Is Health Extension Little Cups for Small Breed a good dog food?
We score it 55/100 (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 55 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +4.6 points, while the additives in the recipe added +6.2 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -10.6 points, and the additive load further adjusted the total by -6.6 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.
- Recipe55
- Nutritionallow100
- Transparency55
- 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
- Doesn't list grain ingredients.
- 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 5% of the dry matter (10% 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 7 points in the rating.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 9%
- Fat
- 5%
- Fibre
- 1.50%
- Moisture
- 78%
Energy: 143 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
Zinc Proteinate; Iron Proteinate; Copper Proteinate; Manganese Proteinate; Sodium Selenite; Cobalt Proteinate; Potassium Iodide; Vitamin E Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Niacin Supplement; d-Calcium Pantothenate; Vitamin A Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Folic Acid
Feeding guide
Adult dogs: Feed 3-4 cups per 15lbs of body weight per day. Puppies: Up to 11 weeks of age: Feed as much as your puppy will eat in 3-4 feedings per day; 11-26 weeks of age: Feed 2¼ cups per 5lbs of body weight per day; 26-52 weeks of age: Feed 1½ - 1¾ cups per 5lbs of body weight per day. Feed at room temperature and refrigerate unused portion. Always provide access to clean fresh water.
Reviews
39 reviews on this product · 4.8/5
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids turkey: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists fish 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. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (13)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken Recipe: Chicken | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 10.0 |
| 2 | Chicken Broth | Cooking broth | other | medium | - | 9.6 |
| 3 | Dried Chickpeas | Chickpeas | veg | medium | - | 9.2 |
| 4 | Cranberries | Cranberries | veg | good | - | 8.8 |
| 5 | Carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 8.5 |
| 6 | Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols) | Fish Oil | oil | good | - | 8.1 |
| 7 | Blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | - | 7.7 |
| 8 | Dicalcium Phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate | supplement | medium | - | 7.3 |
| 9 | Agar-Agar | Agar-agar | additive | medium | - | 6.9 |
| 10 | Guar Gum | Guar gum | additive | medium | - | 6.5 |
| 11 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 6.2 |
| 12 | Salt | Salt | additive | medium | - | 5.8 |
| 13 | Natural Flavor | Flavor | additive | poor | - | 5.4 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 1-800-992-9738
- Address
- 50 Commerce Dr, Hauppauge, NY 11788
- Contact page
- www.healthextension.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
- www.healthextension.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 | 0.5 | 9.191 | +4.63 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.092 | -1.27 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 20.8% | -0.005 | -0.11 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 38.3% | 0.163 | +6.23 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 21.4% | -0.012 | -0.26 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.8% | -0.375 | -0.31 |
| Recipe graded poor | 5.4% | -0.065 | -0.35 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 5.4% | 0.060 | +0.32 |
| 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 | -29.65 | 0.222 | -6.58 |
| 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 | +4.63 |
| 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 | 13.8% | -0.092 | -1.27 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 20.8% | -0.005 | -0.11 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 38.3% | 0.163 | +6.23 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 21.4% | -0.012 | -0.26 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.8% | -0.375 | -0.31 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 5.4% | -0.065 | -0.35 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 1 | -0.876 | -0.88 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 5.4% | 0.060 | +0.32 |
| 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 | -29.65 | 0.222 | -6.58 |
| 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
- 54.9
- Final score
- 55/100
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9 | 40.9 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 5 | 22.7 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.5 | 6.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 143 | 650 | 100 |
Scored over 4 declared nutrients (combined weight 60); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 78% 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 (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) | 5/10 |
| 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 file | 0/5 |
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
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet Formulated (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Slow Cooked In Small Batches (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Balanced Digestion & Powered Immunity (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Improve Gut Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Nourish Skin & Coat (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Boost Immunity (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Avoid Allergens (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Strengthen Hip and joints (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Support Heart Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Proprietary Blend of Probiotics, Apple Cider Vinegar and Colostrum (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| No GMOs, soy, wheat, corn, by-products, fillers, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 30+ functional superfoods like Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Coconut Oil, Colostrum and Turmeric (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Stimulate Brain Function (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Maintain Healthy Weight (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Build Muscle and Endurance (on page) | Functional | 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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