Adult Chicken & Barley Entree Wet Dog Food, 13-oz can, case of 12
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Science Diet Adult Chicken & Barley Entree is a wet dog food, primarily featuring chicken and pork liver, formulated for adult maintenance.
This wet food offers good protein quality, with chicken and pork liver providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources like whole grain corn and barley, which contribute fiber. The formula has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance, which is a strong indicator of nutritional adequacy.
The main thing to note is the absence of a declared omega-3 source, like fish oil or algae oil, which are often included for skin and coat health.
Good fit for adult dogs of any size. Less ideal if you are looking for a food with a declared omega-3 source.
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. Chicken anchors position 2, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus pork liver at position 3 (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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Sniff scored this formula 64/100, landing in B-tier territory. The biggest contributor was protein quality (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The biggest detractor was fat quality (-8 points): No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent. To reach A-tier, this formula would need to gain about 11 points, most likely through fat quality.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality carbohydrate sources with declared fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
No declared omega-3 source. Fish oil, salmon oil, and algae oil all absent.
- Lowest crude fiber in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (1.1% DMB)
- Top 2% for DMB protein in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (29.7%)
- Lowest fat quality in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (4/16)
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.
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.
- 1water
Just water. Counted on the label of any wet or fresh food. The number tells you the moisture content.
- 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.
- 4grainwhole grain corn
Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 5cracked pearled barley
Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.
Position 5. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 6beef by-products
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
Position 7: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 8chicken liver flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.
Position 8. Functional organ inclusion. Adds amino acids and micronutrients even at smaller weight.
- 9dried whey
- 10soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 10: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 11mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 12mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 13mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
11 of 13 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.