Adult 7+ Senior Vitality Chicken & Vegetable Stew Wet Dog Food, 12.5-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Senior Vitality Chicken & Vegetable Stew is a wet food featuring chicken and pork liver, formulated for senior adult dogs.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as a primary ingredient, which means good biological value. It also includes quality fat sources, like marine oil, which provides EPA and DHA. Plus, it has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
You'll want to note the inclusion of guar gum, an emulsifier that has some emerging microbiome data, though no canine clinical evidence. Also, it contains added sugar, which isn't really justifiable in a complete dog diet.
Good fit for senior adult dogs who need a wet food. Less ideal if you prefer foods without added sugar or emulsifiers.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Neutral fit for senior Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken broth anchors position 1, with one pulse (green peas at position 7), plus pork liver at position 3 (a natural taurine precursor). Worth watching: protein at 20% DMB may be too lean for sarcopenia prevention.
Looking at this for senior 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 2 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.
- FDA, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019diet composition· cited in 2 claims
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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.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 57/100, landing in C-tier (acceptable-with-notes). The biggest contributor was protein quality (+20.5 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The biggest detractor was controversial-ingredient penalty (-5 points): Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food. The gap to B-tier is small (3.0 points). Trimming controversial-ingredient penalty would likely close it.
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
Contains guar gum. Emerging microbiome data on emulsifiers; no canine clinical evidence. Minor penalty in canned food..
Contains added sugar. Nutritionally unjustifiable in any complete dog diet..
- Bottom 2% for carb quality in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (9/16)
- Top 10% for protein quality in grain-inclusive wet foods (20.6/27)
- Bottom 4% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive wet foods (20.0%)
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 Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Scores 18 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Chicken & Vegetable Entree Wet Dog Food, 12.8-oz can, 12 count
$5.11/lb vs your seed's $5.75/lb (11% 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 20%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).
Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.
- 1chicken broth
Real broth, adds flavor and moisture. Negligible nutrition on its own but tells you the recipe leans on real meat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 2protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 2: co-primary protein. Two named animal proteins in the top 2 is a strong protein build.
- 3protein animalpork liver
Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.
Position 3. Named organ meat this high is a strong build choice. Concentrated source of taurine, glutamine, and B-vitamins.
- 4grainrice
Generic rice. Could be white or brown, the label doesn't say. Brown rice would be specified if it were.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5vegetablecarrots
Real vegetable. Fiber, beta-carotene, and a small amount of antioxidant value.
Position 5: meaningful whole-food inclusion. Source of vitamins, antioxidants, or natural fiber.
- 6rice starch
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7legumegreen peas
Same as peas. Useful in small amounts. The concern is when pulses dominate the top of the ingredient list. See why →
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8dextrose
- 9protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 9: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 10sugar
Added sugar. No nutritional purpose for dogs. Most often found in budget semi-moist foods. See why →
- 11soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 11: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 12egg whites
Position 12: trace protein. Likely there for amino-acid diversity or label appeal more than nutritional weight.
- 13hydrolyzed chicken liver
- 14hydrolyzed chicken flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken used as a palatability enhancer. Real ingredient, tiny inclusion, no quality signal either way.
- 15potassium alginate
- 16calcium chloride
- 17fiberpowdered cellulose
Plant fiber, often from wood pulp. Cheap bulk filler. Not harmful, but a tell that the recipe is reaching for inexpensive bulk.
- 18fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
- 19supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 20fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
- 21fiberguar gum
Thickener common in wet food. Emerging research on emulsifiers and the gut microbiome, but no smoking gun in dogs yet. See why →
- 22dried tomato pomace
The fiber-rich byproduct of tomato processing. Sometimes flagged unfairly. It's a real fiber source, not a filler shortcut.
- 23dried citrus pulp
- 24vegetablespinach
Leafy green. Some iron, vitamin K, and fiber. The dose in kibble is small but it's real food.
- 25monosodium phosphate
Mineral source and preservative. Standard inclusion at small doses.
Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
18 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.