Derm Complete Original Flavor Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Prescription Diet Derm Complete Original Flavor Wet Dog Food is a wet food that features egg product as its primary protein source.
This formula offers reasonable protein quality, with brewers rice contributing to solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. You'll find quality fat sources here too, like named fats and marine oil, which provides EPA and DHA.
The protein and fat content are quite low on a dry matter basis, which capped the overall score. It also contains carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener linked to gastrointestinal inflammation in some studies.
Good fit for dogs with specific dietary needs under veterinary guidance. Less ideal if you prefer foods without carrageenan.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Egg product anchors position 4, 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 44/100, landing in D-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+14.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. brewers rice delivers solid amino acid coverage. A hard cap of 49 also applied because the guaranteed analysis falls below AAFCO's minimum nutrient profile. Even without the cap, the base component scores sit below the next band. The structural fix would need to address controversial-ingredient penalty as well.
Reasonable protein quality. brewers rice delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
Contains carrageenan. Plausible rodent colitis mechanism, no direct canine clinical evidence at food-grade levels. Concern elevated for dogs with IBD..
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
- Lowest DMB protein in grain-inclusive wet foods (15.1%)
- Bottom 2% for overall Sniff Score in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (44/100)
- Bottom quartile for DMB fat in grain-inclusive wet foods (11.3%)
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 i/d Digestive Care with Turkey Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 31 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care with Chicken Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
$6.05/lb vs your seed's $7.49/lb (19% less) at a comparable score.
Hill's Science Diet Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Chicken instead of egg, 31 points higher, different brand.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Controversial ingredients · 1
- carrageenanSeaweed-derived thickener; some studies link it to gastrointestinal inflammation. Most common in wet foods but appears in some kibble gravies.
Every flagged ingredient has a published basis (confirmed harm / regulatory action / precautionary). See methodology →
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 15%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 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.
- 3rice protein concentrate
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the 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.
- 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.
- 7fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 7: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 8fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 8. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 9hydrolyzed chicken flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken used as a palatability enhancer. Real ingredient, tiny inclusion, no quality signal either way.
- 10grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 10: minor grain inclusion.
- 11fiberdried 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 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
- 14fiberlocust bean gum
Thickener from carob seed. Generally well-tolerated. Less controversial than carrageenan or guar gum.
Position 14: trace fiber inclusion.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16othercarrageenan Flagged
Seaweed-derived thickener. Some lab studies suggest gut inflammation, but the evidence in pets is mixed. See why →
- 17supplementl-lysine
Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19lipoic acid
- 20fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 21supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 22legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
- 23vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
- 24fruitcranberries
Often added with a urinary-tract-support marketing angle. Real cranberry compounds help in concentrate form, but kibble doses are small.
- 25mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
Showing first 25 of 37. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
23 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.