Label analysisGrade DListed ingredientsKibble (Extruded)

Hill's

Hill's z/d Small Bites Hydrolyzed Chicken Flavor Dog Food | Hill's Prescription Diet

Choosing for your dog
Editor ingredient insight

Hill’s z/d Small Bites mirrors the hydrolyzed chicken formula in smaller kibble, starting with corn starch and hydrolyzed chicken ingredients.

It is worth considering for small dogs needing veterinarian-guided hydrolyzed feeding, not for corn-starch-first preferences.

Full ingredient check needed
Illustration of grains and vegetables beside a dog-food bowl
Grain and vegetable illustration

01. NUTRIENT PROFILE

Key nutrients & mineral profile

As-fed basis
Disclosed protein and fat
Protein 20.1%Fat 14.6%Other 65.3%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 positionLower

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

Fat positionTypical

This food sits around the typical crude fat range 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
Calcium0.86%
Phosphorus0.61%
Crude fiberNot disclosed
Omega-31.23%
Omega-63.32%

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.

Grains and vegetables ingredient illustration
Grain and vegetable illustration
C3/6Ingredient gradeMixed
Ingredient #1 · Corn StarchMid
Refined Carb
Ingredient #2 · Hydrolyzed Chicken LiverUpper
Named Meal
Ingredient #3 · Hydrolyzed ChickenUpper
Named Meal
Ingredient #1Mid

Corn Starch

Corn Starch is a refined carbohydrate source. It usually reads as a starch and energy source rather than a protein driver. It reads as an mid-tier carb source.

Ingredient #2Upper

Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver

Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver 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 #3Upper

Hydrolyzed Chicken

Hydrolyzed Chicken 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.

Available ingredient listIn disclosed order
Corn Starch — Neutral ingredientsHydrolyzed Chicken Liver — Support positive ingredientsHydrolyzed Chicken — Support positive ingredientsGround Pecan Shells — Neutral ingredientsPowdered Cellulose — Neutral ingredientsFlaxseed — Neutral ingredientsDried Beet Pulp — Support positive ingredientsHydrolyzed Chicken Flavor — Support positive ingredientsSoybean Oil — Neutral ingredientsDried Citrus Pulp — Neutral ingredientsDicalcium Phosphate — Neutral ingredientsLactic Acid — Neutral ingredientsCoconut Oil — Neutral ingredientsFish Oil — Support positive ingredientsCalcium Carbonate — Neutral ingredientsPressed Cranberries — Neutral ingredientsGlyceryl Monostearate — Neutral ingredientsDL-Methionine — Neutral ingredientsPotassium Chloride — Support positive ingredientsIodized Salt — 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 ingredientsL-Tryptophan — Neutral ingredientsCholine Chloride — Support positive ingredientsminerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite) — Support positive ingredientsMagnesium Oxide — Support positive ingredientsMixed Tocopherols for freshness — Neutral ingredientsNatural Flavors — Support positive ingredientsBeta-Carotene. — Neutral ingredients
Primary positive ingredientsSupport positive ingredientsAlternative proteinNeutral ingredientsCaution ingredientsHigh-caution ingredients
Protein sourceIngredient guide

Protein sources in the available ingredients

Animal protein · Hydrolyzed Chicken Liver (#2), Hydrolyzed Chicken (#3)

The protein sources shown above come from the registered ingredients. Use familiar ingredients and any required exclusions to narrow your choices.

The complete ingredient panel has not been verified, so absence of plant-protein supplements is not confirmed.

Included support ingredientsNutrient guide
Fish oilSkin and joint support ingredientCranberryUrinary support ingredientOmega-3Skin and joint support ingredientOmega-6Skin and coat support ingredientEPA+DHASkin, joint, and heart support ingredientVitamin EAntioxidant and skin support ingredient

03. CHOOSING FOR YOUR DOG

What to consider before feeding

This is a prescription-diet candidate for allergy/skin care. Read purpose fit and veterinary guidance before treating it as a standard star-ranked food.

What works well in this food

  • Omega-3, Omega-6, EPA+DHA, Vitamin E are disclosed, which helps compare skin-barrier and coat-support markers.
  • Named animal ingredients appear after the first grain or starch source.
  • Calorie density is on the lower side.
  • 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.
  • The first ingredient is still a grain or starch source, but named animal ingredients continue through the second and third positions. This is still not a meat-first recipe, yet it is not an especially weak animal-protein profile either.
  • Public data is usable, but not at the highest-trust tier.

When this food fits your dog

Prescription purpose: allergy/skin care.

Consider it first when

  • Comparing real nutrient numbers
  • Shopping by disclosure breadth
  • Choosing from public data first

Choose another food first when

  • Meat intensity is the first shopping axis
  • You want the strongest ingredient quality first

This is still a food-first read, so your own dog can reshuffle the final order later.

04. COMPARE FOODS

allergy/skin care prescription alternatives

Compare allergy/skin care 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.