Derm Complete Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Prescription Diet Derm Complete Dry Dog Food is a dry formula with egg product as its primary protein.
This formula has quality carbohydrate sources, including fermentable fiber, which is good for gut health. The protein quality is reasonable, with brown rice contributing to solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like named fats and marine oil, providing EPA and DHA.
The protein and fat levels in this food are on the lower side when measured on a dry matter basis. This is why its overall score was capped.
Good fit for dogs needing a formula with quality carbs and fats. Less ideal if your dog requires 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 active large sporting breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Irish Setters navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: taurine listed as added ingredient. Egg product anchors position 3, with zero pulses in the top 15. 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 (+16 points): Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable 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 fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. brown rice delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
- Lowest DMB protein in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (15.0%)
- Top quartile for caloric density in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (373 kcal/cup)
- Bottom 4% for crude fiber in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (3.3% DMB)
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 Prescription Diet ONC Care Dry Dog Food, 15-lb bag
Scores 27 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 $5.96/lb (18% less) at a comparable score.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Grain-Free Chicken & Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food, 24-lb bag
Chicken instead of egg, 17 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.
- 1grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 1 grain: primary carbohydrate base. This is a grain-inclusive formula with brown rice as the dominant carb.
- 2brewers 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. See why →
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4rice protein concentrate
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 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.
- 6fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 6: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 7hydrolyzed chicken flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken used as a palatability enhancer. Real ingredient, tiny inclusion, no quality signal either way.
- 8fiberdried 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. See why →
Position 8: functional fiber for digestion or satiety.
- 9fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 9. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 10fatcoconut oil
Saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides. Mostly marketing in the doses kibble uses, but harmless.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 12mineraldicalcium phosphate
Calcium and phosphorus combined. Required source of both minerals, especially in formulas without much bone content.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 14mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 15lipoic acid
- 16mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 17legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
- 18supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 19fruitapples
Real fruit, some fiber and antioxidants. The amount in kibble is too small to matter much.
- 20fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 21supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 22vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 23supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 24othernatural flavors
Same as natural flavor. Usually hydrolyzed liver or broth, adds palatability.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.