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.
Label analysisGrade CListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)
Hill's
Hill's Puppy Large Breed Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe | Hill's Science Diet
Editor ingredient insight
Hill’s Large Breed Puppy Lamb Meal & Brown Rice starts with lamb meal, brown rice, and cracked pearled barley, with controlled minerals plus L-carnitine and glucosamine.
It is worth considering for large-breed puppy growth, not for grain avoidance or low-fat needs.
Meal-basedPlant booster present
01. NUTRIENT PROFILE
Key nutrients & mineral profile
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 27.9%Fat 17.8%Other 54.3%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 positionHigher
This food is on the higher side for crude fat among extruded foods.
Calorie densityHigher
This food is on the higher side for calorie density among extruded foods. The same serving can provide more energy, so check portion guidance.
Key guaranteed nutrientsAs-fed
Calcium1.15%
Phosphorus0.91%
Crude fiberNot disclosed
Omega-30.68%
Omega-63.77%
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.
Ingredient gradeMixed
Ingredient #1 · Lamb MealUpper
Named MealIngredient #2 · Brown RiceUpper
Whole GrainIngredient #3 · Cracked Pearled BarleyMid
Semi-Refined GrainIngredient #2Upper
Brown Rice
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.
Ingredient #3Mid
Cracked Pearled Barley
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.
Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Lamb Meal — Support positive ingredientsBrown Rice — Neutral ingredientsCracked Pearled Barley — Neutral ingredientsWhole Grain Oats — Neutral ingredientsChicken Fat — Neutral ingredientsPea Protein — High-caution ingredientsWhole Grain Wheat — Neutral ingredientsBrewers Rice — Neutral ingredientsWheat Gluten — High-caution ingredientsHydrolyzed Chicken Flavor — Support positive ingredientsSoybean Meal — High-caution ingredientsEgg Product — Primary positive ingredientsGround Pecan Shells — Neutral ingredientsLactic Acid — Neutral ingredientsPork Liver Flavor — Support positive ingredientsSoybean Oil — Neutral ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsDried Beet Pulp — Support positive ingredientsDried Citrus Pulp — Neutral ingredientsFish Oil — Support positive ingredientsPotassium Chloride — Support positive ingredientsIodized Salt — Neutral ingredientsL-Lysine — Neutral ingredientsCholine Chloride — Support positive ingredientsPressed Cranberries — Neutral ingredientsL-Threonine — Neutral ingredientsvitamins (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) — Support positive ingredientsTaurine — Support positive ingredientsSodium Tripolyphosphate — Neutral ingredientsDL-Methionine — Neutral ingredientsL-Tryptophan — Neutral ingredientsminerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, 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), Egg Product (#12)
Plant protein · Pea Protein (#6), Wheat Gluten (#9), Soybean Meal (#11)
The protein number includes processed plant protein support.
Even when it appears later, the protein number is read more conservatively.
Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
Fish oilSkin and joint support ingredientCranberryUrinary support ingredientTaurineHeart support ingredientL-carnitineHeart and weight support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredientEPA+DHASkin, joint, and heart support ingredientGlucosamineJoint support ingredientChondroitinJoint support ingredientVitamin EAntioxidant and skin support ingredient
03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG
What to consider before feeding
Lamb Meal supply animal protein at the start of the ingredient list. Brown Rice, Cracked Pearled Barley supply carbohydrate energy. The recipe combines animal protein sources with carbohydrate sources.
Pea Protein, Wheat Gluten supplement plant protein further down the list, after the first three ingredients. The crude-protein figure includes both animal and plant contributions. Chicken Fat add fat and energy; fat content is a separate choice criterion from the protein sources.
Across the registered ingredients, multiple protein sources appear, including lamb, egg. If a protein must be excluded, any of these sources can change the decision; the first ingredient alone does not make this a single-protein diet.
What works well in this food
- Crude protein does not drop into a clearly low band.
- Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.
Check before feeding
- Processed plant protein appears after the top 3, so some protein support is still built into the label number.
- Species-named meals supply protein with less moisture. Their position cannot establish a meat-percentage or digestibility advantage over fresh meat because moisture levels differ.
- Higher calorie density can raise daily intake in a gram-for-gram switch. Weight reduction needs portions and treat calories to be adjusted together.
When this food fits your dog
Among foods made the same way, protein is typical, fat is higher, and calorie density is higher. This combination provides more energy per gram. Compare it when smaller portions need to supply calories, and adjust grams first for a dog prone to weight gain. Higher calories do not establish a higher animal-protein share.
Consider it first when
- Steady protein-first shopping
- Choosing from named animal proteins
- Balanced shortlist building
Choose another food first when
- Weight control comes first
- Fresh-meat-first premium quality matters most
High calorie density remains the clearest trade-off here.
04. COMPARE FOODS
Smart lamb alternatives
Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.
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