Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Weight Adult 1+ Large Breed Dry Dog Food

Dry Extruded complete Clear label

Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Weight Adult 1+ Large Breed Dry Dog Food
Average
our rating

Is Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Weight Adult 1+ Large Breed Dry Dog Food a good dog food?

We score it 48/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

How we score

Why this score?

This recipe achieves an overall score of 48 out of 100. The meat content contributed +2.5 points and printing percentages on the label added +3.2 points. However, the processing format reduced the score by -7 points, and ingredients without printed percentages also lowered the total by -9.2 points.

Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.

70% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

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.

Complete extruded dry food for adult dogs, with dehydrated chicken and turkey, poultry and wheat as the main ingredients.

Why you might choose it

  • Prints ingredient percentages on the label.
  • Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • 5 poor-graded ingredients make up about 25% of the recipe.

View the source page

Estimated composition

meat40.4%
fibre17.9%
carb15.9%
supplement9.8%
oil8.6%
veg7.5%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
26.30%
Fat
14%
Fibre
11.30%
Ash
5.10%
Carbohydrates
34.80%
Omega-3 fatty acids
0.73%
Omega-6 fatty acids
2.42%
Calcium
0.81%
Phosphorus
0.64%
Sodium
0.27%

Energy: 334 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

3b103 (Iron) 74.5mg; 3b202 (Iodine) 1.8mg; 3b405 (Copper) 7.3mg; 3b502 (Manganese) 7.7mg; 3b603 (Zinc) 131mg; 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2mg; Vitamin A 10,230IU; Vitamin D3 700IU; Vitamin E 625mg; Vitamin C 90mg; Beta-carotene 1.5mg; L-carnitine 274mg

Technological additives

with natural antioxidant

Storage

Fresh water should be available at all times.

Feeding guide

Feed the daily amount shown; adjust amount to maintain optimum weight. Body weight (kg) / Dry grams: 25/330, 30/375, 35/404, 40/465, 50/550, 60/630, 70/710, 80+ per 10kg +10g per kg. Fresh water should be available at all times.

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at large dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, venison, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dehydrated chicken and turkey
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated chicken and turkey
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists crustacean shell hydrolysate
  • Your dog avoids pork: it is listed as an ingredient
  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists wheat
  • 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 (17)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Chicken and Turkey MealDehydrated Chicken and Turkeymeatgood-6.7
2total poultry 18%Poultrymeatmedium1818.0
3WheatWheatcarbpoor-6.5
4MaizeMaize / Corncarbpoor-6.3
5Pea Bran MealPea Bran Mealfibremedium-6.1
6Maize Gluten MealMaize glutencarbpoor-5.9
7Animal FatUnspecified Animal Fats and Oilsoilpoor-5.6
8DigestDigestmeatpoor-5.4
9Dried Tomato PomaceTomato Pomacefibremedium-5.2
10CelluloseCellulosefibremedium-5.0
11FlaxseedLinseedveggood-4.8
12Dried Beet PulpBeet Pulpfibremedium-4.6
13Coconut OilCoconut Oiloilmedium-4.4
14MineralsVitamins and mineralssupplementmedium-4.2
15Dried CarrotsCarrotsveggood-4.0
16Pork Cartilage (source of chondroitin sulphate)Cartilagesupplementgood-3.8
17Crustacean Shell Hydrolysate (source of glucosamine).Crustacean Shell Hydrolysatesupplementmedium-3.6

Brand

Hill's logo
Address
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Goldsworth Place 1 Forge End Woking GU21 6DB
Contact page
www.hillspet.co.uk

Trust and provenance

Recall history
No recalls recorded in our database
Label data last checked
2026-09-15
Scored with
Model v2 (methodology)
Product page
www.hillspet.co.uk

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 v2 on 2026-09-22. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.29.915+1.71
Meat share of dry matter21.6%0.116+2.50
Carb share of dry matter20.3%-0.113-2.29
Oil share of dry matter12.2%-0.088-1.08
Vegetable share of dry matter9.7%-0.002-0.02
Supplement share of dry matter13.0%-0.009-0.12
Recipe graded poor25.4%-0.045-1.13
Poor-quality meat in recipe4.6%-0.182-0.84
Number of poor ingredients5-0.868-4.34
Largest single poor ingredient5.5%0.056+0.31
Undeclared quantities70.0%-0.131-9.16
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Meat share × printed percentages21.6-0.073-1.58
Additive penalty-0.290.236-0.07
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-32.336+32.34
Average ingredient quality0.29.915+1.71
Meat share of dry matter21.6%0.116+2.50
Carb share of dry matter20.3%-0.113-2.29
Oil share of dry matter12.2%-0.088-1.08
Vegetable share of dry matter9.7%-0.002-0.02
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.177+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter13.0%-0.009-0.12
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.371+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.022+0.00
Recipe graded poor25.4%-0.045-1.13
Poor-quality meat in recipe4.6%-0.182-0.84
Number of poor ingredients5-0.868-4.34
Largest single poor ingredient5.5%0.056+0.31
Undeclared quantities70.0%-0.131-9.16
Prints ingredient percentagesyes3.194+3.19
Complete dietyes1.703+1.70
Frozen or chilled freshno11.440+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no-0.506+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)no-1.988+0.00
High carb and low meatno-1.250+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages21.6-0.073-1.58
Meat share × fresh0.0-0.339+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.016.475+0.00
Additive penalty-0.290.236-0.07
Processing multiplier1.0032.336+32.34
Processing: Rawno13.322+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno7.712+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno6.583+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno4.857+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno0.072+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno11.127+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno9.320+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno4.569+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-2.321+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.996-7.00
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.833+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.711+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno2.935+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno2.292+0.00
Processing-type offset
-0.01
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
48.4
Final score
48/100

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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein26.328.6 (band 18 to 40%)98.9
Fat1415.2 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre11.312.3 (band 0.5 to 5%)46.5
Calcium0.810.9 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)81.4
Phosphorus0.640.7 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)84.8
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.31.3 (band 1 to 2%)85.9
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)334363100

Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3): scored as the mean of its declared components (omega-6 100). The FEDIAF minimum for omega-6 is linoleic acid specifically.

Scored over 8 declared nutrients (combined weight 100); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 8% from the food type.

Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was 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.

ItemPoints
Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
Printed percentages on the label (30% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)6/20
Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
Additives declared (mandatory)10/10
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 file0/5

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.

See all current recalls we track.

Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it

The marketing claims made on the pack and product page, and how much evidence sits behind them. We record the claims as stated; we do not assess whether they are true.

ClaimTypeSubstantiation
Unique blend of ingredients proven to support fat burning and help your neutered dog achieve & maintain optimal weight (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
With an optimal fibre blend, including prebiotics, to promote a healthy digestive system (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
Enriched with glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy joints (on page)FunctionalManufacturer assertion
complete multi-benefit pet food (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
High levels of antioxidants to support natural defenses (on page)NutrientManufacturer assertion
With omega 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and luxurious coat (on page)NutrientManufacturer assertion
with Chicken (on page)ContentManufacturer assertion
No synthetic colours (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
No artificial flavours (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion
Not artificially preserved (on page)Free-fromManufacturer assertion

Limited: at least one claim rests on manufacturer assertion alone.

The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.

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