Hill's Light Small & Mini Mature Adult Dog Food with Chicken

Dry Extruded · completeClear label

Light Small & Mini Mature Adult Dog Food with Chicken
Average
our rating

Our verdict

Is Hill's Light Small & Mini Mature Adult Dog Food with Chicken a good dog food?

We score it 47/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.

Complete extruded dry food for senior dogs, with wheat, maize and dehydrated poultry proteins as the main ingredients.

How we score

76% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.

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

  • Low in protein: 19% protein on a dry-matter basis.

Who is this food for?

Suits

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

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
  • Your dog avoids turkey: the label lists dehydrated poultry proteins
  • Your dog avoids fish: the label lists hydrolyzed crustacean shells
  • 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
  • You need more protein than this: 19.2% 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 17.70% · Fat 10%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein17.70%
Fat10%
Fibre12.90%
Ash5.30%
Moisture8%
Carbohydrates45.60%
Omega-3 fatty acids0.74%
Omega-6 fatty acids2.48%
Calcium0.81%
Phosphorus0.60%
Sodium0.28%

Energy: 308 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Feeding guide

Feed the daily amount shown; adjust amount to maintain optimum weight. New to this food? Mix increasing amounts of the new food with decreasing amounts of the previous food over a 7 day period. Keep fresh water available at all times. Example: 1 kg dog – 45g/day; 2.5 kg – 85g; 5 kg – 155g; 7.5 kg – 210g; 10 kg – 260g.

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

3b103 (Iron) 75.5mg; 3b202 (Iodine) 1.9mg; 3b405 (Copper) 7.4mg; 3b502 (Manganese) 7.8mg; 3b603 (Zinc) 132mg; 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2mg

Technological additives

Natural antioxidant

Ingredients (21)76% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • meat 33.2%
  • fibre 19.7%
  • carb 19.3%
  • supplement 15.9%
  • oil 7.9%
  • veg 4.0%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1WheatWheatcarb · poor-5.2
2maizeMaize / Corncarb · medium-5.1
3poultry mealDehydrated Poultry Proteinsmeat · good-5.0
4chicken 9%Chickenmeat · medium99.0
5total 15%Kangaroomeat · good1515.0
6pea bran mealPea Bran Mealfibre · medium-4.8
7celluloseCellulosefibre · medium-4.7
8barleyBarleycarb · medium-4.6
9oatsOatscarb · medium-4.4
10digestDigestmeat · poor-4.3
11animal fatUnspecified Animal Fats and Oilsoil · poor-4.1
12flaxseedLinseedveg · good-4.0
13dried beet pulpBeet Pulpfibre · medium-3.9
14vegetable oilVegetable oiloil · medium-3.7
15mineralsVitamins and mineralssupplement · medium-3.6
16oat branOat branfibre · good-3.4
17fructo-oligosaccharidesFructo-oligosaccharidessupplement · good-3.3
18pork cartilageCartilagesupplement · good-3.2
19crustacean shell hydrolysateHydrolyzed Crustacean Shellssupplement · medium-3.0
20ActivBiome+ Multi Benefit prebiotic blend (0.6%): Oat branOat branfibre · good-2.9
21fructo-oligosaccharidesFructo-oligosaccharidessupplement · good-2.8
  1. 1. Wheat5.2% estimated
    Wheat · carb · poor
  2. 2. maize5.1% estimated
    Maize / Corn · carb · medium
  3. 3. poultry meal5.0% estimated
  4. 4. chicken 9%9% declared9.0% estimated
    Chicken · meat · medium
  5. 5. total 15%15% declared15.0% estimated
    Kangaroo · meat · good
  6. 6. pea bran meal4.8% estimated
    Pea Bran Meal · fibre · medium
  7. 7. cellulose4.7% estimated
    Cellulose · fibre · medium
  8. 8. barley4.6% estimated
    Barley · carb · medium
  9. 9. oats4.4% estimated
    Oats · carb · medium
  10. 10. digest4.3% estimated
    Digest · meat · poor
  11. 11. animal fat4.1% estimated
  12. 12. flaxseed4.0% estimated
    Linseed · veg · good
  13. 13. dried beet pulp3.9% estimated
    Beet Pulp · fibre · medium
  14. 14. vegetable oil3.7% estimated
    Vegetable oil · oil · medium
  15. 15. minerals3.6% estimated
    Vitamins and minerals · supplement · medium
  16. 16. oat bran3.4% estimated
    Oat bran · fibre · good
  17. 17. fructo-oligosaccharides3.3% estimated
    Fructo-oligosaccharides · supplement · good
  18. 18. pork cartilage3.2% estimated
    Cartilage · supplement · good
  19. 19. crustacean shell hydrolysate3.0% estimated
    Hydrolyzed Crustacean Shells · supplement · medium
  20. 20. ActivBiome+ Multi Benefit prebiotic blend (0.6%): Oat bran2.9% estimated
    Oat bran · fibre · good
  21. 21. fructo-oligosaccharides2.8% estimated
    Fructo-oligosaccharides · supplement · good

Trust and sourceNo recalls recorded in our database · checked 2026-09-15

Brand and contact: Hill's
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 v3 (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.

