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 Prescription Diet u/d Dry Dog Food Original
Dry Extruded complete veterinary diet
Is Hill's Prescription Diet u/d Dry Dog Food Original a good dog food?
We score it 35/100 (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".
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall score of 35 out of 100 based on our analysis. Ingredients without printed percentages contribute -13.1 to the final score, while the processing format adds -7. Furthermore, lower-quality ingredients account for -2.3, and the remaining ingredients contribute -3. 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.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe35
- Nutritionalhigh69
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencelimited33
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 cereals, vegetable by and oils and fats as the main ingredients.
Why you might choose it
- 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 51% of the recipe.
- High in fat: 20% fat on a dry-matter basis.
- Low in protein: 11% protein on a dry-matter basis.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 10.20%
- Fat
- 18.80%
- Fibre
- 2.40%
- Ash
- 3.30%
- Moisture
- 8%
- Carbohydrates
- 57.80%
- Calcium
- 0.42%
- Phosphorus
- 0.16%
- Sodium
- 0.22%
Energy: 398 kcal/100g
Dry matter basis
- Protein
- 11.10%
- Fat
- 20.40%
- Fibre
- 2.60%
- Ash
- 3.60%
- Carbohydrates
- 62.80%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
3b103 (Iron) 83.1mg; 3b202 (Iodine) 2.1mg; 3b405 (Copper) 8.2mg; 3b502 (Manganese) 8.6mg; 3b603 (Zinc) 146mg; 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2mg
Technological additives
Natural antioxidant
Storage
Food Type dry
Feeding guide
Feed only this food. Feed the correct daily amount shown according to dog's size. Adjust amount to maintain optimum weight; the amount may be divided into 2+ meals/day. Fresh water should be available at all times.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids grain: the label lists cereals
- You are limiting fat: 20.4% on a dry-matter basis is in the high band
- You need more protein than this: 11.1% 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. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (11)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cereals | Cereals | carb | poor | - | 11.8 |
| 2 | derivatives of vegetable origin | Vegetable By-Products | other | poor | - | 11.2 |
| 3 | oils and fats | Oils and Fats | oil | poor | - | 10.7 |
| 4 | eggs and egg derivatives | Egg | meat | good | - | 10.2 |
| 5 | minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 9.6 |
| 6 | meat and animal derivatives | Meat and Animal Derivatives | meat | poor | - | 9.1 |
| 7 | seeds | Seeds | veg | poor | - | 8.6 |
| 8 | Urine alkalising substances: Potassium citrate (8.5g/kg) | Potassium Citrate | mineral | good | - | 8.0 |
| 9 | calcium carbonate (8.0g/kg) | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 7.5 |
| 10 | potassium chloride (2.0g/kg) | Potassium Chloride | supplement | medium | - | 7.0 |
| 11 | Protein source: Dried eggs. | Dried Egg | meat | medium | - | 6.4 |
Brand
- Website
- https://www.hillspet.co.uk/
- 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.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | -0.1 | 9.915 | -0.66 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 16.4% | 0.116 | +1.90 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 15.0% | -0.113 | -1.69 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.4% | -0.088 | -1.36 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 32.1% | -0.009 | -0.28 |
| Other share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.371 | -3.02 |
| Recipe graded poor | 51.3% | -0.045 | -2.30 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 9.1% | -0.182 | -1.65 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 5 | -0.868 | -4.34 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 11.8% | 0.056 | +0.66 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.131 | -13.09 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Additive penalty | -0.73 | 0.236 | -0.17 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Average ingredient quality | -0.1 | 9.915 | -0.66 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 16.4% | 0.116 | +1.90 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 15.0% | -0.113 | -1.69 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 15.4% | -0.088 | -1.36 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 1.9% | -0.002 | -0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 32.1% | -0.009 | -0.28 |
| Other share of dry matter | 8.2% | -0.371 | -3.02 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 51.3% | -0.045 | -2.30 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 9.1% | -0.182 | -1.65 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 5 | -0.868 | -4.34 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 11.8% | 0.056 | +0.66 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.131 | -13.09 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 3.194 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 11.440 | +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 meat | no | -1.250 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | -0.073 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -0.73 | 0.236 | -0.17 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.00 | 32.336 | +32.34 |
| Processing: Raw | no | 13.322 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | 7.712 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | 6.583 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 4.857 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | 0.072 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 11.127 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 9.320 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | 4.569 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -2.321 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | yes | -6.996 | -7.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.833 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.711 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | 2.935 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | 2.292 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -0.01
- Additives declared on label
- +2 transparency bonus
- Subtotal
- 35.4
- Final score
- 35/100
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.
| Model | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| v2 | 35/100 | current |
| v1 | 34/100 | |
| v1.9 | 36/100 |
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.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10.2 | 11.1 (band 18 to 40%) | 43.1 |
| Fat | 18.8 | 20.4 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 2.4 | 2.6 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 98.1 |
| Calcium | 0.42 | 0.5 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 63.9 |
| Phosphorus | 0.16 | 0.2 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 30.4 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 2.6 | 2.6 (band 1 to 2%) | 68.8 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 398 | 432.6 | 100 |
Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
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.
| 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) | 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 file | 0/5 |
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 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.
| Claim | Type | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|
| complete dietetic pet food for reduction of urate and cystine stones formation in adult dogs (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| moderate level of sulphur amino acids (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| urine alkalising properties (on pack) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Promotes desirable urine pH levels & is low in sodium (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Reduces the building blocks of urate and cystine stones (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| selected protein sources (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| low level of purines (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| low level of protein but of high quality (on pack) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Decreases risk for urate & cystine stone recurrence (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports a healthy immune system (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made with 100% cage-free eggs or egg derivatives (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE for quality, consistency & taste, or your money back (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Contains antioxidants including Vitamin E (on page) | Content | Manufacturer assertion |
| Controlled levels of high quality, highly digestible protein (on page) | Content | Manufacturer 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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