Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Small Breed & Mini Breed Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food, 15-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Small Breed & Mini Breed Chicken Recipe is a dry food for adult dogs, featuring chicken as its main protein.
This formula has a strong protein profile, with chicken as the primary ingredient, offering high biological value. It also uses quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber, which is good for digestion. Plus, it has AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
There are no notable negative drivers or flagged ingredients to watch out for in this formula.
Good fit for adult small and mini breed dogs with sensitive stomachs or skin. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
Strong fit for moderately active toy breeds, including the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Working in its favor: explicitly formulated for small-breed dogs. Chicken anchors position 1, with one pulse (peas at position 4), plus chicken liver flavor at position 12 (a natural taurine precursor). The FDA's 2019 investigation update on diet-associated DCM included 13 reported cases in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, making them one of the top 15 most frequently reported breeds at that time (FDA, 2019) .
Looking at this for adult Cavalier King Charles Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 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, 2022epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 4 claims
- FDA, 2019cardiac · diet composition· cited in 3 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 If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
Solid grade. 74/100 (B) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+21 points): Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+13 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. What's keeping it out of A-tier: protein quality (21 of 27 possible). Full protein quality requires named-species named-cut proteins in the top of the deck (e.g., "deboned chicken" rather than "chicken meal" or "poultry meal").
Strong protein profile with chicken as the primary ingredient, delivering high biological value.
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
AAFCO feeding trial substantiation for adult maintenance.
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 10% for DMB protein in dry kibbles (23.3%)
- Top quartile for protein quality in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (20.9/27)
- Bottom quartile for crude fiber in Hill's Science Diet's lineup (4.4% 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 Science Diet Puppy Sensitive Stomach & Sensitive Skin Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 13-lb bag
Scores 4 points higher with a similar formulation profile.
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small Bites Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food, 35-lb bag
$2.49/lb vs your seed's $4.20/lb (41% less) at a comparable score.
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.
- 1protein animalchicken
Real meat. Primary protein source, with the amino acid profile dogs actually evolved to eat.
Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.
- 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 animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 3: significant protein contributor. Adds amino-acid diversity to the top of the deck.
- 4legumepeas
Cheap protein bulk. Fine in small amounts, but when peas stack with lentils and chickpeas in the top ingredients, it's the pattern the FDA flagged in its heart-disease investigation. See why →
Position 4. Within the FDA's top-5 DCM-pattern threshold. Especially notable if multiple pulses stack here.
- 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.
- 6grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 6: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 7protein animalegg product
Processed whole eggs. Same nutritional profile as fresh eggs, just shelf-stable.
Position 7: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 8fatchicken fat
Despite the name, a high-quality energy source. Concentrated calories plus essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. See why →
Position 8: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 9soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
Position 9: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 10grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
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.
- 12chicken liver flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.
Position 12. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 13lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 14pork liver flavor
Hydrolyzed pork liver used as a flavor enhancer. Same role as chicken liver flavor.
Position 14. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 15mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 16fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
- 17mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 18supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 19supplementtaurine
Amino acid critical for heart health. Especially important in grain-free or pulse-heavy formulas where natural taurine precursors run thin.
- 20mineralferrous sulfate
Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.
- 21zinc oxide
Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.
- 22mineralcopper sulfate
Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.
- 23manganous oxide
Inorganic manganese. Functional, cheaper than chelated forms, less efficiently absorbed.
- 24mineralcalcium iodate
Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.
- 25mineralsodium selenite Flagged
Inorganic selenium. Effective at AAFCO levels, no documented safety concern in dogs despite what some pet food blogs claim. Selenium yeast is a marginal upgrade, not a necessity. See why →
Showing first 25 of 28. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.