k/d Kidney Care with Lamb Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care with Lamb Wet Dog Food is a wet food featuring pork liver and lamb as its main protein sources.
The protein quality is reasonable, with pork liver providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality fat sources like chicken fat and fish oil, which is a good source of EPA and DHA. The formula has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation, which is a strong indicator of nutritional adequacy.
The formula's protein is low and fat is high on a dry matter basis, which is a specific nutritional profile. It also contains dextrose, an added sugar, which is not nutritionally justifiable in a complete dog diet.
Good fit for adult dogs on a diet with lower protein and higher fat. Less ideal if you prefer foods without added sugars.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for adult Golden Retrievers and similar active sporting breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Pork liver anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus pork liver at position 2 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+15.5 points): Reasonable protein quality. pork liver delivers solid amino acid coverage. 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.
Reasonable protein quality. pork liver delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for not stated.
Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..
- Top 3% for DMB fat in Hill's Prescription Diet's lineup (26.3%)
- Bottom 1% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive wet foods (16.1%)
- Top quartile for crude fiber in wet foods (9.0% 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 i/d Digestive Care with Turkey Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 26 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 $6.15/lb (2% less) at a comparable score.
Surfaced from a vector similarity search across 3,491 scored dog foods. How this works.
Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 16%, 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.
- 2protein animalpork liver
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 2. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 3corn starch
Position 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4protein animallamb
Real meat. Often used for dogs with chicken or beef sensitivities. Slightly higher fat content than chicken.
Position 4: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 5fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 5: secondary fat. Often where marine oils sit when present alongside a primary land-animal fat.
- 6dextrose
- 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.
- 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.
- 9chicken liver flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.
Position 9. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 10fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 10. Moderate marine-oil inclusion. Supplements EPA/DHA without being the primary fat.
- 11fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
Position 11: trace fiber inclusion.
- 12mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 13potassium citrate
Source of potassium. Sometimes added in urinary-support formulas to help manage urine pH.
- 14supplementl-lysine
Essential amino acid. Plant-protein-heavy formulas sometimes add it to round out the amino acid profile.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16betaine
- 17supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 18grainoats
Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.
- 19fiberfructooligosaccharides
Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.
- 20supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 21mineralmagnesium oxide
Inorganic magnesium. Functional at AAFCO doses, less efficiently absorbed than chelated forms.
- 22mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 23zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 24mineralmanganese sulfate
Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.
- 25mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
Showing first 25 of 33. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
22 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.