Rating: 
Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D Canine dry dog food gets the Advisor’s below-average rating of 1.5 stars.
The Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D product line includes one dry dog food. Although the product has been designed to support a dog’s urinary tract and bladder health, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement for this dog food on the Hill’s website.
Hill's Prescription Diet C/D Urinary Tract Health
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Whole grain corn, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), chicken by-product meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, soybean mill run, chicken liver flavor, calcium sulfate, soybean oil, flaxseed, iodized salt, l-lysine, choline chloride, dicalcium phosphate, vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), vitamin E supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement), vitamin E supplement, taurine, potassium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.7%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 22% | 22% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 22% | 22% | 48% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 18% | 43% | 39% |
The first and predominant ingredient in this dog food is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The second ingredient is pork fat. Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to any dog food. Though it can be high in saturated oils, in reasonable amounts, pork fat can be considered an acceptable ingredient.
The third ingredient is chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered “unfit for human consumption”.
In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The fourth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.
Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.
The fifth ingredient is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in many of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in this dog food.
The sixth ingredient is soybean mill run. Mill run is a by-product, mostly the hulls of soybeans remaining after processing the beans into meal. This is nothing more than an inexpensive, low-quality filler more commonly found in cattle feeds.
Soybean oil is red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.
Flaxseed is one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
And lastly, the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Even though this is a prescription product, we continue to limit our judgment to the estimated meat content of the recipe as well as the apparent quality of its ingredients. And nothing else.
Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.
So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.
With that understanding…
Judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D Canine appears to be a below-average dry dog food.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 22%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 48%.
Below-average protein. Above-average fat. And near-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.
In addition, when you consider the plant-based protein-boosting effect of the soybean and corn gluten meals, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a limited amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Hill’s Prescription Diet C/D is a plant-based dry dog food using a limited amount of chicken by-product meal as its main source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 1.5 stars.
Not recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
12/15/2010 Original review
12/15/2010 Last Update
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.