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Hill's Science Diet Puppy Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Hill's Science Diet

Puppy Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $4.85/lb

Hill's Science Diet Puppy Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 78/100 (A) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Strong protein profile with salmon as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

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

FQI

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: 28% ⓘ
Protein
25%
min (as fed)
Fat
15.5%
min (as fed)
Fiber
4%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

34 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    salmon

    Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.

  2. 2
    chicken meal

    Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken.

  3. 3
    cracked pearled barley

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

  4. 4
    brown rice

    Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.

  5. 5
    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.

  6. 6
    chicken fat

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

  7. 7
    pea protein

    Concentrated plant protein. Inflates the protein number on the label without matching the amino acid quality of meat.

  8. 8
    corn protein meal

    Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.

  9. 9
    soybean meal

    Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.

  10. 10
    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.

  11. 11
    hydrolyzed chicken flavor

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

  12. 12
    pork liver flavor

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

  13. 13
    flaxseed

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

  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
    soybean oil

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

  16. 16
    potassium chloride

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

  17. 17
    fish oil

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

  18. 18
    salt

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

  19. 19
    l-threonine

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

  20. 20
    choline chloride

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

  21. 21
    dicalcium phosphate

    Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.

  22. 22
    calcium carbonate

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

  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
    dl-methionine

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

  25. 25
    l-tryptophan

    Essential amino acid. Sometimes added in calming or weight-management formulas.

Showing first 25 of 34. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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