Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine Dog Food Review (Canned)

Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D canned dog food is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is water, which adds nothing but moisture to this food. Water is a routine finding in most canned dog foods.

The second ingredient is hydrolyzed chicken liver, an organ meat that’s been chemically broken down into its component amino acids. Hydrolyzed proteins are considered hypoallergenic.

The third ingredient is corn starch, a starchy powder extracted from the endosperm found at the heart of a kernel of corn. Corn starch is most likely used here to thicken the broth into a gravy.

Corn starch isn’t a true red flag item. Yet we’ve highlighted here for those wishing to avoid corn-based ingredients.

The fourth ingredient is powdered cellulose, a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from the by-products of vegetable processing. Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.

The fifth ingredient is soybean oil, which is red flagged here only due to its rumored (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.

However, since soybean oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and contains no omega-3’s, it’s considered less nutritious than flaxseed oil or a named animal fat.

The sixth ingredient lists calcium carbonate, likely used here as a dietary mineral supplement.

The seventh ingredient is dicalcium phosphate, likely used here as a dietary calcium supplement.

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 Hill’s product.

With two notable exceptions…

First, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

And lastly, we find taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Nutrient Analysis

Although this is a prescription product, our review has nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to the product’s ability to 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…

Based on its ingredients alone, Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine canned dog food looks like an average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 20%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 57%.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 78%.

Which means this Hill’s product contains…

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical canned dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a wet product containing just a limited amount of meat.

Hill's Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Hill's through November 2024.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Hill's Dog Food

Hill’s Prescription Diet Z/D Canine is a canned dog food using a limited amount of hydrolyzed chicken liver as its dominant source of animal protein.

However, due to its intentional therapeutic design, this dog food is not rated.

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