Our verdict
Is Polkadog Small Breed Ancient Grains Recipe 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.
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
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
- 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: the label lists turkey
- 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. Find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (52)100% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- supplement 37.1%
- veg 25.7%
- meat 10.0%
- carb 9.7%
- oil 6.5%
- additive 5.8%
- mineral 3.1%
- fibre 2.2%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Humanely raised chicken | Chicken | meat · medium | - | 2.5 |
| 2 | humanely raised turkey | Turkey | meat · medium | - | 2.5 |
| 3 | ocean menhaden fish meal | Fish Meal | meat · medium | - | 2.5 |
| 4 | barley | Barley | carb · medium | - | 2.5 |
| 5 | brown rice | Rice - brown / whole grain | carb · medium | - | 2.4 |
| 6 | herring meal | Herring Meal | meat · medium | - | 2.4 |
| 7 | sweet potato | Sweet Potatoes | carb · good | - | 2.4 |
| 8 | natural flavor | Flavor | additive · poor | - | 2.4 |
| 9 | quinoa | Quinoa | carb · good | - | 2.4 |
| 10 | coconut oil | Coconut Oil | oil · medium | - | 2.3 |
| 11 | pumpkin | Pumpkin | veg · good | - | 2.3 |
| 12 | flaxseed | Linseed | veg · good | - | 2.3 |
| 13 | kale | Kale | veg · good | - | 2.3 |
| 14 | carrots | Carrots | veg · good | - | 2.2 |
| 15 | apples | Apples | veg · good | - | 2.2 |
| 16 | blueberries | Blueberries | veg · good | - | 2.2 |
| 17 | miscanthus grass | Miscanthus Grass | fibre · medium | - | 2.2 |
| 18 | sunflower oil | Sunflower oil | oil · good | - | 2.1 |
| 19 | dicalcium phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate | supplement · medium | - | 2.1 |
| 20 | calcium carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement · medium | - | 2.1 |
| 21 | cranberries | Cranberries | veg · good | - | 2.1 |
| 22 | potassium chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement · medium | - | 2.0 |
| 23 | salmon oil | Salmon Oil | oil · good | - | 2.0 |
| 24 | dried chicory root | Chicory root | veg · good | - | 2.0 |
| 25 | salt | Salt | additive · poor | - | 2.0 |
| 26 | choline chloride | Choline | supplement · good | - | 1.9 |
| 27 | vitamin E supplement | Vitamin E | supplement · good | - | 1.9 |
| 28 | vitamin A supplement | Vitamin A | supplement · good | - | 1.9 |
| 29 | niacin supplement | Niacin | supplement · good | - | 1.9 |
| 30 | calcium pantothenate | Calcium pantothenate | supplement · good | - | 1.8 |
| 31 | calcium pantothenate | Calcium pantothenate | supplement · good | - | 1.8 |
| 32 | riboflavin supplement | Riboflavin | supplement · good | - | 1.8 |
| 33 | vitamin D3 supplement | Vitamin D3 supplement | supplement · good | - | 1.8 |
| 34 | thiamine mononitrate | Thiamine mononitrate | supplement · good | - | 1.7 |
| 35 | vitamin B12 supplement | Vitamin B12 | supplement · good | - | 1.7 |
| 36 | pyridoxine hydrochloride | Pyridoxine hydrochloride | supplement · good | - | 1.7 |
| 37 | folic acid | Folic acid | supplement · good | - | 1.7 |
| 38 | taurine | Taurine | supplement · good | - | 1.6 |
| 39 | zinc proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | supplement · good | - | 1.6 |
| 40 | iron proteinate | Iron Proteinate | mineral · good | - | 1.6 |
| 41 | copper proteinate | Copper proteinate | supplement · good | - | 1.6 |
| 42 | manganese proteinate | Manganese proteinate | supplement · good | - | 1.5 |
| 43 | selenium yeast | Selenium | mineral · good | - | 1.5 |
| 44 | calcium iodate | Calcium iodate | supplement · medium | - | 1.5 |
| 45 | dried kelp | Kelp | veg · good | - | 1.5 |
| 46 | new zealaond green lipped mussel | Green-Lipped Mussel | supplement · good | - | 1.4 |
| 47 | mixed tocopherols | Tocopherols | additive · good | - | 1.4 |
| 48 | parsley | Parsley | veg · good | - | 1.4 |
| 49 | peppermint | Peppermint | veg · good | - | 1.4 |
| 50 | cinnamon | Cinnamon | veg · good | - | 1.3 |
| 51 | turmeric | Turmeric | veg · good | - | 1.3 |
| 52 | rosemary extract. | Rosemary | veg · good | - | 1.3 |
- 1. Humanely raised chicken2.5% estimated
- 2. humanely raised turkey2.5% estimated
- 3. ocean menhaden fish meal2.5% estimated
- 4. barley2.5% estimated
- 5. brown rice2.4% estimated
- 6. herring meal2.4% estimated
- 7. sweet potato2.4% estimated
- 8. natural flavor2.4% estimated
- 9. quinoa2.4% estimated
- 10. coconut oil2.3% estimated
- 11. pumpkin2.3% estimated
- 12. flaxseed2.3% estimated
- 13. kale2.3% estimated
- 14. carrots2.2% estimated
- 15. apples2.2% estimated
- 16. blueberries2.2% estimated
- 17. miscanthus grass2.2% estimated
- 18. sunflower oil2.1% estimated
- 19. dicalcium phosphate2.1% estimated
- 20. calcium carbonate2.1% estimated
- 21. cranberries2.1% estimated
- 22. potassium chloride2.0% estimated
- 23. salmon oil2.0% estimated
