omega-3 oils to help promote a radiant and shiny coat (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High Meat Content (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
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