d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Venison Dry Dog Food, 25-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Venison Dry Dog Food is a dry formula featuring venison as its primary animal protein.
This food has quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber, which is a nice touch. It also includes good fat sources like named fats and marine oil, providing EPA and DHA. Plus, it has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation, meaning it's been tested.
The formula is plant-protein dominated, with potato as the first ingredient. Its protein and fat levels are also on the lower side, with 15.6% protein and 14.4% fat on a dry matter basis.
Good fit for dogs with skin or food sensitivities needing a novel protein. Less ideal if you prefer higher protein and fat levels.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Venison 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Middle-of-pack grade. 49/100 (C) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Carbohydrate quality did the heavy lifting (+13 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber. What capped it: the score can't exceed 49 because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. How it could climb: a formula update that meets AAFCO minimums, which would lift the cap into B-band range.
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 1% for protein quality in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (5.4/27)
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 Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Scores 26 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 $5.88/lb (17% less) at a comparable score.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Small Bites Dry Dog Food, Chicken Recipe, 30-lb bag
Chicken instead of venison, 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 animalvenison
Real meat, lean and gamey. Used as a novel protein for dogs with sensitivities.
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.
- 11fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 11. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 12mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 13mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 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.
- 16supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 17supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 18mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 19zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 20mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 21manganous oxide
Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.
- 22mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 23mineralsodium 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 →
- 24mixed tocopherols for freshness
- 25mineralmagnesium oxide
Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.
Showing first 25 of 27. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
24 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.