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Suitable for all breeds of dogs
Click here for more info.
In general, unless your dog has health issues, you probably won't have to worry about these figures. Click here for more information
Mixing bowl composition
This is the ingredients list as printed on the packaging or manufacturer's website.
Think of the 'mixing bowl' composition like a recipe - all the ingredients you would need to put in a 'mixing bowl' in order to make the food.
Ingredients have to be listed in descending order of their weight so the higher it appears, the more there is.
Highlighted ingredients
Ingredients that we believe to be controversial or inferior are highlighted in yellow with particularly low grade, highly contentious or excessively vague ingredients in red.
Information in italics is not usually avaialble on the ingredients list but has been provided to us by the manufacturer to help with our ratings.
As fed composition
While the 'mixing bowl' composition is useful for knowing what went into the food, it doesn't always reflect what your dog is actually eating. This is because the processes that turn the ingredients into the finished pet food can significantly alter the relative weights of the ingredients.
For this reason we've calculated the approximate 'as fed' percentages for the main ingredient categories in the finished product.
Please note that these figures are very approximate. They are estimates based on the information provided by the manufacturer in the ingredients list so the clearer the terminology and the more percentages they provide, the more accurate our estimates will be. Wherever information is lacking, we always assume the worst.
Ingredient categories
◉ Meat ingredients: includes all meat and fish ingredients except isolated fats/oils.
◉Added oils and fats: includes all isolated oil and fat ingredients.
◉ Carb-rich ingredients: includes all ingredients derived from grains, pseudo-grains, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables, sweet potato and legumes (except whole peas which are categorised under fruit and veg) except for isolated protein and extracted oils. Also includes fibre supplements.
◉ Fruit and veg: includes all whole vegetables and fruits.
◉ Other: all other ingredients. Mostly made up by nutritional supplements and additives.
For more information on any ingredient, please take a look at our Dog Food Ingredient Glossary
The dry matter level of a nutrient is the percentage there would be in the food if all of the water was removed.
With water taken out of the equation, these figures allow the nutrient levels of foods of different types (like wet and dry) to be compared on an even playing field.
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97 out of 100 - Excellent
Our unique product ratings are calculated based on a number of characteristics including the quality and quantity of the stated ingredients, certain nutritional and technological additives and the processing methods used to create the food. They are designed to indicate how beneficial we think a food is likely to be for the majority of dogs when fed on a daily basis for an extended period. Click here for more information
Country of origin: United Kingdom
A technological additive is any substance added to a pet food "for a technological purpose and which favourably affects the characteristics of feed".
The most common categories of technological additives include preservatives and antioxidants, gelling agents and thickeners and probiotics.
While the primary effects of technoloical additives are certainly 'favourable' (increased shelf life in the case of preservatives & antioxidants, better food texture and consistency in the case of gelling agents and thickeners etc.) some have been linked to health problems in pets and should be treated with caution.
Unfortunately, many technological additives do not have to be declared by the manufacturer so just because they do not appear on the label does not necessarily mean they are not in the food. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer directly exactly what technological additives their foods contain.
IanB• a year ago
It isn’t clear how Bella & Duke’s advertising that this has enhanced protein and fat especially for working dogs can be justified, when if you look at the rest of their range, the protein and fat in the ‘Premium’ is exactly the same, and in the ‘Enriched’ is higher?
JorgeLuisBorges• 2 years ago
Can anyone explain the ‘not nutritionally complete’ logo on this food? It’s got a high nutritional rating, so how can’t it be complete!? I’m guessing it’s some kind of technicality - but it would be good to understand it, and the rating, better.
All About Dog Food
JorgeLuisBorges• 2 years ago
Great question! You can find more info on all of our profile symbols as well as our nutritional scores here: https://www.allaboutdogfood...
In short, the 'nutritionally complete' logo is awarded to foods that comply fully with FEDIAF and/or AAFCO nutritional guidelines for complete foods. These guidelines are provided by the world's two largest pet food industry bodies and are designed to ensure that complete pet foods meet all of a pet's nutritional requirements. They are far from perfect but they are the best we currently have.
Right now the only way to meet these criteria in every batch of food is to add a synthetic multi-vitamin and mineral complex. These synthetic additives go against the natural-feeding principles of some raw food producers like Bella & Duke so they forgo the added nutrients and FEDIAF/AAFCO compliance in favour of the natural nutrients present in the food's raw ingredients. You can contact Bella & Duke for more info on this.
Both approaches have their own pros and cons but it is a distinction that's worth bearing in mind.
JorgeLuisBorges
All About Dog Food• 2 years ago
Makes sense - thanks!
Helen Emma• 2 years ago
My German Shepherd loves Bella and Duke. He has a beautiful shiny red sable coat. He is lean and the vet says he is in excellent shape. I have deliberatley restricted excercise until his growth plates close, but he gets a species appropriate high protein diet. Customer service is good at Bella and Duke.
Lindsay Smith• 2 years ago
I love this natural way of feeding my dog. I tried many different brands and she struggled to maintain a healthy weight on all of them. On Bella & Duke she is healthy, happy and thriving. The quality of the food is clear, with ethical sourcing and excellent customer service.
Jude McCoy• 3 years ago
Amazing food, which my dog loves. You can see the quality as soon as you open the tub! Fantastic customer service too. A wonderful company who actually listen and respond to their customers.
Claire Henderson• 3 years ago
My dog is thriving on bella and duke. His coat is so shiny and everyone comments on how well he looks. He adores the food and now looks forward to meal times unlike when on kibble. The company uses human grade meat and is constantly researching to find the best things to use in their food. Lots of testing, best quality and tonnes of knowledge so couldn't ask for more. As someone who needs support with my dog and always has a lot of questions, I feel totally supported by their fantastic customer services too. An amazing company and well worth the money!
Autumn Phoenix• 4 years ago
Have just started feeding Bella and Duke to one of my schnauzers - he absolutely loves it. Package arrived quickly and everything was still frozen, unlike some others.The cartons are easy to store in the freezer, easy to defrost and serve from, and great because you don't have to find alternative storage containers to keep in the fridge. There's a good variety of flavours which have all been wolfed down, and bowl licked doubly clean.Highly recommended.
Stan Rawlinson• 4 years ago
As a leading UK Dog Behaviourist and nutrition commentator. I am very fussy about what I feed my six dogs. Five of them are Working Cockers and actually work as gundogs on four major shoots in the UK. I have tested and tried all types of dog food culminating in a number of reviews that are first on Google, including Dog Food and Behaviour which is also first on Google.I tested Bella and Duke on all my dogs and switched from the raw food I was feeding to this brand within 6 weeks. I cannot praise it more highly. It is a quality product at what I believe are very affordable prices. Try it and see the difference.