Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini
Dry Extruded complete Clear label
Is Hill's Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini 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.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves an overall score of 47 out of 100. Printing percentages on the label boosted the score by +3.2. However, ingredients without printed percentages reduced the score by -9.3. Furthermore, the processing format and the carbohydrate content lowered the score by -7 and -3.3 respectively.
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.
- Recipe47
- Nutritionalmedium88
- 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 maize, dehydrated chicken and turkey and chicken 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
- 4 poor-graded ingredients make up about 28% of the recipe.
- Low in protein: 19% protein on a dry-matter basis.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 19.30%
- Fat
- 12.80%
- Fibre
- 8.30%
- Ash
- 5%
- Carbohydrates
- 46.60%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.49%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 3.38%
- Calcium
- 0.77%
- Phosphorus
- 0.61%
- Sodium
- 0.29%
Energy: 340 kcal/100g
Additives & feeding info
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
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.
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. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (13)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maize | Maize / Corn | carb | poor | - | 8.4 |
| 2 | chicken and turkey meal | Dehydrated Chicken and Turkey | meat | good | - | 8.0 |
| 3 | chicken 11% | Chicken | meat | medium | 11 | 11.0 |
| 4 | total poultry 18% | Poultry | meat | medium | 18 | 18.0 |
| 5 | broken rice | Rice - white | carb | medium | - | 7.6 |
| 6 | wheat | Wheat | carb | poor | - | 7.2 |
| 7 | cellulose | Cellulose | fibre | medium | - | 6.8 |
| 8 | digest | Digest | meat | poor | - | 6.5 |
| 9 | animal fat | Unspecified Animal Fats and Oils | oil | poor | - | 6.1 |
| 10 | vegetable oil | Vegetable oil | oil | medium | - | 5.7 |
| 11 | dried beet pulp | Beet Pulp | fibre | medium | - | 5.3 |
| 12 | minerals | Vitamins and minerals | supplement | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 13 | flaxseed | Linseed | veg | good | - | 4.6 |
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 | +1.13 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 25.1% | 0.116 | +2.91 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 29.6% | -0.113 | -3.33 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 16.9% | -0.088 | -1.49 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 6.0% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.6% | -0.009 | -0.06 |
| Recipe graded poor | 28.1% | -0.045 | -1.26 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 6.5% | -0.182 | -1.17 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 4 | -0.868 | -3.47 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.4% | 0.056 | +0.47 |
| Undeclared quantities | 71.0% | -0.131 | -9.29 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| Complete diet | yes | 1.703 | +1.70 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 25.1 | -0.073 | -1.84 |
| Additive penalty | -0.30 | 0.236 | -0.07 |
| 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 | +1.13 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 25.1% | 0.116 | +2.91 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 29.6% | -0.113 | -3.33 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 16.9% | -0.088 | -1.49 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 6.0% | -0.002 | -0.01 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.177 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 6.6% | -0.009 | -0.06 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.371 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.022 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 28.1% | -0.045 | -1.26 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 6.5% | -0.182 | -1.17 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 4 | -0.868 | -3.47 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.4% | 0.056 | +0.47 |
| Undeclared quantities | 71.0% | -0.131 | -9.29 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | yes | 3.194 | +3.19 |
| 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 | 25.1 | -0.073 | -1.84 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | -0.339 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 16.475 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | -0.30 | 0.236 | -0.07 |
| 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
- 47.1
- 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.
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 | 19.3 | 21 (band 18 to 40%) | 78.1 |
| Fat | 12.8 | 13.9 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 8.3 | 9 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 87.2 |
| Calcium | 0.77 | 0.8 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 80.1 |
| Phosphorus | 0.61 | 0.7 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 83.2 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.3 | 1.3 (band 1 to 2%) | 85.7 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 340 | 369.6 | 100 |
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.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 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) | 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 (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.
| Claim | Type | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|
| clinically proven dental kibble technology that reduces plaque and tartar build-up to keep teeth and gums healthy (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| optimal fibre blend, including prebiotics, to promote a healthy digestive system (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| with omega 6 fatty acids for healthy skin and luxurious coat (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| helps maintain optimal bodyweight with clinically proven levels of L-carnitine and high levels of fibre (on page) | Functional | Manufacturer assertion |
| high levels of antioxidants to support natural defenses (on page) | High/low level | Manufacturer assertion |
| Not artificially preserved. No synthetic colours. No artificial flavours (on pack) | Free-from | Manufacturer assertion |
| complete multi-benefit pet food for small & mini breed (<10 kg) adult dogs older than 1 year (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.
Other products from Hill's
Alternatives to Vet Essentials Multi-Benefit + Dental Adult 1+ Small & Mini
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.