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.

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Hill's Pet Nutrition Prescription Diet t/d Small Bites Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food

Dry Extruded complete veterinary diet

Prescription Diet t/d Small Bites Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
Poor
our rating

Is Hill's Pet Nutrition Prescription Diet t/d Small Bites Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food a good dog food?

We score it 44/100 (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".

How we score

Why this score?

The overall score is 44 out of 100. Ingredients without printed percentages contributed -10.6, and the processing format contributed -6.7. The overall quality of the ingredient list contributed +3.2, while the carbohydrate content contributed -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.

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

  • Single named animal protein: chicken.
  • Declares energy content, which most labels omit.
  • Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.

Why you might not

  • 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.

View the source page

Estimated composition

meat22.9%
carb18.3%
supplement16.6%
oil14.6%
unknown14.0%
fibre8.3%
additive5.3%

Typical analysis (as fed)

Protein
18.30%
Fat
16.50%
Fibre
10.80%
Carbohydrates
50%
Calcium
0.63%
Phosphorus
0.45%
Sodium
0.25%

Energy: 347 kcal/100g

Dry matter basis

Protein
18.30%
Fat
16.50%
Fibre
10.80%
Carbohydrates
50%

Additives & feeding info

Nutritional additives

Vitamin E 746 IU/kg; Vitamin C 190 ppm

Feeding guide

Adult maintenance: 2 lb (0.9 kg) 3/8 cup (25 g); 4 lb (1.8 kg) 3/4 cup (55 g); 6 lb (2.7 kg) 1 cup (70 g); 8 lb (3.6 kg) 1 1/4 cup (90 g); 10 lb (4.5 kg) 1 3/8 cup (100 g); 15 lb (6.8 kg) 1 7/8 cup (135 g); 20 lb (9.1 kg) 2 1/3 cup (165 g). Gradually transition over 7 days; exclusively feed recommended Prescription Diet dry and wet foods; keep fresh water available.

Reviews

Trustpilot: 3.0/5 · 3 reviews

Who is this food for?

Suits

  • Labelled by the manufacturer for adult dogs
  • Single named protein: chicken
  • Doesn't list beef, turkey, lamb, fish, venison, pork, duck as ingredients

Consider something else if:

  • Your dog avoids grain: the label lists rice - white

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 (14)

#As declaredMatchedCategoryTierDeclared %Est. %
1Brewers RiceRice - whitecarbmedium-9.3
2Whole Grain CornWhole Grainscarbgood-9.0
3Chicken By-Product MealChickenmeatmedium-8.6
4Powdered CellulosePowdered Cellulosefibrepoor-8.3
5Chicken FatChicken Oil and Fatoilmedium-8.0
6Soybean Hullsunmatched---7.6
7Egg ProductEggmeatgood-7.3
8Hydrolyzed Chicken FlavorChickenmeatmedium-7.0
9Soybean OilSoybean oiloilmedium-6.6
10Lactic Acidunmatched---6.3
11Potassium ChloridePotassium Chloridesupplementmedium-6.0
12Calcium SulfateCalcium Carbonatesupplementmedium-5.6
13Iodized SaltSaltadditivemedium-5.3
14L-LysineLysinesupplementmedium-5.0

Brand

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.

ComponentInputCoefficientContribution
Base score-30.909+30.91
Average ingredient quality0.49.191+3.23
Carb share of dry matter19.7%-0.115-2.27
Oil share of dry matter17.8%-0.092-1.63
Additive share of dry matter5.9%0.163+0.96
Supplement share of dry matter18.8%-0.012-0.23
Unrecognised share of dry matter8.6%-0.027-0.23
Recipe graded poor8.3%-0.065-0.54
Number of poor ingredients1-0.876-0.88
Largest single poor ingredient8.3%0.060+0.50
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
Complete dietyes2.294+2.29
Low meat (under 10% of dry matter)yes-3.158-3.16
Additive penalty-6.490.222-1.44
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+3.23
Meat share of dry matter0.0%0.096+0.00
Carb share of dry matter19.7%-0.115-2.27
Oil share of dry matter17.8%-0.092-1.63
Vegetable share of dry matter0.0%-0.005+0.00
Additive share of dry matter5.9%0.163+0.96
Supplement share of dry matter18.8%-0.012-0.23
Other share of dry matter0.0%-0.375+0.00
Unrecognised share of dry matter8.6%-0.027-0.23
Recipe graded poor8.3%-0.065-0.54
Poor-quality meat in recipe0.0%-0.179+0.00
Number of poor ingredients1-0.876-0.88
Largest single poor ingredient8.3%0.060+0.50
Undeclared quantities100.0%-0.106-10.56
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-6.490.222-1.44
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
+1 transparency bonus
Subtotal
44.4
Final score
44/100

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.

NutrientAs fed (label)Dry matter (scored)Score
Protein18.320.2 (band 18 to 40%)76.1
Fat16.518.2 (band 5.5 to 20%)100
Fibre10.811.9 (band 0.5 to 5%)100
Calcium0.630.7 (band 0.5 to 2.5%)75.9
Phosphorus0.450.5 (band 0.4 to 1.6%)74.9
Calcium:phosphorus ratio1.41.4 (band 1 to 2%)94
Energy (kcal/100g)347383.4100

Fibre: Declared as a maximum; the high-fibre taper is not applied.

Scored over 7 declared nutrients (combined weight 90); 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.

ItemPoints
✓ Ingredient list on the label (mandatory)10/10
✗ Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file0/20
✗ Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) - not on file0/15
✓ Additives declared (mandatory)5/10
✓ 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 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.

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 and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.

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

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

ClaimTypeCheckSubstantiation
Unique fiber matrix is clinically shown to clean up to the gum line by helping reduce plaque, stain, & tartar buildup. (on pack)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Exclusive feeding has been shown to be more effective than toothbrushing. (on pack)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Formulated to promote a urinary environment that reduces the risk of developing struvite & calcium oxalate crystals (on pack)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Accepted for the reduction of buildup of both plaque & tartar by Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) (on pack)Functionalnot checkableManufacturer assertion
U.S. Veterinarians' #1 Recommended Brand (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
100% Satisfaction guarantee (on pack)Contentnot checkableManufacturer assertion
Complete and balanced nutrition for maintenance of adult dogs (on pack)ContentconsistentManufacturer 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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