The Top-Rated Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach Dog Foods: Ranked and Reviewed

Does your dog have continuous bouts of diarrhea? Do you have to clean up puddles of vomit daily? If so, your dog may need a dog food formulated for sensitive stomachs.

Gastrointestinal (GI) upset like loose stools, flatulence, and vomiting is a common occurrence in dogs that can have many causes. Most veterinary hospitals go by the general rule that a veterinarian should evaluate them if your dog vomits more than three times in a twenty-four-hour period, stops eating, and drinking, or has a persistent loose stool that contains blood. Once your veterinarian does a full workup and rules out any underlining conditions, like pancreatitis, or an internal parasite, they might suggest a different diet to help with your dogs’ symptoms. 

Some dogs have a stomach of steel, and others need to be on a dog food with limited ingredients for sensitive stomachs to support gut health and prevent chronic GI upset. When looking for a diet with limited ingredients, it’s essential to look for one that’s low-fat and high in fiber. Prebiotics are also important in dog food. Prebiotics are a fiber that doesn’t break down, so the bacteria in your dog’s gut can feed on it, promoting healthy bacteria growth, and firming their stool. 

Hill’s Science diet is one of vet’s top recommended dog food brands. Hill’s is also ranked highly by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which is the animal version of the FDA (Food & Drug Administration). Hill’s diets have more limited ingredients than some pet store brands and promote a healthy and longer life.

Diet can play a major role in improving the quality and extending the length of a pet’s life, so it’s essential to consult with your veterinarian on what food will be best. Here is a list of our top user-rated Hill’s Science Diets for dogs with sensitive stomachs. 

1. Best Overall: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food 

Our choice for the #1 Best Overall Hill’s Science diet for sensitive stomachs is Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog food. It is one of the top veterinary recommendations that doesn’t require a prescription. The food is easy to obtain and less expensive than prescription diets. It contains beet pulp, a prebiotic fiber that helps firm stool and promotes healthy digestive health. The first ingredient in this food is real chicken. It also includes vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acid to help give your dog a smooth, shiny coat and healthy skin. 

Not only is this type of Hill’s Diet made explicitly for easy digestion, but it comes in different types to best fit your specific breed size. You can decide between a small dog, medium dog, or large dog kibble size when purchasing the food. 

On Amazon, 93% of over a 17,000 customers reviewed this product highly and recommend it to other dog owners. Some reviewers reported that their dogs experienced diarrhea or skin irritation after eating this food.

Pros and Cons of Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food 

Best Overall

Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach

• One of the top veterinarian-recommended solutions that don't require a prescription
• Easy to obtain and less expensive than prescription diets
• Contains beet pulp, a probiotic fiber that firms stool
• The first ingredient is real chicken
• Contains vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat

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2. Best Prescription Diet: Hill’s Prescription Diet  Z/D Skin/ Food Sensitivities Original Flavor Dry Dog Food 

Hill’s Prescription Diet  Z/D Skin/ Food Sensitivities Original Flavor Dry Dog Food is a hydrolyzed protein diet. The animal proteins in this food are hydrolyzed chicken liver and hydrolyzed chicken.

Some dogs cannot eat common proteins found in dog food like chicken, beef, or other forms of poultry. Hydrolyzed protein diets break proteins down into smaller, easily digestible pieces using the process of hydrolysis. Hydrolysis chemically breaks protein source down into smaller particles using enzymes. Dogs are able to digest these smaller protein particles faster without triggering the dog’s immune system as a potential threat.

Z/d is a hypoallergenic food, clinically proven to help dogs with food sensitivities. It contains antioxidants and only one carbohydrate source, corn starch. It also has omega-3 fatty acids that help with arthritis and chronic kidney disease and promote brain and eye development. 

One reviewer said that her Chihuahua suffered from GI upset and skin allergies. She reported that her dog’s symptoms went away in days, and that he absolutely loves eating this food! 

Of course, not all reviews were this positive. A few reviewers said that their dogs experienced diarrhea after eating this food.

A veterinarian’s prescription is required to purchase this food.

