Senior Adult 11+ Small Breed & Mini Breed Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 15.5-lb bag
Graded by The Sniff System
Hill's Science Diet Senior Adult 11+ Small Breed & Mini Breed Chicken Meal, Barley & Brown Rice Recipe is a dry food for senior small and mini breed dogs, with chicken as a primary protein.
This formula offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. You'll also find quality carbohydrate sources that include fermentable fiber, and the fat sources are good, featuring named fat with marine oil for EPA and DHA.
Nothing concerning in the deck.
Good fit for senior small and mini breed dogs. Nothing serious working against it.
Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.
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) . Good fit for senior Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and similar moderately active toy breeds navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken anchors position 1, with zero pulses in the top 15, plus chicken liver flavor at position 11 (a natural taurine precursor). What to watch: protein at 20% DMB may be too lean for sarcopenia prevention.
Looking at this for senior 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 2 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
Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.
At 71/100, this formula lands in solid B territory. The lift comes from carbohydrate quality, worth 16 points to the final number: Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber. Secondary contribution comes from protein quality (+15 points). Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The 4-point gap to the A-tier line is concentrated in protein quality (15 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").
Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.
Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.
Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).
No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.
- Bottom 3% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive dry kibbles (20.0%)
- Top quartile for carb quality in dry kibbles (16/16)
- 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 Adult Perfect Digestion Small Breed & Mini Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food, 12-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 $3.93/lb (37% 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.
- 2grainbrown rice
Whole grain that's easy to digest. Steady carb energy plus a little fiber.
Position 2: major carbohydrate source.
- 3brewers 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 3: major carbohydrate source.
- 4grainwheat
Whole wheat. Fine for most dogs, though a portion are sensitive. Not a quality concern, just a fit-for-your-dog question.
Position 4: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb 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.
- 6protein animalchicken meal
Chicken with the water cooked out. Per pound, packs more protein than fresh chicken. See why →
Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.
- 7cracked pearled barley
Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.
Position 7. Moderate inclusion. Contributes carbohydrate and some plant protein.
- 8grainwhole grain corn
Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.
Position 8: supporting grain. Smaller contribution to the carb deck.
- 9grainsorghum
Whole grain with a low glycemic index. Gluten-free, well-tolerated, decent fiber content.
Position 9: minor grain inclusion.
- 10protein plantsoybean meal
Concentrated soy protein. Cheap plant protein that pads the label number, common in budget formulas.
Position 10: moderate plant-protein boost. Less likely to materially shift the protein profile.
- 11chicken liver flavor
Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.
Position 11. Small organ inclusion. Functional but not a primary contributor to the protein profile.
- 12corn protein meal
Concentrated corn protein. Similar in role to corn gluten meal, pads the protein number on the label without matching meat amino acids.
Position 12: minor grain inclusion.
- 13fiberdried 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 13: trace fiber inclusion.
- 14fatfish oil
Concentrated omega-3s. The reason 'EPA' and 'DHA' get to show up on the bag.
Position 14. Trace marine oil. Contributes some omega-3 but well below the level that drives EPA/DHA totals.
- 15fatflaxseed
Plant source of omega-3. Helpful for skin and coat, though dogs absorb omega-3 from fish more efficiently.
Position 15: trace fat. Below the level that materially shifts the fat profile.
- 16lactic acid
Natural acid used as a mild preservative and pH adjuster. Found in fermented foods too. Safe at typical inclusion.
- 17soybean oil
Plant oil. High in omega-6, which is required but commonly oversupplied. Fine in moderation.
- 18pork liver flavor
Hydrolyzed pork liver used as a flavor enhancer. Same role as chicken liver flavor.
- 19mineralpotassium chloride
Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.
- 20grainoats
Whole grain. Steady energy, soluble fiber, and well-tolerated by most dogs.
- 21supplementdl-methionine
Essential amino acid. Often added when plant proteins dominate, since methionine is naturally lower in pulses than meat.
- 22supplementcholine chloride
Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.
- 23mineralsalt
Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.
- 24mineralcalcium carbonate
Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.
- 25fiberfructooligosaccharides
Prebiotic fiber, often called FOS. Feeds beneficial gut bacteria, similar in function to inulin.
Showing first 25 of 39. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.
25 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.