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Hill's Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Management Small Bites Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Hill's Science Diet

Adult Perfect Weight Management Small Bites Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
dry $3.72/lb

Hill's Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Management Small Bites Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag earns a Sniff Score of 63/100 (B) with Fair evidence. Zero controversial ingredients flagged. Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage..

Graded by The Sniff System

Why this score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.

ACF

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: 27% ⓘ
Protein
24%
min (as fed)
Fat
8%
min (as fed)
Fiber
13%
max (as fed)
Moisture
10%
max
Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

32 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken

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

  2. 2
    cracked pearled barley

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

  3. 3
    brown rice

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

  4. 4
    pea fiber

    Insoluble fiber from peas. Doesn't carry the protein-inflation concern of pea protein. Mostly there for stool quality.

  5. 5
    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.

  6. 6
    chicken meal

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

  7. 7
    dried tomato pomace

    The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.

  8. 8
    oat fiber
  9. 9
    chicken liver flavor

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

  10. 10
    flaxseed

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

  11. 11
    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.

  12. 12
    coconut oil

    Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.

  13. 13
    pork liver flavor

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

  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
    potassium chloride

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

  16. 16
    l-lysine

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

  17. 17
    dl-methionine

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

  18. 18
    carrots

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

  19. 19
    salt

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

  20. 20
    lipoic acid
  21. 21
    choline chloride

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

  22. 22
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

  23. 23
    ferrous sulfate

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

  24. 24
    zinc oxide

    Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.

  25. 25
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

Showing first 25 of 32. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

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