Harringtons Senior Chicken review

About 111 kg a year. That's what a 20 kg neutered dog gets through at the Merck Veterinary Manual's adult figure, 70 x 20^0.75 x 1.6, or 1,059 kcal a day, divided by the 3,480 kcal/kg Pets at Home states for this food. It comes to a little over 9 of the 12 kg bags. At £31.89 a bag (£2.66/kg), the standard price read on 2 November 2026, the year costs about £295.

Merck's factor is for adults in general and carries no senior adjustment. It also warns of a 30% swing either way between animals. The pet cost calculator lets you change the weight.

I've read this food's label and store page, and I haven't fed it to a dog. Opinions below are mine.

When does senior start?

Harringtons says 7 years and over. PDSA's advice on dog diets is more specific: move to a senior food at about half of life expectancy, which it puts around 7 for small dogs and 5 for larger ones. So a big dog could reach PDSA's point two years before this bag's label starts. Ask your vet which applies to yours.

Less fat than what?

The page's features list says "Contains 25% less fat". It doesn't say less than what. Annoying, since that's the first claim you'd want to check.

The stated figures do at least show a lean food, with fat at 7.5 %. James Wellbeloved Senior Lamb has 10.2 %. Protein is close: 20.5 % against 19.6 %. Calories barely differ, at 3,480 kcal/kg and 3,510 kcal/kg. All of those are store statements, and none is a test result.

The price gap with James Wellbeloved

Harringtons costs £2.66/kg and James Wellbeloved Senior Lamb £3.73/kg, at the prices read on 2 November 2026. Per calorie that's £0.76 per 1,000 kcal against £1.06 per 1,000 kcal. To see why I use that measure, read how price per 1,000 kcal works. If the Wellbeloved name appeals, the adult turkey review covers its ingredient list.

Harringtons had a promotion on selected foods when I checked, valid to 3 November 2026. The price above is the standard one.

What's in the bag

Chicken and meat meals lead at 26%, of which dried chicken is 6.5%. Barley and maize follow, then rice at 14%, oats at 4% and freshly prepared chicken at 4%. The page turns that 6.5% into "26g Chicken in every 100g kibble", which is the maker's own conversion. Note the wording. The 26% and the 26g are different things.

Glucosamine is listed at 0.05% and chondroitin at 0.01%. The maker links them to joint support. I can't tell you what those amounts do for a dog, and I won't repeat the claim as fact. If joints are the worry, that's a conversation for your vet.

Some lines on the page give you nothing. Moisture, calcium and phosphorus are all marked "Not Stated", so I can't compare those with another food.

The feeding table runs generous

Its bands are wide: 180 to 360 g a day for 10 to 20 kg, and 360 to 540 g for 20 to 40 kg, with 10% more for active dogs. A 20 kg dog on 360 g gets about 1,253 kcal. That's about 18% above the 1,059 kcal from the formula, or about 304 g. I'd begin nearer the lower number for a dog that's slowing down, weigh each portion, then let the scales decide. At 304 g a day, one 12 kg bag lasts about 39 days.

Pets at Home shows 4.8 out of 5 from 27 reviews. One, three years old, complains that a 15 kg bag has gone, and the page now lists 12 kg and 1.7 kg. Those opinions come from buyers, not tests.