veterinary diet
This is a medical nutrition decision. Speak to your vet.
This is a veterinary diet product: a "dietetic" feed designed for a particular nutritional purpose and intended for use under veterinary direction. The score and figures below are readings of the label, the same as for any other food: they can't tell you whether this product is right for your dog.
Hill's Pet Nutrition l/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food
Dry Extruded · completeveterinary diet
Our verdict
Is Hill's Pet Nutrition l/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 44/100 (Poor). The main reasons are set out in "Why you might not" below, and every step of the calculation is shown under "How we calculated this score".
Declared analysis sits below the FEDIAF minimum for protein.
Only part of the analytical constituents are declared, so the nutritional picture is incomplete.
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 all lifestages
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids fish: it is listed as an ingredient
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
- You are limiting fat: 23.9% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band
- You need more protein than this: 18.1% on a dry-matter basis is in the low band
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.
Nutrition and feedingProtein 18.10% · Fat 23.90%
Typical analysis (as fed)
| Nutrient | As fed | Dry matter | Directory average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18.10% | 18.10% | 37.69% (137 eligible foods) |
| Fat | 23.90% | 23.90% | 23.89% (134 eligible foods) |
| Fibre | 3% | 3% | 3.81% (135 eligible foods) |
| Carbohydrates | 49.20% | 49.20% | 30.63% (76 eligible foods) |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | 1.11% | - | - |
| Omega-6 fatty acids | 4.66% | - | - |
| Calcium | 0.94% | - | - |
| Phosphorus | 0.69% | - | - |
| Sodium | 0.18% | - | - |
Energy: 472 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
Feeding and storage
Feeding guide
Gradually transition over 7 days or more; exclusively feed the recommended Prescription Diet dry and wet foods; keep fresh water available at all times. Daily feeding recommendations provided in cups/grams by dog weight for growth (<4 months, 4-9 months, 10-12 months) and adult maintenance; consult veterinarian for specific feeding instructions.
Additives declared on the label
Nutritional additives
Vitamin E Supplement; L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C); Niacin Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Vitamin A Supplement; Calcium Pantothenate; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Riboflavin Supplement; Folic Acid; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K); Zinc Oxide; Manganous Oxide; Calcium Iodate; Sodium Selenite
Technological additives
Mixed Tocopherols for freshness
Ingredients (16)100% of the recipe is estimated
Estimated composition
- meat 21.7%
- supplement 20.4%
- carb 15.3%
- oil 13.3%
- fibre 11.7%
- additive 10.7%
- veg 6.9%
| # | As declared | Matched | Label reading | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brewers Rice | Rice - white | carb · medium | - | 8.2 |
| 2 | Chicken | Chicken | meat · medium | - | 7.9 |
| 3 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil · good | - | 7.7 |
| 4 | Egg Product | Egg | meat · good | - | 7.4 |
| 5 | Soybean Meal | Soybean Meal | carb · poor | - | 7.1 |
| 6 | Flaxseed | Linseed | veg · good | - | 6.9 |
| 7 | Powdered Cellulose | Powdered Cellulose | fibre · poor | - | 6.6 |
| 8 | Chicken Liver Flavor | Liver | meat · good | - | 6.4 |
| 9 | Dicalcium Phosphate | Dicalcium phosphate | supplement · medium | - | 6.1 |
| 10 | Lactic Acid | Lactic Acid | additive · medium | - | 5.9 |
| 11 | Soybean Oil | Soybean oil | oil · medium | - | 5.6 |
| 12 | Potassium Chloride | Potassium Chloride | supplement · medium | - | 5.4 |
| 13 | Dried Beet Pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre · medium | - | 5.1 |
| 14 | Glyceryl Monostearate | Glyceryl Monostearate | additive · medium | - | 4.8 |
| 15 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement · medium | - | 4.6 |
| 16 | DL-Methionine | Methionine | supplement · good | - | 4.3 |
- 1. Brewers Rice8.2% estimated
- 2. Chicken7.9% estimated
- 3. Chicken Fat7.7% estimated
- 4. Egg Product7.4% estimated
- 5. Soybean Meal7.1% estimated
- 6. Flaxseed6.9% estimated
- 7. Powdered Cellulose6.6% estimated
- 8. Chicken Liver Flavor6.4% estimated
- 9. Dicalcium Phosphate6.1% estimated
- 10. Lactic Acid5.9% estimated
- 11. Soybean Oil5.6% estimated
- 12. Potassium Chloride5.4% estimated
- 13. Dried Beet Pulp5.1% estimated
- 14. Glyceryl Monostearate4.8% estimated
- 15. Calcium Carbonate4.6% estimated
- 16. DL-Methionine4.3% estimated
Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-18
Brand and contact: Hill's Pet Nutrition
- Website
- https://www.hillspet.com/
- Contact page
- www.hillspet.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-18
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- www.hillspet.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: 3.0/5 · 3 reviews
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?
