Our verdict
Is Dave's Pet Food Carbolight Chicken Dinner a good dog food?
We score it 56/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken broth
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon oil
- 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. Find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (11)100% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 42.8%
- supplement 18.2%
- additive 15.0%
- fibre 9.6%
- oil 7.5%
- veg 7.0%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken Broth | Chicken Broth | meat · medium | - | 11.8 |
| 2 | Chicken | Chicken | meat · medium | - | 11.2 |
| 3 | Chicken Liver | Chicken Liver | meat · good | - | 10.7 |
| 4 | Dried Yeast | Yeast | supplement · good | - | 10.2 |
| 5 | Miscanthus Grass | Miscanthus Grass | fibre · medium | - | 9.6 |
| 6 | Egg | Egg | meat · good | - | 9.1 |
| 7 | Natural Flavor | Flavor | additive · poor | - | 8.6 |
| 8 | Tricalcium Phosphate | Tricalcium phosphate | supplement · good | - | 8.0 |
| 9 | Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols) | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 7.5 |
| 10 | Carrots | Carrots | veg · good | - | 7.0 |
| 11 | Agar Agar | Agar-agar | additive · medium | - | 6.4 |
- 1. Chicken Broth11.8% estimated
- 2. Chicken11.2% estimated
- 3. Chicken Liver10.7% estimated
- 4. Dried Yeast10.2% estimated
- 5. Miscanthus Grass9.6% estimated
- 6. Egg9.1% estimated
- 7. Natural Flavor8.6% estimated
- 8. Tricalcium Phosphate8.0% estimated
- 9. Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols)7.5% estimated
- 10. Carrots7.0% estimated
- 11. Agar Agar6.4% estimated
Nutrition and feeding
Declared analysis (as fed)
No analysis recorded yet.
Additives & feeding info
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Vitamin E Supplement; Niacin Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; D-Calcium Pantothenate; Vitamin A Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Biotin; Folic Acid; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Manganese Proteinate; Sodium Selenite; Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide; Choline Chloride; L-Carnitine
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-12
Brand and contact: Dave's Pet Food
- Website
- https://davespetfood.com/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-12
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- davespetfood.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.
Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a total score of 56 out of 100 based on several key factors. The presence of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 to the overall rating, while the overall quality of the ingredient list added +4.9. Furthermore, the additive load contributed -4, and the additives in the recipe adjusted the score by +3.9.
Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. 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 | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.87 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.0% | -0.092 | -1.20 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.005 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 23.7% | 0.163 | +3.85 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 29.4% | -0.012 | -0.36 |
| Recipe graded poor | 8.6% | -0.065 | -0.56 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.6% | 0.060 | +0.51 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Additive penalty | -17.97 | 0.222 | -3.99 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.87 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.115 | +0.00 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.0% | -0.092 | -1.20 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 1.8% | -0.005 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 23.7% | 0.163 | +3.85 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 29.4% | -0.012 | -0.36 |
| 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 | 8.6% | -0.065 | -0.56 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.6% | 0.060 | +0.51 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| 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) | no | 0.707 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| 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 | -17.97 | 0.222 | -3.99 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 33.786 | +33.79 |
| 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 | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | yes | -0.672 | -0.67 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.08
- Additives declared on label
- +1 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 55.8
- Final score
- 56/100
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
Analytical constituents not declared
Declared fortification: 19 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin E Supplement
- Niacin Supplement
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- D-Calcium Pantothenate
- Vitamin A Supplement
- Riboflavin Supplement
- Vitamin B12 Supplement
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Biotin
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin D3 Supplement
- Zinc Proteinate
- Iron Proteinate
- Copper Proteinate
- Manganese Proteinate
- Sodium Selenite
- Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide
- Choline Chloride
- L-Carnitine
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) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| 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 (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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| complete and balanced nutrition for adult dogs (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No artificial colors or flavors (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Reduced carbohydrate recipe supports glucose and weight management (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Balanced fat content helps maintain a healthy body weight (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| L-Carnitine to help support fat metabolism and energy efficiency (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made in the USA, reviewed by Board Certified Veterinarian Nutritionists (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with real chicken and chicken liver in a delicious loaf texture (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No prescription needed (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High protein content helps to maintain lean muscle mass (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
Alternatives to Carbolight Chicken Dinner
Similar on ingredients, protein, format or nutrition, using the same stored data.
Community0 comments
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.