Hill's Science Diet Adult Large Breed Dry Dog Food

The average dog food we reviewed has 39 total ingredients, with 1 controversial ingredient. This product has 3 total controversial ingredients and 2 of them are found in the first five ingredients. This is concerning because the first 5 ingredients make up most of the product.

Top 5 Ingredients

Dog food ingredients are listed in descending order of weight. So when looking at a dog food label, take a close look at the first 5 ingredients. They make up about 80% of the total weight.

• Chicken
  Chicken is a nutritious meat that provides protein, fat and other nutrients to dogs. Raw meat contains about 75% water which is cooked off during the making of dog food. This leaves only a fraction of the protein content in the final product's weight. We recommend looking for dog foods that also include meat meals in the first five ingredients (pre-cooked meat powder that contains four times the amount of protein). However, chicken is generally a healthy dog food ingredient.

• Whole Grain Wheat
  Whole grain means that all three edible parts of the kernel (bran, germ, and endosperm) are kept before milling, which means more protein and nutrients are in the final product. Wheat is a grass and cereal grain often used in dog food. It provides protein, dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, B vitamins and minerals. Some dogs may develop wheat allergies, though they are a lot less common than allergies to beef, dairy and soy. The jury is still out on whether wheat is a high-quality dog food ingredient so please consult your vet if you suspect your dog may be allergic or has food sensitivities. Grain-alternatives like potatoes, peas and legumes may be linked to canine heart disease (it's too early to say this conclusively), so keep that in mind when buying foods without wheat and other grains.

• Cracked Pearled Barley
  Barley is a type of grass and a cereal grain. It is a source of calories and several nutrients, including protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, niacin and various minerals. Barley provides carbs, energy, fiber and other healthy nutrients for dogs. Barley is generally a healthy dog food ingredient. Cracked and pearled means that the barley bran has been removed and then ground.
  
  
• Whole Grain Sorghum
  Sorghum (also known as milo) is a starchy cereal grain plant. It offers similar nutrition to corn, is gluten-free and provides nutrients like calcium, iron and magnesium. We consider it a generally healthy dog food ingredient. Whole grain means that all three edible parts of the kernel (bran, germ, and endosperm) are kept before milling, which means more protein and nutrients are in the final product.
  
  
• Whole Grain Corn
  Corn (also known as maize) is a cereal grain that provides carbs, protein, fat, vitamin B and other nutrients. Corn in dog food is an inexpensive (and often feed-grade quality) ingredient that we do not consider a high-quality dog food ingredient. However, whole grain corn is a higher-quality ingredient as it often contains more protein and nutrients.

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‍Controversial Ingredients

1. Whole Grain Wheat
2. Whole Grain Wheat is not simply good or bad as a dog food ingredient. It's a lower cost ingredient that does provide calories, but some dogs can be sensitive to it. Wheat is not generally considered a controversial ingredient but is controversial when it is used in the top five ingredients (which make up about 80% of the food's weight) where a named meat or lean protein would be more nutritious.

1. Whole Grain Corn
2. Whole grain corn is a low-cost dog food ingredient that provides energy (calories), but some dogs can be sensitive to it. Corn is not generally considered a controversial ingredient but is controversial if it is used in the top five ingredients (which make up about 80% of the food's weight) where a named meat or lean protein would be more nutritious.

1. Chicken Liver Flavor
2. Artificial flavors are added to increase the chance your dog will want to eat the food. The generic term artificial flavor is used to represent a large number of possible additives, some which could be harmful. These flavors may include but not list controversial ingredients such as propylene glycol, BHA and more.

‍Country of Origin

Hill’s dog food is made in the United States, which ensures a high level of food quality standards.

Meat & Fat Quality

All meats and added oils are clearly showing which species they come from: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pork Fat, and Soybean Oil.

Artificial Preservatives

This product contains no controversial preservatives. It’s good to know that ‍not all artificial preservatives are bad. That’s because they serve an important purpose, which is to prevent food from spoiling. However, we consider 11 artificial preservatives controversial because of their potential link to cancer and other serious health conditions.

Artificial Colors

No artificial colors, either. That’s really great.

Artificial Flavors

Chicken Liver Flavor is used in this dog food. That’s an artificial flavor that’s unnecessary and controversial. The food would be better without it.