The score of 44 out of 100 is built from four factors. Undeclared ingredient shares, meaning ingredients without printed percentages, contributed -10.6 points, and the processing format contributed -6.7 points. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +3.4 points, while the additive load contributed -2.9 points. This is a general explanation of how the score works, not veterinary advice. For any health condition, food choice is a decision for your vet.
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 | 0.4 | 9.191 | +3.36 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 17.5% | -0.115 | -2.01 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 16.8% | -0.092 | -1.55 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.9% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 12.4% | 0.163 | +2.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 24.1% | -0.012 | -0.29 |
| Recipe graded poor | 13.8% | -0.065 | -0.90 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.1% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| 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 | -12.86 | 0.222 | -2.85 |
| 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 | 0.4 | 9.191 | +3.36 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 17.5% | -0.115 | -2.01 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 16.8% | -0.092 | -1.55 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 7.9% | -0.005 | -0.04 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 12.4% | 0.163 | +2.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 24.1% | -0.012 | -0.29 |
| 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 | 13.8% | -0.065 | -0.90 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 2 | -0.876 | -1.75 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 7.1% | 0.060 | +0.43 |
| 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 | -12.86 | 0.222 | -2.85 |
| 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
- 44.3
- Final score
- 44/100
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.
Guaranteed-analysis FEDIAF score: crude minimums and maximums are bounds, not typical values; moisture (a maximum) uses the processing median where available; experimental US score.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18.1 | 20 (band 23.469613259668513 to 40%) | 59.7 |
| Fat | 23.9 | 26.4 (band 7.171270718232045 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 3 | 3.3 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Calcium | 0.94 | 1 (band 0.6519337016574587 to 2.5%) | 82.6 |
| Phosphorus | 0.69 | 0.8 (band 0.521546961325967 to 1.6%) | 83.4 |
| Sodium | 0.18 | 0.2 (band 0.13038674033149175+%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.4 | 1.4 (band 1 to 2%) | 91.7 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 472 | 521.5 | 50 |
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 9 declared nutrients (combined weight 105); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score. Moisture was not declared and was estimated at 9.5% from the food type.
Portion-control flag: 472 kcal/100g as fed with fat at 26.4% dry matter, above the reference band. High-energy foods need smaller portions.
Declared fortification: 17 nutritional additives on the label
- Vitamin E Supplement
- L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C)
- Niacin Supplement
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- Vitamin A Supplement
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Biotin
- Vitamin B12 Supplement
- Riboflavin Supplement
- Folic Acid
- Vitamin D3 Supplement
- Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K)
- Zinc Oxide
- Manganous Oxide
- Calcium Iodate
- Sodium Selenite
Low confidence: partial analysis or moisture 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.
| 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) | 5/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| 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, 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 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.
100/100 · moderate — 1 checkable claim: 1 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Hill's Prescription Diet l/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for growing puppies and maintenance of adult dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
10 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support for your dog's liver health (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Formulated to promote a urinary environment that reduces the risk of developing struvite & calcium oxalate crystals (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Clinically proven antioxidants to support immune function, formulated to promote healing (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps reduce liver workload allowing liver tissue to regenerate (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps avoid nutrient deficiencies & excesses related to the liver (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Immune system support, critical for dogs with compromised livers (on pack) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made in the USA with global ingredients you can trust (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Low copper to minimize accumulation in the liver (on pack) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| U.S. Veterinarians' #1 Recommended Brand (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Controlled levels of highly digestible protein (on pack) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Hill's Prescription Diet l/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for growing puppies and maintenance of adult dogs (on pack) | Content | consistent | 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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