Telling someone their dog is overweight is one of the more awkward conversations in a vet's day, which is probably why so many owners only act on it once a food specifically flags itself as a weight-control option rather than waiting to be told.

Fat Dog Slim is Barking Heads' answer: chicken at 50% of the recipe (26% freshly prepared, 21% dried, plus gravy), with fat held at 9.5% - noticeably lower than a standard maintenance recipe - and 343 kcal per 100g. Rice, oats, peas and barley make up the bulk of the carbohydrate, and the usual glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate and beta glucans joint-support additions are still included.

• Chicken 50% (26% freshly prepared, 21% dried, plus gravy)
• Protein 24%, fat 9.5%, fibre 4%, ash 8%, 343 kcal/100g
• Glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate and beta glucans included
• Rice, oats, peas and barley - not a grain-free recipe
• Formulated for weight control
• 2kg bag

On what "slim" means here. The fat and energy figures are both lower than a general adult recipe, which is the mechanism behind a weight-control food - but Barking Heads still only give a calculator for portion sizes rather than a printed weight-to-grams table, so getting the amount right still depends on using it rather than eyeballing the bowl.

Who it's for: owners of adult dogs who need to manage their weight without switching to a food that drops the joint-support additions along with the calories.