Label analysisGrade DListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)

Hill's

Hill's Metabolic Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food | Hill's Prescription Diet

Choosing for your dog
Editor ingredient insight

Hill’s Metabolic Lamb Meal & Rice starts with lamb meal, brewers rice, and sorghum, with lower fat/calories and omega-3 disclosed.

It is worth considering for veterinarian-guided weight management, not for grain-free or high-fat feeding.

Meal-basedPlant booster present
Illustration of lamb beside a dog-food bowl
Primary protein ingredient · Lamb

01. NUTRIENT PROFILE

Key nutrients & mineral profile

As-fed basis
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 27.2%Fat 11.3%Other 61.5%Other includes moisture, ash and remaining components.
Position within the same processing type

Compare protein, fat and energy density in low, typical and high bands.

Protein positionTypical

This food sits around the typical crude protein range among extruded foods.

Fat positionLower

This food is on the lower side for crude fat among extruded foods.

Calorie densityLower

This food is on the lower side for calorie density among extruded foods. That alone does not make it a weight-management diet; check portion guidance, fat, and fiber together.

Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
Calcium1.16%
Phosphorus0.79%
Crude fiberNot disclosed
Omega-31.13%
Omega-62.09%

Undisclosed values are not treated as zero.

02. INGREDIENT QUALITY & DISCLOSURE

Disclosed ingredients & ingredient grade

The analysis uses the registered ingredients. Complete-panel coverage is not verified, so an unlisted ingredient cannot be assumed absent.

Listed ingredients

Read the listed ingredients below. Complete-panel coverage is not verified here; do not infer that an unlisted ingredient is absent.

Lamb ingredient illustration
Primary protein ingredient · Lamb
C3/6Ingredient gradeMixed
Ingredient #1 · Lamb MealUpper
Named Meal
Ingredient #2 · Brewers RiceLower
Refined Carb
Ingredient #3 · Whole Grain SorghumMid
Whole Grain
Ingredient #1Upper

Lamb Meal

Lamb 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.

Ingredient #2Lower

Brewers Rice

Brewers Rice is a refined carbohydrate source. It usually reads as a starch and energy source rather than a protein driver. It reads as an lower-tier carb source.

Ingredient #3Mid

Whole Grain Sorghum

Whole Grain Sorghum 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 mid-tier carb source.

Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Lamb Meal — Support positive ingredientsBrewers Rice — Neutral ingredientsWhole Grain Sorghum — Neutral ingredientsCorn Gluten Meal — High-caution ingredientsPowdered Cellulose — Neutral ingredientsWhole Grain Wheat — Neutral ingredientsSoybean Meal — High-caution ingredientsDried Tomato Pomace — Neutral ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsDried Beet Pulp — Support positive ingredientsCoconut Oil — Neutral ingredientsChicken Liver Flavor — Support positive ingredientsLactic Acid — Neutral ingredientsChicken Fat — Neutral ingredientsPork Liver Flavor — Support positive ingredientsL-Lysine — Neutral ingredientsPotassium Chloride — Support positive ingredientsDL-Methionine — Neutral ingredientsSoybean Oil — Neutral ingredientsCarrots — Neutral ingredientsIodized Salt — Neutral ingredientsLipoic Acid — Neutral ingredientsvitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement) — Support positive ingredientsTaurine — Support positive ingredientsCholine Chloride — Support positive ingredientsminerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite) — Support positive ingredientsMixed Tocopherols for freshness — Neutral ingredientsNatural Flavors — Support positive ingredientsL-Carnitine — Support positive ingredientsBeta-Carotene. — Neutral ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide

Processed plant protein after the top 3

Animal protein · Lamb Meal (#1)

Plant protein · Corn Gluten Meal (#4), Soybean Meal (#7)

The protein number includes processed plant protein support.

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

Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
TaurineHeart support ingredientL-carnitineHeart and weight support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredientVitamin EAntioxidant and skin support ingredient

03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG

What to consider before feeding

This is a prescription-diet candidate for weight management. Read purpose fit and veterinary guidance before treating it as a standard star-ranked food.

What works well in this food

  • Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Calories are disclosed, so calorie density, fat load, and satiety-support context can be compared.
  • Crude protein does not drop into a clearly low band.
  • Crude fat does not run high, which helps the weight-management read.
  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

Check before feeding

  • Refined carbohydrates lose fiber, vitamins, and minerals during processing, and mainly act as starch and energy sources. Because of that, our engine reads ingredient quality more conservatively than it would with whole grains.
  • Processed plant protein appears after the top 3, so some protein support is still built into the label number.
  • If higher energy density matters more, another option may fit better.

When this food fits your dog

Prescription purpose: weight management.

Consider it first when

  • Weight-management priorities
  • Portion-control friendly shopping
  • Lower-calorie comparisons first

Choose another food first when

  • Higher energy density is the first priority
  • A stronger meat-first recipe matters more than calorie control

Plant-protein concentration remains the clearest trade-off here.

04. COMPARE FOODS

weight management prescription alternatives

Compare weight management prescription diets first. For therapeutic diets, clinical fit and veterinary direction matter more than a standard score.

05. MANUFACTURING & DISCLOSURE

Manufacturer background & public information

Hill's background

Founded in 1907 in the United States.

Disclosure confidence C1

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

Recall information

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

May 12, 2026

Final word

Interpret this for my dog

The food-first public score is only the starting point. Once your dog’s activity, weight goals, life stage, and health status are applied, the recommendation order and interpretation can change.

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