- 24. dried chicory root2.0% estimated
- 25. salt2.0% estimated
- 26. choline chloride1.9% estimated
- 27. vitamin E supplement1.9% estimated
- 28. vitamin A supplement1.9% estimated
- 29. niacin supplement1.9% estimated
- 30. calcium pantothenate1.8% estimated
- 31. calcium pantothenate1.8% estimated
- 32. riboflavin supplement1.8% estimated
- 33. vitamin D3 supplement1.8% estimated
- 34. thiamine mononitrate1.7% estimated
- 35. vitamin B12 supplement1.7% estimated
- 36. pyridoxine hydrochloride1.7% estimated
- 37. folic acid1.7% estimated
- 38. taurine1.6% estimated
- 39. zinc proteinate1.6% estimated
- 40. iron proteinate1.6% estimated
- 41. copper proteinate1.6% estimated
- 42. manganese proteinate1.5% estimated
- 43. selenium yeast1.5% estimated
- 44. calcium iodate1.5% estimated
- 45. dried kelp1.5% estimated
- 46. new zealaond green lipped mussel1.4% estimated
- 47. mixed tocopherols1.4% estimated
- 48. parsley1.4% estimated
- 49. peppermint1.4% estimated
- 50. cinnamon1.3% estimated
- 51. turmeric1.3% estimated
- 52. rosemary extract.1.3% 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; Vitamin A supplement; Niacin supplement; Calcium pantothenate; Riboflavin supplement; Vitamin D3 supplement; Thiamine mononitrate; Vitamin B12 supplement; Pyridoxine hydrochloride; Folic acid; Taurine; Zinc proteinate; Iron proteinate; Copper proteinate; Manganese proteinate; Selenium yeast; Calcium iodate
Technological additives
Mixed tocopherols; Rosemary extract
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-14
Brand and contact: Polkadog
- Website
- https://www.polkadog.com/
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-14
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.polkadog.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.
Brand and retailer reviews
External platform ratings are not scores for this individual recipe.
Trustpilot: 0.0/5 · 0 reviews
125 reviews on this product · 4.9/5
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 an overall rating of 49 out of 100. The inclusion of ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6 points, and the processing format adjusted the score by -6.7. Conversely, the overall quality of the ingredient list added +6.3 points, while being labelled nutritionally complete contributed +2.3 points to the final evaluation.
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 | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.29 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 9.5% | -0.115 | -1.09 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 8.7% | -0.092 | -0.80 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 7.0% | 0.163 | +1.14 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 46.3% | -0.012 | -0.57 |
| Recipe graded poor | 4.3% | -0.065 | -0.28 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 2.4% | 0.060 | +0.14 |
| 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 | -6.95 | 0.222 | -1.54 |
| 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 | 0.7 | 9.191 | +6.29 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 9.5% | -0.115 | -1.09 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 8.7% | -0.092 | -0.80 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 13.8% | -0.005 | -0.07 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 7.0% | 0.163 | +1.14 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 46.3% | -0.012 | -0.57 |
| 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 | 4.3% | -0.065 | -0.28 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 2.4% | 0.060 | +0.14 |
| 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 | -6.95 | 0.222 | -1.54 |
| 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
- 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
Analytical constituents not declared
Declared fortification: 17 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin E supplement
- Vitamin A supplement
- Niacin supplement
- Calcium pantothenate
- Riboflavin supplement
- Vitamin D3 supplement
- Thiamine mononitrate
- Vitamin B12 supplement
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride
- Folic acid
- Taurine
- Zinc proteinate
- Iron proteinate
- Copper proteinate
- Manganese proteinate
- Selenium yeast
- Calcium iodate
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) | 10/10 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formulated specifically for smaller breeds with higher metabolic rates (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| bite sized recipe (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| free of peas, potato, and legumes (on page) | Free-from | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| features a combination of humanely raised chicken, turkey and ancient grains blend (on page) | provenance | 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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