Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini

Dry Extruded · completeClear label

Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini
Average
our rating

Our verdict

Is Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini 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.

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

How we score

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

71% 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 adult dogs
  • Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
  • Doesn't list beef, lamb, fish, venison, pork, 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 grain: the label lists maize / corn
  • You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
  • You need more protein than this: 19.3% 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 19.30% · Fat 12.80%

Typical analysis (as fed)

NutrientAs fed
Protein19.30%
Fat12.80%
Fibre8.30%
Ash5%
Carbohydrates46.60%
Omega-3 fatty acids0.49%
Omega-6 fatty acids3.38%
Calcium0.77%
Phosphorus0.61%
Sodium0.29%

Energy: 340 kcal/100g

Additives & feeding info

Feeding and storage

Feeding guide

Feed the daily amount shown; adjust to maintain optimum weight. Mix increasing amounts of new food with decreasing amounts of previous food over 7 days. Fresh water should be available at all times. Detailed weight-based tables provided for adult maintenance and neutered/mature adult dogs.

Additives declared on the label

Nutritional additives

3b103 (Iron) 78.7 mg/kg; 3b202 (Iodine) 1.9 mg/kg; 3b405 (Copper) 7.8 mg/kg; 3b502 (Manganese) 8.1 mg/kg; 3b603 (Zinc) 138 mg/kg; 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2 mg/kg; Vitamin A 9,117 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 694 IU/kg; Vitamin E 553 mg/kg; Vitamin C 160 mg/kg; Beta-carotene 1.5 mg/kg; L-carnitine 303 mg/kg

Technological additives

Natural antioxidant

Ingredients (13)71% of the recipe is estimated

Estimated composition

  • meat 43.4%
  • carb 23.2%
  • fibre 12.1%
  • oil 11.8%
  • supplement 4.9%
  • veg 4.6%
#As declaredMatchedLabel readingDeclared %Est. %
1MaizeMaize / Corncarb · medium-8.4
2chicken and turkey mealDehydrated Chicken and Turkeymeat · medium-8.0
3chicken 11%Chickenmeat · medium1111.0
4total poultry 18%Poultrymeat · medium1818.0
5broken riceRice - whitecarb · medium-7.6
6wheatWheatcarb · poor-7.2
7celluloseCellulosefibre · medium-6.8
8digestDigestmeat · poor-6.5
9animal fatUnspecified Animal Fats and Oilsoil · poor-6.1
10vegetable oilVegetable oiloil · medium-5.7
11dried beet pulpBeet Pulpfibre · medium-5.3
12mineralsVitamins and mineralssupplement · medium-4.9
13flaxseedLinseedveg · good-4.6
  1. 1. Maize8.4% estimated
    Maize / Corn · carb · medium
  2. 2. chicken and turkey meal8.0% estimated
  3. 3. chicken 11%11% declared11.0% estimated
    Chicken · meat · medium
  4. 4. total poultry 18%18% declared18.0% estimated
    Poultry · meat · medium
  5. 5. broken rice7.6% estimated
    Rice - white · carb · medium
  6. 6. wheat7.2% estimated
    Wheat · carb · poor
  7. 7. cellulose6.8% estimated
    Cellulose · fibre · medium
  8. 8. digest6.5% estimated
    Digest · meat · poor
  9. 9. animal fat6.1% estimated
  10. 10. vegetable oil5.7% estimated
    Vegetable oil · oil · medium
  11. 11. dried beet pulp5.3% estimated
    Beet Pulp · fibre · medium
  12. 12. minerals4.9% estimated
    Vitamins and minerals · supplement · medium
  13. 13. flaxseed4.6% estimated
    Linseed · veg · 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 an overall score of 48 out of 100. Being labelled nutritionally complete adds +2.3 points to the total. However, ingredients without printed percentages deducts -7.5, the processing format takes away -6.7, and the carbohydrate content reduces the score by -3.4.

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 quality0.29.191+2.03
Meat share of dry matter11.8%0.096+1.13
Carb share of dry matter29.6%-0.115-3.41
Oil share of dry matter16.9%-0.092-1.56
Vegetable share of dry matter6.0%-0.005-0.03
Supplement share of dry matter6.6%-0.012-0.08
Recipe graded poor19.7%-0.065-1.28
Poor-quality meat in recipe6.5%-0.179-1.15
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient7.2%0.060+0.43
Undeclared quantities71.0%-0.106-7.50
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Additive penalty-0.300.222-0.07
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 quality0.29.191+2.03
Meat share of dry matter11.8%0.096+1.13
Carb share of dry matter29.6%-0.115-3.41
Oil share of dry matter16.9%-0.092-1.56
Vegetable share of dry matter6.0%-0.005-0.03
Additive share of dry matter0.0%0.163+0.00
Supplement share of dry matter6.6%-0.012-0.08
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter0.0%-0.027+0.00
Recipe graded poor19.7%-0.065-1.28
Poor-quality meat in recipe6.5%-0.179-1.15
Number of poor ingredients3-0.876-2.63
Largest single poor ingredient7.2%0.060+0.43
Undeclared quantities71.0%-0.106-7.50
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)no-3.158+0.00
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-0.300.222-0.07
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
47.5
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.

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
v348/100current
v247/100
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
Protein19.321.3 (band 18 to 40%)79.1
Fat12.814.1 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre8.39.2 (band 0.5 to 5%)85.4
Calcium0.770.9 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)80.5
Phosphorus0.610.7 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)83.7
Sodium0.290.3 (band 0.1+%)100
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.31.3 (band 1 to 2%)85.7
Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3)--100
Energy (kcal/100g)340375.7100

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.

Declared fortification: 12 nutritional additives on the label
  • 3b103 (Iron) 78.7 mg/kg
  • 3b202 (Iodine) 1.9 mg/kg
  • 3b405 (Copper) 7.8 mg/kg
  • 3b502 (Manganese) 8.1 mg/kg
  • 3b603 (Zinc) 138 mg/kg
  • 3b801 (Selenium) 0.2 mg/kg
  • Vitamin A 9,117 IU/kg
  • Vitamin D3 694 IU/kg
  • Vitamin E 553 mg/kg
  • Vitamin C 160 mg/kg
  • Beta-carotene 1.5 mg/kg
  • L-carnitine 303 mg/kg

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 (29% of the recipe mass) (voluntary)5.8/20
✗ 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 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.

Claims on file; none we can check against the label

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
clinically proven dental kibble technology that reduces plaque and tartar build-up to keep teeth and gums healthy (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
optimal fibre blend, including prebiotics, to promote a healthy digestive system (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
with omega 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and luxurious coat (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
helps maintain optimal bodyweight with clinically proven levels of L-carnitine and high levels of fibre (on page)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Not artificially preserved. No synthetic colours. No artificial flavours (on pack)provenancenot checkableManufacturer assertion
high levels of antioxidants to support natural defenses (on page)High/low levelnot checkableManufacturer assertion
complete multi-benefit pet food for small & mini breed (<10 kg) adult dogs older than 1 year (on page)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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