Back to all foods/Hill's
Public ReviewGrade DKibble (Extruded)Manufacturing: Kibble (Extruded)

Hill's

Hill's Adult Healthy Mobility Small Bites Chicken Meal, Brown Rice & Barley Recipe Dog Food | Hill's Science Diet

2.0★Public ScoreManufacturer-independentPublic-data basedIngredients · nutrition · safety

Key points

Protein source

Moderate caution

Processed plant protein after the top 3

Top 3: Chicken Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Brown Rice

The protein number includes processed plant protein support.

Even when it appears later, the protein number is read more conservatively.

Ingredient guide

Included support ingredients

Nutrient guide
Fish oilSkin and joint support ingredientTaurineHeart support ingredientL-carnitineHeart and weight support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredientEPA+DHASkin, joint, and heart support ingredientVitamin EAntioxidant and skin support ingredient
Needs context

Ingredient grade

C

Grade C

Top ingredient profile

Chicken Meal
Cracked Pearled Barley
Brown Rice
Meal-basedPlant booster present
Crude protein22.4%
Crude protein22.4%
Crude fat14.7%
Other 63%

Protein position, fat position, and calorie density position are relative to foods in the same processing type cohort.

biotechProtein position
Lower
query_statsFat position
Typical
local_fire_departmentCalorie density
Typical

This food can stay in comparison, but ingredient quality still needs a more conservative read.

There is enough public data to keep this food in comparison, but the top ingredient structure does not support a stronger positive claim yet.

Nutritional strengths

  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

What still needs work

  • Processed plant protein appears after the top 3, so some protein support is still built into the label number.
  • The recipe leans on named rendered meal ingredients, so palatability and digestibility can feel weaker than a fresh-meat-led recipe.
  • Public data is usable, but not at the highest-trust tier.

Brand context

Brand background availableRecall history confirmed

Founded in 1907 in the United States. This brand has a confirmed recall history. The most recent public recall noted here was the 2019 vitamin D incident.

Ingredient analysis

The top ingredients are still usable, but this is the part to inspect more carefully before calling the recipe a clear strength.

restaurantIngredient Quality Analysis

C3/6
Ingredient Grade
Mixed
1Chicken Meal
Named Meal · Upper
2Cracked Pearled Barley
Semi-Refined Grain · Mid
3Brown Rice
Whole Grain · Upper

Ingredient Analysis Comments

  • •Chicken Meal is a species-named animal meal ingredient. It is rendered rather than fresh, but the species source is still clearly identified. It reads as an upper-tier protein source.
  • •Cracked Pearled Barley is disclosed, but its role is not explicit enough to count as a strong quality signal. It reads as an mid-tier carb source.
  • •Brown Rice is a whole or coarse grain ingredient. It usually plays more of a carbohydrate and fiber role than a core protein role. It reads as an upper-tier carb and fiber source.
restaurantIngredient Grade CMixed

Full collected ingredient list

29 ingredients
Chicken MealCracked Pearled BarleyBrown RiceBrewers RiceWhole Grain WheatWhole Grain SorghumDried Beet PulpSoybean MealChicken FatCorn Protein MealChicken Liver FlavorSoybean OilFish OilFlaxseedLactic AcidPork Liver FlavorPotassium ChlorideDL-MethionineIodized SaltCalcium CarbonateCholine Chloridevitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement)L-LysineTaurineminerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite)Mixed Tocopherols for freshnessNatural FlavorsL-CarnitineBeta-Carotene.
Primary positive ingredients
Support positive ingredients
Neutral ingredients
Caution ingredients
High-caution ingredients

Why processed plant proteins are reviewed cautiously

Ingredient lists are ordered by input weight, not protein contribution. Fresh meat 100g and Soybean Meal 50g can both contribute about 20g of protein, and Pea Protein can deliver a similar amount at around 30g. So these ingredients can materially lift crude protein even outside the top three. The review treats processed plant-protein boosters cautiously because they can weaken the animal-protein-centered profile most guardians expect from a high-protein food.

Why did the base review land here?

Ingredient qualityNutrient disclosure levelManufacturing & trust

This review score combines ingredient composition, nutrient disclosure, manufacturing trust, and core nutrient caution signals.

Nutrient disclosure

Partial disclosure

Core guaranteed analysis is usable, but deeper rows still need a more cautious read.

Safety verification

No fails

No major red flag jumps out first, though undisclosed rows still define the limits of this safety read.

Public data trust (ETF)

C1 tier

There is a usable disclosure baseline, but the public record is still fairly thin.

Where it sits in the same processing cohort

Kibble (Extruded) cohortCompare-first

Within the Kibble (Extruded) cohort, this recipe sits in the compare-first band.

Final word

Treat this review as an early screen. If the food stays interesting, verify it again with your dog-specific context before acting.

Back to all foods

What to compare next

Criteria to compare with this food

These criteria come from the product name, brand, veterinary purpose, and disclosed nutrients, so you can compare similar foods after reading the review.

Brand analysis

Royal Canin dog food analysis: veterinary diets, breed lines, and label checks

Royal Canin spans veterinary, breed, and daily lines, so product purpose matters first.

Heart criteria

Best dog food for heart disease: sodium, taurine, L-carnitine, omega-3, and DCM context

Heart context should connect sodium, taurine, L-carnitine, and omega-3 disclosure.

Joint criteria

Best dog food for joint support: weight control, EPA/DHA, glucosamine, and mobility checks

Joint context should connect weight control, EPA+DHA, and disclosed support ingredients.

Label basics

Best dog food criteria: ingredients, calories, disclosure, and health context

Before the brand claim, compare top ingredients, guaranteed analysis, kcal/kg, and disclosure.