Dr. Gary's Best Breed Cocker Spaniel Diet

Dry Extruded complete

Cocker Spaniel Diet
Average
our rating

Is Dr. Gary's Best Breed Cocker Spaniel Diet a good dog food?

We score it 49/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall rating of 49 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +6.4 points to the total. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6, the processing format subtracted -6.7, and the additive load contributed -3 points.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

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

  • Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • Meat makes up an estimated 6% of the dry matter (8% as fed); carbohydrates dominate.
  • 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
  • Its additive load costs about 3 points in the rating.

View the source page

Estimated composition

supplement57.3%
additive11.3%
carb7.9%
meat7.7%
fibre5.1%
veg4.7%
mineral3.7%
oil2.3%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
25%
Fat
12%
Fibre
4.50%
Moisture
10%

Energy: 390 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Ascorbic Acid; Vitamin E Supplement; Biotin; Niacin Supplement; d-Calcium Pantothenate; Vitamin A Acetate; Riboflavin Supplement; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Folic Acid; Potassium Chloride; Ferrous Sulfate; Zinc Sulfate; Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Zinc Oxide; Copper Sulfate; Manganese Sulfate; Manganese Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Manganous Oxide; Sodium Selenite; Calcium Iodate; Calcium Carbonate; Monosodium Phosphate; Taurine; L-Lysine; DL Methionine

Technological additives

Lecithin; Citric Acid; Natural Mixed Tocopherols (preservatives in chicken fat and canola oil)

Feeding guide

Feed at least twice daily; adjust to condition. Up to 10 lbs: 1/4–3/4 cup; 11–23 lbs: 3/4–1-1/4 cups; 24–36 lbs: 1-1/4–1-3/4 cups; 37–49 lbs: 1-3/4–2-1/4 cups; 50–62 lbs: 2-1/4–3 cups; 63–75 lbs: 3–3-1/2 cups; 76–89 lbs: 3-1/2–4 cups; 90+ lbs: 4 cups plus 1/2 cup for every 10 lbs over 90. 1 cup ≈ 114 g. Puppies: up to 33% more than adult levels. Pregnant: minimal increase first 6 weeks; weeks 7–9 up to 25%. Lactating: 50% increase post-whelping; up to 300% at peak lactation. Fresh water always available.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
  • 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 fish meal
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists barley
  • 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 (49)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Chicken MealDried chicken proteinmeatgood-2.7
2Pearled BarleyBarleycarbmedium-2.7
3OatmealOatscarbmedium-2.6
4Dried Beet PulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-2.6
5Chicken Fat [Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols]Tocopherolsadditivegood-2.6
6SorghumSorghumcarbmedium-2.6
7Egg ProductEggmeatgood-2.5
8Brewers Dried YeastYeastsupplementgood-2.5
9Tomato PomaceTomato Pomacefibremedium-2.5
10Menhaden Fish MealFish Mealmeatmedium-2.5
11Natural FlavorFlavoradditivepoor-2.4
12Flax SeedLinseedveggood-2.4
13LecithinLecithinsupplementgood-2.4
14Menhaden Fish OilFish Oiloilgood-2.3
15Calcium CarbonateCalcium Carbonatesupplementmedium-2.3
16Dried KelpKelpveggood-2.3
17SaltSaltadditivemedium-2.3
18TaurineTaurinesupplementgood-2.2
19Canola Oil [Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols]Tocopherolsadditivegood-2.2
20L-LysineLysinesupplementmedium-2.2
21DL MethionineMethioninesupplementgood-2.2
22Monosodium PhosphateSodium phosphateadditivepoor-2.1
23Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product DehydratedDried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Productsupplementgood-2.1
24Ascorbic AcidVitamin Csupplementgood-2.1
25Vitamin E SupplementVitamin Esupplementgood-2.0
26BiotinBiotinsupplementgood-2.0
27Niacin SupplementNiacinsupplementgood-2.0
28d-Calcium PantothenateCalcium pantothenatesupplementgood-2.0
29Vitamin A AcetateVitamin Asupplementgood-1.9
30Riboflavin SupplementRiboflavinsupplementgood-1.9
31Vitamin B12 SupplementVitamin B12supplementgood-1.9
32Thiamine MononitrateThiamine mononitratesupplementgood-1.8
33Pyridoxine HydrochloridePyridoxine hydrochloridesupplementgood-1.8
34Citric AcidCitric Acidadditivemedium-1.8
35Vitamin D3 SupplementVitamin D3 supplementsupplementgood-1.8
36Folic AcidFolic acidsupplementgood-1.7
37Potassium ChloridePotassium Chloridesupplementmedium-1.7
38Ferrous SulfateIron sulfatesupplementgood-1.7
39Zinc SulfateZinc sulfatesupplementmedium-1.7
40Zinc ProteinateZinc Proteinatesupplementgood-1.6
41Iron ProteinateIron Proteinatemineralgood-1.6
42Zinc OxideZinc Oxidesupplementgood-1.6
43Copper SulfateCopper sulphatesupplementgood-1.5
44Manganese SulfateManganese sulfatesupplementmedium-1.5
45Manganese ProteinateManganese proteinatesupplementgood-1.5
46Copper ProteinateCopper proteinatesupplementgood-1.5
47Manganous OxideManganese (II) Oxidesupplementgood-1.4
48Sodium SeleniteSodium selenitesupplementpoor-1.4
49Calcium Iodate.Calcium iodatesupplementmedium-1.4

