Hill’s Science Diet is known for its vet-recommended Sensitive Stomach & Skin kibble. Dog parents are switching to Nextrition, a cold-pressed dog food made in the USA, because it’s gentle on sensitive stomachs, packed with real meat and gut support, and easy to try with low-cost trial packs.
Updated October 2026
 Nextrition Cold-Pressed Recipes | Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin | |
|---|---|---|
| Complete & Balanced | Complete & Balanced | Complete & Balanced |
| Life stages | All life stages, incl. large-breed puppies | Adult recipe |
| Food format | Gently cold-pressed dry food | Crunchy dry kibble |
| Protein options | Chicken, beef, lamb or salmon | Chicken (dry recipes) |
| First ingredient | Real chicken, beef, lamb or salmon | Chicken |
| Peas | None in any recipe | Yellow peas |
| Protein (dry matter) | About 31–35% | About 25% |
| Calories per cup | 480–505 kcal | 391 kcal |
| Prebiotics | Chicory root | Beet pulp |
| Probiotics & postbiotics | Fermentation extracts & yeast culture | Not named on label |
| Fruits & vegetables | Pumpkin, sweet potato, blueberries & more | Beet pulp & flaxseed |
| Sample packs | 4 recipes · $9.99 | None listed‡ |
Hill’s Sensitive Stomach & Skin dry food comes in chicken recipes. Nextrition gives you four proteins, including three chicken-free options.
Real meat first: real chicken with rice and oats, for firmer stools and less gas.
Shop the Chicken RecipeReal meat first: real beef and beef liver, for strength and energy.
Shop the Beef RecipeReal meat first: real lamb with barley and millet, for dogs with allergies or tummy troubles.
Shop the Lamb RecipeReal meat first: real salmon, New Zealand green mussels and kelp, for itchy skin.
Shop the Salmon RecipeHill’s Science Diet is extruded under high heat. Nextrition presses real meat, wholesome grains, fruits and vegetables together without high heat or steam.
Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin uses beet pulp as a prebiotic fiber. Every Nextrition recipe adds prebiotic chicory root, five probiotic fermentation extracts and postbiotic yeast culture.
Nextrition recipes have 480 to 505 calories per cup, compared with 391 in Hill’s Sensitive Stomach & Skin, so your dog eats fewer cups.
We size every feeding plan to your dog’s weight, age and activity.
Nextrition is shelf-stable, so real meat needs no fridge, freezer or thawing.
Buy one bag or subscribe and save up to 17%.
Hill’s Sensitive Stomach & Skin is for adult dogs only. Every Nextrition recipe is formulated for all life stages, so puppies, adults and seniors can share one bag.
Switching from Hill’s? Try all four Nextrition recipes for $9.99.
Sample orders never start a subscription.
Yes. Nextrition is a cold-pressed dog food made in the USA. All four recipes (Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon) put real meat first, contain no peas, include prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, and are complete and balanced for all life stages.
No probiotics are named on the Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin label. It uses beet pulp as a prebiotic fiber. Every Nextrition recipe includes prebiotic chicory root, five probiotic fermentation extracts and postbiotic yeast culture.
Hill’s labels the adult formula as not recommended for puppies or pregnant or nursing dogs. Every Nextrition recipe meets AAFCO profiles for all life stages, including growth of large dogs.
Chicken is one of the most commonly reported food allergens in dogs. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin dry food is made with chicken, while Nextrition offers Beef, Lamb and Salmon recipes with no chicken.
No. Nextrition is cold-pressed dog food. Instead of being extruded under high heat like kibble, the ingredients are gently pressed together without high heat or steam. It is shelf-stable and served dry.
Nextrition recipes have about 31% to 35% protein on a dry matter basis (26% to 30% minimum as fed), compared with about 25% for Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin.
No. Nextrition is shelf-stable. Store it in the original bag in a cool, dry place, with no fridge, freezer or thawing.
The Nextrition Trial Variety Pack is $9.99 for four 0.25 lb samples (Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon), and sample orders never start a subscription.
This comparison uses the four Nextrition recipes (Chicken, Beef, Lamb and Salmon) and Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken & Barley Recipe (dry), based on each brand’s published label as of October 2026. Nextrition dry matter protein is estimated from each recipe’s guaranteed analysis.
‡No Hill’s Science Diet trial pack was found in the seller listings we reviewed. This is not a claim that Hill’s never offers samples.
Hill’s and Science Diet are trademarks of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Nextrition is not affiliated with Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
