The Comparison
Four Foods, One Method
The same five measures, applied to each food from its own figures.
Open Your Saved Comparison- 01 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice Swap Remove
- 02 Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato Swap Remove
- 03 Science Diet Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice Swap Remove
- 04 Science Diet Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Swap Remove
| 01 Blue Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice Swap Remove | 02 Blue Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato Swap Remove | 03 Science Diet Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice Swap Remove | 04 Science Diet Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Swap Remove | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Protein, Dry Matter Higher Is Better 26-32% dm reads typical mainstream. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 24.4% Best in this row | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 22.2% | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice 17.2% | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice 21.7% |
| 02 Carbohydrate Load, Dry Matter Lower Is Better Estimated, 6% ash assumed. Estimated, not measured. It is what is left of the guaranteed analysis once protein, fat, fiber and moisture are taken out, with ash assumed at 6%. That leftover is mostly starch but also carries sugars and the fiber a crude-fiber test misses, so read it as a close estimate rather than an exact figure. Measured as fed, the same basis as the bag. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 48% 43.0% as fed Best in this row | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 49% 44.0% as fed | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice 60% 54.0% as fed | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice 54% 49.0% as fed |
| 03 Named Proteins In The First Five Count of named animal proteins. The count matches any named animal word in the opening five ingredients, so it also counts animal fats and flavourings as proteins. It is shown because it is one of the five measured lines, but it is too rough to call a winner on. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 2 of 5 | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 2 of 5 | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice 1 of 5 | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice 1 of 5 |
| 04 Flagged Additives Level Lower Is Better Matched against the flag list. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice None | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato None | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice None | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice None |
| 05 Brand Recall History Lower Is Better Manufacturer, not recipe. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 5 4 in the last 3 years | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 5 4 in the last 3 years | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice None Best in this row | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice None Best in this row |
| Starch, As Fed Estimated, not measured. It is what is left of the guaranteed analysis once protein, fat, fiber and moisture are taken out, with ash assumed at 6%. That leftover is mostly starch but also carries sugars and the fiber a crude-fiber test misses, so read it as a close estimate rather than an exact figure. Measured as fed, the same basis as the bag. | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 43.0% | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 44.0% | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice 54.0% | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice 49.0% |
| Kcal / Cup | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice 378 | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato 356 | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice 353 | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice 370 |
| First Five Ingredients | 01 Life Protection Formula Adult Lamb and Brown Rice Deboned Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley | 02 Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Grain-Free Lamb and Potato Deboned Lamb, Potatoes, Pea Starch, Peas, Lamb Meal (source of Glucosamine) | 03 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 7+ Chicken Meal, Barley & Rice Chicken Meal, Cracked Pearled Barley, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Corn | 04 Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1-6 Small Bites Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Brewers Rice, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Wheat |
Add A Food
The comparison holds four foods. Use Swap on a column to put a different one in its place.
Every figure here is the food's own. Protein and carbohydrate are converted to dry matter so foods of different moisture can be set beside each other; starch is estimated from the guaranteed analysis with ash assumed at 6.0%, and the recall record belongs to the manufacturer rather than to the recipe. Two rows are printed but never marked: the named-protein count, because the detection behind it is too rough to call a winner on, and calories, because neither more nor fewer is better without knowing the dog.
Keep In The Know,
Know What's In The Bowl
Dog food guidance, ingredient deep dives, and nutrition news worth knowing.



