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Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12
Hill's Prescription Diet

k/d Kidney Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $6.40/lb

Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12 earns a Sniff Score of 49/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 2 controversial ingredients flagged. Score capped at 49 due to CP_DM=11.8%, CF_DM=20.6%.

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.

ACF

Score capped at 49 due to CP_DM=11.8%, CF_DM=20.6%.

CAP why?

Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..

CIP

Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..

CIP

Controversial ingredients · 1

  • sodium selenite
    Synthetic selenium source. Selenium is essential, but sodium selenite has a narrower safety margin than organic alternatives like selenium yeast. Better-formulated foods use the organic form.

Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 12% ⓘ
Protein
2%
min (as fed)
Fat
3.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
2%
max (as fed)
Moisture
83%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 12%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

45 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    water

    Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.

  2. 2
    chicken

    Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.

  3. 3
    carrots

    Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.

  4. 4
    rice

    Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.

  5. 5
    chicken fat

    Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid.

  6. 6
    pork liver

    Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.

  7. 7
    rice starch
  8. 8
    dextrose
  9. 9
    green peas

    Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →

  10. 10
    sugar

    Added sugar. No nutritional purpose for dogs. Most often found in budget semi-moist foods.

  11. 11
    egg whites
  12. 12
    dried beet pulp

    Soluble fiber from sugar-beet processing. Sometimes treated as a filler, but it's actually one of the better fiber sources in kibble.

  13. 13
    flaxseed

    Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.

  14. 14
    fish oil

    Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.

  15. 15
    hydrolyzed chicken flavor

    Hydrolyzed chicken used as a palatability enhancer. Real ingredient, tiny inclusion, no quality signal either way.

  16. 16
    potassium alginate
  17. 17
    powdered cellulose

    Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.

  18. 18
    calcium lactate

    Calcium source from lactic acid fermentation. Functional, well-tolerated.

  19. 19
    calcium gluconate
  20. 20
    natural flavor

    Legal term for animal-derived flavoring, usually hydrolyzed liver or broth. Adds taste, says nothing about quality.

  21. 21
    brewers dried yeast

    Yeast left over from brewing. Rich in B vitamins and amino acids. A traditional and well-tolerated inclusion.

  22. 22
    potassium citrate

    Source of potassium. Sometimes added in urinary-support formulas to help manage urine pH.

  23. 23
    guar gum

    Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet.

  24. 24
    betaine
  25. 25
    l-lysine

    Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.

Showing first 25 of 45. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

19 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.