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Hill's Science Diet Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12
Hill's Science Diet

Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food, 13-oz, case of 12

Evidence Fair
AAFCO compliance inferred from product name
wet $4.54/lb

Graded by The Sniff System

In plain English

Hill's Science Diet Variety Pack Adult Wet Dog Food is a wet food featuring chicken and pork liver, designed for adult dogs.

This food offers good protein quality, with chicken providing solid amino acid coverage. It also includes quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber, and quality fat sources like named fat with marine oil for EPA and DHA.

Nothing concerning in the deck.

Good fit for adult dogs of any size. Nothing serious working against it.

Summary written by The Sniff System from the data above. Same rubric, same drivers, expressed in English.

Who this is for

Good fit for adult Golden Retrievers navigating diet-associated DCM concerns. Chicken & barley entrée: water anchors position 1, 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

Methodology

The Sniff System grades this product against 3 cited studies relevant to its profile. Each link opens the original source.

  • FDA, 2022
    cardiac · epidemiology · breed predisposition· cited in 5 claims
  • FDA, 2019
    diet composition· cited in 2 claims
  • NRC, 2006
    nutrient bioavailability

Every claim on Sniff traces to a source. If you find a citation that's wrong, outdated, or misapplied, tell us.

Why this score

Strong grade. 75/100 (A) reflects the structural fit of this formula against The Sniff System's eight scoring components. Protein quality did the heavy lifting (+18 points): Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage. The supporting beat: carbohydrate quality (+16 points). Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

What lifted the score

Reasonable protein quality. chicken delivers solid amino acid coverage.

PQI

Quality carbohydrate sources with fermentable fiber.

CQI

Quality fat sources: named fat with marine oil (EPA and DHA source).

FQI
What pulled it down

No negative drivers crossed our reporting threshold.

What sets this apart
  • Top 1% for overall Sniff Score in grain-inclusive wet foods (75/100)
  • Bottom 10% for DMB protein in grain-inclusive wet foods (23.6%)
  • Top 4% for carb quality in wet foods (16/16)

Computed against the rest of our catalog. Percentiles refresh on each catalog update.

Guaranteed analysis
Dry-matter protein: 24% ⓘ
Protein
5.2%
min (as fed)
Fat
3%
min (as fed)
Fiber
1.5%
max (as fed)
Moisture
78%
max

Wet and fresh foods contain more water than kibble (typically 65-78%). On a dry-matter basis, this food's protein content is roughly 24%, comparable to premium kibble (typically 30-45% DMB protein).

Ingredients

Read why each ingredient is good or bad for dogs.

42 total
Good Neutral Watch Flagged
  1. 1
    chicken & barley entrée: water

    Position 1: primary protein source. After cooking removes water, this may drop in proportional weight, but it anchors the recipe.

  2. 2
    chicken

    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.

  3. 3
    pork 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.

  4. 4
    whole 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.

  5. 5
    cracked 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.

  6. 6
    beef by-products

    Position 6: supporting protein. Modest contribution to total protein weight.

  7. 7
    soybean 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.

  8. 8
    chicken 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.

  9. 9
    dried whey
  10. 10
    soybean 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.

  11. 11
    calcium carbonate

    Source of calcium. Functional. Required in complete dog foods, especially those without bone-in meat meals.

  12. 12
    salt

    Sodium chloride. Required at small doses for normal physiology. Not a quality concern in standard amounts.

  13. 13
    potassium chloride

    Required mineral. Sometimes used as a salt substitute. Standard inclusion in complete diets.

  14. 14
    choline chloride

    Essential nutrient for liver and brain function. Standard inclusion in complete dog foods.

  15. 15
    zinc oxide

    Inorganic zinc. Cheapest mineral form on the market. Functional but less bioavailable than chelated alternatives.

  16. 16
    ferrous sulfate

    Inorganic iron. Standard mineral source. Iron proteinate is the gentler, better-absorbed premium form.

  17. 17
    manganese sulfate

    Inorganic manganese. Functional but less well-absorbed than the chelated proteinate form.

  18. 18
    copper sulfate

    Inorganic copper. Standard, effective at small doses. Premium formulas tend to use copper proteinate instead.

  19. 19
    calcium iodate

    Source of iodine for thyroid function. Functional, required in complete formulas.

  20. 20
    beta-carotene. beef & barley entrée: water
  21. 21
    beef

    Real meat. Dense in protein and iron. Some dogs are sensitive to it, but for most it's an excellent base.

  22. 22
    pork liver

    Organ meat. Dense in B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. Among the most nutritious ingredients on any label.

  23. 23
    whole grain corn

    Whole corn with the kernel intact. Decent fiber and B vitamins, though it can crowd out meat in cheaper recipes.

  24. 24
    cracked pearled barley

    Pre-cracked pearled barley for better digestibility. Same whole-grain story.

  25. 25
    chicken liver flavor

    Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as a flavor enhancer. Real ingredient, used in tiny amounts for palatability.

Showing first 25 of 42. Position 1-5 has the largest weight in the recipe.

21 of 25 ingredients have a curated note. Coverage grows over time.