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Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Variety Pack Wet & Dry Dog Food
Hill's Prescription Diet

k/d Kidney Care Variety Pack Wet & Dry Dog Food

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $28.99

Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Variety Pack Wet & Dry Dog Food earns a Sniff Score of 54/100 (C) with Fair evidence. 2 controversial ingredients flagged. Primary concern: plant-protein-dominated formula. chicken dry food: brown rice as the #1 ingredient..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

FQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.

ACF

Plant-protein-dominated formula. chicken dry food: brown rice as the #1 ingredient.

PQI

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: 55% ⓘ
Protein
12%
min (as fed)
Fat
18%
min (as fed)
Fiber
5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
78%
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 55%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

212 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken dry food: brown rice
  2. 2
    brewers rice

    Broken rice kernels left over from milling, usually destined for human beer-making. Cheaper than whole or even white rice. Same carbs, less nutrition than the brown version.

  3. 3
    pork fat

    Real animal fat from a named species. Clean energy source.

  4. 4
    cracked pearled barley

    Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.

  5. 5
    chicken

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

  6. 6
    egg product

    Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.

  7. 7
    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.

  8. 8
    sorghum

    Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.

  9. 9
    corn gluten meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Inflates the protein percent on the label without matching meat-quality amino acids.

  10. 10
    chicken liver flavor

    Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.

  11. 11
    soybean oil

    Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.

  12. 12
    fish oil

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

  13. 13
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  14. 14
    lactic acid

    Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.

  15. 15
    l-lysine

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

  16. 16
    pork liver flavor

    Hydrolyzed pork liver used as a flavor enhancer. Same role as chicken liver flavor.

  17. 17
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  18. 18
    potassium citrate

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

  19. 19
    dl-methionine

    Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.

  20. 20
    l-threonine

    Essential amino acid. Sometimes added when plant proteins dominate, since threonine is naturally lower in plants than meat.

  21. 21
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  22. 22
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  23. 23
    taurine

    Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.

  24. 24
    magnesium oxide

    Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.

  25. 25
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

Showing first 25 of 212. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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