Score details and methodologyCalculations, history and evidence

Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated

Why this score?

This recipe achieves a final score of 47 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list added +3.6 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -8. Additionally, the processing format deducted -6.7 and the carbohydrate content contributed -2.7.

Scored with model v3 on 2026-10-25. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.49.191+3.63
Meat share of dry matter9.2%0.096+0.88
Carb share of dry matter23.2%-0.115-2.67
Oil share of dry matter10.6%-0.092-0.98
Vegetable share of dry matter4.9%-0.005-0.03
Supplement share of dry matter19.9%-0.012-0.24
Recipe graded poor13.7%-0.065-0.89
Poor-quality meat in recipe4.3%-0.179-0.76
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient5.2%0.060+0.31
Undeclared quantities76.0%-0.106-8.02
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-0.200.222-0.04
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Show all 40 components
ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.49.191+3.63
Meat share of dry matter9.2%0.096+0.88
Carb share of dry matter23.2%-0.115-2.67
Oil share of dry matter10.6%-0.092-0.98
Vegetable share of dry matter4.9%-0.005-0.03
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.163+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter19.9%-0.012-0.24
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor13.7%-0.065-0.89
Poor-quality meat in recipe4.3%-0.179-0.76
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient5.2%0.060+0.31
Undeclared quantities76.0%-0.106-8.02
Prints ingredient percentagesno0.000+0.00
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Frozen or chilled freshno0.000+0.00
High meat (30%+ of dry matter)no0.707+0.00
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
High carb and low meatno-1.180+0.00
Meat share × printed percentages0.00.000+0.00
Meat share × fresh0.00.000+0.00
Fresh × high meat0.011.084+0.00
Additive penalty-0.200.222-0.04
Processing multiplier0.9833.786+33.11
Processing: Rawno-0.054+0.00
Processing: Fresh Chilledno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Frozenno-2.354+0.00
Processing: Fresh Refrigeratedno0.000+0.00
Processing: Fresh Shelfno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Dry Freeze Driedno6.629+0.00
Processing: Dry Air Driedno6.331+0.00
Processing: Dry Cold Pressedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Bakedno-6.713+0.00
Processing: Dry Extrudedyes-6.713-6.71
Processing: Dry Semi Moistno-6.174+0.00
Processing: Dry Mueslino-10.146+0.00
Processing: Wet Pateno-0.672+0.00
Processing: Wet Chunksno-0.672+0.00
Processing-type offset
+0.02
Additives declared on label
+2 transparency bonus
Subtotal
47.0
Final score
47/100

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.

Score history across model versions

The score shown above is always computed with the latest published model. Earlier scores are kept for the record and are never edited or deleted; a scoring change ships as a new model version with a public write-up on the methodology page.

ModelScore
v347/100current
v260/100
v122/100
v1.923/100
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
Protein17.719.2 (band 18 to 40%)73.4
Fat1010.9 (band 5.5 to 20%)92.2
Fibre12.914 (band 0.5 to 5%)24.7
Calcium0.810.9 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)81.4
Phosphorus0.60.7 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)82.6
Sodium0.280.3 (band 0.1+%)100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.41.4 (band 1 to 2%)91
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)308334.8100

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.

Declared fortification: 6 nutritional additives on the label
  • 3b103 (Iron) 75.5mg
  • 3b202 (Iodine) 1.9mg
  • 3b405 (Copper) 7.4mg
  • 3b502 (Manganese) 7.8mg
  • 3b603 (Zinc) 132mg
  • 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2mg

High confidence: full analysis plus minerals or omegas and declared energy.

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 (24% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)4.8/20
✓ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory)15/15
✓ 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 (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

  • "complete pet food, specially formulated with ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit Technology" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.

9 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.

Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
precise nutrition for less active mature adult small breed dogs that require a low calorie food to help maintain a healthy weight & lifestyle (on pack)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Helps promote an ideal body weight with low calories and L-carnitine (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Satiety control. Keeps your dog satisfied between meals (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Supports healthy skin and a luxurious coat with nourishing omega-6s and Vitamin E (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Low calories & L-Carnitine help promote ideal body weight (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Nourishing Omega-6 & Vitamin E blend for healthy skin & luxurious coat (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Contains our special Small & Mini antioxidant blend for lifelong immune support (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
complete pet food, specially formulated with ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit Technology (on pack)ContentconsistentManufacturer assertion
low calorie, great-tasting food (on pack)High/low levelnot checkableManufacturer assertion
100% healthy and balance nutrition (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer 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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