d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Salmon Recipe Dry Dog Food is a dry food featuring salmon as its primary protein source.
This formula includes quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber, which is a good sign. It also features quality fat sources, like named fats and marine oil, providing beneficial EPA and DHA. The product has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation, indicating it's been tested for nutritional adequacy.
The formula is capped at a C score due to relatively low protein and fat levels on a dry matter basis. Also, the formula is plant-protein-dominated, with potato listed as the first ingredient.
Good fit for dogs with skin or food sensitivities. Less ideal if you prefer higher protein and fat, or an animal-protein-first formula.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Salmon anchors position 3, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus pork liver flavor at position 8 (a natural taurine precursor). In its 2022 update on diet-associated DCM, the FDA identified Golden Retrievers as the most reported breed, with 121 cases out of 1,382 total canine reports (8.8%) received between January 1, 2014, and November 1, 2022 (FDA, 2022) .
Looking at this for adult Golden Retrievers or Golden Retrievers with diet-associated DCM concerns ? We are building dedicated pages for these combinations.
Auto-matched from this product's measurements (ingredients, life stage, calorie density) to a breed archetype. Not a substitute for vet input on your specific dog.
Research informing this analysis
MethodologyThe Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
- NRC, 2006nutrient bioavailability
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 49/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was carbohydrate quality (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. A hard cap of 49 also applied because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. If a formula update that meets AAFCO minimums were on the label, the cap would lift and this formula could clear the B-band threshold (60).
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Plant-protein-dominated formula. potato as the #1 ingredient.
- Lowest DMB protein in grain-free dry kibbles (15.6%)
- Top 10% for carb quality in grain-free dry kibbles (13/16)
- Bottom 2% for protein quality in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (5.6/27)
Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.
Similar dog foods worth considering
Three lenses on products with formulation profiles similar to this one.
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Scores 29 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Hill's Prescription Diet Metabolic Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food, 27.5-lb bag
$4.87/lb vs your seed's $5.68/lb (14% less) at a comparable score.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Chicken instead of salmon, 26 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1vegetablepotato
Standard white potato. Steady carb source, common starch in grain-free recipes.
Position 1: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 2potato starch
Refined potato. Pure carb energy, low on other nutrition. Often used as a binder in grain-free recipes.
- 3protein animalsalmon
Real fish meat. Natural source of omega-3s, which kibble usually has to add back from oil.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4protein plantpotato protein
Concentrated potato protein. Like pea protein, it inflates the protein number without matching meat-quality amino acids.
Position 4: plant protein in the top 5. Stacked with animal protein, can inflate the crude protein number without matching the amino-acid quality of named animal sources.
- 5soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
Position 7: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 8pork liver flavor
Hydrolyzed pork liver used as a flavor enhancer. Same role as chicken liver flavor.
Position 8. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 9mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 10lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 11mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 12fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 12. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 13glyceryl monostearate
- 14mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 15supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 16mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 17supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 18supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 19mineralmagnesium oxide
Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.
- 20mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 21zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 22mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 23manganous oxide
Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.
- 24mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 25mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.