Label analysisGrade CKibble (Extruded)

Hill's

Hill's Puppy Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe | Hill's Science Diet

Editor ingredient insight

Hill’s Puppy Small & Mini Chicken & Brown Rice is best read as a controlled small-breed growth diet, not as a meat-forward ingredient upgrade. Chicken leads, followed by oats, brown rice, chicken meal, chicken fat, pea protein, corn, soybean meal, and corn protein meal. With 28.9% protein, 19.7% fat, 3,780 kcal/kg, calcium at 1.58%, and phosphorus at 1.31%, I would use it where puppy growth numbers and portion stability matter, not for pea, corn, or soy avoidance.

Logic-based verdict

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

Manufacturer-independentPublic-data basedIngredients · nutrition · safety

Protein source

Ingredient guide

Processed plant protein after the top 3

Animal protein

Chicken (#1), Chicken Meal (#4)

Plant protein

Pea Protein (#6), Soybean Meal (#9), Corn Protein Meal (#11)

The protein number includes processed plant protein support.

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

Included support ingredients

Nutrient guide

Fish oil

Skin and joint support ingredient

Cranberry

Urinary support ingredient

Taurine

Heart support ingredient

Omega-3

Skin and joint support ingredient

Omega-6

Skin and coat support ingredient

Vitamin E

Antioxidant and skin support ingredient

View full ingredients
Solid build

Ingredient grade

B

Grade B

Top ingredient profile

Chicken
Whole Grain Oats
Brown Rice
Fresh-meat leadPlant booster present
Crude protein28.9%
Crude protein28.9%
Crude fat19.7%
Other 51%

Calcium

1.6%

Phosphorus

1.3%

Sodium

0.5%

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

biotechProtein position
Higher
query_statsFat position
Higher
local_fire_departmentCalorie density
Higher

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

  • The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat.
  • Crude protein is on the higher side.
  • Top ingredients do not show a prominent FDA-investigated non-hereditary DCM ingredient profile.

What still needs work

  • Phosphorus is 1.3% on the label, at or above 1%. Senior dogs or dogs with kidney concerns should have phosphorus restriction reviewed with a veterinarian before using it as a staple food.
  • Processed plant protein appears after the top 3, so some protein support is still built into the label number.
  • The first ingredient is a species-named fresh meat, but grains follow immediately after it, so the recipe reads more mixed than meat-led.

Alternative foods

Smart chicken alternatives

Exact protein-type matches come first, then close protein-family matches fill the comparison.

136 alternativesKibble (Extruded) · protein type/family cohort

Other recipes from the same brand

Other recipes from the same brand with a different purpose or feeding target.

Hill's

Puppy Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe | Hill's Science Diet

Puppy · Large breed

Plant-protein boosted

Label score

4.5/5

Grade A

Hill's

Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Barley Recipe Dog Food | Hill's Science Diet

Adult

Plant-protein boosted

Label score

3.5/5

Grade C

Hill's

Adult Oral Care Chicken, Brown Rice & Barley Recipe Dog Food | Hill's Science Diet

Adult

Label score

3.0/5

Grade C

Hill's

Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe | Hill's Science Diet

Puppy

Plant-protein boosted

Label score

3.0/5

Grade C

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 give this recipe a strong first protein read, so the ingredient section starts from a favorable position.

restaurantIngredient Quality Analysis

B4.5/6
Ingredient Grade
Good
1Chicken
Fresh Meat · Top
2Whole Grain Oats
Whole Grain · Upper
3Brown Rice
Whole Grain · Upper

Ingredient Analysis Comments

  • •Chicken is a named fresh meat ingredient. The animal source is clearly identified. It reads as an top-tier protein source.
  • •Whole Grain Oats 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.
  • •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 BGood

Full collected ingredient list

36 ingredients
ChickenWhole Grain OatsBrown RiceChicken MealChicken FatPea ProteinWhole Grain CornCracked Pearled BarleySoybean MealChicken Liver FlavorCorn Protein MealPork Liver FlavorDicalcium PhosphateGround Pecan ShellsLactic AcidSoybean OilFlaxseedDried Beet PulpFish OilDried Citrus PulpCalcium CarbonateIodized SaltPotassium ChlorideSodium TripolyphosphateCholine 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)Pressed CranberriesL-ThreonineL-LysineDL-MethionineL-Tryptophanminerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite)TaurineMixed Tocopherols for freshnessNatural FlavorsBeta-Carotene.
Primary positive ingredients
Support positive ingredients
Alternative protein
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.

Final word

There is enough here to keep the food in comparison, but not enough to stop comparing yet.

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