Brand

Dr. Gary's Best Breed logo
Phone
1-800-500-5999
Address
2000-C Fostoria Ave., Findlay, OH 45840
Contact page
bestbreed.com

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-13
Scored with
Model v3 (methodology)
Product page
bestbreed.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.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.79.191+6.44
Carb share of dry matter7.7%-0.115-0.89
Oil share of dry matter2.6%-0.092-0.24
Vegetable share of dry matter4.7%-0.005-0.02
Additive share of dry matter11.3%0.163+1.84
Supplement share of dry matter58.6%-0.012-0.72
Recipe graded poor3.8%-0.065-0.25
Number of poor ingredients2-0.876-1.75
Largest single poor ingredient2.4%0.060+0.15
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-13.580.222-3.01
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.79.191+6.44
Meat share of dry matter0.0%0.096+0.00
Carb share of dry matter7.7%-0.115-0.89
Oil share of dry matter2.6%-0.092-0.24
Vegetable share of dry matter4.7%-0.005-0.02
Additive share of dry matter11.3%0.163+1.84
Supplement share of dry matter58.6%-0.012-0.72
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor3.8%-0.065-0.25
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients2-0.876-1.75
Largest single poor ingredient2.4%0.060+0.15
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-13.580.222-3.01
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.02
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
49.4
Final score
49/100

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 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.

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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein2527.6 (band 18 to 40%)96.2
Fat1213.3 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre4.55 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Energy (kcal/100g)390430.9100

Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); 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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file0/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
✓ Energy value declared (voluntary)5/5
✓ 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 file0/5

Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Analytical constituents declared, 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

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
Small Batch Made in Ohio, USA (on page)provenancenot checkableManufacturer assertion
Natural antioxidants for the immune system (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Enriched with taurine for the heart (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Natural fiber from beet pulp, a moderately fermentable source of soluble and insoluble fiber for digestion and gastrointestinal function (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Natural sources of glucosamine for joints and connective tissue (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Veterinarian Developed (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Premium protein from chicken, menhaden fish, and eggs providing amino acids for muscle mass, skin, and coat (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
EU-Approved Ingredients (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth. Suitable for all life stages (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Never On a Recall List (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Menhaden Fish A premium protein that provides essential amino acids required to help build and maintain strong, lean muscle mass (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids from premium chicken fat, canola oil, and menhaden fish for ear, skin, and coat (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Low & Slow Cooked (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Try it for 30 days, love it or your money back (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Eggs Eggs are the perfect source of protein as they contain all 9 essential amino acids (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Chicken Made with protein-rich, low ash chicken sourced from the USA (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Healthy Whole Grains Thoughtfully selected, healthy, whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, pearled barley and millet, that are highly nutritious and easily digestible (on page)Contentnot checkableManufacturer 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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