Pros and Cons of Hill’s Prescription Diet  Z/D Skin/ Food Sensitivities Original Flavor Dry Dog Food

Best Prescription Diet

Hill's Prescription Diet z/d

• This food is formulated for dogs with skin and/or food sensitivities
• This is a hydrolyzed protein diet
• The protein is broken down into tiny particles that don't trigger your dog's immune system as a potential allergen
• Includes omega-3 fatty acids to help with arthritis and chronic kidney disease and promote brain and eye development

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3. Best Wet Food Diet: Hill’s Prescription diet i/d Digestive Care Low Fat Original Flavor Pate Wet Dog Food 

Hill’s Prescription diet i/d Digestive Care Low Fat Original Flavor Pate Wet Dog Food is an extremely easy-to-digest formula that doesn’t use chicken as its main ingredient. Instead, it features turkey liver and pork liver as its primary protein sources. Even though this is not a hydrolyzed protein, it is suitable for dogs that have difficulty digesting protein. This food has prebiotic fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. 

Unlike some other products, ginger is one of the ingredients in this dog food. Ginger is a great way to soothe the GI tract. It helps with nausea and, as an added benefit, has anti-inflammatory properties that aid with things like arthritis. 

Many customer reviews on this product were for dogs with GI illnesses like pancreatitis. Due to the food being low fat and easily digested, dogs with ongoing chronic digestive conditions typically are on this food long-term. I/d helps resolve their diarrhea, vomiting, or upset stomach. A few clients said that their dogs wern’t interested in the pâté and had to use some of the dry food to mix in to entice them. That was the most common complaint and seemed to be just for picky dogs. Buyers said it helps resolve their dog’s upset stomach quickly.

A veterinarian’s approval is required to purchase this food.

Pros and Cons of Hill’s Prescription diet i/d Digestive Care Low Fat Original Flavor Pate Wet Dog Food 

Best Wet Food Diet

Hill's Prescription Diet i/d Digestive Care

• Easy to digest
• The main proteins are turkey liver and pork liver, not chicken
• Ideal for dogs that have difficulty digesting protein
• Includes prebiotic fiber, omega-3 fatty acid, and antioxidants
• Includes ginger to soothe irritated digestive tracts

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4. Best Budget-Friendly Diet: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Digestion Salmon Dry Dog Food

Like the sensitive stomach and skin diet, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Digestion Salmon Dry Dog Food is not a prescription food. This means it’s less costly than most of the previously listed diets for sensitive stomachs. In theory, it’s in the same price range as the sensitive skin diet. It deserves the title “Best Budget-Friendly Diet” for all of its added value. This diet contains high-quality salmon and ingredients that will improve gut health and normalize stool production. 

To help form stool, it contains prebiotics, whole grain oats, and pumpkin. This dry food contains vitamin C to help boost your pet’s energy and immune system. The antioxidant is also great for reducing inflammation. Vitamin E is included as well. Hill’s said that when wild-caught salmon is accessible, they use that in the food as the primary protein source. There are still chicken products in the ingredients. To be safe, you might want to steer clear of this product if your dog is sensitive to chicken. 

You might wonder why this food is not the best overall diet due to its ingredients and affordability? It’s a new product. This food has only been on the market for a little over a year. Customers have left great reviews on this product, but it hasn’t been out as long as some tried-and-true diets. When reviewing food, it’s helpful to see if a veterinarian suggests it. To date, there are just client reviews, and most of them discovered this food on their own. So far, though, most of the reviews have been great! A few reviewers did, however, report that their dogs didn’t like this food.

Pros and Cons of Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Digestion Salmon Dry Dog Food

Best Budget-Friendly

Hill's Science Diet Adult Digestion

• Less expensive than prescription diets
• Contains salmon
• Features ingredients that promote gut health and normal stool production
• Includes prebiotics, whole-grain oats, and pumpkin to form stool
• Also includes vitamin C to boost energy and promote a healthy immune system

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Choosing the Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs: What to Look For

Feeding a dog with a sensitive stomach can take a lot of trial and error. It’s important to transition them into a diet slowly. Switching diets requires a lot of patience and it doesn’t always have an effect overnight.

When looking for a diet, read the ingredients and select a food that has low fat and a high fiber content. These diets can be pricey, especially if they require a prescription, though, in time, you will probably save far more money on vet bills versus the monthly cost of food. Online retailers also offer discounts on food if you subscribe for auto shipping.

Different Types of Sensitive Stomach Dog Food: Pros and Cons 

There are a lot of misconceptions about feeding dry vs. wet food diets. One is that wet food is worse for your pet’s teeth. Dry or wet food doesn’t have any effect on dental health. 

Wet food for sensitive stomach diets that work for your pet won’t worsen your pet’s diarrhea just because of the moisture. The ingredients in wet food still help gut health and firm stool. 

Pros and Cons of Dry Dog Food

Pros and Cons of Wet Food

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