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 h/d Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
Dry Extruded complete veterinary diet

Is Hill's Pet Nutrition h/d Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food a good dog food?
We score it 39/100 (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?
The overall score came in at 39 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages pulled the rating down by -10.6, while the processing format reduced it further by -6.7. The carbohydrate content also had a negative effect, contributing -4.9. On the positive side, being labelled nutritionally complete added +2.3. 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.
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.
- Recipe39
- Nutritionallow89
- Transparency55
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
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.
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
- 3 poor-graded ingredients make up about 23% of the recipe.
- Only protein, fat and fibre declared; ash and moisture missing from the analysis.
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 19.80%
- Fat
- 21.20%
- Fibre
- 1.60%
- Carbohydrates
- 53%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.33%
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- 4.98%
- Calcium
- 0.70%
- Phosphorus
- 0.45%
- Sodium
- 0.11%
Energy: 400 kcal/100g
Dry matter basis
- Protein
- 19.80%
- Fat
- 21.20%
- Fibre
- 1.60%
- Ash
- 0%
- Carbohydrates
- 53%
Additives & feeding info
Nutritional additives
L-Lysine; Choline Chloride; Vitamin E Supplement; L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C); Niacin Supplement; Thiamine Mononitrate; Pyridoxine Hydrochloride; Calcium Pantothenate; Riboflavin Supplement; Vitamin A Supplement; Biotin; Vitamin B12 Supplement; Folic Acid; Vitamin D3 Supplement; Taurine; DL-Methionine; Ferrous Sulfate; Zinc Oxide; Copper Sulfate; Manganous Oxide; Calcium Iodate; Sodium Selenite; L-Tryptophan; L-Carnitine
Technological additives
Mixed Tocopherols for freshness; Lactic Acid
Feeding guide
Adult maintenance: 5 lb (2.3 kg) 1/2 cup (55 g); 10 lb (4.5 kg) 7/8 cup (90 g); 15 lb (6.8 kg) 1 1/8 cup (120 g); 20 lb (9.1 kg) 1 1/3 cup (140 g); 30 lb (14 kg) 2 cups (210 g); 40 lb (18 kg) 2 1/3 cups (245 g); 50 lb (23 kg) 2 3/4 cups (290 g); 60 lb (27 kg) 3 1/4 cups (340 g); 70 lb (32 kg) 3 1/2 cups (370 g); 80 lb (36 kg) 4 cups (420 g); 100 lb (45 kg) 4 2/3 cups (490 g); 120 lb (54 kg) 5 1/3 cups (560 g). Gradually transition over 7 days or more.
Reviews
Trustpilot: 3.0/5 · 3 reviews
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
- Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- 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
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 (15)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole Grain Wheat | Wheat | carb | poor | - | 8.7 |
| 2 | Whole Grain Corn | Whole Grains | carb | good | - | 8.4 |
| 3 | Chicken Fat | Chicken Oil and Fat | oil | medium | - | 8.1 |
| 4 | Chicken By-Product Meal | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 7.8 |
| 5 | Cracked Pearled Barley | Barley | carb | medium | - | 7.5 |
| 6 | Corn Protein Meal | Maize gluten | carb | poor | - | 7.2 |
| 7 | Soybean Meal | Soybean Meal | carb | poor | - | 7.0 |
| 8 | Chicken Liver Flavor | Liver | meat | good | - | 6.7 |
| 9 | Soybean Oil | Soybean oil | oil | medium | - | 6.4 |
| 10 | Lactic Acid | unmatched | - | - | - | 6.1 |
| 11 | Pork Liver Flavor | Liver | meat | good | - | 5.8 |
| 12 | Calcium Carbonate | Calcium Carbonate | supplement | medium | - | 5.5 |
| 13 | Potassium Citrate | Potassium Citrate | mineral | good | - | 5.2 |
| 14 | L-Lysine | Lysine | supplement | medium | - | 4.9 |
| 15 | Choline Chloride | Choline | supplement | good | - | 4.6 |
Brand
- 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.
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 v3 on 2026-09-26. 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 | 0.2 | 9.191 | +1.85 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 42.4% | -0.115 | -4.87 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 17.6% | -0.092 | -1.62 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 17.0% | -0.012 | -0.21 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 3.7% | -0.027 | -0.10 |
| Recipe graded poor | 22.9% | -0.065 | -1.49 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.7% | 0.060 | +0.52 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 0.2 | 9.191 | +1.85 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 42.4% | -0.115 | -4.87 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 17.6% | -0.092 | -1.62 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.005 | +0.00 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 17.0% | -0.012 | -0.21 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 3.7% | -0.027 | -0.10 |
| Recipe graded poor | 22.9% | -0.065 | -1.49 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 3 | -0.876 | -2.63 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 8.7% | 0.060 | +0.52 |
| 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 | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| 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
- 39.4
- Final score
- 39/100
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 | 19.8 | 21.9 (band 18 to 40%) | 80.6 |
| Fat | 21.2 | 23.4 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1.6 | 1.8 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 86.9 |
| Calcium | 0.7 | 0.8 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 78.2 |
| Phosphorus | 0.45 | 0.5 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 74.9 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.6 | 1.6 (band 1 to 2%) | 100 |
| Omega fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) | - | - | 100 |
| Energy (kcal/100g) | 400 | 442 | 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 9.5% from the food type.
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.
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 h/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| complete and balanced clinical nutrition specially formulated to support your dog's heart health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| also formulated to support liver and kidney health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports overall heart health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps maintain normal blood pressure and minimize fluid retention (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps replenish lost nutrients for dogs receiving diuretics (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Helps support liver and kidney function (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Supports a healthy immune system (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| High levels of L-carnitine & taurine (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Controlled levels of protein and phosphorus (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| U.S. Veterinarians' #1 Recommended Brand (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| 100% Satisfaction guarantee (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Clinically proven antioxidants (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Reduced sodium (on page) | High/low level | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Hill's Prescription Diet h/d Chicken Flavor Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| Added potassium and magnesium (on page) | Nutrient | not checkable | 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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